RX3 Goes to Western NC - Page 2

jbfla · 08-28-2016, 04:01 PM

And a couple more:

Fields of the Wood, near Murphy, North Carolina, it is billed as a religious theme park.

Regardless of your religious persuasion, and not far from my cabin, there is a decent cafe where I have lunch once or twice a week.

Most of my riding is on pavement, with only the occasional venture onto the gravel:

Shuler's Creek Rd.:

The road is very deceptive. Looks very tame, but is full of potholes and rocky outcroppings that are hidden by the shadows of the overhanging trees.

jb

jbfla · 08-30-2016, 07:43 PM

I have been trying to catch a ground hog that has been living under my front porch.

So far I have caught 3 raccoons and 2 possums (opossums)....

....no ground hog....

jb

Jay In Milpitas · 08-30-2016, 08:43 PM

What are you using for bait? Groundhogs are herbivores, whereas the other two are omnivores.

jbfla · 08-30-2016, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay In Milpitas

What are you using for bait? Groundhogs are herbivores, whereas the other two are omnivores.

Pieces of apples.

When I don't catch a raccoon or possum, the apple pieces are gone without the trap being tripped.....

jb

Jay In Milpitas · 08-30-2016, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbfla

Pieces of apples.
the apple pieces are gone without the trap being tripped.....

jb

Aggressive ants?

Azhule · 08-30-2016, 09:48 PM

Maybe a Rabbit getting the food?

I had a few traps I put out end up with missing food... and no skunks trapped to take blame for the missing food... come to find out a crafty rabbit was just long enough to stretch over the trap/trigger and eat the food...

I changed out the food to something rabbits don't like but skunks will still eat... the next morning I had a skunk that needed removed from the property

jbfla · 08-30-2016, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azhule

......... and no skunks trapped to take blame for the missing food...

I changed out the food to something rabbits don't like but skunks will still eat... the next morning I had a skunk that needed removed from the property

Skunk! That's what I have been hoping NOT to catch.

How do you get it out of the cage without getting sprayed?

Just today, I rode past a dead skunk on the road....whew! What a smell!

jb

Azhule · 08-31-2016, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbfla

Skunk! That's what I have been hoping NOT to catch.

How do you get it out of the cage without getting sprayed?

Just today, I rode past a dead skunk on the road....whew! What a smell!

jb

I set up the trap with plenty of food/water and have a blanket covering most of the trap (I leave one side open so I can easily see when I caught something)... after I catch them... I slowly creep up and drop the blanket to fully cover the cage and then I usually just call Animal Control and they take care of the rest for me... all I have to do is go pick up my cage after the poor skunk is Euthanized

So far 3 well fed skunks have been removed from our property and not one drop of stinky spray landed on me, our blankets, or the people from Animal Control

BlackBike · 08-31-2016, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbfla

I have been trying to catch a ground hog that has been living under my front porch.

So far I have caught 3 raccoons and 2 possums (opossums)....

....no ground hog....

jb

That the ugliest house cat I ever seen!

BlackBike · 08-31-2016, 02:08 AM

Keep the lights off around the house, attracts bugs for skunks. No food scraps in the yard either. Easy to attract them, but to hard to evict when they find a good home. Sometimes the 12 gauge is the solution but neighbors sure don't appreciate at 2.28am. The skunks and aramidillos fight for the night around here but the armadillos seem to have the edge.

jbfla · 08-31-2016, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azhule

I set up the trap with plenty of food/water and have a blanket covering most of the trap (I leave one side open so I can easily see when I caught something)... after I catch them... I slowly creep up and drop the blanket to fully cover the cage and then I usually just call Animal Control and they take care of the rest for me... all I have to do is go pick up my cage after the poor skunk is Euthanized

So far 3 well fed skunks have been removed from our property and not one drop of stinky spray landed on me, our blankets, or the people from Animal Control

Thanks for the tips, Azhule.

I hope I never need to use them.

As far as I know, we don't have Animal Control here in the mtns....but I will ask around.

Maybe they know how to catch a ground hog.

jb

jbfla · 09-28-2016, 08:00 PM

I still haven't caught the ground hog. I wouldn't mind except for the fact that it eats everything in the vegetable garden.

Apologies in advance; not on the RX3 and not in NC...

I have ridden the RX3 on the gravel fire roads enough to know I don't want to, if I have a choice.

The XT 250 has 8" suspension travel and a soft spring to better cushion my old bones.

Took a ride to the top of Buck Bald (in SE TN):

The ride to the top is on a graded gravel road, passable slowly in a passenger car.

On the back road down you need a Jeep or high clearance pick up truck:

Sometimes there is a gate across the road:

The leaves have started falling. Riding on a cushion of leaves is tricky...slippery when dry, and more slippery when wet.

It almost felt like I was riding with a flat tire, and I stopped to check a few times.

Half way down the mountain there was a washout. A four wheeled vehicle would not have been able to pass:

Luckily, on the bike I was able to get by.

And I wondered why the gate at the top of the road wasn't closed.

About 8 miles later I come to the end of the trail and ........

The gate is about 3 feet high with no easy way around. In the past I have been able to lay my TW200 on its side and drag it under.

Didn't really want to try that with the XT. I noticed the ditch on the right, about 2 feet deeper than the road surface. Eased the bike into the ditch and was able to get under the gate just barely scraping the windshield and mirrors.

jb

jbfla · 09-28-2016, 08:04 PM

That was two days ago.

