Snakes

Snakes do not scare me but they have my undying respect!

When I was a kid I was told this story (the teller of this tale was well regarded and later died when he canoe went over a dam and he was trapped underwater at the base of the dam and drowned). ---- He was fly fishing down a stream in WV and came upon a young boy (about 8-9 as I remember it) also fishing. He noted that the boy was fishing worms and asked how he was doing. The boy said he was doing ok (I guess he showed him his fish) but that the worms were biting something fierce. He was 100 yards further when it dawned on him what the boy had told him and he headed back to help the boy. Unfortunately the boy died. These were reputedly baby copperheads.

When I was a kid about 4 years old maybe a bit younger, I do not recall my sister being there, my parents and I were hiking up near Dolly Sods in WV. I was running ahead down the road and seeing something in the road jumped over it. Curled in the middle of the road, the snake promptly rattled after I landed on the other side. I remember Mom and Dad hurrying up the road to keep me away from it (they had seen me jump it).

We saw many snakes in the woods but because it was ingrained in us to look before we stepped or put our hands someplace we were never really in danger.

One time at FT A. P. Hill we were doing a training exercise and as I moved back along one of my squads to enforce the movement interval I noticed a snake stretched out parallel with the trail alongside the squad. They were a bit bunched up but the tail was at one end of the second fire team and the head at the other end. I had a couple of guys in the squad who were deathly afraid of snakes and we did NOT investigate to discover what sort of snake it was. I just hustled them on down the trail. Later that second team leader told me that he'd seen the snake but had the same thought I'd had about our two fellas with the snake phobia and kept quiet. He got an ice cold Coke at the break (I tried to keep a couple in my ruck to reward the soldiers).

Deer

Click to see the full-size photo

The other day I was driving on a back road and saw this deer.  I stopped to see if there were any other deer but this one didn't move.  Then I thought I'd just watch and wait and see if it was a dummy deer and the VGIF guys would come boiling out of the woodwork to talk to me.  I sat there at least 2-2½ minutes and this deer didn't move.  So, I took a photo.  Deer still didn't seem to have moved.  I got the photo, figured it was a fake and thought I'd drive on and see if I could spot the VGIF boys.  THEN the deer moved.

Bailey's Trials

Bailey

Our dog Bailey is a Miniature Schnauzer. This is a wonderful breed known as a great companion dogs. Bailey was born 20 April 2000 and we've had her since she was 8-weeks old. She's been spayed, has a lipoma, and has had some dental work. This spring after we returned from the NRA Annual Meeting she began to show signs of change in her urinary habits. We attributed that to how she was treated at the boarding animal hospital and were none too pleased. Then, she suddenly became lethargic and we took her to her vet.

The vet immediately noted that she had a fever and took steps to rehydrate her but could not find a reason for the fever. I supposed an infection but the doctor wouldn't commit to any reason. The fever passed and Bailey seemed better. She needed to have updated vaccinations and some dental work and this was done. She seemed ok for about 4 days after that. Then she began to rapidly change habits, needing to pee more and more frequently and then to have "accidents". Nana took her to the vet and they refused to handle her not even to help in getting a urine sample. I took her back to the vet, demanded and got a sample cup, produced a sample in about 3 minutes and I told them that I wanted her well and to do what was necessary. They evaluated the urine sample without looking at the dog and prescribed Zeniquin for 10 days. After 4 days she seemed to be slightly improved and still having faith in the vet Nana and I departed on the Alaska trip.

While gone, Bailey boarded with our daughter in McLean. She administered the complete course of Zeniquin and Bailey seemed better but was more and more incontinent. When Bailey returned home late on the 15th it was obvious she was in distress as she had to urinate within minutes of taking water and every 30-45 minutes. I decided to take her to another vet.

Bailey's Bladder Stone (1 of 3)

On Monday, the 16th, I took her to the new vet. I had urine and fecal samples and told them to do what had to be done to determine what was wrong. By 10:30 they had determined that Bailey had 3 bladder stones the largest of which was golf-ball sized and these were filling her bladder. Surgery was the only option. Surgery was done that day and the stones removed. The vet told me that her bladder wall was 1/4" thick when it should be the thickness of a sheet of construction paper. The largest stone was indeed the size of a ping-pong or golf ball.

