Lots of moose and a few coyotes

This past week I have been bumping into about 16 moose everyday.
Usually together on a large field.

I have tried snapping a few pictures with my cell phone but that does not do them justice.

As soon as you stop the moose head directly for the bush so, pretty hard to snap a picture of them.

On the road home

that black speck on the road is another moose.

So, this morning I decided to head out and see if I could find them.

I did, however most were just cow-calf pairs scattered around, not in a large group together.

Moose do not "herd or flock", they are solitary animals. It is actually quite unique to see such a large group congregating together.

Only the cows and their babies remain together as a pair.

Seeing all these cow/calf pairs together makes me happy.

Unfortunately not quite the photo's I was hoping for, but on a grey, early morning it is the best I could get.

I will try and few more times this week to get a group shot.. try and try..

My total moose number this morning was 12,

at home I came across these 3..

and a few hundred feet further, this one.

Making my morning tally, after 30 mins of driving around and less then 2 miles from home,

12 moose and 4 coyotes.

Critter cam shots

I have not looked at my critter camera for quite some time,
so it was fun to see who does what...

And, these picture of Vuk, who decided the cam needs some early morning inspecting.

We notced a few days ago that 'something" had grab a chicken in our yard.
We do not have any LGD in our yard as they are all out with the sheep and cattle.
So, the question was if it was a fox or a coyote.
So, I hung the camera up to see who the thief in the night was...

We locked all the chickens up in the coop,
and this is who came to investigate.

About 20 minutes later one of our cats comes ambling by.
So, time to have one of the lgd on the yard,
to persuade Wile E to go elsewhere.

It is always an adventure to see what is on the camera,
but 4000 pictures of ravens is not the most exciting.

Time to place the camera further out in the bush.

Cows, coyotes and wild woman of the north

Time got a little away from me recently, and have not managed to blog much.

In fact, have not managed to do fun things like take pictures either.

The short days really takes a toll on the available  daylight time.

So, sometimes the day work rolls into night work.

Feeding the cows under the stars is a different experience.

Our winter has not really arrived, barely any snow, mild temperatures which does allow us to do many jobs that otherwise would not be done until spring time.

My last week has been primarily doctoring Meco.
He suffered a rather traumatic injury, that has required a lot of veterinary intervention.
His progress is slow, and some days he seems to have more set backs.
He will be back at the vets for more assessments and decisions how to repair the damage.
All I can say, he may not be quite so handsome, when all is said and done.

This week the love between Roy and Meco was way more gentle, than wild romping in the field from two weeks ago.

The other big news is that the builders are back to finish the workshop part of the barn.

This area of 40 x 80 feet, will be fully insulated, providing a snug place to work, have lambs and keep our equipment warm and dry.

Nice to have progress again on the barn.

and finally, a funny story.

While out feeding the cows last week in the day light.

 I noticed a coyote sitting in the cow pasture.

He seemed totally relaxed and enjoying the winter sun.

As usual, I did not have my big fat camera with me, but none the less I whipped out my cell phone to snap a few pictures of the 'yote.

As I drove closer with the tractor, I was snapping away as at any moment he would lope off and the moment would be gone.

As I got closer with the tractor the coyote seemed totally unperturbed by the tractor, or the cows heading towards the tractor.

Happily, I was snapping away with my camera, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

I drove closer and closer, until I was no farther than about 20 meters from him, and still he was not overly concerned.

This was the moment that I thought he is rather bold and brash.

I open the door of the tractor and he slowly gets up and moves off a small way.

I see him peering away at the distance.

He then moves towards a very late born calf,

and I am thinking"what the heck"?

So, I step out of the tractor, still snapping pictures and videoing the coyote.

I yell at him, he takes a glance at me and carries on doing what he was doing.

Now, if one thing makes me mad is when a canine ignores me.

When I say "heey", I want my collies to jump to attention, I want the sarplaninac to perk up their ears and look at me,
 and,
 I would expect a wild canine to make a dash for safety.

So, now I am mad,
and take a run at the coyote, hollering like a mad woman, and chase the coyote back to the bush.

He stops and takes another look, and I pick up a stick, scream, yell and ran at the coyote again,
 just to make my point very clear.

There will be no checking out calves and ignoring me.

The poor thing got the fright of its life and high tailed it back into the bush.

I opened the gate so that the livestock guardian dogs would  have access to this pasture too.

Here are my cell phone pics of Mr Bold coyote and the mad woman..

Oh, look a coyote..

ps, sorry about the sound..

A few days later, I only saw this coyote far away on another field<
and when the tractor got closer he ran off.
Maybe, a lesson learnt?

I love coyotes..

"I love coyotes" said no sheep farmer ever...
except, maybe  me.

I actually do.

I know they are smart and adaptable,
wily,
and crafty.



In Native American folklore the coyote is seen as the Creator,
the European's vilified him.

Here, a little comical quote..

“Coyote, who is the creator of all of us, was sitting on his cloud the day after he created Indians. Now, he liked the Indians, liked what they were doing. This is good, he kept saying to himself. But he was bored. He thought and thought about what he should make next in the world. But he couldn't think of anything so he decided to clip his toenails. ... He looked around and around his cloud for somewhere to throw away his clippings. But he couldn't find anywhere and he got mad. He started jumping up and down because he was so mad. Then he accidentally dropped his toenail clippings over the side of the cloud and they fell to the earth. They clippings burrowed into the ground like seeds and grew up to be white man. Coyote, he looked down at his newest creation and said, "Oh, shit.” 
― Sherman Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

The coyote intrigues me,  and I love watching them do coyote things.

We have a female coyote who lives on the quarter section next to us.
I have watched her throughout the summer and now into the first part of winter.
She followed the tractor around this summer during haying, hunting mice as we were cutting.

Two days a go it was a glorious winter day.
I was out taking pictures of the lovely frosty wonderland.

I was over at the cows, when I noticed the coyote checking out the hay bales at the cows for mice.





She trotted along, coming towards me
and checking out another bale on the way.





She walked behind the cows, peed on a clump of grass.







Stopped and stared at me for a moment.



Unfazed, she continues on her route.

Listening for a mouse under the snow.

Checking me out.

Moving along.

She took a small detour around the cattle corral and cute and
headed off behind some tall grass.

As she was passing the tall grass, she stopped.
She stood up on her hind legs and scanned in the direction the sheep and the dogs were in.
(The dogs are fenced in with the sheep in a pasture close by).

Checking that it would be safe for her to proceed.

The coyote took a good look around before proceeding into, open ground at a lope.

She must have realized that once she headed off in that direction, she would be vulnerable to the dogs
who guard the sheep.
 So, she first checked where the dogs where,
 from the safety and cover of the tall grass
before heading off again, on coyote business.

After that initial sprint,  she headed down coyote highway to a wooded section of our ranch.
Confident that she would be safe.
The tracks in the foreground are coyote tracks.

Stopping briefly to give me one last look,
she trotted on down the path.

So smart.

This is co-existence.

The coyote understands the boundaries,
checks an area before proceeding ahead.
The dog's keep the sheep safe and define their territory.

Both, understand the rules,
and by respecting these rules,
the sheep are safe,
 and the coyote can live another day.

And, perhaps I can continue to marvel at her beauty
in this frozen landscape.