Pearce Pastures
Barn Babe
So sorry.
Four Winds Ranch: " Life on the Farm "
- Thread starter Four Winds Ranch
- Start date
So sorry.- Thread starter
- #52
Four Winds Ranch
Loving the herd life
This last weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada! I had planned a big dinner with family on both sides, so I knew I was going to be busy, and I hoped my house was going to be big enough! I couldn't wait! 
Thanksgiving morning, the sun rose into a beautiful, blue sky, and it was warm out to boot!! Yes, I knew this day is going to go perfect! I got my kids fed, cleaned up a few things around the house, and last but not least, put the turkey in the oven!( I love turkey
) That done, I set off to get some of my chores out of the way! I lock up my sheep every night in a 6ft high, by about an acre, pen to keep them safe from the nasty coyotes. I lazily wander across the sheep pasture, enjoying probably one of the last warm mornings of the year, on my way to let the sheep out for the day. Such a beautiful, peaceful, sunny morning! 
When I am about 10 ft. from the sheep gate, I hear a commotion in the sheep pen, and a BIG bunch of crows fly up!! CROWS! That means something is dead!!
I start going throgh my mind trying to think if there was a sheep that seemed under the weater when I locked them up last night........nothing!! As I get to the gate, I am almost scared to look! As I open the gate, everything is totally still and silent. Not a good sign! 
I can't even see one sheep! I walk a few steps into the pen and look around! The first thing to greet my eyes is a huge hole through the side of the pen! by the look of that, and the trampled ground, obviously there is no sheep in here anymore! Suddenly, I see and hear the crows coming back to land in the far corner. I head over that direction and sure enough, it is a dead, half eaten sheep! Dancer! Now I am mad, 
how did the stinking coyotes get in here, I thought I had this pen coyote proof!!!! I am determined to not let anything ruin my day, so I drag the carcass away from the fence and turn around to go inspect the damage to the fence. Just as I turn to walk away, I almost fall on my face as I trip over a humac! Hhmmmm! Thats strange, I don't remember there being humacs here! :/ I look around and see quite a few humacs! I give the one I tripped over a kick. Dead grass and dirt fall to the ground, and wool appears!! I look around and count in total, 8 humacs and one half eaten sheep! Holy cow, that must mean 9 dead sheep!!!! 
I am sure everyone knows, Now My Day Is Ruined!!!
How could this happen! WHAT did this! Coyotes don't bury their kills!! What does????? Bears.... cougers...! I quickly uncover one of the dead sheep, and the only injurys it has are three claw marks across the chest and tooth marks on the throat! CATS!!!!! I suddenly get chills down my spine!
(I have always been taught to steer clear of a predaters kills cause they don't take kindly to their food being took!) I don't bother looking under anymore humacs and just get the heck out of there!!! Of course! Cougars, that would explain everything, they could jump over almost any fence and also would have chased the sheep through there pen fence! So much for my bright, beautiful Thanksgiving!
I did find the rest of the sheep uninjured, but very flighty, back behind my yard. We found out it was a mother cougar teaching her almost grown kittens to master their hunting skills! I gave my hubby a call and he came home and took care of the nasty cats, I hope!
Here is one of my sheep killers!!!!!!
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Thanksgiving morning, the sun rose into a beautiful, blue sky, and it was warm out to boot!! Yes, I knew this day is going to go perfect! I got my kids fed, cleaned up a few things around the house, and last but not least, put the turkey in the oven!( I love turkey
) That done, I set off to get some of my chores out of the way! I lock up my sheep every night in a 6ft high, by about an acre, pen to keep them safe from the nasty coyotes. I lazily wander across the sheep pasture, enjoying probably one of the last warm mornings of the year, on my way to let the sheep out for the day. Such a beautiful, peaceful, sunny morning! When I am about 10 ft. from the sheep gate, I hear a commotion in the sheep pen, and a BIG bunch of crows fly up!! CROWS! That means something is dead!!