I have to admit to complete ignorance on this subject. I had no idea and had never had any experience with this condition. I feel badly for not having taken Bailey to another vet earlier. I am extremely disappointed in her old vet. It seems to me that any EXPERIENCED and COMPETENT veterinary practice should be able to handle any dog and have identified the condition without any more difficulty than did Bailey's new vet.  Her old vet did neither.

Bailey seems to be doing well now. In the course of this experience she has lost 12% of her starting body weight and her lipoma is almost undetectable. She seems to be healing and is able to go through the night without urinating. She doesn't seem to have blood in her urine (although some might be expected). However, I take her out every 2 hours, watch her water intake so that she's not putting too much pressure on her bladder, carry her up and down stairs and watch her closely to ensure that she doesn't damage her stitches at the incision site (center line of her belly). She really, really doesn't like the e-collar. Consequently I have to watch her constantly for the time being. Stitches come out in 10-14 days but she might have months of recovery time. We'll have to wait and see.

---

8/20/2010 10:30 PM

Bailey has been doing really well (knock on wood). She is obviously more comfortable. Her incision seems to be healing properly. Her urination and defecation activity seems to be returning to normal in as much as we are allowing it. We are taking her out for a walk every two hours except for night-time sleep (11PM to 6AM). Her energy level is up. We have to watch her because of that. She isn't working at the incision (yet). She isn't balking at medication and getting it on time. I am really pleased so far.

Our new vet is Commonwealth Veterinary Clinic in Fishersville/Waynesboro, VA.

Falconry

Falconry always interested me and I read a few books on the subject.  Fortunately, I realized early on that it was an impractical sport for me.  I had neither time nor space to care for and/or train the birds.  Still, I find it fascinating.  I'm sure PETA hates it.  Reason enough to post this video and description from YouTube.com.

In western Mongolia, an ancient tradition of hunting with Golden Eagles is still alive. We know from history that Genghis Khan had 1,000 hunting birds - eagles, falcons and gyrfalcons - and so did Kubla Khan. There were protected areas in the steppe marked with stones where only the khans were allowed to hunt. The Kazakhs of Mongolia train their eagles to hunt and here the bird of prey is often considered a family member. The Berkutchi is a falconer who hunts with the Golden Eagle. The training of this bird was seen as difficult and even perilous even by the experienced Synchy. the bird is never a slave of its owner, only a partner in hunting. From ancient times, berkutchi-falconers in the nomadic herder societies had the role of preserving and stocking furs. The high social status of the berkutchi and his family was conditioned by the climate, as warm strong and durable clothing for the people during the winter seasons was a vital necessity. Best-suited for this were the pelts of wolves and foxes. Apart from hunting, berkutchi can give spiritual support to pregnant women, who experience or may experience difficulties in childbirth. Through the owner of the bird, which in the imagination of Asian peoples is a symbol of well-being and power. According to folk wisdom, a berkutchi is the indisputable authority in the sphere of childbirth or of renewing fertility. In the cultures of many nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples of Asia, it is said that a berkutchi, regardless of age, can make pregnant a woman who for a long time had not had children.

Wildlife can be more than mildly amusing

but I am just as amazed at those who might know just what tune to match up with animal antics. Jim Taylor put us on to this fella. I hope you enjoy.

Bear at Mom's

For some, seeing bears is no big thing. At my mother's place it used to be more than unusual despite the location near national forest. However, there are now more and more bears and less and less food in the mountains and the bears have moved down on the farms (just like the deer) to find some chow.

Yesterday I was relieving some stress by plinking, i.e. shooting down the hill from Mom's house into her pond, and suddenly saw a black form in the pond. I was surprised that there were any "cows" in the field until it turned its head and came out of the water a bit more. BEAR! It was apparently frolicking in the water, swimming back and forth across the pond. After about 3 minutes it decided to take off. Came out of the water up over the dam and headed away down the ridgeline.

Where do dogs come from?

Why, from China of course! Not because of China's current manufacturing hegemony (they love that word), 霸權 in Chinese) but because that's where people apparently first tamed the wolf.

