I had my alarm set for 5:30 this morning, planning to have my oatmeal and coffee before I went out deer hunting. I apparently slept through my alarm, but received a text at 6 am followed by a phone call from the neighbor that she had seen my dog out in the road. Our outdoor dogs have Invisible Fence and only left once before when they were running off coyotes. I grabbed the jeans I had worn the night before and a jacket. By the time I got dressed and got out there, I could not find them. So I put some leashes and treats in the truck and set out looking.
I drove up and down the road and into our fields, calling them and shining a bright flashlight anywhere I could trying to pick up their eyes or their white fur. Eventually I was going down a lightly-used gravel road, driving slowly, and shining the field on both sides. When a car came up behind me I pulled over to let him pass but instead found he was sporting red and blue lights, plus the spotlight that was then aimed at me.
My pre-coffee light bulb came on and I realized that someone shining lights in the fields on a country road pre-sunrise looked like someone shining deer. To add to that impression, I was driving an old rusty pickup truck.
The conservation officer definitely approached me cautiously. His light was so bright I could not tell if he had his hand on his sidearm, but his angle of approach suggested that he did. He of course does not know he was approaching a 50 year old woman looking for her dogs but probably thinks he has a good old boy poacher.
After I quickly told him what I was doing, he shone his light in my truck and could see the dog leashes and no long gun. He asked my name and then went back to his car for just a moment (I'm not sure why except maybe to assure someone on the other end that all was well. He didn't stay there more than a few seconds). I then asked him if he would let me know if he saw 2 large white dogs, and I gave him my phone number.
Anyway.... had I not overslept I would have been in hunting clothes and probably had a rifle with me. Whether or not I could have convinced him by showing him my neighbor's text about the dogs, or whether the rifle would have caused me to be arrested and then left me to make my case in court, I don't know.
I'm just glad I overslept.
Oh... and the dogs came back with a frozen deer leg and a couple of minor wounds. I'm suspecting this was sadly due to a wounded deer from our neighbors who take a LOT of shots but get few deer. The dogs likely went after the coyotes who were after the deer carcass. So far my dogs are more successful at deer hunting this year than i am.
I drove up and down the road and into our fields, calling them and shining a bright flashlight anywhere I could trying to pick up their eyes or their white fur. Eventually I was going down a lightly-used gravel road, driving slowly, and shining the field on both sides. When a car came up behind me I pulled over to let him pass but instead found he was sporting red and blue lights, plus the spotlight that was then aimed at me.
My pre-coffee light bulb came on and I realized that someone shining lights in the fields on a country road pre-sunrise looked like someone shining deer. To add to that impression, I was driving an old rusty pickup truck.
The conservation officer definitely approached me cautiously. His light was so bright I could not tell if he had his hand on his sidearm, but his angle of approach suggested that he did. He of course does not know he was approaching a 50 year old woman looking for her dogs but probably thinks he has a good old boy poacher.
After I quickly told him what I was doing, he shone his light in my truck and could see the dog leashes and no long gun. He asked my name and then went back to his car for just a moment (I'm not sure why except maybe to assure someone on the other end that all was well. He didn't stay there more than a few seconds). I then asked him if he would let me know if he saw 2 large white dogs, and I gave him my phone number.
Anyway.... had I not overslept I would have been in hunting clothes and probably had a rifle with me. Whether or not I could have convinced him by showing him my neighbor's text about the dogs, or whether the rifle would have caused me to be arrested and then left me to make my case in court, I don't know.
I'm just glad I overslept.
Oh... and the dogs came back with a frozen deer leg and a couple of minor wounds. I'm suspecting this was sadly due to a wounded deer from our neighbors who take a LOT of shots but get few deer. The dogs likely went after the coyotes who were after the deer carcass. So far my dogs are more successful at deer hunting this year than i am.
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