daveshoot
Silver Member
This morning about 4:30 I was out and the two dogs next door had set up a most unusual, piercing, and repetitive bark. I had projects in and out, but about 7:30 I noticed that it hadn't abated in the least.
So, I took my air rifle down to the corner of the pasture to investigate. It is a formidable air rifle, and I knew they didn't have a bear because we don't have them.
They had this juvenile 'coon "treed" on the corner fence post of the property. It's where a chain link meets a ramshackle falling down wire fence on T-posts. The little coon was perched on the domed fencepost cap, and had been there at least 3 hours and probably more.
Not shown is that dog's partner, a remarkable three-legged red dog that is both pugnacious and agile. They were both after that coon and were never ever going to leave until he either fell or someone did something about him. He was just out of their reach and if that red dog had 4 legs, I believe he would have been breakfast already.
He filled up the scope but I had no reason to shoot the little guy (no poultry yet) and felt kinda bad for him. The dogs had done their job and that little coon was in a pickle.
I went back down with my little girl trailing, and grabbed the board in the picture and carefully placed it for an escape ramp into my pasture, where they couldn't get him. He hissed and growled at me so I backed off pretty quickly. He mighta taken a bite or two from the dogs, but wasn't dripping blood or anything. I got the dogs to back off a little but he did not want to come down that ramp.
I don't think he realized the dogs couldn't get to my side of the corner due to the fences. I figured I would let nature and Darwin take their course(s). He sat there at least another hour, but while I was involved with things, he disappeared. There were neither signs nor sounds of carnage, so I am thinking he finally took the chance and bolted down the ramp.
That was my good deed for the day. I will probably have to shoot him later when I have birds and he is bigger. Just getting soft in my old age. I imagine the neighbor dogs are disgusted with me.
So, I took my air rifle down to the corner of the pasture to investigate. It is a formidable air rifle, and I knew they didn't have a bear because we don't have them.
They had this juvenile 'coon "treed" on the corner fence post of the property. It's where a chain link meets a ramshackle falling down wire fence on T-posts. The little coon was perched on the domed fencepost cap, and had been there at least 3 hours and probably more.
Not shown is that dog's partner, a remarkable three-legged red dog that is both pugnacious and agile. They were both after that coon and were never ever going to leave until he either fell or someone did something about him. He was just out of their reach and if that red dog had 4 legs, I believe he would have been breakfast already.
He filled up the scope but I had no reason to shoot the little guy (no poultry yet) and felt kinda bad for him. The dogs had done their job and that little coon was in a pickle.
I went back down with my little girl trailing, and grabbed the board in the picture and carefully placed it for an escape ramp into my pasture, where they couldn't get him. He hissed and growled at me so I backed off pretty quickly. He mighta taken a bite or two from the dogs, but wasn't dripping blood or anything. I got the dogs to back off a little but he did not want to come down that ramp.
I don't think he realized the dogs couldn't get to my side of the corner due to the fences. I figured I would let nature and Darwin take their course(s). He sat there at least another hour, but while I was involved with things, he disappeared. There were neither signs nor sounds of carnage, so I am thinking he finally took the chance and bolted down the ramp.
That was my good deed for the day. I will probably have to shoot him later when I have birds and he is bigger. Just getting soft in my old age. I imagine the neighbor dogs are disgusted with me.
