Strange happenings outside house

I let my dog out this morning, when I went to call her in, I went to the top lawn on the property. The knob to the water spigot caught my eye, as it was ripped clean off and a foot away. The spigot out of the ground itself was slightly bent. Granted it was old, rusted and needed to be replaced, and it could have happened to either myself or a family member. But the strange thing was, there was a few spots on the lawn around the water spigot that had loose fur on top of the grass.

I took a sample of the fur, dark/light gray with a few bright blond hairs as well. Average size is about 1 1/2". Soft. Have no microscope so anything deeper than that description is likely impossible. Probably a good large handful if I picked it all up. I questioned the family, none had touched the spigot. Really quite a perplexing mystery.

Realizing just now, I did hear a rather...well, terrifying guttural growl like noise from across the way last night before bed, I've heard that sound once before as well. We have a lot of animals around here, but I can't think of any that fits the description of this hair or those noises. Certainly not a deer, mountain lion, badger or coyote. Any ideas?

I'd get a big gun, and see if someone nearby has an infrared camera that you can borrow. When I say big gun, I mean one that will knock down a locomotive.

Also, if you can put out a leg of beef, or have a venison quarter, bait the thing.

Could be fun!

Either a predator got it's dinner or my better guess is rabbit nest.

Mommy rabbits pull the fur off their tummy and line their ground nest with it. Not all rabbits build nests in a hole ... I have seen nests on top of the ground. I'm not sure why they have to have a soft fluffy bed for their babies. I only know I have seen rabbit nests on the ground with mommy's fur and baby rabbits in it.

Originally posted by Trexter Ziam
Either a predator got it's dinner or my better guess is rabbit nest.

Mommy rabbits pull the fur off their tummy and line their ground nest with it. Not all rabbits build nests in a hole ... I have seen nests on top of the ground. I'm not sure why they have to have a soft fluffy bed for their babies. I only know I have seen rabbit nests on the ground with mommy's fur and baby rabbits in it.

With biiig nasty teeth!
Run Away!! Run Away!!

I hear rusty iron spigots are in season, though.

I caught a family of killer rabbits chewing through the neck of a rusty iron spigot once.

NOT a pretty sight.



no but seriously, I'd do what dooper said.

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Originally posted by dooper
I'd get a big gun, and see if someone nearby has an infrared camera that you can borrow. When I say big gun, I mean one that will knock down a locomotive.

Also, if you can put out a leg of beef, or have a venison quarter, bait the thing.

Could be fun!

There is nothing around that a nice Marlin .35 Remington or a .357 Magnum could not handle. It is pointless to have overkill, as it effects accuracy and handling ability.

You know what you're thinking, and I know what you're thinking. There ain't no damned rabbit that has any horsepower.

Once again. A big gun. 444 Marlin minimum, and I'd feel better with at least a .338 Remington Magnum. Borrow one, but when you shoot at that big SOB, you better be certain he's down.

I'd give anything to have a shot at it. I have a thermal camera that I use in my business, and I'd really, really like to be in your shoes. And when I retire, I'd sure like for folks like you to let me help.

You've heard it and seen it moving at a distance, haven't you? Because this isn't a one time thing.

Not knowing where you are makes this a bit more difficult, but it sounds like it could have been a bear using your spigot as a scratching post. Black Bears are pretty much found around the whole eastern half of the US, and Browns/Grizzly are in the North Western areas.

What a bunch of tosh up there. ffs

The dog was not attacked. The fur was not from the dog nor any larger animal. Too soft for the animals listed by the OP. Okay, so what are we left with. A deliberately broken (albeit old) and bent spigot. Wild creatures are not, to my knowledge, known to viciously attack spigots.

Humans know how spigots work. Some animals know how spigots work. Why would it be broken that way? And further, the bait and wait methods listed there will prove nothing except that there are loose, wild creatures who are hungry roaming around at night in search of a meal. Is that really news? I didn't think so.

The mystery is how the spigot got broken. Open your minds and consider why and how. Were there any markings on the metal? Deep markings of some sort? Could you upload a pic for us, perhaps? And a pic of the pipe as well would be of help too.

Start at the beginning if you want to solve a puzzle.

I did take some pictures, i'll upload them tomorrow. And for the record this is northern california, and bears are QUITE uncommon here. Up the freeway 20 minutes, sure, but not here.

Yes, I totally agree that the spigot is the single most unusual issue. The knob was broken clean off, like it was ripped strait up. It was not bent off. Like something was pulling it up toward them, thus the slight bending of the actual pipe. Very strange...Granted, it was old, but it would have taken some doing to come off as it was.

The fur is of course what set me off to posting this. It occured to me that it could well be raccoon fur. Raccoons do frequent the tree overhanging the spigot. But raccoons do not account for the knob. Curious creatures for sure, and quite intelligent, but lack the strength to do anything of this nature, even if one was to fall on it. There didn't seem to be any marks on the pipe, and no signs of a animal scuffle around-no divots, no blood, no tracks, no nails...it is mountain lion season, but there is no way in hell that that little plumb tree could sustain the weight of a lion. I doubt very much that it's bigfoot due to the coloring, but Bigfoot is no stranger to this area, I can assure all of you that.

And that growl I mentioned...I have heard it before at least once, maybe twice. Extremely unnerving noise, not a sound i'm used to, and I went inside once I heard it and did not go back out that night because of it. I actually loaded my shotgun right after, just in case. I don't know of an animal that makes that kind of noise.

And as for setting bait, as the above poster said, it would only prove that there are a variety of hungry critters around. But I do have a Remington marine mag shotgun loaded up with slugs and a 300. win mag just in case.

Good one.

I like who-dunnits.

Also, the most obvious answer is usually the right one.

So we have a broken, bent spigot, animal fur and a creepy growl.
A northern California location.

Isn't anyone going to go out on a limb here.

It's clearly sasquatch pissed off he can't a drinky from your rusty old water pipe.

I am interested in the spigot in particular because it's the only thing that we can get an actual visual on.

The fur, though interesting, could come from a raccoon and that would be anything but unusual. It would be unusual where I am because raccoons don't exist here. heh

The sound is of course of relevance too, but you will need to recall under what sort of conditions you heard that growl. Approximate dates would be of use. It could coincide with migration, with a disease epidemic in some form of wildlife up there, it could coincide with some sightings (natural, supernatural, paranormal) otherwise.

That's why we stick to first things first.

I believe if you wanted post this on the cryptozoology forum, even though its being over run with vampire topics at the moment thee should be enough people with common sense to look away from them and come help you.

I need to go for a few hours though I'll be back on with my insight on this topic.

Huh? Could that be put into English for those of us still restricted to some sort of logical syntax? I'm unfamiliar with that dialect of gibberish.

reply to post by CosmicEgg


It was basic english.....all he did was say thee instead of there.

[edit on 8-11-2008 by SkepticalSteve]

Still doesn't make sense. This is so far only a mysteriously broken spigot, some soft fur and a strange growl. We aren't to the point that we need to disturb Buffy and friends.

I'm still waiting for the pics to be uploaded.

What the heck kind of insight can come with no further information? Unless the poster is that brand of psychic that works in such realms. Then I'm interested.