ANTLER DAMAGE and daily tstorms

[1911]

We bought a house with a yard big enough to stash Mrs 1911's and Mrs 1911 Jr's large, domesticated, non-edible (they insist), grass eating beasts in summer 2005. I don't call it a farm. "Farm" implies production of something useful and a remote chance of generating income. Horses that you own, in your yard, only generate income for the vet, farrier, hay grower and feed store owner. 2005 and 2006 went well enough. The herd of grass eaters multiplied. 07 and 08 were severely droughtful. The next few years were a little better but we were still buying hay to feed even in the summer. The herd was reduced.

Now it's 2012 and we're getting the rain that the Midwest isn't. I'm mowing my ass off just to keep the unfenced yard under control. The grasseaters can't keep up with the fenced yard so we're mowing it too. I even have to mow the gravel driveway. It's so moist we've got mushrooms in the manure pile.

 

 

Mushrooms and horse ****-makes me think of Dad.

Cause Dad had one of these

 

 

He earned it*

So we're mowing like crazy. The last thing we need is a mechanical issue to cause a lost weekend of cutting. Things can get out of hand quickly.

 

Wouldn't you know it-Bambi Strikes.

Have you EVER seen antler damage like this?

 

 

It was in all the way up to there!

 

 

Is this my punishment for mowing when I should be at Church?

 

My friends who study antlerdroppers closely (and store them in their freezers when they're done studying them) tell me that it's rare for dropped antlers to not get consumed quickly for their nutritional benefits by small wild creatures-rodents and such. Is this my punishment for messing around with nature's balance of power?

You see, A few years back a stray cat showed up. I tolerated Mrs 1911's encouraging the stray, and the inevitable offspring, to hang around because the mice no longer owned the feed shed. I used to refer to the offspring and the offsprings' offsprings as coyote snacks. The coyotes and foxes kept the cats under control while the cats kept the mice under control. After the second Hubby/Daddy the coyote/fox won't let me out of the shed cell phone call and after hearing the wolf, I bought Mrs 1911 some of these.

 

Now we're overrun with these.

 

 

And there isn't an antler eating rodent for miles.

 

I don't think sticky string plugs will do

 

 

 

I've got tools and skills enough to change a dirt bike tire with a heavy tube and double bead locks. TSC has BIG patches. If I just had a way to break the bead.

 

Seems to be holding, even though the antler hole is winking at me.

 

 

When you gotta mow, you gotta mow

 

I curse weather and weeds for keeping me from riding, Mrs 1911 says the FJR is to blame for the weeds getting out of control. Can you believe her?

*Look at these to "get" the patch-if you thought the Bin Ladin raid was something……..

https://sfachapterix.blogspot.com/2011/11/son-tay-raid-anniversary.html

https://vnafmamn.com/sontayraid.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ivory_Coast

 

[HotRodZilla]

Just for future reference, THESE:

Are very good at helping with THESE:

Not that I would condone that kind of thing, but I'm just sayin'

 

[SkooterG]

Mow? Grass?

What the hell are you talking about?

 

[El Toro Joe]

Dry some of those shrooms out and bring'em with ya to EOM. I'll take all ya got :blink: :crazy:

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I am going to 100% agree with HotRodZilla. That was exactly, pic for pic and word for word what I was going to say. And if 1911 mean what I think it does, that works too and is more of a challenge. Although I warn you very little of the energy is absorbed by the target. They will run to and rot in the most inconvenient damned places. :angry:

Very good post by the way, I feel your pain. I am wearing out my lawn mower down here WHEN it isn't raining. At least you have a good tractor to do the work. That antler damage is unique in my experience. I did run over a dead catfish on the beach one day and stuck the fins through the sidewall of a brand new Goodyear if that makes you feel any better.

 

[beemerdons]

Mow? Grass?

What the hell are you talking about?

+1, Gunny; Many thanks SkooterG, I also had no freaking idea of what 1911 was talking about! What is this "lawn mower" thing he keeps referring to? No sabe, ese!

 

[MEM]

I am going to 100% agree with HotRodZilla. That was exactly, pic for pic and word for word what I was going to say. And if 1911 mean what I think it does, that works too and is more of a challenge. Although I warn you very little of the energy is absorbed by the target. They will run to and rot in the most inconvenient damned places. :angry:

.

