First off sorry I haven't posted, replied to comments or visited your blogs the last two days. I ended up having to work three 12 hour shifts in a row and have been absolutely beat when I get home. That is now over for a couple of days but next week I have got to work five 12 hour days in a row as I continue to cover for vacations.
I had to take a trip into Kansas today and I have another post for tomorrow and should catch up with blogs and comments then.
This evening when I got home I was met by a neighbor to inform me that they had seen that same Bobcat that my son came face to face with in our yard earlier this Spring. I later found tracks and scat along the hay field path as well. They reported seeing this one at 2:30 in the afternoon in the open as well about 2 miles North and West of the Small-Hold.
Just an interesting little tidbit I thought I would post as it confirms we have one lurking around from another source. Haven't had any problems or issues because of it. No disappearing chickens or lambs yet.
I do plan on paying closer attention to new born containment come next Springs lambing season though.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!
It will probably clean up a lot more voles, mice, gophers, squirrels, and rabbits than house cats, or small livestock. etc. We usually lost a calf or two/year from coyotes and the occasional cougar. But then I never confined them in any way. I see a couple of big bobcats pretty regularly. I chalk it up to the cost of doing business. Nature has a way of achieving a necessary balance. Most everything except some of the "late departed" coyotes stay clear of the homestead area. It means keeping the hives nearby though, as we have our share of bears.
ReplyDeleteMV - I haven't seen a Bobcat personally in decades I had thought they were almost all gone from around here. We have so many coyotes that I also figured there wouldn't be enough prey for them too. A Mountain lion was hit not but about 2 miles up the road from us a few years ago too and this year there have been bear issues although I have never seen one. The one that bothers me is the bears though but a Bobcat could take a new lamb I am betting.
DeleteCoyotes have been known to eat bobcats. But I gather it is a rare event. When a bobcat ate one coyote, I doubt anyone would notice. They are too close in size to each other, and coyotes only are in the same category (highly carnivorous) as the bobcat in winter time.
ReplyDeleteRuss - Well if this Bobcat takes out a coyote more power to it. We have a huge coyote problem around here. During the Winter months they will come right up tot he house but will usually not challenge a bigger dog directly.
DeleteWe have them here but I have never seen a live one. I have not had any trouble with them but wouldn't want to meet one with rabies.
ReplyDeleteSf - I have not seen one in decades. I called one up while coyote hunting when I was a teenager but back then they were a real pain if you killed one and required a special trip to the capital city with the skull if you did. I saw one a year or so later run in front of my car and that was it. Haven't seen one since except for tracks and scat. My son said he came face to face with a big one a few months ago in the side yard.
DeleteWe had one get in our chicken run a few years back and killed all but one chicken. Make sure the girls are protected, especially at night.
ReplyDeleteIzzy - I don't think one can get into the coop-stall. They would need to go through the sheep to get into the barn unless they come from the front and run the dog gauntlet. Now if the chickens wander out too far during the day.....
DeleteThose are some long days!! I would be beat too after three let alone five in a row of that!
ReplyDeleteWe have bobcats here. Its never good when they start showing up. Sighhh Coyotes here are much more plentiful but we do have the bobcats.
Texan - I have to say though as far as jobs go it has long hours but it isn't manual labor like I did for years either. They make ya pretty comfortable and if it's a slow day the real problem is staying awake :)
DeleteOur coyote population is bad too. The dogs sometimes go ape all night keeping them at bay.
We have cougars and wolves occassionally but usually it means they followed the river down from the mountains.
ReplyDeleteNow coyotes are a big problem. BIG PROBLEM. I live near a reservation and they have a feral dog problem. The packs of ferals are bad since they will occassionally go after kids if they are hungry enough. The ferals don't often leave the river valley and the reservation though.
The feral dogs and coyotes have been "intermingling" and there are some really weird crosses now. That means though that we are getting oversized coyotes with no fear of people. They are pretty bold about coming right up to the house. The crosses will travel off the reservation.
Exile1981
Exile - There was a cougar hit only a few miles from us. Until then the state conservation guys swore there were none here although we kept seeing them. After it got hit and killed they finally admitted they had been helping them along. Same thing with bears is happening these days. We have huge packs of coyotes but the local dogs usually keep them back. I keep the lambs closed up or only around the immediate barn until they are about 2 months old because of the coyotes and eagles.
DeleteJust curious what state do you live in?
Alberta Canada
DeleteExile1981
I am so glad we dont have anything like that to deal with, our main predators are foxes and ole cats occasionaly Badgers Weasels and Mink I can deal with these :-)
ReplyDeleteDM - I think Fox is more deadly to the chickens. We used to have a Fox have a litter every year down by the loafing shed. I didn't mind because we didn't keep chickens then and it kept the stray cats from using the shed but I guess she died or moved on last year.
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself, family, and work. We will see you when you have time.
Be careful, and prepared for that bobcat.