Sometimes you get to even the score

Free Feather said:

I understand it is not warm and fuzzy.... If you free range, you take the risk...

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Tenneesse said:

Lots of great dialog and this type of post always stirs the opinion pot beyond a simmer. I also posted these pictures on a gardening site and had to double check there wasnt a lynch mob waiting outside for me. I mean you'd think i had shot the Pope.

I think this Bobcat was responsible for killing all 5 of my Coochins all which were very dear to me and my wife, 3 generations of darling birds who brought many smiles to our faces and 2 more that I brought home since the loss of the Coochins. I't can be argued that if one cares so much for their birds then dont range them. I wouldn't deprive them of the beautiful environment I can offer them, Im sure that door is wide open for argument.

Stray dogs had been my biggest threat and I was able to dispatch a few and things would settle down. My Coochin Rooster took some hellacious beatings protecting his girls and survived 3 attacks before he met his match those dogs are history. Ironically enough it was my favorite nearby neighbors who's birddogs were always kenneled and on that fateful day one ran off on them and killed Cowboy bringing it back to them. As the good neighbors they are he and his wife brought my boy home to me and professed the most sincerest apologize offering to pay for him hunting privileges on their 600 acre ranch and gave me a $500.00 metal detector that he was too old to enjoy any more. I was in tears when they left feeling so bad for them. I know how bad they felt. Would I exchange all to have Cowboy back" Oh my God yes.

Since then I have acquired a Rhode Island Red (Pumpkin) and another a second Wyanndotte (Dixie). The one I lost to the Bobcat was a black and white and the new girl is a red and black. These two girls are total sweet hearts, they free range as all my birds have, no Rooster, but they seem ok with that but when Im outside (most of the day) they hang right with me. Oh there so nosy but make me smile. The Red (orange) hasnt failed to lay an egg since we got her probably 3 months now. Dixie the Wyanndotte lay 2 skips 1. You can set a watch. Both try to gt in the house if the door is left open they love to come in a poke around and I follow right behind.

I guess my point is the difference between livestock (I dont have any) and pets is a fine line and total semantics probably. They are not children or they would be sleeping in the house not in a coop. Like any pet we protect them the best we can same as livestock. We have a lot of bobcats in this neck of the woods more so on the far side of the county. When I cared for a farm over there I would see them regularly as I would see trophy deer. Since we moved from the farm to this side of the county we far fewer big deer and this was only the 2nd bobcat in 18 years. My friend over near the farm still sees big bucks and bobcats on a regular basis. He shot a gorgeous 14 pt yesterday but strangely enough he has never lost a chicken to the bob cats and his birds are easy pickings.

I and my new birds got lucky and I was able to dispatch the one who had taken one too many liberties. This picture is Cowboy and his girls Christmas day 2013. Each one got picked off about 10 days apart this summer. It was rough.



Meet Pumpkin and Dixie. I can't find a picture of Dixie ranging with Pumpkin since shes been with us over a month now. I'll take care of that tomorrow. Shes in the cage we brought her home in.



Heres Pumpkin and Dixie at the Hard Rock Cafe

Heres a last one and I'll leave ya'll alone this is Cowboy with a couple of his girls. He was so good to them, gentle and never was rough with them they could have been a little more willing but he didnt make any issues of it. He was a champ.

The taxidermist said the Bobcat will be ready by the end of December. He's doing a rug for me Im pretty anxious to see it.

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