EIEIO
Well-known member
I did a complete herd check about 6 days ago and everything looked great as the pink eye in my herd had cleared up except for my bull who still had a bit of a cloudy eye. Yesterday I was out and about and sure thought everything was still OK.
I had 3 cow's calve late this year and they all had small calves on the ground. When I say small I'm talking about them being born at the end of April and first of May.
I thought I had checked and counted all the calves the other day but I got a couple of cows that are shy with their calves and will usually keep them hid from me while I am out dumping them range cubes as I look them over.
Tonight the wife was out with my daughters on horseback and said she saw a dead calf. I went out on the ATV and found it. This time a year it's tough to tell how long something has been dead for due to the rapid decomposition that occurs in the summer but something had been feeding on it and it was bout' all gone and the bones were scattered a bit but not a whole lot. I keep going on the ATV and less than 50 yards from the dead calf I find a dead deer. Same story, small animal, ate down good but the bones were not all scattered. Get to checking the herd and discover only one of the 3 cows that had calved late still had a calf at her side. Was almost dark and I never found the other calf.
I'm really thinking mountain lion rather than yote's. In all honesty I've heard of folks saying they have heard of people saying they had calves taken by coyotes but have never met anyone that actually had. I've seen mama cows chasing 2-3 coyotes at a time and also seen a herd of cattle ganging up on coyotes before. Another reason I'm thinking mountain lion is the fact the bones were not all drug about like a pack of coyotes would do. Also the dead animals were both down in a valley setting.
Just real frustrated here tonight. Any opinions? I just know I'll be out with either the AR-15 or 30-06 and a preditor call tomorrow night. Wish I could be out tonight but family obligations and terrible wind conditions prevent me from doing it. Where the heck is that strong south wind when a fella needs it, calm as can be out there right now.
J
I had 3 cow's calve late this year and they all had small calves on the ground. When I say small I'm talking about them being born at the end of April and first of May.
I thought I had checked and counted all the calves the other day but I got a couple of cows that are shy with their calves and will usually keep them hid from me while I am out dumping them range cubes as I look them over.
Tonight the wife was out with my daughters on horseback and said she saw a dead calf. I went out on the ATV and found it. This time a year it's tough to tell how long something has been dead for due to the rapid decomposition that occurs in the summer but something had been feeding on it and it was bout' all gone and the bones were scattered a bit but not a whole lot. I keep going on the ATV and less than 50 yards from the dead calf I find a dead deer. Same story, small animal, ate down good but the bones were not all scattered. Get to checking the herd and discover only one of the 3 cows that had calved late still had a calf at her side. Was almost dark and I never found the other calf.
I'm really thinking mountain lion rather than yote's. In all honesty I've heard of folks saying they have heard of people saying they had calves taken by coyotes but have never met anyone that actually had. I've seen mama cows chasing 2-3 coyotes at a time and also seen a herd of cattle ganging up on coyotes before. Another reason I'm thinking mountain lion is the fact the bones were not all drug about like a pack of coyotes would do. Also the dead animals were both down in a valley setting.
Just real frustrated here tonight. Any opinions? I just know I'll be out with either the AR-15 or 30-06 and a preditor call tomorrow night. Wish I could be out tonight but family obligations and terrible wind conditions prevent me from doing it. Where the heck is that strong south wind when a fella needs it, calm as can be out there right now.
J