While out checking the cows and calves, which we do daily, Terry and ran over onto the cactus hill to see what we could see.  We like this rocky point on the farm….every time we are up there we talk about maybe building a house on this hill.  Although, it won’t be a typical house, but an house built into the hillside with southwest facing windows to capture the sunlight and the wonderful sunsets.

(Now to be honest you and I both know that Terry and I will never do this, but it’s fun to sit on the point and dream)

Leaving that point we headed over to the cattail area…Red-Winged Black birds were BACK!  They wonderful songs filling the air.  Traveling forward onto the grass pasture (next to the equipment area) three coyotes ran past us lickety-split. (Another of my Momma’s terms 🙂 )

This is blurry as they are running full speed.  You can see the cattails in the forefront of the photo.

I detest these creatures.

We have lost calves to them.  The sneaky pack of killers. They also kill cats! And small dogs!

Sometimes you have a cow that wants to be by herself to calve.  The coyotes wait and watch, then when the calf starts to come out, they surround the cow, grab the calf, dragging it off and eating it–or eating parts of it leaving the poor helpless Mom in a frenzy.

Most cows will stay within the herd to calf, the other cows form a watch  allowing the birth process to proceed as normal.  IF a predator, coyote, wild dogs, or others try to capture the calf, the cows will stomp the coyote/predator to death, if they can.  Most of the time the coyotes/predators know they will loose so they slink off.

They are heading into an area we call Deadman’s Land–the reason is it’s hard to get water there so nothing really grows well.

The other thing coyotes wait for is the sloppy-I really don’t want to be bothered by a child-Mother.  Yes you have those Mom’s in the animal world, just like you do in the human world.

These Mom’s park their baby somewhere, anywhere, saying: you just stay there and don’t move—all cows put their babies in a safe spot (Usually with a cow babysitter) so the Mom’s can go graze.  The “I really can’t be bothered with a kid” cow just parks her calf any old place and trots off to jolly it up with a group of her friends.

The coyotes wait, watch, make sure Mom isn’t paying any attention, slink in and have lunch/breakfast, dinner/snack.

Yes, I know the coyotes are beautiful.  I also know that the calves and the cows are beautiful.  Yes, I know the coyotes need to eat.  BUT NOT OUR ANIMALS!

NO….feeding them WILL NOT STOP THEM FROM HUNTING!

In fact, it will just teach them that you are a source of food and create horrible coyote behavior—.  Just read this little article from Boulder…

Whew!  I guess I have ranted and raved long enough.  I will stop now and apologize for this huge post.

Linda