I start going throgh my mind trying to think if there was a sheep that seemed under the weater when I locked them up last night........nothing!! As I get to the gate, I am almost scared to look! As I open the gate, everything is totally still and silent. Not a good sign! I can't even see one sheep! I walk a few steps into the pen and look around! The first thing to greet my eyes is a huge hole through the side of the pen! by the look of that, and the trampled ground, obviously there is no sheep in here anymore! Suddenly, I see and hear the crows coming back to land in the far corner. I head over that direction and sure enough, it is a dead, half eaten sheep! Dancer! Now I am mad, how did the stinking coyotes get in here, I thought I had this pen coyote proof!!!! I am determined to not let anything ruin my day, so I drag the carcass away from the fence and turn around to go inspect the damage to the fence. Just as I turn to walk away, I almost fall on my face as I trip over a humac! Hhmmmm! Thats strange, I don't remember there being humacs here! :/ I look around and see quite a few humacs! I give the one I tripped over a kick. Dead grass and dirt fall to the ground, and wool appears!! I look around and count in total, 8 humacs and one half eaten sheep! Holy cow, that must mean 9 dead sheep!!!! I am sure everyone knows, Now My Day Is Ruined!!! How could this happen! WHAT did this! Coyotes don't bury their kills!! What does????? Bears.... cougers...! I quickly uncover one of the dead sheep, and the only injurys it has are three claw marks across the chest and tooth marks on the throat! CATS!!!!! I suddenly get chills down my spine!
(I have always been taught to steer clear of a predaters kills cause they don't take kindly to their food being took!) I don't bother looking under anymore humacs and just get the heck out of there!!! Of course! Cougars, that would explain everything, they could jump over almost any fence and also would have chased the sheep through there pen fence! So much for my bright, beautiful Thanksgiving!I did find the rest of the sheep uninjured, but very flighty, back behind my yard. We found out it was a mother cougar teaching her almost grown kittens to master their hunting skills! I gave my hubby a call and he came home and took care of the nasty cats, I hope!
Here is one of my sheep killers!!!!!!
promiseacres
Herd Master
beautiful cat...so sorry about your sheep. I hope your pups learn their job soon! Enjoying your journal very much.
jodief100
True BYH Addict
For your cow and your sheep. I learned a new word today, thank you. Humacs. I wish I hadn't had to learn it this way. 
Straw Hat Kikos
The Kiko Cowboy
Glad you got at least one of them. That's a real shame about your sheep. I don't know about anyone else but it sounds like you may need some Anatolian Shepherds....
- Thread starter
- #57
Four Winds Ranch
Loving the herd life
It may be my spelling, but, it is a small dirt hill, or big natural lump, covered in vegatation!Godsgrl said:
Bridgemoof
Overrun with beasties
BAD cat BAD Cat! Argh. I would be horrified! Sorry your beautiful day was ruined by the predator. Glad you got him, though!
Alice Acres
Ridin' The Range
I am SO sorry
We use the word hummocks too (not sure of spelling either, but once I phonetically sounded out what you said, we (hubby and I ) knew what you meant!)
The cougars have made their way down to us this fall too - one of our very close neighbors had their 2 dogs attacked about a month ago. Our coonhound had been going bonkers a couple nights at the same time period, before I knew of the cougar...guess I won't be going out with just my flashlight to see what she's barking at anymore!!
We have lots of coyotes, but now with a big cat, I'm much more leery going out
We use the word hummocks too (not sure of spelling either, but once I phonetically sounded out what you said, we (hubby and I ) knew what you meant!)
The cougars have made their way down to us this fall too - one of our very close neighbors had their 2 dogs attacked about a month ago. Our coonhound had been going bonkers a couple nights at the same time period, before I knew of the cougar...guess I won't be going out with just my flashlight to see what she's barking at anymore!!
We have lots of coyotes, but now with a big cat, I'm much more leery going out
