Death to all Raccoons

[Flopsweat]

so tonight it was coyotes - 2 packs - one down the hill about a half mile away and 3 outruners just up the hill

every farm dog in the area was howling - our hound puppy was dancing on his hind legs howling at the sky

enough of this - I want my quiet time to enjoy my wine on the porch

got the Mossberg 590 out - loaded with birdshot - 2 rounds into the air over the forest - I know the shot falls only 100 yrds away

now - back to my quiet time and another glass of Elk Cove Pinot Grigio

 

[OldBroad44]

Elk Cove Pinot Gris. Not Pinot Grigio. Oregon wine laws don't allow wineries to rip off appellation names, names defined traditionally in Europe by the particular grapes, style, AND specific regions. Not so California. For example, France has just certain regions that are allowed to call their full-bodied red wines made mostly from Pinot Noire grapes "Burgundy". A winery a few feet outside the Burgundy district cannot legally use the name Burgundy. Its a big deal. The name Burgundy on a bottle increases the price. Likewise with the name Bordeaux, which is a red wine made from a mix of red grapes with the major flavor coming from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes AND produced in the Bordeaux region of France only. Likewise Pinot Grigio, made from Pinot gris grapes in a region in N Italy. California allows its wine makers to rip off those names; Oregon does not.

Elk Cove is in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. WV is capable of producing wonderful Pinot Noires and Pinot Chardonnays, but the ones I like are above $30/bottle. Out of my price range. Willamette Valley also produces spectacular Pinot griss and Rieslings and these varieties are more productive so give us much more affordable wines. The WV Pinot griss are distinctive richly flavored medium bodied wines. They are normally fermented on the skins briefly, then aged briefly (one to two years) in stainless steel tanks, not in oak barrels. The relative short stage of fermenting on the skins and avoiding aging in oak means less tannin in the wines that would need to be mellowed by long ageing. So the wines are usually aged only a year or two, and taste fresh and bright with various fruit and nut overtones with just a touch of sweet instead of like an oak tree. And you can buy extraordinarily good Oregon pinot gris for $12- $18. Good Oregon Pinot gris has just a touch of sweetness. It is very versatile. It goes well with anything -- red or white meat, seafood, cheese, fruit, salad, desert. Or just sipping straight.

For affordable Oregon red wines I suggest Cabernets or red table wines (blends) grown in Southern Oregon rather than than Pinot noires. The Cabernet sauvignon grape seems to develop its full flavor best with the somewhat greater heat of S Oregon.

Here's an Oregon winery that sells affordable wines of high quality by mail order:
https://www.foriswine.com/ Both their Pinot gris and red table wine Flyover Red are excellent and affordable. The Flyover Red is the only red wine I can drink without getting a headache.

 

[Mikej]

Elk Cove Pinot Gris. Not Pinot Grigio. Oregon wine laws don't allow wineries to rip off appellation names, names defined traditionally in Europe by the particular grapes, style, AND specific regions. Not so California. For example, France has just certain regions that are allowed to call their full-bodied red wines made mostly from Pinot Noire grapes "Burgundy". A winery a few feet outside the Burgundy district cannot legally use the name Burgundy. Its a big deal. The name Burgundy on a bottle increases the price. Likewise with the name Bordeaux, which is a red wine made from a mix of red grapes with the major flavor coming from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes AND produced in the Bordeaux region of France only. Likewise Pinot Grigio, made from Pinot gris grapes in a region in N Italy. California allows its wine makers to rip off those names; Oregon does not.

Elk Cove is in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. WV is capable of producing wonderful Pinot Noires and Pinot Chardonnays, but the ones I like are above $30/bottle. Out of my price range. Willamette Valley also produces spectacular Pinot griss and Rieslings and these varieties are more productive so give us much more affordable wines. The WV Pinot griss are distinctive richly flavored medium bodied wines. They are normally fermented on the skins briefly, then aged briefly (one to two years) in stainless steel tanks, not in oak barrels. The relative short stage of fermenting on the skins and avoiding aging in oak means less tannin in the wines that would need to be mellowed by long ageing. So the wines are usually aged only a year or two, and taste fresh and bright with various fruit and nut overtones with just a touch of sweet instead of like an oak tree. And you can buy extraordinarily good Oregon pinot gris for $12- $18. Good Oregon Pinot gris has just a touch of sweetness. It is very versatile. It goes well with anything -- red or white meat, seafood, cheese, fruit, salad, desert. Or just sipping straight.

