Wild Kingdom?

Think we need to change Hidden Haven to Wild Kingdom. This past week has been freaky with wild animals on the homestead. Not just passing through but actually making themselves at home. I was busy inside the other afternoon when Tinker and Bella started barking like they were trying to kill something. The chickens, ducks, turkey, and geese were all screaming. I took off running because I thought they were killing a chicken. When I got to the goat pen Bella ran to the gate to meet me but was still barking like crazy and Tinker was over at the fence near a chicken pen barking and trying to dig through. I figured she had seen the momma hen and  baby chicks so ran to the chicken pen to check on the chicks. Found the momma hen in her house with babies underneath. When I stood back up I noticed all the chickens were on top of the fence, in trees, on top of the barn, on their roosting poles. They were all way up high. Then I saw what I thought was a dog. I saw it from behind and wondered where it came from and how it got inside a 6ft fence. Not thinking twice I started walking toward it. It didn't turn around or run. It walked one step and as easy as anything jumped over the fence without even touching it and walked over under a tree and sat down. It sat there looking at me for a few minutes like it was waiting for me to leave so he could have dinner. It wasn't a dog. It was a COYOTE! The dogs were still going crazy trying to get to it and he finally walked off down into the woods. This all happened early afternoon. That night we heard the dogs barking again and William went outside. The coyote had walked from a neighbors across the front of our property. Last night William heard the dogs barking and a chicken screaming and took off with the shotgun. He never saw what got the hen but he heard her screaming all the way down in the woods as whatever had her was running. This morning I walked out to feed and saw some of the teenage chicks running across the backyard. Thought they were coming to greet me but they kept on running. Running right behind them was a young red fox and right behind him was Tramp (our rescue basset/beagle). The fox saw me stopped running until he saw Tramp, then took off for the woods. Tramp took off as fast as his short legs could carry him and spent the morning chasing him in the woods. We are missing Mr and Mrs Black (the rabbits that have run free on the farm for several years) and we are missing 30 laying hens and aren't sure how many young chickens. William is setting a coyote trap and we have the guns loaded and ready to grab. Another farm down the road has had problems with coyote for a couple weeks. Not sure how many are around here. Fort Bragg set out coyotes several years ago. Not sure why but they have moved from the middle of nowhere they were released in to populated areas. Thank goodness the  guard dogs are with the goats or am sure one of the baby goats would have been coyote dinner. Tinker and Bella would kill a coyote in an instant. We usually don't have wild animal problems except for occasional raccoon or opossum but seems like wild animals are getting a lot braver around people.
Wild animals haven't taken up all our time. We have still found time to climb trees.

 And go swimming.

Today finds me in the kitchen cutting corn off the cob to make cream corn for the freezer. Harvey is busy playing with his cars and trucks but always checking to see if he can help grandma. Just another day here at Wild Kingdom Hidden Haven.