It was previously known that the birthplace of the dog was eastern Asia but historians were not able to be more precise than that.

However, now researchers have made a number of new discoveries about the history of man's best friend - including that the dog appeared about 16,000 years ago south of the Yangtze river in China.

It has also been discovered that even though the dog has a single geographical origin it descends from a "large number of animals - at least several hundred tamed wolves, probable even more"...

Peter Savolainen, a biology researcher at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm and who led the study with a team of Chinese researches, said: "For the first time in world history it is possible to provide a detailed picture of the dog, with its birthplace, point in time, and how many wolves were tamed.

"This is a considerably more specific date and birthplace than had previously been put forward.

"Our earlier findings from 2002 have not been fully accepted, but with our new data there will be greater acceptance.

"The picture provides much more detail."

One has to wonder at the circumstances that resulted in the conversion of one pack of wolves to domestic dogs.

Friend? or Foe?

I've been having a bit of an odd experience lately. We have a catbird (a Gray Catbird) living somewhere in our backyard (I suspect the nest is in a particular bush near the house). Every morning when I go out he (or she) is sitting on the trellis looking at me. I've taken to saying "good morning" and going about my business. I swear he (she) follows me around the yard but he (she) is doing his (let's just say its a "him" for now) business like getting nesting material, finding food, etc.

Now that's weird enough but I went to work Friday, 6 miles away, and there was another (?) catbird sitting on the gas meter eying me. He didn't hang around for long so far as I know as I had to go inside, but there he'd been. THEN I went to Mom's and guess what, another catbird was there to greet me. Ok... So, I got home and, yes indeed, there was "my" catbird on the trellis.

What is going on here? Is the catbird following me about? Do catbirds have a secret society of Hobie observers? Are catbird populations suddenly on the rise?

One nice thing about catbirds is that they will sit not too far from you on a handy branch (or trellis) and sing. Very nice and it nearly drowns out the traffic noise. I'm getting to the point that I really dislike the traffic noise.

The Gray Catbird (this photo obviously far better than the one of MY friend) is a medium-sized northern American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of New World catbird genus Dumetella.  Adults are dark gray with a slim, black bill and dark eyes. They have a long dark tail, dark legs and a dark cap; they are rust-colored underneath their tail.

Named for its cat-like call but, like many members of the Mimidae family, it also mimics the songs of other birds, as well as tree frogs and even mechanical sounds. Because it has a syrinx like most birds, it is able to make two sounds at the same time. Considered to sound raspier than a mockingbird. 

They build a bulky cup nest in a shrub or tree, close to the ground. Eggs are light blue in color, and clutch size ranges from 1-5, with 2-3 eggs most common. Both parents take turns feeding the young birds. They mainly eat insects and berries and that is what they've been gathering in our yard. Apparently we have lots of bugs!

I'm sure there are myths or old wives tales about these birds as Nana told me the first I'd heard about catbirds. That is, they will peck out your eyes. She didn't know more. Maybe my baby blues is what is attracting one or both of this pair for constant visits!

- Smithsonian Bird of the Month!

Ignorance is Rampant

Ok, so people are apparently ignorant about economics, you know that. People are also amazingly ignorant about wildlife. You'd think other"Wild Kingdom for ages before that, people simply don't know the difference between cats and dogs and other, ummm, shall we say "unrelated" life forms.

To the left you see a prime example of wildlife ignorance. For those who have yet to see a problem, let me point out that the animal depicted on the flyer is NOT a cat but an OPOSSUM! To my mind, having grown up with cats being in houses I visited, depicted in commercials on TV or in books, etc, an opossum should set off alarm bells! I mean, at best, even if mistaken for a cat, it has to be one SICK cat with a bare tail and relatively thin fur. Add to this the attitude an opossum takes when handled and you should know that something is terribly wrong and this might not be a cat.

But mistaken identity isn't limited to cats. "Dog owners 'fleeced' in poodle scam" was the headline when "thousands" of rather poorly educated Japanese were shorn of their hard earned money by somebody selling sheep as poodles. Well, I suppose the resemblence is a bit more than passing but you'd think that they would know. I suppose that there must not be many sheep in Japan (or poodles) for this scam to have gone so far. But "thousands" of sheep so sold? I mean, Japan is supposed to be a literate nation.

