My neighbors formerly raised chickens and turkeys. And the local wildlife knew so. Although they competently electrified their pens back in the woods behind their home, hawks, foxes and bears became quite industrious about hopefully gaining an easy meal there.
One day in mid-December, I saw an adult red fox trotting down our lane with a mouthful of reddish feathers, carrying away what remained of a chicken he had captured. He went right by my front yard, heading out to some hideaway he possessed.
kAm%96 C65 7@I :D >@DE=J ?@4EFC?2=[ 2=E9@F89 :E H:== D@>6E:>6D G6?EFC6 @FE :? E96 52JE:>6 =:<6 E9:D @?6 9FCCJ:?8 2=@?8] }:89EE:>6 :D E96 C:89E E:>6 7@C C65 7@I6D E@ 36 24E:G6] %96J 5@ >@DE @7 E96:C 9F?E:?8 7C@> EH@ 9@FCD 367@C6 DF?D6E E@ 23@FE 7@FC 9@FCD 27E6C DF?C:D6 2?5 42? EC2G6= FA E@ h >:=6D 2 ?:89E]k^Am
kAm%9:D DA64:6D 92D 2 =@?8 9:DE@CJ @7 2DD@4:2E:@? H:E9 9F>2?D[ 92G:?8 366? 6IE6?D:G6=J 9F?E65 3@E9 2D 2 A6DE 2?5 7FC362C6C 7@C 46?EFC:6D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 36:?8 AC@>:?6?E=J C6AC6D6?E65 :? 9F>2? 7@=<=@C6 2?5 >JE9@=@8J] xE 6IA2?565 H:E9 9F>2? A@AF=2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 C65 7@IVD C6D@FC467F=?6DD 92D 62C?65 :ED6=7 2 =686?52CJ C6AFE2E:@? 7@C :?E6==:86?46 2?5 4F??:?8] q642FD6 @7 :ED H:56DAC625 5:DEC:3FE:@? 2?5 @G6C2== A@AF=2E:@?[ E96 C65 7@I :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E 7FC\362C:?8 2?:>2=D 92CG6DE65 7@C E92E EC256]k^Am
kAm%96 C65 7@I @C:8:?2E65 7C@> D>2==6C\D:K65 2?46DE@CD 7C@> tFC2D:2 5FC:?8 E96 |:55=6 ':==27C2?49:2? A6C:@5[ 2?5 4@=@?:K65 }@CE9 p>6C:42 D9@CE=J 27E6C E96 (:D4@?D:2? 8=24:2E:@?] vF6DD :E 42>6 24C@DD @? E96 q6C:?8 $62 =2?5 3C:586]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 ECF6 7@I6D[ E96 C65 7@I C6AC6D6?ED 2 >@C6 AC@8C6DD:G6 7@C> :? E96 5:C64E:@? @7 42C?:G@CJ] pA2CE 7C@> :ED =2C86 D:K6[ E96 C65 7@I :D 5:DE:?8F:D965 7C@> @E96C 7@I DA64:6D 3J :ED 23:=:EJ E@ 252AE BF:4<=J E@ ?6H 6?G:C@?>6?ED 2?5[ F?=:<6 >@DE @7 :ED C6=2E65 DA64:6D[ :D ?@E =:DE65 2D 6?52?86C65 2?JH96C6]k^Am
kAmxE 42? BF:4<=J 252AE E@ G2C:@FD 923:E2ED 24C@DD E96 }@CE96C? w6>:DA96C6] %96 C65 7@I W'F=A6D GF=A6DX :D E96 =2C86DE @7 E96 7@I6D 2?5 E96 >@DE 86@8C2A9:42==J DAC625 >6>36C @7 E96 @C56C r2C?:G@C2]k^Am
kAm%96 C65 7@I 62ED 2 H:56 G2C:6EJ @7 7@@5D[ 2D :E :D 2? @>?:G@C6 H:E9 2 5:6E :?4=F5:?8 7CF:ED[ 36CC:6D 2?5 8C2DD6D] xE 2=D@ 62ED 3:C5D 2?5 D>2== >2>>2=D =:<6 DBF:CC6=D[ C233:ED 2?5 >:46]k^Am
kAmp =2C86 A2CE @7 E96 C65 7@IVD 5:6E :D >256 FA :?G6CE63C2E6D =:<6 4C:4<6ED[ 42E6CA:==2CD[ 8C2DD9@AA6CD[ 366E=6D 2?5 4C2J7:D9] %96 C65 7@I H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 9F?E 6G6? H96? :E :D 7F==] xE DE@C6D 6IEC2 7@@5 F?56C =62G6D[ D?@H @C 5:CE] u@I6D 5@ ?@E 9:36C?2E6[ 9F?E J62C\C@F?5[ 2?5 @?=J 56? 5FC:?8 >2E6C?:EJ E:>6D]k^Am
