12/21/06 Wayward lovers

Wayward Lovers Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do and hope the neighbors understand. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back with some examples. Wayward lovers of the bovine species are a pretty common occurrence during breeding season especially if cattle herds share a common fence. One or two calves from the neighbor's bull is no big deal between commercial herds and the Don Juan's trespass is easily forgotten if that bull is better than yours. But in years past there have been some incidents where inferior bulls just wouldn't stay home and drastic measures were taken. Some of us were sitting around shooting the bull, so to speak, when one of the guys related how his family had trouble with an unwanted bull of questionable quality and heritage. Finally they caught the bull in the wrong place at the right time, corralled him, put him in the squeeze chute and unceremoniously un-bulled the perpetrator. That roaming Romeo left the corral about three times faster than he went in and slightly lighter  he was never seen again. My granddad's situation was somewhat the same when he caught the neighbor's dairy bull courting his beef cows numerous times. Granddad told Dad to rope him and Mr. Fence-crawling Casanova had his mind changed with some sharp counseling. Neighbor Larry and Granddad met a few days later and the neighbor said he would get his bull shortly. Granddad told Larry he could get his steer anytime. Larry just looked at Granddad and said "Oh, I did want him for a bull." Nothing else was ever said  some neighbors do understand. I'm Jeff Keane.