Then, there was this recent add on Craig's List.

These 2 kittens followed my daughter home from school.Will be available for adoption after they recieve shots from our vet.One boy,one girl.Adoption fee will include the vet care with legal paperwork provided.No one under 18 need reply.I will bring them to your home to do a home check and to make sure they are going to a home and you fully understand their care,and the proper nutrition involved.As of now they are still being bottle fed,with baby food and rice.They love banannas and sardines for treats.They dont seem to play with catnip toys and havent grasped concept of litter box yet.Our dog helps with them and they ride her back,,she cleans them also,so they are use to dogs.Our cats dont seem to be interested in them? They are very smart and seem to say a word like maaaummm when they see me coming..Indoor home only because they will stray and could be hurt by a dog since they are not afraid of them,or hit by a car.Cute masks and ringed tails,very exotic looking.Male will be big i think.My daughter puts them in baby buggy and tools them around and baby bottle feeds them.They like baths and come with a pr of swimming trunks each.

email me and and phone call from there
@ azure_dragonflies@yahoo.com

Ok, so this last HAS to be somebody's idea of a joke, right? I mean, come on, they can't be serious, can they? If you don't get it just click on either pic to find out what they REALLY are.

Yes, there's more. Fox Squirrel Mistaken for Monkey is but one. I'll keep my eyes open for links to others. Please don't kill yourself laughing.

Losing a "Pet"

I was just at the vet and a couple of ladies brought in their 8, 6-week old, Springer Spaniel puppies. Because of that connection to Dad, I had to come back to this...

There are "pets" and there are "pets" and we can discuss the root word and the various popular usages and accepted definitions however, I'm talking about those companion animals who live with us, some lucky few of us, all day every day. One such is our Bailey shown at left.

Bailey is a miniature schnauzer, 6-years old (now 9) and has been with us since she was 8 weeks old. She has traveled the U.S. with us, riding hours in air conditioned comfort in her crate, sniffing her way across 20+ states. She spent nearly 2 years "on-duty" with the National Guard as I worked in my office. She visits with the neighbors, watches her "nephew"/our grandson carefully when he visits, and raises the alarm whenever a stranger approaches. She also welcomes each of us home so that the other knows we'll soon be reunited. She has even done public relations work at The Spoils of War! She is a nearly constant companion. I am not looking forward to that sad day...

What brought this to mind is that a friend lost his friend. This is common, unavoidable and never any fun at all. Nobody I know has been glad to see their pal die. If you read the various shooting/hunting forums, you know this happens most every day and that some/many have to have their buds euthanized/put-down. A sad situation indeed. That they feel a need to talk about it publicly shows just how difficult this is for them.

So it was for my father. On the day he died he had to talk about his "favorite", Donna. Donna was an English Springer Spaniel Dad had raised from birth (he'd been breeding ESPs).  Donna apparently died while Dad was in Italy in 1946 or 1947. He had a photo of Donna (when we only took photos of important things) and had a portrait painted of the dog. Even after 53 years when he spoke of that dog it was clear that Donna's passing still affected him. In fact, he spoke of Donna in much the same way he talked about my brother who died when he was 8-years old (in 1981). This seems illustrative to me of the impact a companion animal can have.

What do I believe? I believe that heaven can't be heaven without dogs (and perhaps, cats) and I'm anticipating seeing all our dogs in heaven. Some others, and not a few, feel the same way. Somebody among them authored the following.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

---

and there is Kipling

The Power of the Dog

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
But when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your hearts to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie -
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk you heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years that nature permits,
Are closing in asthma, or tumor, or fits,
And the Vet's unspoken prescription runs
to lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find - it's your own affair
But - you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent
At compound interest of cent per cent,
For when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short time loan is as bad as a long -
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

When the body that lived at your single will,
When the whimper of welcome is stilled
(HOW STILL!)
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone - wherever it goes - for good,
You soon discover how much you care,
And give your heart to a NEW dog to tear.

RUDYARD KIPLING

Skunks and the Demon Odor

Demon odor is what one former neighbor lady called it. She must have known as her dog was not a fast learner! Let's face it though, if you have dogs, you will have to deal with skunk odor sooner or later.

