Classic critter stories

I'm a little sad to see all the old stuff lost so I came back to re-tell my favorite story from this board. Maybe the original poster can fill in the datails.

Remember the guy who had the geese stopping by his pool? And the dog would just lay there and look at them even though one would have thought he would bark and scare the geese? Then someone suggested he get a plastic floating crocodile for the pool to keep the geese away? So he did but it didn't, the geese kept coming but then the dog would bark and bark at the crocodile as it bonked against the edge of the pool?

I love that one.

That is TOOOOO funny!! Leave it to a dog!!! :D

Maybe not a classic - but I had just purchased my new Dolphin Diagnostic a few years ago.

It had been running for a few hours - and I decided to go out and watch it for a minute or two (kinda fun for the first few hours).

While wathcing it do it's thing under the pool lights I kept noticing something on the bottom that would move just before the cleaner got to it. I thought it was a leaf getting pushed out of the way a little as the cleaner got close.

I watch a bit longer - and then realized that this 'leaf' was moving even when the Dolphin wasn't anywhere near. It appeared to be trying to move up the slope from the deep end, but would then slide back down.

The Dolphin was just about to run it over - and I realized that it was something alive! I couldn't stand the thought of trying to dig it out of the Dolphin so I dashed over to the power supply and turned the cleaner off, just inches before sucking up this thing.

I got the skimmer net out - and as I tried to fish it up off the bottom I realized it was a crawdad. I had no idea how a crawdad could survive in water with a 5ppm Cl reading - but it seemed quite happy as it kept crawling off the skimmer net and falling back to the bottom.

After a few minutes I managed to get it out of the pool and tossed onto the lawn. I moved it back to the 'creek' that is nearby and hoped to never see him again. Of course I have now fished more than 5 crawdads out of the water over the past 3 years.

A classic? I dunno - but between the crawdads, turtles and moles I'm fishing stuff out all the time.

Last year was our 1st year in this house. So, naturally, I wanted to check on the pool EVERY night before bedtime, just to make sure it was ok!? Well, I always fuss at the kids to get all toys out after swimming. So, it was about 10pm & I do my normal routine, check the pool. The closer I got, I started to notice what I thought was the strap to goggles floating in pool. But GUESS WHAT!! Nope, not goggle strap! It was a SNAKE!!:eek: In my brand new pool liner!!! As you can guess I am terrified of snakes. Well, I woke my husband up, he said it will be fine, it will get out. I said, "NO! You have to get it out now!" Bless his heart, he really does love me. He got out of bed, & went fishing for a snake with only a skimmer net to work with. AND, I had to hold the flash light. FROM A DISTANCE, of course... So, he got it out, & killed it, A blue racer!!! Needless to say, before snake came around, we were getting about 10 or more frogs out per day, while snake was there, about 1 or 2 a week!! I don't know about you, but I think I'd rather deal with the frogs. So, that's my critter story!!;)

Just yesterday, I went to clean out the skimmer when I got home from work. I looked before I grabbed it and saw what I thought were leaves. When I picked it up about halfway there was a dead baby bird inside. I don't think I'm over it yet.

Casey

This was the first yr in this house so it was our first opening. I'm powerwashing the patio/decking while my wife is busy cleaing leaves and what not out when she drops the skimmer and starts screaming and pointing in the pool. I turn around to see a squirrel sunk to the bottom among the leaves staring up with his arms outstreched. We both were convinced it was alive but after 15 mins we worked up the courage to get it out. It definetly was NOT alive... but sure used up the TONS of chlorine the previous owner used to winterize!

So far only a couple of dead mice. I have seen a couple of snakes in the yard but not in the pool. (Thank goodness) My wife would never get in again.:)

In years past, there is a bat that will come out right after dusk and fly over and around our pool several times. We can't really seem him all that well, but he moves too fast and makes too sudden of moves to be a bird. It looks pretty neat, especially if the pool light is on.

We came home from being out one day last summer to find male and female mallard ducks swimming in our pool. I guess they were making a pit stop, they haven't been back since.

Otherwise, I've only found dead lizards in our pool so far.

OK, I guess I jinxed myself in the earlier post. I was cleaning the pool Saturday and found a small snake in the skimmer. He shot out into the pool I had to round him up with the net. Thank goodness he was little.:)

Last year in the center of our pool, I found what appeared to be...how do I say this tactfully...hmmm...a large piece of poop (sorry, can't think of a tactful way to say it). I was FURIOUS! I fished it out only to find that it wasn't poop at all. It was a fried chicken leg.
I'm still trying to figure out how it got in there since we don't eat fried chicken.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by itismesue

Last year in the center of our pool, I found what appeared to be...how do I say this tactfully...hmmm...a large piece of poop (sorry, can't think of a tactful way to say it). I was FURIOUS! I fished it out only to find that it wasn't poop at all. It was a fried chicken leg.
I'm still trying to figure out how it got in there since we don't eat fried chicken.

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LOL.....That's really funny!!!

I just fished a large furry mouse (it was probably a rat, but I can't bear the thought of that) out of my pool this morning.....yuck!

The worst for me was coming home after being away overnight to checking on the pool ( I always check the pool first thing), and finding a dead skunk floating with his head caught in the skimmer. Now I have a pretty good stomach, and I have retreived a lot of small dead creatures out of my pool since I live in the middle of the woods, but this one really threw me for a loop. All I could do was first scream, second run in the house, and get my wonderful, wonderful husband to go out and fish skunky out. I dumped in mega doses of bleach, and didn't go near the pool for 2 days - I was too grossed out. I still get the heebee geebees when I think about it~

I've only had one dead critter, a baby bird on the solar cover 2 years ago. :(

The best have been the gray tree frogs that we have had in our pool the last 2 years, those little guys are LOUD! Of course my daughter had to catch them and put them in an aquarium for a few weeks to observe them (and catch bugs to feed them) before we turned them loose near a lake....little budding scientist. :) Don't you know it, a couple of them got loose in the house. After hunting around, we found all but one and decided to wait until evening when he would start making noise. My hubby found him at dinnertime.....perched on the back of the stove, watching him cook dinner! LOL

It was fall the first year we had the pool. We had several days of storms and leaf cleaning. One afternoon we went shopping in neighboring town right after work and it was dark when we arrived home. I decided I needed to empty the skimmer baskets. It had been raining and windy all day and I was afraid the packed leaves may be putting pressure on the pump. When I got out back I could see the skimmer was backed up with leaves- so full they were building up in the pool area going into the skimmer. I noticed one long stem on one of the leaves and grabbed it when I was grabbing the "wad" of leaves from the pool. When I touched it- it felt funny- and then I noticed I had the tail of a big dead rat..... I was sick for days- never empty the skimmers in the dark anymore.

One Afternoon I was swimming in the pool and I was at the deep end swimming toward the shallow- where there is a skimmer. I thought I saw something looking at me when the skimmer thing flapped- I noticed it again..
hmm... Got out to check it out. It was a baby snake coiled in the skimmer on top the basket- he was keeping his head above water- could not get out of the skimmer area- just there trying to survive. I felt bad for him- especially when I chopped his head off. I hated too- but he scared me- what fear will make you do!!!

I hope those are the worst stories I will ever have.

Today I found my first DEAD ANIMAL in my skimmer....YUK !!!!!!! It was a black-bird, slightly older than a baby..actually, he was pretty big come to think of it. How the heck he got in there and couldn't get away makes me wonder as I keep the lid on the outside on the skimmer....only thing I can think is he got SUCKED in cause this morning I had to add a little water to the pool to bring the level back up. Oh well, I guess his buddies will finally stay away from the pool:)
Michelle