The Call of the Wild: Coyotes Do Kill Calves

Some months ago there was an article in the Dallas Morning News that mentioned me running my snares on the fence line at Rocky Branch to catch coyotes. A few, not many, sent me emails taking issue that a coyote would harm a calf. Sunday a week ago I was out in the morning checking the cattle and saw a large coyote running at full speed across the meadow headed to the outside fence. I got off one shot with a 22 rifle, but the range was too far to be accurate.

When I got to the hay rings where we feed hay there lay a calf born in the night half eaten. There was little hay in the rings, so the cattle herd had gone far away to eat pasture grass. The cow that had the calf was a first time heifer and apparently was not able to defend her calf. It was a very sad sight and I picked up the baby and took it to the truck to dispose of it. The mama cow followed and called for the calf, licking it as we walked. Some days are really hard on the farm.

Later that evening, Javier had a deer rifle with him and killed the coyote that had returned to eat more of the calf. The circle of life and death continues on the farm.

If anyone does not believe me, send an email and you can have color photos of the calf. It is not a pretty sight.