When driving down the road we'd just say, "think lemonade!" Lemonade is close enough in smell that you'd kinda forget the bad implications of what you were really smelling. Maybe it is conditioning but the lemonade "trick" works for me.

While that works for the momentary exposure along the highway, it doesn't work when the odor permeates the house. That can get a bit rugged even if you have somehow acclimated yourself to the scent. Many folks say that tomato juice will neutralize the odor. Never did for me.

A better decontamination formula is this formula

For pets that have been sprayed, bathe the animal in a mixture of 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide (from drug store), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and a teaspoon of liquid detergent. After 5 minutes rinse the animal with water. Repeat if necessary. The mixture must be used after mixing and will not work if it is stored for any length of time. DO NOT STORE IN A CLOSED CONTAINER - it releases oxygen gas so it could break the container. This mixture may bleach the pet's hair. (Paul Krebaum's Recipe from Chemical & Engineering News , October 18, 1993, p. 90).

This seems to work a slightly lighter hue of hair not withstanding...

As we approach spring and the slightly higher probability of running into one of these odifurous animals dog owners might want to print this out and have the components on hand. Just sayin'...

Baxter Black - Just a Dog

If you have a dog, odds are you'll outlive them. Baxter says it well...

Black Snakes in the Wood Pile

Today I had a bit of rearranging of Mom's wood pile to do. She's tried sorting, a pretty good work out for a 73 year old, but it wasn't working for purposes of mowing and keeping the yard neat. Besides, she can't light a fire anymore and shouldn't be. One of the piles had an old tarp over it and when I pulled it back... Old Mr. Noshoulders was curled up in the semi-warmth beneath the dark tarp. The day was still cold enough that he was slow but I was not about to hurt an ally in the war on field mice and crickets. I let him go to the bottom of the pile only to uncover a second one. Great fun, I got a long rod and picked them up and moved them to a safe place. Yes, I got photos, but on film... so I'll have to wait until I get it developed and saved on CD to post here.

These are not poisonous snakes but the Black Rat Snake. I was never in any danger as they were slow due to the cold temps today. Even though I handled them, wearing gloves due to the wood I was also handling, I used a stick as this protected both of us. These snakes are incrediblely beneficial to the homeowner, removing/preventing over-populations of rats, field mice, gophers, even crickets and other snakes. These particular specimens were both in excellent health and over 4 feet in length (more than 120cm).

Coyote, Hybrid, Does it Matter?

The link was posted to leverguns forum and the video is fascinating.

Dogs

Men and dogs have a relationship that likely goes back tens of thousands of years. Man (yep including women) has such a close relationship with dogs that we think those who fear dogs are abnormal.

I like dogs. Every dog that has been a part of any household I've known has been loved, cared for and considered a member of the family. Some have stayed outdoors with suitable shelter because that is where they have room to live and or it is most suitable for them due to their work and/or temperament/habits. I've never had friends who beat, starved, or denied their dogs water. I've never known a friend to ignore his/her dogs medical needs regardless of cost.

For certain, standards have changed over the years. People really dote on their dogs now. Most people don't let their dogs run loose any more than they let their kids run through the neighborhood without a watchful eye. Animal rights groups have changed how we use leads and collars. Where a choke collar was once very common it is much less so now. Many dogs are in harnesses to lessen the chance that a collar can damage their throats. Food specifically for dogs is probably better and more easily accessed than at any time in my life. Few people feed their dogs table scraps although there are some who get the dog his/her own burger when they go out. Veterinary medicine has made huge advances in dog care and people pay for surgeries that can significantly lengthen a dog's life and improve the quality of life. Tail docking and ear cropping are increasingly seen as unnecessary and unfortunate (at best) acts.

Yet, part of man's partnership with dogs is that the dog has to give something back. Aside from simple companionship, many dogs actually work. They use their inbred talents to sniff out explosives, drugs, cancer, and escapees/fugitives. They find and chase animals for hunters. They herd and guard sheep. They watch over property. They help the blind and deaf and those whose physical movement is limited.

There has recently been some news about a celebrity or two and their dogs. Because of all this attention to the subject and because hunters are sometimes thought to have conflicting feelings on the issue, I wanted to set forth my thoughts on the subject.

