Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A surprise was waiting for me last night!

I had the day off yesterday, so I took a road trip over to Nebraska. Scottsbluff is the closest place to my part of Wyoming for when you have to go to places like Home Depot, Staples, Menards, Wal-Mart, etc. and I haven't been for months. So I get over a thousand bucks worth of boots, pants, tools, and other junk accumulated from shopping in the back of my SUV and have a nice steak in Bluffs too, and get home fairly late last night, 10ish. I have 20 acres along the North Platte River, and two horses to graze it. It's pretty brushy next to the river. My yard is surrounded on three sides with Russian Olive and large Cottonwoods and the river on the fourth. I go through a gate when I leave the asphalt about a quarter of a mile from home, and when I opened and closed the gate last night, I saw the horses over on that end.

So I pulled up and parked in the driveway and got an armload of junk out of the back of my Exploder, took it in the house and went back for more. That's when I heard branches breaking and something big in the bushes not far from me. At first I thought horses, but by then it clicked, 'no they were up by the gate'. I stopped what I was doing and studied where the sound was getting closer, then this big black bull trotted right out at me snorting. I did half a circle around the car, but now he was behind it looking over my stuff and between me and my back door. I don't know what he was mad about, but he was mad when I met him.

My coonhound was with me, but he was taught to ignore cattle, so when I told him to "Git 'em", he run off in the trees looking for coons The bull decided to come around to the front of the car to mess with me some more so I went around the other side shut the hatch and went in the house. My dog showed up about an hour later.

I've unloaded the rest of my stuff this morning. I see I still got a bull, but he's out by the stock tank 500 yards or so away, guess I'll go saddle a horse in a while and find where he probably busted my fence, and push him back through there. He's kinda an ornery bastid! I may end up finding out if the .177 1200fps Ruger air rifle I bought in Bluffs yesterday (that was still boxed in back last night), gives him a little respect, or just makes him madder.

Hahahahaha! Good story, Jim! Can't wait for the next installment... keep us posted!

I often have issues with a neighbor's cattle - a wrist rocket with a heavy for size(good sectional density) projectile will get their attention and leave no blood trail for the owner! memtb

Jacques;
Top of the morning to you sir, sorry to read about your troubles, but thanks kindly for the manner in which you chose to convey them to us.

Bulls frankly scare me, especially so since I began occasionally cowboying for a rancher friend. Honestly I can't even watch bull riding at a rodeo anymore as I just know somebody is going to get hurt badly at some point and I just can't spectate with that certainty.

As with anyone who's either pushed range bulls around or done some field doctoring I've collected a couple short stories with a recalcitrant male bovine as the central character......

If time or inclination allow I'll see if I can recall them with enough clarity and without wincing too much to see the keys.

My hope and prayer is that you're able to haze the new bull out of your pasture without such memories being inflicted upon you sir.

Good luck with that and with the remainder of your weekend too.,

Dwayne

Used to have a big problem with ferrel cats in the west central area of FL where I used to live. The area is covered in bays and brackish canals lined with hundreds of miles of mangroves, cabbage palm, and saltwater hammock. So, there's plenty of prey available. However, these cats often felt the need to seek additional sustenance from the neighborhood, along with annoying all the pets.

A good projectile (compressed limestone and corral) launched from a wrist wrocket blends right back into the environment.

I think most people (not those posting here) see casual encounters with cattle and become complacent. And they usually don't make mischief, but when they do one is suddenly reminded how much bigger and tougher they are than a human. In those moments if you're on the wrong side of the fence, you immediately wish you were elsewhere and figure out real quick how to get there .

Hey, if that air rifle don't work try a 30-06!

Or you could just call the neighbor to come get the bull...

Even after that bull came from the olives, it took me a few seconds to distinguish what I was seeing, it was real dark behind him. There is a yard light that was working well for where I was, but not so much where he was coming from. About the time that I saw two puffs of fog (was chilly) from his nostrils, and the light reflecting from his eyes is when I figured it out. Just in time to say "Oh Chit," and high tail it. Brings a whole new light to 'Black Lives Matter". 😁Wishin' my neighbors had Charolais instead, or even black baldies.

