It's predator week at the ranch.

[SteveSS]

I took Mom to the supermarket where we bumped into one of her neighbors. They had lost 3 Llamas to a Black Bear (bears?) a couple of nights ago. This would have been about 1/4 mile away. I guess it killed one and the next night killed 2 more. She only had 7. The bear was wearing a tag and had been relocated once before so this time it was put down. Mom said the coyotes were very noisy last night just outside her window. They were close enough that she pounded on the window to get them to shut up or go away. This morning there were a few blood stains scattered around on the driveway near her bedroom window. No cats or dogs missing from her house. She does have a huge barn cat that likes to sit and guard her front porch. He could definitely hold his own again one coyote but not a pack.

 

[SteveSS]

I should have found out if the bear was male or female. I don't think I would want to bump into a big male in the dark.

The black bear is large and stocky and has a short tail. Adults range from 1.3 to 1.9 meters (4.3 to 6.2 feet) in length and weigh 60–300 kg (132–661 pounds), the largest males growing to 2 meters long (6.6 feet) and 409 kg (902 pounds). Males can be up to 70 percent heavier than females. The head is small but is supported by a strong neck. The ears are small and rounded. The curved claws are nonretractile.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I think a coyote might have gotten one of my barn cats. I may have to borrow my nephews rifle with the thermal scope.

 

[Detective D]

We had coyot's some years back. They kept out of my yard, my dog would bark at them. I never worried much about anything with my ol dog out there, he was built like a murder machine and sounded like one too. Still, I keep a club by my back door to this day even though he is gone now.
Thankfully I ran into a guy at work that has a group of buddies with some trained dogs that have taken care of the issues. He covers half the county lol so when people start hearing the things at night he comes around the following weekend.

if a bear shows up(not enough woods by me I don;t think) well that is a different story. No pets to worry about, and I don;t dare do anything to it where I live or i would be in jail from our state DNR. best I could do is call them to relocate if it was a pest. Used to be if the critters made a bad choice you blasted them and went on with life. Now the gov't cares more about them then the people.

Sorry to hear about the domestic animals. Even llamas can be treated like pets. Awful thing to find in the morning.

 

[SteveSS]

T saw a new video of the mama moose being taken down by a Grizzly, I think. Then a wolf got the calf. Nature is a cruel bitch.

 

[WileERobby]

 

[Sam69sat]

Mom said the coyotes were very noisy last night just outside her window. They were close enough that she pounded on the window to get them to shut up or go away.

Funny you should mention this. I just came in the door from firing off a couple shots to keep the damn coyotes away. Last night they went off and were so close i could hear them over the tv. Went outside and shined my high powered flashlight up on the hills and i saw the neighbor doing the same. One of the cats came home the other day with about an inch long gash on his side and another wound on his back and i'm thinking he was grabbed or chased through something sharp by the sob's. He got lucky but i've had other disappear. I saw one of the offenders last Friday morning but he was about 300 yards away and i only had my .22 with me and open sights. Popped off a couple shots at him before he got over the top of the hill. This place is lousy with those mfer's and they seem to be getting more and more brazen. I know there are at least 3 dens within a mile. They've been staying up in the hills but now that fall is setting in, i guess they're coming closer looking for a meal.

 

[patrick66]

I was mowing the pasture on Saturday, when I thought I saw my neighbor's dog under one of the trees...nope. A coyote. No fear in this one, for certain. He came up to within 20 feet of my tractor. I decided to see if a coyote would survive going through my brush mower, as he kept creeping closer and closer. If I'd had my 9mm handy, I'd have simply dispatched him to his maker and kept going. He eventually got tired of playing "dodge the tractor" and ran off to the back corner of my property, where he had plenty of cover.

Quite a bit of wildlife out there this year...several deer, the aforementioned coyote, a bunch of wild rabbits, and more hawks than I've seen in a long time.

 

[Garceau]

Coyotes are super active right now, their pups from the spring are really out and about learning the ways and trying to figure out how to survive. That typically is the reason for all the commotion in the fall, they mother is communicating with the pups, and they are communicating back and out hunting in a fairly large group. I enjoy predator hunting.....

Its been dry in this part of Wisconsin this year, my water holes I have out for deer have been visited regularly by bears, I had pictures coming to my phone all day yesterday on my lease of bears coming in during daylight. When it was hot they would just lay and take a nap in the water tanks. Get pics of the bear and 2 minutes later get pics of a nice buck on the same water hole. I think there is 4 man made water holes out on this lease, and spread out over an area and they all have had active bears in them all summer/fall. I do have a bear tag and I believe I will be sitting by one of them water holes tonight.... pics to follow maybe

 

[hdwrench]

been seeing a lot of fox and a few coyotes recently. not sure why ….

 

[dart4forte]

Might want to suggest getting a couple of mules to mix in with her llamas. Coyotes won’t mess with mules.

 

[Cranky]

Used to see all kinds of animals out here but since the back 80 got developed, I don't see hardly anything anymore

 

[SteveSS]

It was a bear that got the llamas, not coyotes. It would be a good fight but I bet in an enclosed space the bear would win over a mule. Once a bear gets ahold of a neck it's pretty much done. Weird there weren't any lions involved. We have plenty of those around too. Usually, 3 or 4 are known in the neighborhood. Maybe they come down when it's colder.

 

[Sam69sat]

It was a bear that got the llamas, not coyotes. It would be a good fight but I bet in an enclosed space the bear would win over a mule. Once a bear gets ahold of a neck it's pretty much done. Weird there weren't any lions involved. We have plenty of those around too. Usually, 3 or 4 are known in the neighborhood. Maybe they come down when it's colder.

What about wolves? We're getting inundated with those sob's too. Besides all the coyotes, bears, fox, etc. No grizzlys yet but they're right across the river in Idaho so i'm betting one pops over from time to time.

 

[SteveSS]

I don't hear about wolves here...yet. It's funny where the herds of antelope show up. Sometimes it's pretty close to neighborhoods. The way it was explained to me was if you have prey animals you're going to bring predators. The wildlife people advised against working in your garden or letting kids play in sandboxes. You look like prey to lions.

 

[1STMP]

Out here in the west it's a favorite
hunt to fill the gaps in regular hunting
seasons. Don the camo, break out the
.223 and the game caller. Great way
to spend the day.