The long winter with all its wind and snow and more snow has taken its toll on the wildlife here at the Coteau Valley Farm and Nursery. The wildlife seems to be ready for warmer air and bluer skies. Bouquets of pheasants can be found everywhere on the highways in large numbers, scratching the cold, snowy ground in search of leftover corn or grain from the crops of last year. They do not seem to find it, as the snow is too deep for their little feet to scratch down deep into the dirt. My car scares them off, as they fly to some other area in search of a kernel of food. I feel sorry for the pheasants because they are stunning and smart and a classy fowl. Two days ago I saw a raccoon eating a dead squirrel. He must have been really hungry because I think he found it on the ground, probably hit by a passing car. Raccoons are crafty little creatures to me. They always seem like they have something they are hiding from you, or that they just did something sinister. They are also rather bold and cunning and I would imagine they are the con artist of the wildlife world. I don’t trust them and I feel like they would steal you out of your house and home if they had any opportunity. There too was a rangale of deer eating one particular farmer’s hay stash, the hay overflowed out of the barn and into his muddy paddock. The deer were opportunist and just cashed in on the lucky find. The farmer seems to have a lot of extra bails left over from last fall's cutting, perhaps he does not really care if the deer eat it up. Its more logical that the farmer likely detests the deer, and I bet he doesn't like them eating his hay. But if he came outside in order to chase off the animals his legs would fall into a deep snow drift, that is also topped with a sharp layer of ice. And if there were no snow he would fall on a massive sheet of ice. So, that is arguably why he is definitely not coming outside to stop them from eating the hay. I am not sure why he cares unless the cattle like moldy hay. Actually, I think the cows do like the nasty slop hay. They just fill their fat bellies and regurgitate it up, then they rechew the food for hours. They get any lost nutrients from it and it comforts them. If you have ever seen a herd of cattle chewing their cud you would understand. So I guess in the end, that number two meal the cattle devour is probably much fouler than the moldy hay the cows initially eat, so what do they care? Cattle do not seem to be very intelligent themselves, but they are really sweet and seem to like people and socializing. I used to chase them and round them up for entertainment when I was in high school. My horse seemed to enjoy the chase, looking back I feel bad about it because now I really like cows and they do seem to like people. But, back to the deer, they too have pleasant dispositions and who doesn't like to look into a valley and see a peaceful herd of deer grazing? Still, I am unsure why the deer did not feast all year on the giant round bails lined across all the pastures here in the Coteau hills. Maybe their cute faces make up for a lack of any smarts. I definitely would have slept in the haystacks for this winter if I had to, hopefully, that day will not come when I have to sleep in a hay bail for the winter! It does seem the deer could find warmth in the hay and eat as much as their bellies could hold. Maybe they do not like hay. I think they eat the bark of trees in the woods or nuts off bushes. There are also all the flocks of birds migrating in who get a big shocker. The winds and blowing snow literally push them onto the ground in the fields. I see them sitting together on the ground, huddled in a mass. In past years they probably found food in the fields, but this year there is nothing to eat so they just sit and freeze, at least that is how they look, cold. I feel sorry for all of them, even the wicked little coon with his masked face. I too hope spring will turn its wheels a little faster and warm up the earth, giving a boot to the cold winter man, who had a clutch on the earth tighter than ever this year. We can hope for warmer weather and a better spring, one with flowers and not blizzards. Whats your thoughts?
Coteau des Prairies
South Dakota Hobby Farm
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