Poacher or Predator or Something Else?

[I Luv Herfrds]

Hubby went out and did a head count and found out we are missing an animal.
He goes out driving around and finds a bunch of bones in the northern part of our pasture to the west of the spring, but within sight of the road.

Figure it could have been a predator, a poacher or she got hurt or sick and died. Now we just need to figure out which one it is. Hubby is pretty sure it is a heifer.

Since all he found is bones we can only guess at the cause of death.

 

[Mike]

Hubby went out and did a head count and found out we are missing an animal.
He goes out driving around and finds a bunch of bones in the northern part of our pasture to the west of the spring, but within sight of the road.

Figure it could have been a predator, a poacher or she got hurt or sick and died. Now we just need to figure out which one it is. Hubby is pretty sure it is a heifer.

Since all he found is bones we can only guess at the cause of death.

Strange things happen. Many moons ago, we found a dairy cow dead in the pasture pretty close to a road. She had been shot between the eyes and all four quarters were removed and taken almost surgically. Somebody just wanted some free meat/beef.

 

[Faster horses]

It really doesn't matter at this point, does it? (OOPS, I'm sounding like Hillary-- :shock: --heaven forbid!!). Anyway, you can drive yourself nuts trying to figure it out. I know, been there, done that, and the critter is still dead.

Hope you don't lose anymore.

 

[kolanuraven]

Goodness....sounds like you need to get out and should do head counts more often if you wait till you are just finding bones................. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[George]

Goodness....sounds like you need to get out and should do head counts more often if you wait till you are just finding bones................. :roll: :roll: :roll:

With my little herd I do a head count at least once a day and usually more - - - but I know that would not be realistic in a larger herd.

I give them one square bale a day, with 18 head that is about 3 1/2 # per head per day and I feed about 1/2 of that in the summer. They have 24 hour access to round bales. Very easy to check the herd!

 

[Anonymous]

Yep- and the good thing with brands and brand inspection- plus we put a personalized ID tag in their ear--- often the missing do show up..
When I brought the pairs off the community pasture mid-Oct I was missing 1 steer calf- and it was apparent from looking at the cow that he had been missing for awhile...
A quick trip around the pasture showed no sign- but since its several thousand acres, that didn't surprise me....
First part of January I get a call from some neighbors that run next to the pasture- they found that steer calf in with theirs...
Few days later I picked the calf up- hauled to the ring- and had a $1000+ dollars in the pocket that I had not really expected I may get

 

[Hereford76]

Goodness....sounds like you need to get out and should do head counts more often if you wait till you are just finding bones................. :roll: :roll: :roll:

For the love.... You run in the breaks and you'd react the same way I just did to your post.

 

[Frank in West Dakota]

Yep- and the good thing with brands and brand inspection- plus we put a personalized ID tag in their ear--- often the missing do show up..
When I brought the pairs off the community pasture mid-Oct I was missing 1 steer calf- and it was apparent from looking at the cow that he had been missing for awhile...
A quick trip around the pasture showed no sign- but since its several thousand acres, that didn't surprise me....
First part of January I get a call from some neighbors that run next to the pasture- they found that steer calf in with theirs...
Few days later I picked the calf up- hauled to the ring- and had a $1000+ dollars in the pocket that I had not really expected I may get

Did ya reimburse him for any of his feed costs or yardage for taken care of it?
Did ya give him more than a thank you?

 

[I Luv Herfrds]

Kola hubby has been the one feeding them while I have been working in town. Also hard to get in a truck without a running board with a bum knee.
As cold as it has been the yotes cleaned that cow up pretty good.

Think we figured out which one it was. Definately a young heifer teeth were in great shape. No ear tag and not enough hide to even find any hair.

