Coyote Update: Unexpected Help

Our coyote saga continues.  You may have read about it in this post with pretty snowstorm photos;  you may have read my update on Follow-up Friday.  Or you may wonder what the heck I'm talking about.

The lone coyote stalking our dogs a couple days ago.

I'm talking about coyotes who seemingly call our place "home."  Since Friday, we've had a couple sitings from afar, with only one more close encounter until yesterday morning.

Rudy and Rosie were outside in the backyard playing.  Jeffie was napping at the front door (He calls it "keeping watch;" I call it napping.)  I was watering plants which involves much filling of water pitcher in mud room and trapsing through the house too many times.

Something catches my eye.  Yep, its a coyote just outside the backyard fence.  He's watching Rudy and Rosie who are oblivious.

I slid open the door and call the pups who come immediately.  Then I grabbed a big stainless steel bowl and soup ladle (set aside to be handy for just this purpose) and head outside to make noise.

As I step out and begin striking the ladle against the bowl (it is LOUD), I realize I have help from an unexpected source.  One of the horses, Ditty, has obviously decided enough is enough.

Nostrils flared, head lowered, blowing so loud I can easily hear her, Ditty is slowly, but determinedly advancing on the coyote.  He looks pretty shocked as he glances at the deck where I'm screaming and beating my bowl, then at the horse that has marked him/her as a target.  

Head ducked, back tucked, the coyote begins to slink off.  That's when our other horse, Cakes, decides to provide back up.  The slinking turns into all out running.

Talk about the cavalry!

Unfortunately, this particular unit of cavalry cannot be relied upon to come to our aid all the time.  So... my pistol is loaded and handy.

I hate that.  We operate on a no harm, no foul rule. (You don't mess with me and mine, we won't mess with you.)  Except for sugar ants.  Any sugar ant I see is a dead sugar ant.  But that's another blog post.

We enjoy living in the country partly because it affords us the opportunity to see wildlife up close and personal.  To a point.

Year ago we had a much larger farm in a very secluded area.  With chickens, geese, ducks (cattle, horses, mules, dogs and cats, too) we were bound to attract preditors.  

In fact, one day my dog, Benji, got into it with a small pack of coyotes over some of our chickens.  Benji on one side of the fence; coyotes and chickens on the other.  I joined the fray with a baseball bat.  Yes, seriously.   Talk about seeing wildlife up close and personal.

Subsequent sitings with accompanying warning gun shots deterred them not the slightest.

When a coyote decided to carry off Mrs. Peeper (one of my geese), Gary grabbed a rifle and that was that.

So, the "ultimate solution" awaits further coyote trespassing.  This cool customer is entirely too comfortable here and he/she is putting my pups in jeopardy.

Lone coyote a couple of days ago at our backyard fence.

You know, I did call and talk to one of the Missouri Conservation Agents in our area.  "Shoot it!" he said after I explained the situation.  He agreed with us that this critter had lost all wariness of humans.  He urged me to not let the dogs out at all while it's dark and never alone.

He believed the coyote probably had pegged our puppy, Rosie, as a nice meal.

Not on my watch.  (That click you just heard is me cocking hammer on my pistol.)  

Wordless Wednesday: Close Encounter of the Skunk Kind

Is that a challenge?

Looks like the skunk is sticking his tongue out at Rudy!

As in:  Come and get me, dawg!

Babysitting Bambi Part 2: Double Vision

This spring a doe chose a spot just outside our yard fence to give birth.  We watched her return to her hidden fawn each day for just over a week.  You can read about it and see photos of the deer here.

Since that time we've seen the doe come to our pond several times, so we knew she'd moved her fawn to another hiding place nearby.  To our delight, though certainly watchful, she seems to feel pretty comfortable on our place.

Then one evening she brought her offspring with her for a drink and a dip of a bath.  Imagine the thrill we felt when we realized she'd had twins!

This beautiful trio stayed for quite awhile.  Nibbling, getting a sip now and then, and doing some grooming.  There was also a lot of dancing and splashing in the water by the fawns.  The doe seemed to look meaningfully at the house... as if to say "Here they are!"

 Show and tell over, the doe and her fawns followed the creek to look for a nice place to bed down for the night.


Since then, they've returned several times and we're enjoying seeing these babies grow and mature.
.