Monday, May 30, 2016

CSI: 7MSN

 Smooch and I noticed some odd criminal activity on our walks this past week.
The top strand of our electric fence had been breached in several places.
Never in our almost 11 years here has this been a problem.
The calves and pronghorn antelope crawl under the fence, 
stretching the bottom and middle strands,
but what could be messing with the top strand?



My initial thought was that perhaps one of the very large ravens supervising the ranch
made the unwise decision to perch on it. But ravens are too smart for that. Hmm.
Smooch: Please don't post this picture. The seat belt makes me look fat.



Besides, I didn't find any black feathers on the fence, 
but I did find dirt and some suspicious short hairs.



 Smooch: I think we should dust for fingerprints. Or paw prints. Or some kind of prints.
What do I know? I'm a dog.



Not so coincidentally, a few new trespassers showed up behind the barn Saturday night –
a small herd of mule deer. I'd seen them on the road a few times recently, 
but in all the time I've lived here, they've never come on the property ... until now.



When I went out Sunday morning to fix fence, I didn't need any special forensic tests
to confirm my suspicions – the deer hair was a dead giveaway.
I can only hope that they: a) move on or b) learn to jump a little higher. 




12 comments:

  1. Looks like bachelor bucks. I love the velvet on their antlers. I hope they don't do too much damage to your fence, but I do like seeing them.

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  2. they are awesome to see. have never seen one..

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  3. You and Smooch and Johnny Cashcat and the chickens, etc., are my VERY favorite reality show! And mystery show too!

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  4. They fit right into the herd with those great big ears! Those should earn them some brownie points!

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  5. Mystery solved. Now, if they will just step along quietly and stay a little distance away from the fence.

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  6. That's interesting to me because I have never seen deer here where I live, until this year. I've seen them up in the mountains but not this far down in the valley.

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  7. What fun to watch. Now to get a video of them jumping.

    Emily in NC

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  8. Hahaha! You and Smooch make a good crime solving team!

    PS - Don't worry Smooch, sometimes Blueberry's harness makes her look chunky too when she's sitting.

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  9. Aha! I knew. That's why we could never keep our hot wire hot! Our Whitetails can jump, but they forget that extra four inches beyond the fence where the hot wire was stretched.

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  10. Aww, their so cute...fuzzy antlers. Very good work! Ha ha poor Smooch, I look like that in mine, too. Maybe Junior can teach them how to get thru in a classy manner.

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  11. An American in Tokyo5/30/16, 5:59 PM

    Love that show!

    Word is out that the smorgasborg(?) is in your Back 40! Maybe Junior spread the word that it's a good place to get a bite to eat! =)

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  12. The ravens would need to perch on your fence in a very specific way to be hurt. Birds perch on my electric fence all the time without being harmed. Only animals that touch the ground AND the fence wires are shocked by it. Small birds have been hurt, however if they manage to bridge between the fence wire and a fence post which is stuck in the ground. Likewise, deer that we have seen jumping my fence were not hurt when they grazed the top wire during the jump since they were in the air touching the wire but not (also) the ground. You need not post this Carson. I only wanted you to know your ravens are safe sitting just on the fence ribbons.

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