We ate lunch and got our bearings. Timothy and I decided to head back over to check on the boys. They were bedded down and quiet so we decided to sit down in the grass and talk about our options. The home owner gets home at that point and comes to chat. He just gets done telling us that they can stay at his place as long as we need. The steers must have heard that and decided enough was enough. and jumped through 1, 2 and 3 more fences then headed down a dead end road.
Fence count, 7
We jump in the truck to follow them. At this point we are no longer trying to herd them or talk them into going anywhere. We simply follow them so we don't loose them.
They get to the dead end and turn into a large yard that is fenced on three sides. No pasture, no corrals and no way to contain them. I go and beg for mercy from these homeowners who are happy to help us. They give us the name of the cattle rancher their property borders. We exchange numbers and they promise to call if the steers start to leave again.
Finally! We have hope! If we can just get them to the neighbors property and talk him into saving us. We drive over to the ranchers house and introduce ourselves. Tell him our sob story and beg for help. He can't help himself from laughing at us and gives us the ok to get them onto his land by any means necessary. Did I mention that he is probably in his upper 60's or early 70's?
We pick up the 3 kids back at my parents and head to the steers. They again are laying down and resting. They have had quite a day. We get permission to drive out to where they are. Slowly, slowly we inch the truck towards them. Turns out they don't mind the truck. We get within 20 feet and they haven't even gotten up yet. How are we suppose to run them through another fence if they aren't scared stiff? Timothy says he'll get out and I should drive. After a brief discussion we decide I should get out.
I get out and they immediately stand up and get agitated. All we have to do is get them to dive through a fence. Either one to the South or one to the East and they will be safe and sound at Bob's. They start running South, see the fence and turn West. For the first time that day they saw a fence and did not go through it. Timothy floors the truck and chases them down. At the same time I notice a field gate that we could open. This was no easy gate. Made up of wire and poles and notorious for being hard to open. I sprint for the gate and was later told that I had never run so fast. Which isn't hard to do since I make a point to never run, but back to the story.
I get to the gate a couple seconds before Timothy got the steers stopped. The gate won't open. THE GATE WON'T OPEN!!!!! And in a moment of desperation I get some sort of super power and end up getting it open. I open it up as wide as it will go and back way up. Timothy gets
HALLELUJEAH!
We got them in a real pasture and they were safe. It took both of us to get the gate closed and is still a mystery as to exactly how I got it open. But let me tell you between natural childbirth and gate opening I am pretty sure I can do anything now.
Atleast I did. My high faded once I watched 70 year old Bob, all by himself, in his truck, get these two trouble makers to go exactly where he wanted. But that is neither here nor there.
They stayed the night in one of Bob's corrals and we picked them up the next morning.
This time, before unloading them, we built a fortress.
They are adjusting well to their new life and we are all enjoying them.
Plus, now we know.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteIf I was a swearing man, I'd say, "Holy Cow!" Since I'm not, I'll just say I've been there, done that, and I know exactly what you went through. Glad it all worked out.