For affordable Oregon red wines I suggest Cabernets or red table wines (blends) grown in Southern Oregon rather than than Pinot noires. The Cabernet sauvignon grape seems to develop its full flavor best with the somewhat greater heat of S Oregon.

Here's an Oregon winery that sells affordable wines of high quality by mail order:
https://www.foriswine.com/ Both their Pinot gris and red table wine Flyover Red are excellent and affordable. The Flyover Red is the only red wine I can drink without getting a headache.

Wrong thread? Late night + wine?

 

[Mikej]

I understand most of you do not live in the country and may have never fired a 12 ga in an open field
the muzzle blast goes down the field and one can shoot without ear protection even with an 18" bbl - or a 14" barrel Shockwave
I love the echo of a 12 ga muzzle blast against the hills at night - it rolls down the valley for seconds
one can hear it down on Hayes Road on the North Fork of the Lewis
it sounds like - FREEDOM

Do you think the neighbors know that's you hushing them coyotes? Or, I could see you hearing neighbors doing the same thing sometimes.

 

[Tlock]

At that time Washington County had a paid trapper who would take critters out and let them go. If I had lived in the country I might have done things differently

We lost that program in Washington County about 4 months ago due to funding issues....they where definitely released to a better place

 

[rjmt]

Do you think the neighbors know that's you hushing them coyotes? Or, I could see you hearing neighbors doing the same thing sometimes.

I'm out on the deck most evenings, I don't watch TV and enjoy the quiet of the evening in the Forest or the sound of rain
never heard a neighbor fire when the coyotes come in, but even the Farm Dogs quiet down after a 12 ga blast
never had a complaint in 20 years

 

[Lazyfaire]

My wife used to ride her horse up off of NW Skyline Road (way out). Would often take our dog out with her. She would often see a coyote up the road a ways staring at them. The dog would get excited and she would have to make him stay. Seems the coyote was there to hopefully get our dog to chase after him, with the rest of the pack waiting off the road to ambush him. Smart little critters

 

[rjmt]

My wife used to ride her horse up off of NW Skyline Road (way out). Would often take our dog out with her. She would often see a coyote up the road a ways staring at them. The dog would get excited and she would have to make him stay. Seems the coyote was there to hopefully get our dog to chase after him, with the rest of the pack waiting off the road to ambush him. Smart little critters

the coyotes out here are small, maybe 30 lbs, packs are no more than 10
years ago we would let our big Lab out after the coyotes, she was 120 lbs
never saw a pack of coyotes up here willing to take on a big Farm Dog
I have heard of them taking small Fo Fo dogs from a yard but not a well fed Farm Dog

 

[Tlock]

the coyotes out here are small, maybe 30 lbs, packs are no more than 10
years ago we would let our big Lab out after the coyotes, she was 120 lbs
never saw a pack of coyotes up here willing to take on a big Farm Dog
I have heard of them taking small Fo Fo dogs from a yard but not a well fed Farm Dog

Your correct 30# coyote is a bigger male for the west side. I have killed one that was 42#. I've seen cougars kill big farm dogs but never coyotes, the prefer house cats and small dogs.

 

[sobo]

Wrong thread? Late night + wine?

She...

 

[Mikej]

never had a complaint in 20 years

I get where you live. I can picture it in my mind! I wouldn't have thought the neighbors would care in the least. I wouldn't.

 

[rjmt]

Your correct 30# coyote is a bigger male for the west side. I have killed one that was 42#. I've seen cougars kill big farm dogs but never coyotes, the prefer house cats and small dogs.

our resident cougar and I have an agreement - it doesn't come into my yard and I don't shoot it
I've seen a Cougar as close as 50 yrds to our wire, we just stared at each other and it was on it's way

 

[Mikej]

our resident cougar and I have an agreement - it doesn't come into my yard and I don't shoot it
I've seen a Cougar as close as 50 yrds to our wire, we just stared at each other and it was on it's way

More scared of the geese than you maybe?

