Coyote Season

Well, it's calving season here.  Which means it's also coyote season.

Tonight as I was tucking the children into bed my husband said: "coyotes! and they're close." 

We opened the deck door.  Indeed, they were close--they were in one of the cow fields.  

"Do you think they're going after a calf?" my husband asked.  He barely finished his sentence before I was exclaiming "that's exactly what they're trying to do!" He ran out onto the deck and started making noises as I thundered down the stairs with a flashlight, and then out the basement door to the backyard, to shout and shine lights. The coyotes quieted. 

At that moment I saw that my cousin's truck was already making its way through the dark field; he'd heard them, too.  He parked and worked his way around part of the perimeter of the huge field, shining his light.  I heard his rifle fire only once.   He continued around part of the perimeter, and eventually made his way back to his truck in the dark. I'll text him tomorrow morning to see if he lost a calf. I sure hope not. 

Did I mention that two weeks ago Annie and I were hanging out on the porch in broad daylight and watched a skunk saunter to the neighbor's chicken run....and get inside? We quickly alerted our neighbor--not only to protect the chickens, but because their children were playing nearby, and the skunk was probably rabid. Our neighbor shot it quite neatly.  

We joke that for a quiet rural life, we do have our share of excitement...thanks to the varmints. :)