And if you have to do it yourself and he has calmed down some, go slow and easy, no yelling and hollering. If they are prone to fight shooting them with whatever isn't going to help.

"Unless you can cross this pasture in 9 seconds.....the bull crosses it in 10!"

If he had Herefords, there would be no problem.

Was my first thought, got ten calls in it already. Land to the East of me belongs to a feedlot about a mile further East, feedlot is owned by a widow who I went to high school with who also owns a mill in town - she leases everything out. Mill isn't open sat night or sun. I should know her last name, I bricked her house ten years ago, but can only remember her maiden name which isn't how her home is listed - I usually just call the mill to talk to her. Seems everyone I can think knows her by her maiden name too, it's in big letters on the mill that was her dad's. I asked a couple other neighbors if they knew who was leasing Mary's ranch/feedlot this year, but they don't know either. I like to stay in good standing with her - We got a deal, I keep an eye on this entrance to her place, I get four miles of riverbank riparian land to hunt, fish, or get firewood from, before I come to the next house downstream - they got the same deal on that end. I can call her at work Monday, and she can call who she needs to, but that still leaves a hole in my fence and two horses I don't want wandering off in the meantime. If I got to fix the fence today since I work all week (this week in Cheyenne, 100 miles away), I'd just a soon that bull was back on his side when I shut the door.

Jacques;
That's a bit of a fix to be in for sure.

One doesn't want to turn it out onto the road or wherever it'll be a problem for others, but one definitely doesn't need it in the pasture with your horses either now does one?

Too bad they don't have a collar on it with owner's contact information..... little cowboy sorta joke there.

IF they're ear tagged correctly and/or branded, then when there is at least some chance of guessing who's beef we're chasing on buddy's range. That said, everyone isn't as diligent as they might could be about updating the ear tags before releasing new animals onto the range and of course that's where you're at isn't it?

Even with a stout corral in my experience it's nettlesome trying to contain a bull who isn't inclined to be that way.

Good luck with your situation for sure though sir and stay safe in the process.

Dwayne

I've been around them my whole life, grew up on a ranch, even rode 'em when I was a lot younger. I've also led show bulls around with a halter at the fair. This is defiantly not one of those. Heck even rodeo bulls are usually pretty easy to work, after their 8 seconds are up since they get handled pretty much daily. This one, last night saw me trying to haze him as a challenge. I'm all like, "Heya, get on outa here," but he was like "Bring it on buddy, I'm a badass". But you're right, easier to deal with one that ain't riled up, I wouldn't set out to start a fight with him. A while ago though, I walked up to the stable to get a halter and lead rope for my horse and the bull saw me and still showed mad, so it's looking like "good boy, nice bull" is not an option. On the plus side, I've got lots of cottonwoods, and I know I can still circle a tree faster than a bull can.

If in 24 hours owners ain't come a searchin' I would be a processing...
and fixing a fence.

And I have met up with a couple or so old range cows that evidently had already been mad for several days. Just waiting for someone to come along so they could vent their madness his way. Fortunately, I was able to straddle my good fast hoss in time to avoid any injuries to me. Them old gals ain't to be messed with, especially if they have a youngster hanging around.

Not an option in Wyoming, well a legal one at least. Wyoming is a 'fence out' state. One of the last of them I believe. It's your job to keep a fence up that is sufficient to keep livestock off your land, shooting one even on your property is still rustling. Unless it's swine, the minute one of those trespasses on you, you own it. Brand inspectors stop daily at all processing plants, and hides for the day need to be folded with brand showing. It's been that way since open range days when Tom Horn was checking brands.

I have seen even mild manured bulls do some crazy things. A good horse who knows livestock can help even up your odds but common sense is your best friend. Be careful and remember time is on your side.

"I have seen even mild manured bulls do some crazy things."



Scott that's why they call it BS!!!