Predators!!!

Posted on by

We got the skunk!

We also had an adventure early this morning (3:00) with something….something fighting for its life right outside the bedroom window. Two huge brown fur masses fighting, growling, rolling around and hissing at each other!

Made me so mad!  Terry tried to scar them off, but they just took it on out to the tile house and my bean gardens, then that upset me more, because they were tearing things UP!  So I took off after them with a flashlight, in my nightgown, and Terry following behind as he was getting the gun.

The most horrible of rack they made HORRIBLE, loud sounds like metal scraping on metal.  And a huge ball of fur that I couldn’t make out what or who was doing what!

The mass of roiling anger and fear fled up the canal bank to the top of the pig pen, where I stayed on the other side of the canal but equal to the fight.  I started yelling and shone the light right on them, getting one of them right in the eyes.  It caused everything to stop!  Suddenly!

The victim jumped into the canal and started swimming downstream toward Terry, but it was too dark to make out what it was.

The other one, fell into the canal when the victim dove, I saw what it was, but I have no name for it—-the head was like a little bear, the body long, at least three feet in length with a bushy tail.  As soon as it got on shore it ran into the cornfield to not be seen again.

I have no idea what I just saw, but it was NOT going to get my chickens again!  I just got three new ones from our daughter Shannon to replace the other ones!

Now that its daylight I wonder what I would have done if that animal had decided to swim the canal and jump onto the bank next to me!?!  Oh, well!  It didn’t!

The following photo has absolutely nothing to do with the text, but I thought it would be fun to see where the grain used to be stored when we were just starting out 41 years ago.

We don’t store grain anymore; we sell directly from the field.  Still the bins are pretty cool reminders of a time not so very long ago.

Linda

22 thoughts on “Predators!!!”

  1. When we had the farm we were woke up by a bobcat. The dogs went crazy and set up such a racket. I got up with the flashlight and JR waited in bed. He figured the dogs had it covered. They did. I hate it when he’s right.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  2. Doesn’t it just fry you when predators are fighting over YOUR chickens? Raccoons do that. And they fight opossums, too. It makes me want to buy an AK47 and camp out in the back yard, but I just keep a really sturdy cane by the back door instead. I dispatched an opossum with it once, but that’s only because they’re so slow. What was your dog doing during all the hullabaloo?

    Like

    Reply ↓

  4. I’m glad to know that you got the thieving “skunk”. I’d be on constant lookout
    for the other strange critter – 3 feet long!!! Would be very interesting to know what in
    God’s name it was. A bit like Diane’s “wompoo dove” !!!! That sure was an eye-opener.
    Best of luck with your “hunting”.
    Cheers
    Colin (HB)

    Like

    Reply ↓

  5. Linda- from your description of the predator and the fact it went into the water it sounds as though you had a couple of fishers. They are extrememly vicious and will kill chickens, cats, etc. I hope your DH is able to “take care” of them. Let us know what transpires.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  6. Oh my goodness! I am terrified of skunks. And, I really hope that they don’t come back to visit you! Cool grain bins, great to keep around as a reminder.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  9. Hi Linda, That would be scary –to witness the big fight…. Glad one of them didn’t come toward you….Wonder what in the world they were??????

    Yes—we have memories everywhere of time gone by, don’t we???? When we took our drive in the country on Sunday, we saw so much old rusty farm equipment sitting around… I’m sure it had a good use at one time.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    Like

    Reply ↓

  11. Good thing the animal did not get to your chickens! We had a mink get into the chicken coop while we were on vacation. My uncle was feeding the chickens and other pets. He came to feed the animals and discovered feathers and blood everywhere! ALL the chickens were dead! We ended up shooting the mink when we got back. That was the end of that… that was a few years ago though. We have had many chickens sense then and no more mink problems. Neat blog! Check out our blog at thechickenkeepers.blogspot.com

    Like

    Reply ↓

  12. Ah farm life!
    Every so often we are woke up by racoons on the deck after the cat food. The last one wasnt even scared of us!! Mean little b#$%^&. Everyone thinks they are so cute, NOT.

    Like

    Reply ↓

  14. Just looked up the link as given by “Jan (from the San Luis Valley)”
    Could definately be the culprit. Certainly not a friendly thing to
    have roaming around your place. Hope you manage to get rid of
    it – even the name is on the scary side! – “wolverine”.
    Remember where there is one, there are usually two of them.
    Good hunting.
    Cheers
    Colin (HB)

    Like

    Reply ↓

  18. I agree with Julie, sounds like a couple of fishers. We have them here on the island, but they’re not common. They do make that kind of racket. We’ve got no livestock to protect, so they don’t bother me too much. I do wish they’d come eat some of these *&%! rabbits, though!

    Glad all your critters are all right!

    Like

    Reply ↓

  21. The one with the little bear face is definitely a martin or a fisher. A fisher has decimated my dad’s chickens for the last 5 years. I know the face : )
    XOXO
    Joce

    Like

    Reply ↓

  22. Hey there, I just got caught up on a bunch of your posts. Do you guys have Wolverines they are quite nasty. I love your scenery it is very different and interesting. You lead such a busy life.

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a reply to Far Side of Fifty Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.