 

[Tlock]

our resident cougar and I have an agreement - it doesn't come into my yard and I don't shoot it
I've seen a Cougar as close as 50 yrds to our wire, we just stared at each other and it was on it's way

Ya I haven't had to kill one on my place either. Over the years I've had goats and sheep here with no problems. The neighbors up the way haven't been so lucky with their lamas

 

[rjmt]

More scared of the geese than you maybe?

this new flock of geese are good alarm birds, but not aggressive
we hand raised this group, they don't even chase people
we now have a mixture of White Chinese, Brown Chinese, Emden and our old male who is part African
and that runt goose that hatched last year developed well and is about 2/3 the size of her sisters now
we lost 2 to raccoons, that's why we now have a Coon Hound

 

[Tlock]

this new flock of geese are good alarm birds, but not aggressive
we hand raised this group, they don't even chase people
we now have a mixture of White Chinese, Brown Chinese, Emden and our old male who is part African
and that runt goose that hatched last year developed well and is about 2/3 the size of her sisters now
we lost 2 to raccoons, that's why we now have a Coon Hound

I've been thinking about getting geese. Are yours free ranging? I have a small koi pond and I'm afraid the would ruin it. I also have a year around creek that runs threw my property but that's a travel corridor for toothy critters

 

[rjmt]

I've been thinking about getting geese. Are yours free ranging? I have a small koi pond and I'm afraid the would ruin it. I also have a year around creek that runs threw my property but that's a travel corridor for toothy critters

we have 1/2 acre fenced in for the geese and a coyote proof coup for them to spend the night in - used one of those Costco hoop garages
they will destroy your Koi pond since they like to make muddy water, we call it Goose soup
give them a pool of clean water and they will haul beaks full of mud over to fill it in
we have 3 kids sand box type pools filled with water for them to wash and drink from
they eat all the grass in the 1/2 acre to a nub so we supplement their feed with whole corn
and there is no grass all summer here, so we supplement with grass hay from the farm store
I had to fence my garlic in since geese like to eat my compost, they didn't touch the garlic, but ate 2" of compost out of the bed
and they will eat any leafy green in your garden, with their long necks, they can reach into raised beds with no issue
but you only need a 2' tall fence to keep them out
but they are beautiful majestic birds who can live for 30 years, I think our old male who was hatched here is over 16 years old
his mother was 18 when she was killed by a raccoon
if you hand feed them as babies, they will come up to you and eat treats out of your hand - chard and spinach are their favorite

 

[Flopsweat]

Elk Cove Pinot Gris. Not Pinot Grigio. Oregon wine laws don't allow wineries to rip off appellation names, names defined traditionally in Europe by the particular grapes, style, AND specific regions. Not so California. For example, France has just certain regions that are allowed to call their full-bodied red wines made mostly from Pinot Noire grapes "Burgundy". A winery a few feet outside the Burgundy district cannot legally use the name Burgundy. Its a big deal. The name Burgundy on a bottle increases the price. Likewise with the name Bordeaux, which is a red wine made from a mix of red grapes with the major flavor coming from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes AND produced in the Bordeaux region of France only. Likewise Pinot Grigio, made from Pinot gris grapes in a region in N Italy. California allows its wine makers to rip off those names; Oregon does not.

Elk Cove is in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. WV is capable of producing wonderful Pinot Noires and Pinot Chardonnays, but the ones I like are above $30/bottle. Out of my price range. Willamette Valley also produces spectacular Pinot griss and Rieslings and these varieties are more productive so give us much more affordable wines. The WV Pinot griss are distinctive richly flavored medium bodied wines. They are normally fermented on the skins briefly, then aged briefly (one to two years) in stainless steel tanks, not in oak barrels. The relative short stage of fermenting on the skins and avoiding aging in oak means less tannin in the wines that would need to be mellowed by long ageing. So the wines are usually aged only a year or two, and taste fresh and bright with various fruit and nut overtones with just a touch of sweet instead of like an oak tree. And you can buy extraordinarily good Oregon pinot gris for $12- $18. Good Oregon Pinot gris has just a touch of sweetness. It is very versatile. It goes well with anything -- red or white meat, seafood, cheese, fruit, salad, desert. Or just sipping straight.

For affordable Oregon red wines I suggest Cabernets or red table wines (blends) grown in Southern Oregon rather than than Pinot noires. The Cabernet sauvignon grape seems to develop its full flavor best with the somewhat greater heat of S Oregon.

Here's an Oregon winery that sells affordable wines of high quality by mail order:
https://www.foriswine.com/ Both their Pinot gris and red table wine Flyover Red are excellent and affordable. The Flyover Red is the only red wine I can drink without getting a headache.

I must be the racoon of wine tasting. Anything more than $15 is wasted on me. I like some of the red ones. Cabernet I think.

 

[sobo]

I must be the racoon of wine tasting. Anything more than $15 is wasted on me. I like some of the red ones. Cabernet I think.

Barbarian...

 

[rjmt]

I must be the racoon of wine tasting. Anything more than $15 is wasted on me. I like some of the red ones. Cabernet I think.

I have a bottle of Old Vine Zinfandel that cost $35 when i bought it 4 years ago - still aging in my gun safe