By Tyler Trieglaff

Notes from the Chief

Well, first of all I would like to say thank you for the advice and memories and congratulate Mr. Richard Billet on his retirement from Frazee Rescue. Rick was one of the founding members of the rescue squad and served for 36 years.

Last week we were at 5 calves and this week there are 22 live babies on the ground. Five days in a row gave us three calves each day. One calf was even in the pickup with me, while the heat was cranked and I was trying to warm him up after that nice little snow we got. My main concern was to get his ears dried off so they wouldn’t freeze.  When this happens, the tips of the ears will fall off and that causes some funny looking calves and can cost us money come sale day. 

The herd is checked several times a day and we usually work the calves in the morning after we find them. The calves will get a rubber band on the testes if they are a bull, turning them into a steer. The navel gets sprayed with iodine. They get an intranasal vaccine, 1 cc per nostril.  There is paste of 15 cc’s given orally to help prevent sickness and each calf gets an ear tag, boys in the right ear and girls in the left ear.  The tag in the calf’s ear matches the tags that their mama has, and this way mama can read the tag and know which calf is hers.  

If the calf is laying nice and still, I can work the calf in 20-30 seconds, most of the time with mama is within a few feet of me, showing her displeasure.  Mama will give a few gentle bellows, letting me know she is concerned. If I her mama start snorting through her nose, that is a different story.  My senses are heightened a bit more and I have to have my cat like reflexes ready to disengage the calf and start high stepping away from mama if she starts to charge.  All calves are worked one way or another. 

We have a round bale feeder with a skid steer plate that we can lower over the calf and safely work the calf.  I was working a calf one time in the cage and she stuck her head in the feeder and dad gave her a nice nudge with the cage from the safety of the skid steer.  One time so far this year I had to grab the calf and get her into the back end of the pickup and work the calf, while dad was driving away from mama. We had to drive away because believe it or not, cows are quite fleet of foot and could easily jump into the back end of the pickup if they wanted too. The calf was tagged and gently set back on the ground close to mama, with all safe and sound.  Fifty-three calves to go, lets see what you guess for a number for the next article. Have a good week!

Friday, April 9

4:37 p.m. Background check for landlord.

4:54 p.m. Assist female who locked herself out of her apartment. 

Saturday, April 10

1:57 a.m. Assist with a disturbance in DL. DL units were busy on another call.

Sunday, April 11

8:59 p.m. Report of someone spinning their tires and throwing rocks and gravel at vehicles causing damage.  Under investigation.

10:38 p.m. Complaint of a semi being parked on E. Maple Ave. Semi was not parked in town tonight.

Monday, April 12

1:26 p.m. Welfare check on an elderly male. No one home.

5:07 p.m. Assist with hit and run that happened in DL. Frazee officer found vehicle on U.S. Hwy 10 and pursued vehicle until vehicle crashed in Perham. Julius Federick, 29, Greenwood, Miss., arrested and charged with several crimes.

11:14 p.m. Assist with an apparent intentional gas drive-off/theft. Under investigation.  

Tuesday, April 13

10:56 a.m. Officer contacted by school to dispose of a vape device found on a student.

1:36 p.m. Student cited for possession of tobacco/vape products in school.

2:49 p.m. Mother reporting a suspicious vehicle around the elementary school this morning.  

8:52 p.m. Parking complaint of semi on E. Maple Ave. Officer left parking warning and copy of city ordinance on vehicle.

2:35 a.m. Removed dead deer from St Hwy 87.

Wednesday, April 14

10:30 a.m. Two students found with vaping device/found using vape in class.  Citations issued.

Thursday, April 15

4:54 p.m. Vehicle unlock.

5:58 p.m. Assist with a medical.

7:20 p.m.Mother calling in that her runaway son was in town. Officer and deputy searched the area for some time and did not find the boy.