Jim Boice has been working our fields for several days now. He finished baling all the hay, and now he’s expanding on the fields and taking down dead and crap trees. He’s dredged out the ditches, too. He said he’d have to lime the fields this fall with 2 TONS of lime in order to seed them next spring. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, but I’m glad he’s doing it overall. On the one hand, I liked the idea of providing habitat - but there’s plenty left. I’m glad that it’s being put to use, too.
He said that the coyote follows him around when he mows just waiting for something to jump out of the way. She had such a huge belly he wondered how she could eat any more, but then she trotted off and when she came back not 30 min. later, she was skinny again - upchucking for her cubs, I’ll bet. The coyotes I saw seemed quite large - tho’ I only got a fleeting glance since they were way off to the left of our property and ran around to the area where you can easily cross a ditch at the edge beyond a wooded area. I would think that they’d be old enough to start hunting with Mom.
Jim also said he saw about 8-10 turkeys and 4 deer out that way. The deer came out even when the coyote was right near by, and didn’t seem to be the least bit startled or fearful, but he said they looked like older females with no babies. So maybe the coyote has already taken care of the fawns, but by herself the adults would be too much for her to tackle.
Marjory gave me tons of purple irises and I’ve planted some of them by the edge of the woods near the barn. I still have a ton to go! Whew - way too humid. It’s not that hot, but the sweat just doesn’t evaporate. I’m anxious for the humidity to go away for a short while so I can mow my lawns.
Terre wrote:
Coyote - Conjecture
I’m thinking they belong to the lone coyote that I have seen several times. She may be the mother and the four of them are her pups. That’s why I’ve seen her alone so many times as the pups weren’t old enough to hunt with her. Now they’re old enough so she’s taking them with her to learn how to hunt. They may also not be staying in a den any more since the pups are nearly full grown, so they’re bedding down in different spots????? All conjecture on my part.
I enjoyed your writing. The details in the way that you wrote were so that I could invision what was happening as I was reading it. It sounds like wild kingdom stories right there in your own back yard. I guess now I’m telling my age!
What a nice compliment. Thanks. I’ve only been here for 4+ years, and I’m a biologist, so I really enjoy the Wild Kingdom (showing my age, too). My daughter posts my emails to her here, so I don’t do very much myself, it’s all her doing.