Today was one of those glorious blue sky days. Temperature in the 70's (F)

and low humidity. Put on about 200 miles going nowhere in particular.

This is Tellico Lake near Vonore, TN

jb

Jay In Milpitas · 09-29-2016, 12:15 AM

Sometimes nowhere is the best place to ride to.

jbfla · 10-19-2016, 05:38 PM

Today it was a beautiful 80F and sunny....and the last NC/TN ride of the season for me.

Rode a 100 mile loop enjoying the fresh air and the changing color of the leaves:

The NC/TN mountains are the the ideal environment for the RX3. Lots of twisty paved secondary roads and not much need to go over 55 mph.

I debated whether to leave the RX3 in NC or bring it back to FL, which, IMO, is not the ideal environment.

It was a difficult decision. I guess I'll find out if it was the correct one:

Returning to the Land of Flat and Straight:

jb

08-28-2016, 04:01 PM	#16
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	And a couple more: Fields of the Wood, near Murphy, North Carolina, it is billed as a religious theme park. Regardless of your religious persuasion, and not far from my cabin, there is a decent cafe where I have lunch once or twice a week. Most of my riding is on pavement, with only the occasional venture onto the gravel: Shuler's Creek Rd.: The road is very deceptive. Looks very tame, but is full of potholes and rocky outcroppings that are hidden by the shadows of the overhanging trees. jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........
	3

08-30-2016, 07:43 PM	#17
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	I have been trying to catch a ground hog that has been living under my front porch. So far I have caught 3 raccoons and 2 possums (opossums).... ....no ground hog.... jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........
	0

08-30-2016, 09:48 PM	#21
Azhule Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: CO Posts: 1,525	Maybe a Rabbit getting the food? I had a few traps I put out end up with missing food... and no skunks trapped to take blame for the missing food... come to find out a crafty rabbit was just long enough to stretch over the trap/trigger and eat the food... I changed out the food to something rabbits don't like but skunks will still eat... the next morning I had a skunk that needed removed from the property __________________ "Think as you like... but this self proclaimed Professor is always right" - Buckshot "You never know what someone is hiding beneath their smile..." - NinjaTom - R.I.P.
	0

08-31-2016, 02:08 AM	#25
BlackBike Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: George West, Texas Posts: 4,097	Keep the lights off around the house, attracts bugs for skunks. No food scraps in the yard either. Easy to attract them, but to hard to evict when they find a good home. Sometimes the 12 gauge is the solution but neighbors sure don't appreciate at 2.28am. The skunks and aramidillos fight for the night around here but the armadillos seem to have the edge. __________________ ***************************************** 2015 Bashan"Blaze" BS250GY-31 (DB-07K-250) GONE 2017 Suzuki V Strom 650 XT "We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~Benjamin Franklin~
	0

09-28-2016, 08:00 PM	#27
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	I still haven't caught the ground hog. I wouldn't mind except for the fact that it eats everything in the vegetable garden. Apologies in advance; not on the RX3 and not in NC... I have ridden the RX3 on the gravel fire roads enough to know I don't want to, if I have a choice. The XT 250 has 8" suspension travel and a soft spring to better cushion my old bones. Took a ride to the top of Buck Bald (in SE TN): The ride to the top is on a graded gravel road, passable slowly in a passenger car. On the back road down you need a Jeep or high clearance pick up truck: Sometimes there is a gate across the road: The leaves have started falling. Riding on a cushion of leaves is tricky...slippery when dry, and more slippery when wet. It almost felt like I was riding with a flat tire, and I stopped to check a few times. Half way down the mountain there was a washout. A four wheeled vehicle would not have been able to pass: Luckily, on the bike I was able to get by. And I wondered why the gate at the top of the road wasn't closed. About 8 miles later I come to the end of the trail and ........ The gate is about 3 feet high with no easy way around. In the past I have been able to lay my TW200 on its side and drag it under. Didn't really want to try that with the XT. I noticed the ditch on the right, about 2 feet deeper than the road surface. Eased the bike into the ditch and was able to get under the gate just barely scraping the windshield and mirrors. jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........ Last edited by jbfla; 09-28-2016 at 09:08 PM.
	4

08-30-2016, 08:43 PM	#18
Jay In Milpitas Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Milpitas, CA. USA Posts: 775	What are you using for bait? Groundhogs are herbivores, whereas the other two are omnivores.
	0

09-28-2016, 08:04 PM	#28
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	That was two days ago. Today was one of those glorious blue sky days. Temperature in the 70's (F) and low humidity. Put on about 200 miles going nowhere in particular. This is Tellico Lake near Vonore, TN jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........
	4

09-29-2016, 12:15 AM	#29
Jay In Milpitas Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Milpitas, CA. USA Posts: 775	Sometimes nowhere is the best place to ride to.
	1

10-19-2016, 05:38 PM	#30
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	Today it was a beautiful 80F and sunny....and the last NC/TN ride of the season for me. Rode a 100 mile loop enjoying the fresh air and the changing color of the leaves: The NC/TN mountains are the the ideal environment for the RX3. Lots of twisty paved secondary roads and not much need to go over 55 mph. I debated whether to leave the RX3 in NC or bring it back to FL, which, IMO, is not the ideal environment. It was a difficult decision. I guess I'll find out if it was the correct one: Returning to the Land of Flat and Straight: jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........
	0