for this greedy varmint to enter the trap, having set it only 15 minutes earlier. The lure of the peanut butter was too great for the first deportee of 2026.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
UPDATE the following day! Two more volunteers for deportation.
from the birdbath this afternoon.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
feasting on roadkill, encountered during the last leg of my afternoon ride along Castleton Road. Cute little one despite the bloody face and pretty chill with my presence nearby.
American black bear cub (Ursus americanus).
from a sandstone slab as the sun sets.
Striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus).
by a young buck in the back yard.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
for a hiding, but somewhat curious, badger.
American badger (Taxidea taxus).
standing proudly above the Fish Lake trail this morning, gazing calmly toward the horizon and the future. This could be the logo for an insurance company.
Young male mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in velvet.
early this morning when this unusually reddish rattler became annoyed and clearly announced its presence as I rolled by on the singletrack.
Hopi rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis nuntius), a subspecies of the prairie rattlesnake.
UPDATE: From Chris, a local BLM biologist: “Hopi rattlesnake makes sense for the color and smaller size. The taxonomy has changed recently so the subspecies is no longer recognized and is instead considered a dwarf variant of the prairie rattler.“
has invaded our high desert community this spring, the most I have ever seen in 22 years. A local litter has just begun to venture out and they have all discovered the ground feeding stations. Super cute but destructive varmints, especially around the house.
Juvenile rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
can be found in the form of guano pellets and insect parts, dropped when insectivorous bats take a short break from their nocturnal foraging activities. If you ate half your body weight in insects every night you’d need to take a break and evacuate your bowels, too.
Bat guano is an excellent fertilizer and wars have been fought over this precious resource. Sweep these nuggets of concentrated nitrogen up and toss them in your garden.
for pesky and persistent varmints. Meet Number 10, going for a ride. Number 11 has already been spotted, hopping around and enjoying freedom for a short while longer.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
the Gunnison River has deeply incised the Black Canyon, exposing the ~1.7 billion year-old Precambrian metamorphic rock that comprises the enormous Painted Wall, caught at sunrise and the moment of first light.
Wide pre-dawn view of the 2,250 foot (686 meter) high Painted Wall, showing pegmatite dikes intruding the foliated gneiss and schist creating a natural abstract mural nearly a half-mile high.
Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) enjoying sunset near Cedar Point the evening before.
slithering through the buffalo grass, likely driven from its burrow by an intense rainstorm this afternoon.
Striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus).
out in the open, this squirrel is clearly mocking me. This is Number Four, having deported three others so far this season to other locations during the ongoing varmint war. They’re very cute but they can be very destructive.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus). Click on image to enlarginate.
FOLLOWING DAY UPDATE: Number Four is going for a ride. Couldn’t resist the grapes and peanut butter in the live trap.
from atop its underground bunker, this squirrel’s days of freedom are numbered as the live traps are set in the ongoing varmint war.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
is one among more than 50 in a small herd that regularly aggregates behind the house around dusk. They’ll be moving up the valley now that spring has arrived.
Mule deer buck (Odocoileus hemionus). Click image to embiggen.
in the live trap, down to the river for release, as the springtime varmint wars commence around the house. This is number two.
Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus).
enjoys a diverse diet during this dry winter, caught here through the front window at dusk.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) browsing on sagebrush.
Smoking a honey locust seed pod.
this evening is this handsome mule deer buck.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
of Bugs Buddy this morning confirms this long-lived wild rabbit is still in residence and is always a welcome visitor at the feeding stations.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii).