Re: Rural Living?? coyote irony
Hi CowboyDoc,
Thanks for the insights into the "true cowboy" riding-habits( and the "free" land use).
I guess I've seen too-many westerns, ... always wondered what-the-hey those guys are doing riding fast in rough rock-strewn country, chasing badguys or whatever. From my trail riding experience, I know that neither I nor my horse want any part of tearing-through thick-or-scary stuff. The very-real risk of injury is all too-great, and if you're gonna GET injured, a thousand miles from nowhere is the last place you want it to happen.
I always believed cowboys thought more of their horses than that, ...thanks for reassuring me.(maybe it's movie-directors, determined to make a scene "exciting", that were behind those images)
Re. land-use ; I'm sure there is a lot more to that issue, also, than the average person without actual experience-with-it knows.
Now, about those coyotes. For the past couple of years, we have had deer that "lived-in" our yard. (I don't mean somewhere on the 20 acres, I mean right in the area around our dwelling. Most recently there were 2 does and the yearling offspring of one of them(1 buck/1 doe). I have seen as many as 8 deer at one time in our "yard", perhaps 6 or 7 years ago.
This number has steadily declined, and the yearling buck and the "auntie" doe have not been here for some months. I suspected that the buck had become of age to go on-his-own (or been run-off by the perhaps pregnant-again mother), and that the "auntie" had perhaps sought a place-of-privacy to raise some fawns of her own. (speaking of fawns, we have some pix of a newborn that was "parked" right near our steps, in the needed-mowing grass)
For the past few weeks, the only "resident" we've had was the yearling doe, who'd become so used-to-us that she hardly looked-up when we would walk by, maybe 20-30 feet away. (again, I assumed that "mom" had sought privacy to have this-years fawns)
Now to the "irony"; at just about the same time I was typing my "admiration" for the coyotes being "good at what they do" , (judging from what I have since found) those furry devils were dining, about a hundred yards from our front door, on our last little "friend".
Squeamish readers STOP HERE! Graphic description follows.
I think it was coyotes, rather than my neighbor's reported cougar, because the relatively-small carcass was nearly intact skeletally, with some small 'contents" dragged a short distance in several directions, as I imagine several coyotes feeding at the same time might have done. One curious thing; both ears were chewed-off, and lay a few feet apart, near the carcass, ... does anyone know whether-or-not this is "typical" coyote behavior? None of the major bones were "crunched", just the small (because of the size of the young deer) ribs. The haunches and legs didn't seem to have gotten much attention, but all the "choice" parts were gone, ... i.e. heart/lungs/liver/backstrap etc. (and eyes)
This took place in pasture-grass, so no tracks were evident. The deer was in-the-open, not dragged into cover, and no effort had been made to cover it with grass, brush, etc. I would appreciate comments from anyone familiar with coyote-kills, as I would be happier believing it was the work of known-to-be-in-the-area coyotes, than to think that a cougar is killing children-sized animals practically in-our-faces.
Reflecting since then, on the "predator" issue, it occurs to me that the coyotes may have been responsible, as they INCREASED in number over the years, for the decrease in deer 'visitors" to our place (now possibly down to ZERO). If in fact they HAVE "wiped-out" the local deer, and if mice do not suffice (with the occasional pet thrown in), the coyotes too will soon experience a decline in numbers, through starvation.
The end result? Fewer coyotes, and NO deer. "natural" population control at work.
Quite possibly, a little "pack" management applied selectively would have had PARTLY (only!) the same result,... fewer coyotes. And the deer wou;ld still be here, in some "balance" of numbers.
This situation seems to support the idea that the "maintenance" of some desirable (to us) balance can best be achieved by the wise application of "management", rather than the overpopulate/wipeout/start-over cycles which occur and re-occur "naturally" over-time.
In any event, "controlling" these predators with a rifle, is iffy-at-best. I believe a trapper used to work these woods, which probably kept the coyotes down a bit. The recent disfavor of that practise has likely discouraged it, and I have not heard of any in a long time, in this area.
As I said before, the coyotes can be heard now and then howling (in-numbers, and CLOSE) at night, ... but I have only actually seen 2 individuals in 10 years at this place. SNEAKY!
I suppose, if things continue in this way, the only "wildlife" remaining for us (or them!) to "enjoy" may someday be coyotes, ... and underfed, "poorly" ones at that!
Regarding the comment about the "trash and Bash" nature of this thread; I noted another post commented on its "civility". I agree with the latter.
I think that by-far the majority of posters on this thread (and on TBN generally) keep-sight-of the goal of courtesy and respect for one another, even through the most intense moments of discussion about controversial topics. This restores/maintains my faith in human nature much more than any "polite silence", which exchanges no ideas, increases no understanding, and changes no opinions. Courtesy for its own sake is 2nd-best to "grace under pressure", which is one definition of "CLASS".
Hats-off to TBN-members!
Larry
