Catawba Valley Cattlemen’s Association

(Eat Hamburgers, and Learn Cattle  on the 2^nd Tuesday of this month)

This month’s meeting is on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Sept. 14, 2021.

Location: Cooperative Extension Office, ARC Building

GPS address: 1175 South Brady Ave.,  Newton, NC. 28658

6:30 Short Business Meeting,  6:45 Wildlife & Cattle

Meeting Agenda 

5:30 p.m.  – Hamburgers served.
6:30 p.m. – Business Meeting: Mr. Brandon Bowman, President and Dr. Amanda Whitener, Treasurer.
6:45 p.m.  – Nuisance Wildlife (esp. Groundhogs, Coyotes & Beavers) & Cattle Production
Speaker: Mr. Jordan Miller
8:00 p.m. – Meeting adjourned.

Announcements                                 

Ø  Family day trip is October 9 to Yon family farms in Ridge Springs, SC. Are we concerned with Covid Delta increases?

Ø  Fall BBQ is CANCELED.

Ø  Cooking for the tractor pull on October 23^rd will need volunteers. Be prepared to sign your name to work in at least one of these 3:  Setup, Selling, or Cleanup. Specific times will be included on the sign-up sheet also (so you will know when to arrive and then feel free to go and enjoy the Pull!)

Ø  Hickory American Legion Fair Livestock Shows were well attended. Thank you all who supported the kids and families that showed in the:   Wed. 6 p.m. Hogs; Thurs. 5 p.m.,  Skillathon;  Fri. 5 p.m., Open Cattle; Sat. 3 p.m., Junior Cattle Showmanship than Junior Heifer;  Sun. 3 p.m., Junior Chicken; 4 p.m., Dairy Steer;  Mon. Junior Market Lamb, 1:30 p.m., Open Sheep 2:30, Market Goat, 3:30, Sheep/Goat Costume, 5:00

Ø  Zoom Webinar on Sept. 15, 12 noon. Selling Beef by the Quarter, Half, and Whole: What you need to know.
Register at:    https://go.ncsu.edu/beefcutsheets   (Do this immediately, Call me if you need help) 405.219.1902

    Mr. Jordan Miller will be our speaker. His parents grew up and lived in the Fred T. Foard school district. Jordan and his family moved back into the county 3 years ago and live in Catawba. Mr. Miller has a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management. He has worked with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. He spent 10 years working for USDA APHIS Wildlife Services. During his tenure he has worked with a wide variety of nuisance wildlife and their issues, including beaver, geese, rabies issues, and pigeons. He moved to West Virginia for a year to focus solely on livestock protection. He and his family moved back to his home area 3 years ago where he started his own business called Miller Outdoorswhich deals with a wide variety of nuisance wildlife. So far, the majority of his work has focused on issues with beaver, coyotes, squirrels and bats.

       A number of you have been commenting on wildlife issues, especially the ground hog population this year. Our surveys have received requests to understand the groundhog and its habits to be able to get rid of, or discourage it from tearing up our out building foundations, pastures, and making it a danger for our livestock to run or even walk in our pastures. Our educational program will provide information on how to control, trap, and keep groundhogs out of our pastures and hay fields, and out of building foundation areas. If time permits, he will also talk about the coyote and the beaver. All of which are a problem for livestock in our Catawba Valley counties.

     The groundhog is the largest member of the squirrel family. Adult body size is from 16-32 inches long and the tail is from 3-10 inches long. Weights vary from 4-14 pounds. The groundhog is a terrestrial mammal that prefers to seek cover in its underground burrow. However, it is a good swimmer and can also climb trees to escape danger. The groundhog is often referred to as a woodchuck, a name derived from the Indian word “wuchak.” Its most common claim to fame is “groundhog day.” Groundhogs have adapted well to human activities such as agriculture and urban development and are often seen as a nuisance because they forage on crops and gardens and burrow on people’s properties. Groundhogs often choose an area with overhead cover for their main burrow entrance,so it is not uncommon for them to burrow under buildings if they can get access. Groundhog burrow systems typically have many entrances, and new ones can always be created if needed. Hazing methods meant to get the groundhog to leave entirely nearly always fail because, when harassed, the animal will typically just retreat into its burrow and wait for the danger to pass. If one burrow entrance becomes unusable, the groundhog will typically just dig it back out or build another one elsewhere. According to law, the groundhog cannot be relocated in North Carolina. Trapped groundhogs must be either euthanized or released at the site of capture.when harassed, the animal will typically just retreat into its burrow and wait for the danger to pass. If one burrow entrance becomes unusable, the groundhog will typically just dig it back out or build another one elsewhere. According to law, the groundhog cannot be relocated in North Carolina. Trapped groundhogs must be either euthanized or released at the site of capture.when harassed, the animal will typically just retreat into its burrow and wait for the danger to pass. If one burrow entrance becomes unusable, the groundhog will typically just dig it back out or build another one elsewhere. According to law, the groundhog cannot be relocated in North Carolina. Trapped groundhogs must be either euthanized or released at the site of capture.Hunting, trapping, and non-lethal methods will be discussed at the meeting.

     Your questions on Coyotes and beavers and any other wildlife problems are welcome at the meeting.

If you want to listen via Zoom, Please call or text by Tuesday, 10 a.m. And we will set up a Zoom meeting number and password. If feeling sick, please stay home and listen by computer.

          A private pesticide class is also offered just before the meeting from 3:30 to 5:30 in Room B.