Another Mama story

This afternoon Mama and Diamond were resting in the loafing shed so I avoided the corral when I went over to ask Curtis a question.  On my walk back all of a sudden I realized Mama was coming after me at a high rate of speed.  Mama is fast and quiet as a ninja so I don't know if I heard her or saw her out of the corner of my eye.  I yelled at Mama, waved my arms and ran.  Mama then veered off.  I was in the middle of the NE pasture.  Mama then went over to an evergreen tree along the north fence and was looking for something.  The something was her calf.  The calf was not laying with Mama in the loafing shed.  The calf was inside the fence surrounding this evergreen tree.

The fence surrounding and protecting the tree was off the ground a little bit. Some how the calf got under the fence and now could not figure out how to get out.  It walked circles around the tree inside the fence.  Since Mama would try to kill me if I got in there to get her calf out I left the calf be.  I figured it eventually would figure out how to crawl back under the fence.

I watched to see if Mama would again go in the corral. Then I could close the gate and then safely get the calf out of the fenced area.  But Mama remained in the NE pasture.

I told Donna that if the calf was still inside the fence at 8:30 pm I would use the pickup and try to get the calf out before dark.  I went off to work on my fence rebuild down by the river.  I didn't get back until around 9:15 pm and here was Donna waiting for me.  She had ridden her bicycle down and was here by 8:30 pm.   By now the calf was hungry and calling for Mama, who was nearby.

I had Donna drive my pickup to try to herd Mama.  But I quickly realized that was going to be difficult as Mama ran over to her calf and the fence and we couldn't get the pickup where she stood between the tree fence and the north pasture fence.  Since Mama was relatively calm and on the other side of the fenced tree I got out of the pickup and got inside the fence with the calf.  I could see why the calf hadn't gotten out of the fence.  The fence had dropped down to the ground on most of the its sides.

Since Mama and the calf were relatively calm I took the opportunity to put an ear tag on the calf.  That went smooth.

It was crowded inside the fence with the tree and the calf. I tried to lift one side of the fence up and back the calf up to get outside the fence.  But the calf didn't want to back up.  I struggled to back the calf up and hold the fence up.  I could do one but not both since the calf was not cooperating.  I was getting frustrated.  The calf was getting frustrated.  By most importantly Mama was getting upset.

I would get the calf half way out but Mama got mad at me "manhandling" her calf and she charged the fence.  Mama's action pushed the calf back inside the fence and I had to let go of the calf and fence and jump back to the back side of the enclosure.  Mama would bend the fence in until the tree stopped it.  I can still see Mama's head and face pressed against the fence wire until she could go forward no more.  Then she backed off.

The experience was what I imagine being in a metal cage and large sharks are circling and banging on the cage trying to get in.  Donna parked the pickup on one side of the fenced area so Mama could not completely circle the area and I had a corner to retreat to.  But Mama would go on the other three sides trying to reach me.  Whenever Mama was on the south side of the fenced area I would try to lift the north side back up again and get the calf out.  Again Mama crashed into the north side fence pushing her calf back inside as Mama tried to run me over.

I was getting upset as I would almost have her calf out and Mama's action would stop me.  I had my sorting stick and I would 'wap' Mama over her head with the stick to get her to back off.  I used the stick a few times trying to get the calf to back up.  But whenever Mama was on the west or south side, and I tried to lift the fence, the calf tried to go forward where Mama was.

My enclosure was getting smaller and Mama was caving it in.   I don't remember how but I got the fence high enough, and it stayed up long enough that I could get the calf backed up and turned around and out of the fenced area before Mama could try to crush me again.

Once the calf was out she went to Mama as she was hungry and wanted to drink.  Mama stood and watched me.  I scolded Mama telling her I was trying to help her and her calf and if she hadn't acted the way she did I would have had her calf out along ago.  Mama didn't like being scolded so she walked off with her calf in tow.  Diamond has also been nearby - but not part of the action - and she also left with Mama and the calf.

Donna didn't seem too happy.  I think she was concerned Mama was going to get me and then Donna would be left with trying to rescue me, getting the calf out of the fence, and getting me to the hospital.   If it was Tammy, as she told me many times when she thought I was doing something iffy or dangerous, that she wouldn't call 911 or take me to the hospital, that I got what I deserved.  Donna didn't say anything other than, "Yes, I saw that." when I asked "Did you see that??!!!" after each time Mama tried to kill me.

So, again, another year, another Mama story.  And here yesterday I thought I had dodged having another Mama story.