Spartan2 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2011 at 5:40pm:

Yes, Karl (Starwatcher) the dock spiders are often out on the rocks and I love to see them/photograph them.  I am currently looking for a photo I took of one that seemed to live on the latrine at one of our campsites.  It was the biggest one I had ever seen, and I will admit it would give me pause when I had to visit the biffy.  I did, however, make its acquaintance and learn to adjust to its presence. . . . ;)   As I recall, we stayed at that site for two nights and it was still there when we left.  I have a rule that I don't kill any insect in the canoe country unless it is on my body, in my tent, or is a mosquito/tick/blackfly.   ;D I don't believe that the webs like in today's POD's are made by the dock spiders, but I could be wrong.  Spartan1 was a dear to work with me to get the web photos--they were taken from the canoe and involved a bunch of "hold it more still!", "a little closer", "a little more to the right", etc.  It's really hard to photograph a web without having the camera on a tripod.  And that was before I had an IS lens.

I jest Lynda, but that might have been enough to get me to move to a new campsite.  :o  I agree that they don't spin an orb web.

Those are some of the biggest spiders in nature.  I'm not fond of spiders, although I know they serve a huge purpose in nature. I've never been bit by a fisher spider and I agree that I wouldn't kill any critter unless it invaded my space.

I worked on a project in east Texas this summer and had spiders everywhere;  black widows, brown recluse, those huge garden spiders and banana spiders; I made sure I never placed my work clothes or equipment on my bedding.  I had a plant in Oklahoma and used to see tarantulas crossing the road when you drove down the country roads; looks like a huge guerilla hand running across the road.  :o

By the way, thanks for the photos; it helps keep my sanity during the dead of winter.  ;)

starwatcher