 

[katrina]

Yep- and the good thing with brands and brand inspection- plus we put a personalized ID tag in their ear--- often the missing do show up..
When I brought the pairs off the community pasture mid-Oct I was missing 1 steer calf- and it was apparent from looking at the cow that he had been missing for awhile...
A quick trip around the pasture showed no sign- but since its several thousand acres, that didn't surprise me....
First part of January I get a call from some neighbors that run next to the pasture- they found that steer calf in with theirs...
Few days later I picked the calf up- hauled to the ring- and had a $1000+ dollars in the pocket that I had not really expected I may get

Did ya reimburse him for any of his feed costs or yardage for taken care of it?
Did ya give him more than a thank you?

Way to go Frank!!! :clap: :nod: Make it warm up would ya?

 

[jcarkie]

they can be cleaned to the bones pretty quick buzzards and yotes I have seen there not much left overnight. this time of year I find baby calves by the buzzards circling over they are pretty hungry with all the snow.

 

[Mike]

Yep- and the good thing with brands and brand inspection- plus we put a personalized ID tag in their ear--- often the missing do show up..
When I brought the pairs off the community pasture mid-Oct I was missing 1 steer calf- and it was apparent from looking at the cow that he had been missing for awhile...
A quick trip around the pasture showed no sign- but since its several thousand acres, that didn't surprise me....
First part of January I get a call from some neighbors that run next to the pasture- they found that steer calf in with theirs...
Few days later I picked the calf up- hauled to the ring- and had a $1000+ dollars in the pocket that I had not really expected I may get

I had a tagless bull calf missing that showed up months later in a pasture 8-10 miles from me. I told the guy to take him to the sale barn and save me half the check.

He told me to turn 20-30 more out. :lol:

 

[I Luv Herfrds]

jcarkie not many of them nasty buzzards up here. I know about the ones you are talking about.
Our biggest problem is big or little "dogs".

Lost a 3 year old quite awhile back. Looked like she had gotten into a shoving match with another cow and got pushed off the dam at the old reservoir. Found her about a day or so after it happened. Checked back a few days later and all that was there was lots of predator tracks. No hair nor bones anywhere.

With this one it is more a bit of cussing and some wondering but nothing we can do to change it.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep- and the good thing with brands and brand inspection- plus we put a personalized ID tag in their ear--- often the missing do show up..
When I brought the pairs off the community pasture mid-Oct I was missing 1 steer calf- and it was apparent from looking at the cow that he had been missing for awhile...
A quick trip around the pasture showed no sign- but since its several thousand acres, that didn't surprise me....
First part of January I get a call from some neighbors that run next to the pasture- they found that steer calf in with theirs...
Few days later I picked the calf up- hauled to the ring- and had a $1000+ dollars in the pocket that I had not really expected I may get

Did ya reimburse him for any of his feed costs or yardage for taken care of it?
Did ya give him more than a thank you?

Oh ya- we thanked them and they were happy they could help us out... Wasn't much for feed or yardage they had put into him as they had just gathered their pasture- and didn't notice it was there for a few days...

Up here when you clean out a pasture you gather up all-especially if you find a neighbors animal that you know has already gathered-- and then sort it out when you get them home or to some corrals... Quite frequent to have one or several strays in a gather... Easily taken care of with a phone call or short trailer trip...
Two years ago- we hauled back a pair of theirs that had wound up in with our cows... What goes around- comes around...

 

[Mike]

Poacher

 

[Silver]

We too always have a few neighbours cattle in our bunch when they come in in the fall, and our neighbours will have a few of ours. It's standard procedure to bring your stock trailer when you go help with the preg testing so you can haul your own home.

 

[bllcattle]

Many years ago shortly after weaning we had a couple 100 heifer calves and they ran one night went every direction except up and we rode several days finding them all, anyway to make a long story short we figured we might be short some. Went on 2 years and a neighbor stoped in at the hayfield one day and wanted to know what we did to cattle rustlers? We had a time trying to figure out what he was getting at and he had discovered a 2 old heifer with our brand and the calf had his brand. We all had a good laugh and come fall he got the calf and we picked up the heifer.Never did find out where some of the others went.