This is the view that I got this morning about 10 AM. It actually wasn't all that cold. It was 8 degrees when we got up at 0630. I had expected it to get colder. The fog while decorating the trees and weeds might have kept a bit of warmth from escaping the ground.
I tend to keep a close lookout on the area around the house, especially in the winter. The creek is a natural travel corridor for all wildlife, and the sounds of the Chickens and Pigeons are a natural attractant for hungry predators. I normally lock up the Chickens and Pigeons at night to try to keep temptation under control. Four nights ago I got sidetracked until quite late. I decided one night wouldn't hurt. I was wrong of course. Normally I let every thing out around 10 AM so that it can warm up a bit, and I can put the Hawks out and feed them. Doing all of my chores at one time.
I try to go out in the afternoon and put some more feed in the chicken trough. When I did, I noticed body parts and a partially eaten Chicken half buried in the duff. As near as I could tell they were all Old English Roosters. That is good as I have a surplus of new Roosters that haven't been culled out as yet.
I found the results of the depredation to be quite confusing. To my knowledge the only thing that will bury its food is a Bob Cat, or a Badger. I checked the well tracked snow around that area, and could find nothing that didn't look like a Dog track. Of course the Dogs had been all over looking for rabbits.
Perhaps the thing that caused the most confusion is that it appeared that what ever it was, only killed what it needed to satisfy its appetite. Coons, Badgers and Horned Owls will kill every thing that moves, eat what they want and leave the rest until the next night. Badgers of course will dig a den usually inside of the house, if they can, to wait to get hungry again. Horned Owls will kill all that moves and eat the heads, leaving bodies all over. The scene indicated a Cat more than anything else, but again I could find no sign. Cats run a set travel line over their territory, hitting the same spot only about once a week. They generally keep on the move. I did hear what I took to be a large cat in heat calling for a mate last week or so. The evidence points to a Bobcat. Time will tell.
Anyway as I was saying, I generally keep a pretty close watch out of the windows to see what is in the area. The picture above has a dead Coyote lying in it. I came into the computer room and to my surprise a Coyote was within 10 yards of the "Cat House" where our barn cats live.
To say that I was surprised is a bit of an understatement. I have two rifles that I use for varmint hunting. A 22-250 and a 17 HMR. I use 22 grain hollow points for the 17. I have tried the 17 grain bullets before and I didn't like them for anything as large as a Coyote. This is the second Coyote that I have taken with the 22 grain bullets and they seem to do quite well on close ones. This girl didn't move at all after I shot her.
Exit hole.
entrance hole.
The 22-250 is sending a 40 grain frangible bullet @4000 fps, and if you get a little off the large bones, you can blow a pretty big hole. So I use the 17 on the close ones, so I don't have to sew as much. I of course sell the hides each winter around the last of Feb. and the less damage the better.
The temps had risen to 13 degrees, so I put the Hawks out on their outside perch to eat, while I skinned the Coyote. After I finished I decided to check on Hope to see if the extra weight was keeping her warm. She was holding one leg up trying to warm her feet, so I put her in the shop again.
She gets bored not being able to see outside, but she stays alive, and that is what counts. As you can see she is still pretty cold, even though I had heated up the shop while I was skinning.
The weather is forecast to be below zero by a lot this next week or so. While am not ready to quit hunting Hope, I anticipate that I will be able to begin hunting for a bit more by February. If she begins molting then plans could change a bit.
