Coyotes, Food Plots, Etc

Last week, as we arrived shortly before noon, Eric and Creigh spotted a coyote in front of the barn and it exited via the barn field as we pulled in.  We had a nice weekend with 5 dogs and 7 people.  When I arrived this week, I opened the double doors on the barn and this is what I found.

Apparently the coyote wasn't impressed with the 5 dogs in his territory so he marked his turf by taking a dump on my porch.

Saturday evening, as I was grilling lamb chops, I spotted a coyote cutting across the field on the end of the barn right past the 200 yard bench.  I didn't have a gun handy and it took me awhile to draw my phone.  On the right side of the picture you can see his outline.  I went inside to tell Joan about it and she said he'd been hanging out right outside the window on top of the septic tank.  She said "why didn't you shoot it?"

Speaking of Eric and Creigh, they played cornhole last week.  This week I found one of my prized Steeler bags out in the grass.  Thanks guys.

I did some work on the food plots and gardens this week.  I got my soil test results back and they really didn't require much fertilizer.  So, I went ahead and planted the soybeans in the orchard field and the driveway stand.  These are Roundup ready soybeans so I need to get out and spray these fields when the weeds start to sprout.  Kind of depends on whether we get any rain.

Here's the work in process on the driveway stand field.  I actually overheated both ATVs while doing this field smoothing.  I saw a 5 foot black snake in the middle of this field sunning.  He was too quick to catch on camera.

You can't see it but this one has let loose with a cloud of steam and anti-freeze.

I got the pumpkin patch smoothed but not planted.  The tests called for 1600 pounds of lime.  That isn't enough to order a truckload so I bought some bags.  I only got about 500 pounds so I have a ways to go.  The sunflower field is disked but not smoothed.  We're going to Chicago next week for Eric's MBA graduation so it will be two weeks before I get any planting done.

I had alot of camera trouble.  Two of them weren't working but I think I have them all back in service now.  The bucks are starting to grow their antlers.  I'm surprised that I haven't seen any fawns yet.  It's time.