Predators 14, Steve 8

I caught another predator this morning.  It started out simple, let the dogs out to pee, since I was up and outside I decided to let the chickens out.  That was when I noticed the skunk in our live trap.  Now they make a live trap for skunks, it is far smaller than mine.  I cannot catch big raccoons if I use the smaller skunk trap.  Know why the skunk trap is smaller?  It is so they cannot lift their tail.  If they can not lift the tail then they don't spray.  Hence no bad smell.  Unfortunately, I cannot just cruise on up to the live trap, lift it and carry it away.  I would get sprayed.  So I had to stand way, way back and shoot it.  Every time I shoot a skunk they spray, there is just no way around it.  I am going to have to go out way later today and empty the trap up at the boneyard.  The smell is palpable!  I was having a hard time breathing because I could taste the smell.  Not very pleasant.  Then Annmarie and I heard some meowing (she had come outside after she heard the gunshot).  One of our kittens had somehow gotten into the back of the chicken coop and was stuck up on a rafter.  While I was getting the ladder, she coaxed it into coming over to her while she was standing on top of the nesting boxes.  I was not needed.

As I am moving sprinklers around in the Ram pasture (I was outside, so might as well get some things done quick) I noticed all the sheep were outside the fence where they are not supposed to be!  The three sheep that were inside the fence where they belong are the three that are getting slaughtered in 2 weeks... go figure. I will have to find a small amount of time today to fix that chunk of fence.  

So as I am walking inside the house I spot a hawk land in the tree directly next to my chicken coop.  I came inside, thought about it for a couple of minutes and went outside and scared it off.  It is one of the juveniles from the nesting pair we have about 400 yards from the house.  They usually just leave us alone.  No chicken dinner for him.  No chicken dinner for anyone.

When our sheep were inside the yard eating (mowing) our lawn, Annmarie caught one of the coffee girl lambs up on the front porch licking our screen door glass.  I had just washed the door with windex cleaner the weekend before.  Obviously, windex tastes good, who knew?  I had been blaming the dogs for rubbing their noses all over the glass!