Larry Atherton
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 6544 |
Monday Night & the Assassin bug (long)
I have been considering myself really lucky with several good hunts lately. Monday night, my two oldest sons (14 & 11) wanted to go.
What a miserable night it turned out to be. We cut the dogs near a corner of woods that has had a litter working on a regular basis. One dog turned right and went south, and the other dog turned left going north. Niether dog got near the corner. Man it was nasty muggy out too. It was like wearing a sweat suit in a suana. The moon was quickly raising as we tried to follow the younger dog. He got out of the pocket so I got my tracking unit out. It didn't work! Oh man that is never a good thing. Well to make a long story shorter ... naw ... I don't know how to do that.lol We caught the young dog crossing a road about 30 minutes later.
Now, we had to turn our attention to the old dog. She was deep in the river bottom. We sat on the tail gate of the truck and listened as she cold trailed out of hearing. We jumped in the truck and drove around to the south side of the river. The old dog was on private property. I tried to call her, squall at her, but she wouldn't give up. Finally, I told the boys we were going to have to go in and catch her. So we head in to her, and she ends up being on the other side of the river. I tried to cross several times, but it was too deep.
We drove around trying to get the best advantage point. Our second attempt to get her failed as my middle boy started to have breating difficulties walking through the 6 1/2 feet saw grass. The air was so heavy it felt like you could actual feel it pressing against you. So we headed back to the truck. This time we tried going in from another direction. We equipped ourselves with water and started back in to the old dog. The last 1/4 mile was still the saw grass. This time we didn't try to push your way through, but took our time. Each of us was soaking wet from sweat. We finally reached the old dog treed 3 hours after we had cut her loose. She had her entire front right leg covered in blood and had cuts down both sides of her. She looked like she may have had herself hung in a fence by her wounds.
Now, we just had to get get back to our truck. My oldest boy had blisters on his feet from hiking at Boy Scout camp last week, and they were bothering him. The walk out took another 45 minutes, but finally we reached the truck. We watered the dogs and started to clean up the old dogs wounds. Then #2 son lets out a wail that would have woke up the dead. He is screaming bloody murder and waving his hand like a mad man. He had been bitten by an assassin bug! Now I got bit by an assassin bug several years ago and I swelled up like a ballon. Not to let his dad out do him, the swelling started quickly. Well, my attention went from the dog to my son. After what seemed like an eternity I finally got everything under control.
As we are driving home, my son ask me what date is it. I told him it was August 31st. He said dad I will never ever hunt again on August 31st. The dog is doing fine. My son's hand is still requiring care, but it is finally starting to get better. I asked him if he wanted to go hunting last night he said sure when do we leave.
It just never ceases to amaze me just how bad a night can get sometimes, and how quickly we are ready to hit the woods again.
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Larry Atherton
Aim small miss small
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08-01-2007 03:59 PM
