Monday, October 5, 2009

Poll Results - The Meanest Animal?


Well, another poll is over, and it's time to show you all the results. This time I'll try to do it without picking on all of the voters! I hope this can be as entertaining without that little bit of fun. In return for this wonderful benevolence of mine, I'd like to ask for a few ideas for another poll. I already have some good ones, but it can't hurt to have a few more. Okay, here we go!

"Which is the meanest animal?" That was the question that was asked in this last poll. Unlike last week's poll, which was a virtual dead heat, this one wasn't even close. It was a landslide! The winner(loser?) of this poll actually got more votes than all the rest combined! Let's see just what happened.

We wanted to know which was the meanest animal on my list. The overwhelming pick of the voters was the Goose! Goose came in at #1 with 14 votes (51%). Wow! A lot of you really think geese are mean. I'm not going to argue with the will of the voters this time. In my experience geese are indeed the rowdiest of the bunch on this list.


They often gather in huge gaggles(crowds) and play and fight while making all kinds of noise and generally causing a huge ruckus. I've watched while they chase each other around, attacking and fighting, and sometimes ganging up on a smaller few. They also like to leave their disgusting droppings all over everywhere.

If you feed them, they will even fight over the food, trying to chase each other away while keeping it all for themselves. They are also not above attacking a human if you get too close, and these animals are much stronger than they look. They can seriously hurt with just their wings. If you see one coming at you hissing and stretching its wings, you better get away fast! Okay, on to the next animal.

Coming in at #2 is the Squirrel, with 6 votes (22%). I'm surprised that squirrels didn't do better in the voting here. They can be pretty feisty, and I've had several encounters where they have been very angry with me for seemingly no good reason. Still, they did come in at 2nd.


At a very close #3 in the voting is every human's instinctive nightmare, and the original evil one, the Snake, with 5 votes (18%). I guess I should have specified which kind of snake I meant, but this is good enough. Each kind of snake has its own type of behavior. Some are very passive, like my local garter snakes, and others can be extremely aggressive and mean. You tell me which they are. Maybe cobras?

A surprise #4 is the curious little Chipmunk. It got 2 votes (7%). I have never seen a mean chipmunk myself, but maybe they are indeed out there. I have had a few literally scream at me and then run into the forest. I thought it was funny at the time. It was like the little creature saw a monster or something. Maybe they were just telling me where I could go.


And finally there is a tie for last, #5 and #6, between the Deer and the Caterpillar with 0 votes (0%). None of you thought these creatures could possibly be the least bit mean. With a caterpillar I can completely understand. I don't think they have the brainpower to be anything, much less mean. As for the Deer, I beg to differ!

I have told you many stories of myself being threatened and even charged at by deer. There were two days in a row where I was charged at by a small herd of deer. They were trying to chase me out of the meadow. After showing them that I was bigger than them they backed off. A short time later a woman walked up to me and told me of how that same bunch chased her back into her house so they could eat her flowers from her porch! Zero votes indeed!

Well, that concludes another successful poll for the week. I hope we all had fun with this one! I've been having slightly similar polls the last few times, so a change just might be in order. I might just have to get creative and make the next one something completely unexpected. I hope I'm up for it. Got any ideas of your own?

24 comments:

  1. hmm too early in the morning for me to think of anything. interesting results here. can't wait to see what the next poll is

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  2. I'm surprised no-one voter for dear, they can be pretty mean! I'm not sure of a good idea for a poll. Maybe:

    What annoys you most when you're hiking? (people, overgrown paths, weather, insects, bears, etc)

    Or you could show us a picture of a path with two different directions nd we could vote which way you should explore! :-)

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  3. Sorry i could not vote here. Next time I will keep it in mind.

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  4. Hi Ratty...i enjoyed my meal thanks..do you know when corn is ready..

    Hippo is the meanest dude in Africa..

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  5. Ratty, you didn't specify what kind of geese. Canada geese are pretty mellow compared to some varieties. Our park has four white geese, two males and two females. Almost every time I visit one of the males is charging after somebody. About a month or so ago the youngest gander decided I would make a good target. He put his head down and ran almost twenty yards to get to me.

    I know people who keep geese as 'watchdogs'.

    In defense of my little buddies, I've been around a variety of squirrels including fox, red, Douglas, and even Arctic ground squirrels mostly in the wild but some in parks. None have ever shown any signs of aggression. But then I am their queen.

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  6. We used to have a goose as "watch-dog", so I know they can be very mean sometimes..Great poll!

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  7. Gees, Ratty, where was I for the voting?? I would have voted for the caterpillar because I've raised monarch butterfly caterpillars for years. Those little munchers do get feisty when they run across another caterpillar on their food source. I've even had a death resulting in the choppers taking care of one such offender. Meek little blobs? Yeah, no. Those incisors are wicked!

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  8. I have to agree on the geese being the meanest animals. Had a few close encounter of the mean kind with them when I was a kid

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  9. Maybe a poll to ask which is the hardest animal to photograph????
    ha (I'd have to say ALL of them!)

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  10. Sorry, I have missed this again.
    Maybe a footnote may help.

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  11. Ratty, love these contests. Of course I had to go with the snake only because they scare the &^%$ out of me :D

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  12. Seems I missed another poll. I'd agree with the geese - domestic geese can be downright nasty.

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  13. i voted for the geese, as i have had experience with those mean critters. they used to frighten my customers at the marina. those little old ladies, i thought they would have a heart attack, thank goodness they didn't. have a wonderful day my friend...hugz!

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  14. I have had some experiences with geese and yes, I can agree, they can get very mean! I have actually been chased by geese in the park! Another animal that you would think would not be mean is the Moose. Get to close at the wrong time and they can be pretty dangerous!

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  15. Oh you are so clever and witty, I simply love a visit here!!

    I know the goose is the meanest. We raise them!

    Snake...nah, too scared of you. one just need watch your footing.

    Great shots with the geese. I love the feel of action!

    Poll...oh my word I am not anywhere as clever as you. I know you will come up with a good one!

    Happy day!:-)

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  16. Geese can be mean, but they are also beautiful looking birds.

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  17. I have seen Chipmunks get mean Ratty. I saw one attack a bird once and then I saw that one kill the little baby Vole. And they sure do get to fighting with each other at times too. I'm not seeing many these days. Only saw one today. They will be going underground soon.

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  18. let's not forgot that geese were the culprits for the "miracle on the hudson river." :P

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  19. I'll admit, geese are mean, but I had to vote for the squirrels. I've had some very...interesting experiences with them. One which ended in bloodshed (mine) and another which resulted in a bitten finger!

    Fun poll!

    Jen

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  20. First time here at this blog its very interesting and informative. I like it very much and I wanna to visit here very often.

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  21. I think I find those pics cute and funny

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  22. That was really fun! I did vote for the geese. When I was a kid, I got chased by some "guard geese" and it scared me to death--they seemed so big, aggressive and mean! But I have never seen a mean snake...I'm weird, I happen to love them. Deer? One hopes they will be shy because they ARE big enough to do damage!

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  23. Gesse are indeed mean. Glad to see that you've included Forest Spirit in the latest polling Ratty :P

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  24. Congrats with getting people to participate in the polls. I think they are fun, but I rarely get votes when I post one. You have the magic touch!

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