Waiting for Sunrise...

I'm sitting here at 6:32am thankful that the sun has finally risen above the tree line.  Troy was scheduled for work at 5:30am.  I'm usually aware when he gets up, but try desperately to stay asleep...never works, but I do try.  This morning, however, I get a text from him at 4:32am.  I try to quietly untangle myself from Baxter (the Great Dane that has politely taken most of my side of the bed, my pillow and my blanket) and reach for my phone in the drawer by my bed.  The text simply says "call me."  By the time on the screen I know that Troy has just left for work.  He leaves in "stealth mode" out the back door as to disturb as few as possible.  So, I call him. He's obviously been spooked.  Evidentially,  when he left out the back gate, something was in the tall grass at the corner of our property growling. He said it didn't sound like any growl he's heard before.  It unnerved him enough to get back inside the fence until he heard it go back through the grass.  Ok, my first thought...gee thanks, leave me alone with some animal lurking behind the house that I can't see.  My second thought...I can't even load the gun.  We've lost a turkey hen, 2 chicken hens and 3 baby turkeys in the past month, all but the turkey hen in just the past week.  I know whatever took the turkey hen was big enough to carry her and not drag her...there was no feather trail at all through the field.  Whatever took the chickens climbed a fence and was able to drag them over, but wasn't big enough to carry them without leaving feathers behind.  The baby turkeys disappeared from a 8' tall pen.  It looked as if they were all eaten within the pen.  The momma turkey was left alone, and so were the 7 toms that were perched on top of the pen like gargoyles.  So, what's a person to do?  Or, better yet, what does this person do?...sit and listen to all the noises out side for something out of the ordinary and wait for sunrise!  Fortunately, we didn't lose any livestock this time.  I've taken it upon myself to decide not to venture out in the field anymore after dark, or anytime for that matter...at least until the owners mow.  I'll be purchasing at least one spot light today, and probably won't be wondering in the yard after dark armed with only a BB gun anymore.