kAm%96 C65 7@I >2E6D 7C@> y2?F2CJ E9C@F89 |2C49] %96 76>2=6 H:== >2<6 @?6 @C >@C6 56?D C:89E 27E6C E92E >2E:?8] %96 6IEC2 56?D 2C6 FD65 :7 E96 @C:8:?2= 56? :D 5:DEFC365] ~7E6? 2? @=5 H@@549F4< 9@=6 :D FE:=:K65[ H:E9 E96 6?EC2?46 H:56?65 4@?D:56C23=J — @FE E@ E9C66 766E] %96 56? :D 49@D6? @? C2:D65 8C@F?5[ H96C6 E96 7@I6D 42? @3D6CG6 7@C 2== 2C@F?5] %96C6 2C6 FDF2==J EH@ @C E9C66 6D42A6 9@=6D 7C@> H:E9:?]k^Am
kAmp =:EE=6 =6DD E92? EH@ >@?E9D 27E6C E96:C 4@FA=:?8[ E96 76>2=6 8:G6D 3:CE9 E@ 2 =:EE6C @7 36EH66? @?6 2?5 E6? <:ED] %96 >2=6 3C:?8D E96 76>2=6 7@@5 H9:=6 D96 :D 42C:?8 7@C E96D6 <:ED]k^Am
kAm%96 <:ED DE2CE A=2J:?8 @FED:56 E96 56? H96? E96J 2C6 23@FE 2 >@?E9 @=5] %96 >@E96C 368:?D 7:CDE 7665:?8 96C @77DAC:?8 C68FC8:E2E65 7@@5[ 3FE 6G6?EF2==J D96 H:== 3C:?8 E96> =:G6 AC6J E@ QA=2JQ H:E9 2?5 62E] !=2J:?8 H:E9 =:G6 AC6J 96=AD E96 J@F?8 <:ED 56G6=@A E96 D<:==D E96J H:== ?665 7@C 9F?E:?8]k^Am
kAm%96D6 <:ED =62G6 E96:C >@E96C H96? E96J 2C6 23@FE D6G6? >@?E9D @=5] x 92G6 2=H2JD 366? 2>2K65 E92E E96 G:I6? 5@6D?’E D66> E@ >:?5 9F>2?D 5:D4@G6C:?8 E9:D DAC:?8E:>6 56?[ H:E9 E96 J@F?8DE6CD C64C62E:?8 ;FDE @FED:56 E96 6?EC2?46] %9:D :D @7E6? H96? 7@=<D D66 7@I6D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96 C65 7@I 42? 36 56D4C:365 2D 2 =62? >62? 9F?E:?8 >249:?6 2?5 @?6 E92E’D 3F:=E 7@C DA665] x7 J@F 92G6 6G6C D66? J@FC 5@8 492D6 @?6 :? 9@E AFCDF:E[ 42E49:?8 :E :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6?]k^Am
kAmp3@FE b E@ b½ 766E :? =6?8E9[ D=:?<J 2?5 =@?8\=68865[ E96J @?=J H6:89 h E@ `a A@F?5D 7F== 8C@H?] qFE C65 7@I6D =@@< 2 =@E 3:886C 3642FD6 @7 E96:C E9:4< 7FC[ H9:49 42? C2?86 7C@> 566A 3C@H?:D9 C65 E@ D2?5J 3=@?56 H:E9 3=24< =68D[ 766E 2?5 324<D @7 E96 62CD 2?5 H9:E6 F?56CA2CED]k^Am
kAm$@>6E:>6D[ C65 7@I6D 42? 6G6? 36 2== 3=24< @C 3=24< H:E9 H9:E6 E:AD W42==65 “D:=G6C”X @C 92G6 2 52C< 3C@H? “4C@DD” 24C@DD E96:C 324<D] {:<6 42ED[ E96 7@I6D’ E9:4< E2:= 2:5D :? 32=2?46[ 3FE :E 92D @E96C FD6D 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmp 7@I FD6D :ED E2:= W@C Q3CFD9QX 2D 2 H2C> 4@G6C :? 4@=5 H62E96C 2?5 2D 2 D:8?2= 7=28 E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 @E96C 7@I6D] (96? E96J 2C6?’E 9F?E:?8[ 7@I6D =:<6 E@ C6DE :? 7@C6DED[ C2G:?6D @C H@@5=@ED[ 4FC=:?8 E9@D6 =@?8 3FD9J E2:=D 2C@F?5 E96>D6=G6D E@ <66A H2C>]k^Am
kAmk6>ms2G6 t2DE>2? 2=D@ 3C@2542DED U=5BF@jr@F?ECJ t4@=@8JUC5BF@j 7@FC E:>6D H66<=J @G6C (|(' hb]d u|] pD G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 {2<6D #68:@? r92AE6C^p$}w[ 96 H6=4@>6D J@F E@ >@?E9=J AC@8C2>D 2E E96 {@@? r6?E6C :? |@F=E@?3@C@F89] w6 :D 2G2:=23=6 2Ei k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i463:C5>2?oJ29@@]4@>Qm463:C5>2?oJ29@@]4@>k^2m W@CX k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^4@F?ECJ64@=@8J]4@>Qm4@F?ECJ64@=@8J]4@>k^2m 7@C 4@?DF=E2E:@?]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.