Pet the Calf

I was talking to a friend earlier today about going out yesterday to take pictures of the eagles and how I managed to get a picture of the eaglet. This friend was warning me not to get too close up on the nest because the momma eagle might get defensive. I explained that I understood the concept that a momma will get upset when you mess with their children. This friend then went on to explain (he's always trying to educate me) that this was where the saying, "You pet the calf to get to the cow." came from. Being from redneck country I thought I had heard all those type of sayings, guess not.