As usual, the cows from the neighbor's pasture decided the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, so the bulls tore down the fence we had just repaired and came and helped himself to our pasture. Brought a few friends. It will cost me hundreds of dollars in hay that I will have to start feeding at least a month early because the owner of the cows stole my cow feed.
It took several hours, but I found the man who is named as the owner of that brand. He pulls this "Who me? I do not have any cows up there!" innocent act on me, but when I said "They have your brand" suddenly he remembered. Oh, yeah, those are his son's. Now, I have lived among cowboys for 40 years and never have I encountered one who lies so much and is such a rude bully. Most of them are true gentlemen, maybe a little rowdy once they get a few beers on board but I have always felt safer with a cowboy around. How many mass shootings in rural Idaho? Yeah, zero. Cowboys still pack heat. But today, I thought a cowboy might actually hit me. In front of his sons, you know, training them up to be a dickhead like daddy.
First he tells me "If there is water in Bacon Creek then the cows have water. Bacon Creek has not run dry in 11 years." Well, the creek runs through my property before it flows on to his. It runs dry every year, usually in June. I drove down to the end of Bacon Creek and took some video of the BONE DRY creek bed. I LIVE here, he just brings cows up and drops them off in the spring and come and collects them after the entire town has been pooped on and trampled in search of decent grass and water and everyone is on facebook demanding something happen. So, I put the lie to his claim that the creek has water, and he kinda' acted like he might hit me, and said "Did you trespass on my land?!" as mean and gruff and scary as he could, but I am not that easily bullied. I wish I had my camera going, I think his demeanor rose to criminal levels. Then he claimed that even though there is no water coming from above his property and no water coming out below his property, and there has been no water for over a month, his ponds are still full. Right... I need a drone...
Now, "open range" laws are his cover. Technically, he is right, this is "open range." It is also a little town, unincorporated, where there are small children, little old ladies... and his bulls running loose. Anyway, I had a neighbor ask me to deal with him this year, because in the past them man was rude and threatening to his wife and daughter. So I tracked the bastard down, posted a video (worse than this one, actually) of his cows crying all night. He suddenly found the inspiration to deal with the mess on his land. Sort of. He was inspired to try to come intimidate me into silence at least.
He shows up with his sons, he has the gall to knock on my door, shake my outstretched hand ("Lets work together, do this like neighbors" I said...) then proceed to tell me I better just build better fences. Yes, yes, I have been upgrading my fences since I moved here and by next year I will have jumped through the legal hoops (I failed to have them inspected... never heard of a fence inspector in my life - have you?) to be able to seize his bulls and cows when they break into my pasture. I run 6 tame heifers; he runs wild cattle, including bulls. I build a fence for my cows, his bulls tear them down and he tells me I have to fence out his animals. The letter of the man's law says he is correct. I guess if you live to intimidate and bully others to get your way "do unto others" is not a law you care about.
Meanwhile, the only way to get this asshole's attention is on facebook. Every year, someone in the area makes a post about "the cows are loose again." Every year, everyone outside the immediate area starts in about "It is open range" and "He is such a nice guy, just talk to him" and blah, blah, blah from people who are not living out here and do not understand what a butthole this man has been to everyone who does live here. It is not about the law, it is about being a decent human.
Anyway, I have a neighbor who I have been friends with, but I think I am about done. She has a thing for cowboys... and year after year, I get to listen to her tell me how I should just let his animals trash my pasture, tear down my fences, and what a great guy she knows he is even though she has never had to deal with the prick. A month or so ago, another neighbor who I used to be friends with pulled this stunt that was intended to tear my family apart, I mean tried to start a BRUTAL fight so he could watch and laugh. Fortunately, it failed. Charming. So... you can pick your friends but not your neighbors, as the saying goes. I tried to be friends with my neighbors, but I think I am all done bothering with that. I have done favor after favor after favor for my neighbors, but I am not and will never be "local" so they will never really see me as a human. That is fine, I will leave you good people to deal with each other; enjoy your free range bulls and all the poop that goes with it!