WTF ? :headbonk:

You guys ever hear of spay and neuter? Round up the toms and have them neutered.

With the 'trap & neuter' of the toms and living as I'm thinking that colony does - feral and without veterinary care - Mother Nature, the "foxes and coyotes" will look after them for you :blink:

If I've misinterpreted something here.....my bad.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Indeed I do think you are being punished. See, as you've been told, the rodents eat those antlers. Rodents like living in fields with tall grass. You mow the grass and eliminate the area where they live. I wouldn't put it past those rodents to see the cat loving mowing guy running around and set him up with an antler to the tire. This looks like a planned event to me.

 

[wfooshee]

I'm having the same issue with a plain ol' lawn. 100' x 100' is all there is, but I can't mow it. Half of it's under water, and the other half is under oak trees whose leaves are covering and killing the grass. So I'm losing half the yard, and the other half is 3 feet high and under water. Haven't had 2 consecutive dry days since late June!

No critter problems, though. Except frogs! Have to wear earplugs to sleep through the noise!

 

[wheatonFJR]

This is the funniest damn thread I've seen in awhile. "Course then...I don't have to mow the grass.

Sorry buddy.



EDIT- I was remiss in not thanking you for the links to the Son-Tay raid...and commend your dad for his extraordinary service. :clapping:

 

[Bounce]

You guys ever hear of spay and neuter? Round up the toms and have them neutered.

how very citified of you. spaying and neutering could run into the hundreds of dollars. 1911 is only pennies a round.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Thanks for reminding me wheaton,

By the way, good book to pick up, Raider, by Charles W. Sasser. The true story of Galen Charles Kittleson, who performed more POW raids than any other American in history, including the Son-Tay raid.

 

[1911]

Just for future reference, THESE:

Are very good at helping with THESE:

Not that I would condone that kind of thing, but I'm just sayin'

Mrs 1911 saw the lightbulb go on a while ago.

ALL of these crittiers have a name. Mrs 1911 counted my cartridges. Missing cat + missing bullet - coyote pelt = big trouble for Mr 1911

 

[wheatonFJR]

So...do you shoot at the coyotes when you see 'em, or wait until they grab a few "snacks" first.

If you wait a little bit and your timing is right, it sounds like a WIN-WIN situation...and then your equation suggests no bad things for Mr 1911.

 

[SacramentoMike]

How's your marksmanship? Speaking of a "win-win," I was thinking of a combination of Zilla's and MEM's suggestions.

(um, jes' sayin' and 'nuff said?)

 

[wfooshee]

Uh, use the .223s to neuter the toms??? I mean, no special requirement other than seriously good marksmanship, and you've got that, right?

Oops, missed again! Damn. Throw it in the hole.....

Careful, though. If she's turning into the crazy cat lady, you're done for!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Well, I was AIMING for the coyote that was trying to eat Mr Scruffles, but, um, I missed. At least Mr Scruffles didn't suffer!

Oh, and I tried to save a couple others too but it appears I need to spend more time at the range.

 

[Bounce]

it appears I need to spend more time at the range.

er... tacos again?

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I am going to 100% agree with HotRodZilla. That was exactly, pic for pic and word for word what I was going to say. And if 1911 mean what I think it does, that works too and is more of a challenge. Although I warn you very little of the energy is absorbed by the target. They will run to and rot in the most inconvenient damned places. :angry:

.

WTF ? :headbonk:

You guys ever hear of spay and neuter? Round up the toms and have them neutered.

With the 'trap & neuter' of the toms and living as I'm thinking that colony does - feral and without veterinary care - Mother Nature, the "foxes and coyotes" will look after them for you :blink:

If I've misinterpreted something here.....my bad.

Please don't be too hard on me! There is ONE cat living at my wife's house (outside) and she has been spayed. Once the population has gotten out of hand there is no more humane way to thin it down. Dropping them off to go hungry or become someone else's problem is both cruel and cowardly. Bringing them to the pound has almost the same effect as killing them yourself, except that now it's someone else's problem again. Also cowardly. I agree with you that it is best to avoid the issue to begin with by spaying or neutering. And no I don't enjoy killing things. I'd rather avoid it entirely. When you have strays at the house that some other inconsiderate sack of *%#& drops off for you to deal with, the problem becomes yours. When these "pets" are killing the wild rabbits that come into the back yard in the evenings it becomes a matter of who belongs and who does not.