Country Living Problems

[JimT]

After dark last night the dogs were going crazy. The boys went out to check and came running back saying the dogs had a cow trapped in the yard. Turned out to be a young steer that got loose from someplace and wandered into our place, got hemmed in by the fences and the dogs.

Seems to be part of a herd got out somewhere's as there were more of them on the neighbors property. We penned the steer and called the Sheriff to find out whose critters they are. Still waiting for someone to show up. The little steer is sure spooky .. scared most likely because it is cut off from the herd. The herd moved on in the night and no telling where they are now, so we wait. Putting out water for it. There's plenty of grass to keep it happy.

[AmBraCol]

Glad to hear things went well. The caretaker at the gunclub here got stomped quite seriously a couple years ago when he went to investigate what the dogs were wound up about. One of the strays didn't take kindly to him trying to get them off the place and did a tap dance on him. Laid him up for quite a while. If they don't come for him does that mean you get free beef?

[Bill in Oregon]

Poor little fella, separated from his homies ...

[JimT]

If they don't come for him does that mean you get free beef?

No sirs. That would most likely be considered rustling.

[JimT]

Poor little fella, separated from his homies ...

The neighbor opened his gate and we herded the young'un back toward the the others. When he saw his way clear he took off happily toward his family.

[jeepnik]

If they don't come for him does that mean you get free beef?

No sirs. That would most likely be considered rustling.

I take it it's got an ear tag. Local cattleman's association can tell you who owns it. Then again they may not want to claim it for fear of being liable for damages.

[JimT]

I take it it's got an ear tag. Local cattleman's association can tell you who owns it. Then again they may not want to claim it for fear of being liable for damages.

Two ear tags ... There are 9 cattle total in my neighbors field now. I think they were recently bought at auction and broke out of where ever they were penned. The owners will be located today I am sure.

[Scott Tschirhart]

If they don't come for him does that mean you get free beef?

No sirs. That would most likely be considered rustling.

I would never eat another man’s beef. Just so wrong on many levels.

[JimT]

I would never eat another man’s beef. Just so wrong on many levels.

YESSIR! Most folks when driving by a stockyard or a pasture of cattle have no concept what all is involved, what it costs or what it's worth. The majority of our population does not live close to the earth.

[Scott Tschirhart]

And I know my friend was only joking. He would never do such a thing either.

[Grizz]

After dark last night the dogs were going crazy. The boys went out to check and came running back saying the dogs had a cow trapped in the yard. Turned out to be a young steer that got loose from someplace and wandered into our place, got hemmed in by the fences and the dogs.

Seems to be part of a herd got out somewhere's as there were more of them on the neighbors property. We penned the steer and called the Sheriff to find out whose critters they are. Still waiting for someone to show up. The little steer is sure spooky .. scared most likely because it is cut off from the herd. The herd moved on in the night and no telling where they are now, so we wait. Putting out water for it. There's plenty of grass to keep it happy.

makes me smile at a memory from Phoenix days. we lived in a house that was built in old orchard and farm fields, before paradise was completely paved. it was not uncommon for a cow, or a handful of them to get into the streets. I got to see real cowboys actually rounding up and redirecting the wandering cattle back to their kennels, er, pastures. a treasured recall.

me thinks the only cows in phoenix now are allegorical . . .

grizz

[AmBraCol]

And I know my friend was only joking. He would never do such a thing either.

Partly. Notice the qualifier "if they never come and get him". We kept "Mrs Quack" around the place for years, waiting for her owners to come get her. A stray mallard hen is what she looked like, mallards aren't native to that area, and she just showed up one day. The neighbors had ducks so I caught her and carried her over there. Only to realize THEIR ducks were musckovies and she obviously wasn't, nor did they claim her. So we tied her by one foot out by the tiny pond we had in the front yard, waiting for someone to come by and claim her. They never did. We fed and cared for her for a couple years until she went the way of all fowl that one dasn't leave to others to care for. We emptied the pen of the whole flock prior to a year's absence since there was no way to leave them under anyone's care. She probably ate twice her value in feed over the time we had her so I didn't feel too badly about putting her on the table. I can't imagine someone not claiming their beef though! Gone are the days of building herds of formerly unclaimed cattle, we've come a long ways in the past century and a half.

[Griff]

When I was a member of our county's Sheriff's Posse we'd get called out to come fetch loose cattle, either on one of the county roads, state highways or in someone's pasture. We'd then take them to a pen we established at the SO and contact the owners to come claim them... and charge them if they were a repeat "guest". The worst were wounded cattle from an accident on the interstate. We weren't authorized to euthanize them... had to be done by a vet. Extremely glad it was a rare occurrence.

[AmBraCol]

When I was a member of our county's Sheriff's Posse we'd get called out to come fetch loose cattle, either on one of the county roads, state highways or in someone's pasture. We'd then take them to a pen we established at the SO and contact the owners to come claim them... and charge them if they were a repeat "guest". The worst were wounded cattle from an accident on the interstate. We weren't authorized to euthanize them... had to be done by a vet. Extremely glad it was a rare occurrence.

Reminds me of Skeeter's "cow killing loads"...

[JimT]

Cow-killin' loads.

I've used 2.

.45 Colt SAA ... Lyman Bullet 454190 over 38 gr. of 3Fg Black in an old balloon-head case. Shot a 1100 pound Hereford for beef. I put some range cubes on the ground and when she put her head down to get some I popped her in the sweet spot. Immediate Drop! DRT

.30-30 Model 94 ... RCBS-180-FN GC ... 26.0 gr. H335 ... had an old Hereford cow go down in the pasture .. I walked up to her and shot her in the head. DRT I later tried to recover the bullet but it had gone down through the head, through the neck and through the front part of her chest into the dirt. I never found it.

[Scott Tschirhart]

270 SAA over 8 gr of Unique

[AmBraCol]

270 SAA over 8 gr of Unique

That definitely did the job well. Always wanted to try that bullet, but haven't managed to track down a mold yet.

[jeepnik]

I recall having a Guernsey go down. She was putting up a heck of a racket. Dad used a bring back P-38. I assume FMJ. Worked very well. I figure just about and round works if shot placement is good.

They used a tractor to move her and a fellow with a flatbed came and hauled her off.