The Hunt for a new Texas Longhorn calf -- how --where -- when !!

Finding a new, colorful Texas Longhorn freshly born calf has been compared to hunting Easter eggs. There are some similarities and yet some completely different issues, totally. Both eggs and calves can be really colorful, most are different colors, but the easy thing about Easter eggs, the rabbit doesn't challenge you for touching the eggs! With Easter eggs they don't jump up and run for their lives. Calves come already painted by God without buying dye from Wal-mart.

Let's look at the "finding art" of where, when and what to look for. First go to the pasture where the expectant mother is. Sometimes, with luck she will be standing and nursing the new born calf - and, if that is the case, the job is simple. The war could be won.

If she is not with the calf she has instructed the calf to lay low in the grass. Somehow a cow will convey to a calf that it is life or death to stay low in the grass and hide from predators or people. The calves know it. Maybe the cow has threatened them with discipline if they don't stay still and low.

As a calf gets older a baby sitting program is developed where the cows take turns protecting the little flock. This, at times, may have a nest of up to 10 or 15 calves, mostly sleeping. Texas Longhorns are great baby sitters.

Sometimes a cow will stand on a distant hill and casually watch the new born out of the corner of her eye. A calf hunter has no clue where the calf is stashed.

When getting closer to a cow, assuming the calf is near, a cow will lie to you. And, lie like an old politician -- she will. While she may appear to be concerned that you are a problem, she may put her head up and take off as if she is going to protect the calf. If you follow her, sometimes she is leading you directly away from the calf. If you are lucky, she is going right to the calf -- you have to be there to ever know the truth.

Some calves are camouflage colored and hard to spot. Others stand out like blood in the snow.

Some cows will lie and appear to have a calf, yet not have one at all. After hunting for hours to no avail, she has her calf born the following day.

Cows may lie about which calf is their own and stand close to another cow's calf. That is hard and requires serious pasture observation.

Cows will really throw a curve and have twins. The owner spends a half day trying to figure out which other cow owns the second calf and has failed to mother it.

Regardless, most Texas Longhorn Cows are smart and can handle the problems without human help.

And sometimes there are absolutely no problems at all. The cow just lied about it and deceived us into thinking there were problems to get attention. And, so it goes.

For honest cows who don't lie very much, or very often check the ranch site at www.dickinsonlonghorn.net and select cows that have already calved and turned truthful. The guess work is over with a month old calf at side. When the mother tells them to lay still they pay no attention. Calves turn into teenagers and refuse to do what they are told -- they run and play like bojives and blivetts during a snipe hunt. Call DCCI for honest cows. 740 758 5050

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