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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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 Posted - Feb 16 2016 : 2:33:33 PM
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On another thread I mentioned that we have seen some sort of pack animal (2-4 at a time) up on our hill. We've also been hearing them a lot at night ... I've listened to online recordings of both wolves and coyotes to try to tell the difference and so far I really don't know what we are dealing with here.
Last night I crashed early and my hubby and two older kids were still up when they heard it .... an incredibly strange and intense cry/yip/bark that they had never heard before. Everyone straightened up and wondered what in the world?
So after looking outside and not seeing anything, everyone went to bed. My son kept his window open which faces Betsy's pen. I woke up at 2:40 am this morning with him asking dad that he needed the gun. Betsy mooed really funny and woke him up! Both Clover and Flossie were agitated. Hubby got up and went with my son. I helped by keeping the covers warm! :) Nothing appeared so hubby came back to bed; but my son stayed on the main floor of the house in the bedroom with windows facing both cow pastures ... open. He saw something move and looked again ... it was between the cow fence and our house! Then he peered again through the dark night ... that sure looked like a ... goat??? What in the world?? He ran out and sure enough, one of my bucks had escaped through his shelter door (hadn't be latched securely from chore time by another child) and "Bart" was meandering around our yard! Perfect bait for wild animals! Yikes.
Ethan took him back to his pen and locked the pen securely ... but then smelled like Bart the rest of the night as Bart so graciously leaves his scent with all who pet, touch, or pretend to touch him!
And, of course, after that excitement I could not go back to sleep for the longest time which was terrible timing as I had to get up extra early to drive 80 miles to my daughter's medical appointment. I was just getting some good sleep when the alarm went off, too. I can only imagine Ethan is feeling more the lack of sleep!
I'm so grateful it wasn't a wild animal going after our cows ... but have to laugh a bit as everyone's senses are on alert around here big time!
So, time for a late afternoon cup of coffee and we'll see if Ethan falls asleep during dinner tonight. I so appreciate the concern Ethan has for the cows and his willing sacrifices for them.
Now to figure out what the wild animals are ... our neighbors saw two of them Sunday afternoon but they were too far away to tell if they were coyotes or wolves.
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Feb 16 2016 : 4:13:03 PM
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We had the same thing last summer(just not near as many clues) when we tried to figure out what took all of our new chickens(there were 25 of them) all in one night! We found some trails of feathers, a few chicken heads and one chicken with it's insides turned out. We thought raccoons, coyotes, a cat, fox, or our neighbors dog. But what could take them all in one night! We were sure the mystery creature would come back, but it never did. It also came through the top of our pen(which is plastic) it had to have jumped at least four feet. There were no prints or tracks, no scratch marks, nothing.
Last fall, we also had a coyote walk down our fence line in broad daylight. It had a big bushy tail and was really big. It looked a lot like a wolf. We have a lot of coyotes around here. Once I saw this documentary about a coy-wolf. Half coyote half wolf. It was really interesting.
It can sure be scary when something like that happens! Now to find out what that mystery creature is! |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Feb 16 2016 : 6:29:24 PM
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We are so use to coyotes here that I don't even notice. If we have company stay over, they will say how loud the coyotes are. They go through here all the time, right behind the cabin. They've never bothered our livestock. They get a cat or duck now and then, but usually run through. We had a coyote come onto our back porch and grabbed a cat.  I took this a couple days ago. This one was alone. Usually they run in large packs here. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 10:59:11 AM
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Thanks for the photo, Janet. What we saw did not have such long legs, but it was at a distance so perspective could have been off. Last night was quiet ... or perhaps we were so tired from the night before we slept through it all. But all is good this morning.
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 11:14:11 AM
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funny story charlene. the only part i laughed at was the "asking for the gun" part. in texas we have guns all over the house. everyone 10 and over here is expected to be responsible with a fire arm and taught accordingly. we do, of course, put the guns up when kids under 10 come to visit - and every kid under 18 is given a stern talking to in this household about touching anyone else's guns, etc. its always amusing to me how shocked some adults are about us having guns - its a whole 'nother world out there.
lovely photo janet, very pretty. |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 7:50:13 PM
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| I think what you are doing is great, Cindy. I wish my home growing up was more the way you are describing. It is difficult to get over that upbringing. Although I am a pretty good shot if I do say so myself! :) |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 17 2016 : 8:09:25 PM
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| yeah, we pride ourselves on our lack of political correctness around here ;> |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Feb 23 2016 : 10:12:05 AM
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| Cindy, it's the same here, I've only ever used a pellet gun, but there is always someone around who can shoot! |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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Things that Go Bump or Moo in the Night
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