Let's be blunt, it is wrong to torture any living thing. Yes, I hunt and in hunting I kill animals. I make every effort to do so quickly and to cause as little pain as possible. Unlike some wild predators, I don't ever toy with my game. I always, circumstances permitting, consume what I shoot. I like dogs and am able to own a dog. I don't see hunting and caring for dogs as mutually exclusive. I don't see it has forcing me to abandon decent treatment of dogs.

The first of these two people was raising pit bulls as fighting dogs. Those that didn't perform adequately were removed from the kennel. In this case they didn't try to adopt out these virtually unadoptable dogs, they killed them. But they couldn't just put the dogs down. Neither drugs nor a carefully applied bullet were used. These dogs were hung, choked to death, or drowned. There could only have done this because they enjoyed hurting these dogs. That really points to this individual's lack of character.

The full story is not out on the other fellow. Apparently, this fellow has been away from home and somebody else was charged with caring for his home and animals and he might not be responsible for the immediate situation. Photos show that these were also pit bulls. What happened here is that the dogs weren't adequately fed or watered (in Arizona in the summer!) and were chained outside. How would you feel if you couldn't get water for even a day in the Arizona summer heat?

This whole thing has disgusted me. I know it disgusts a lot many most hunters. I've seen men cry about a lost dog and forswear ever having another dog in their home after having a beloved companion die in their arms. I've seen men come to work bleary eyed after a sleepless weekend sitting up with a sick dog. An I-lost-my-dog thread in any Internet forum will garner the most reads and responses in that forum. Stories of old friends and their passing will be repeated endlessly and with a feeling that the event only just occurred although it may have happened 30, 40 or 50 years earlier. One of the last topics I discussed with my father the last time we spoke was about his English Springer Spaniel Donna who passed while Dad was in Italy in 1946. 1946 and Dad still missed that dog and Donna was among his last thoughts on this earth. I myself think of the dogs we had in our home, Duchess and Belle, and never fail to smile even though Duchess went to live with somebody else in 1963 and Belle died in the 1970s while I was in Korea.

Ummm, I had one vision of what I'd write when I began, and now I have another. It must seem disjointed, even illogical. I don't know that we can be logical about our friends. Can we? Should we?

After some reflection I'm moved to add that any person who could betray the trust of a companion animal deserves the worst we can legally give him. That they are celebrities is of no concern.

Coyote Report

I nearly hit a coyote with the truck this morning. I was tooling north along US 11 Business from downtown Staunton (aka North Augusta Street just below where it joins Lee Highway) just past Cross Street when a coyote suddenly crossed from right to left going up the hill. He appeared to weigh about 50+ pounds and was well furred and looked healthy. This is in the city limits but there are a couple of large pasture areas bordering the roads here. Sorry, but no photos.

Brown Bear Kills Moose in Driveway

Not my driveway, thank goodness! My dog would have turned inside out with that going on. Watch all 3 parts of the video.

Dem/S Move to Slaughter Elk and Mule Deer

The 2007 Defense Authorization Act included a provision to save hundreds of elk and mule deer on California's Santa Rosa Island from court ordered extermination to begin in 2008. Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein are moving to repeal that and force the slaughter of these animals.

Currently quarantined from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), these stocks could provided healthy breeding animals to recover depleted herds and save the species.

I wonder how PETA views this travesty by Senators whose elections they have supported? Why would anyone want to needlessly kill hundreds of animals who could be the best hope of survival for their species?

Wildlife Habitat, Species Re-Introduction and Family "Pets"

My mother owns 16 acres more or less in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She and Dad bought this property in 1975 and built a house into which they moved in 1976. They have lived there since that time. Part of their land is the local Doe Hollow (doesn't everyone have a "Doe Hollow"?) and local hunters would do a drive every year with some success in Doe Hollow. Not so much anymore. However, the neighbors clearcut some of their property creating more browse and edge for the deer and they are coming back. I've taken a couple of deer here and seen many more. I've put out a mineral lick (legal times only) and this has helped the deer it seems. There isn't the hunting pressure there once was either. I'm very hopeful as I'm seeing more deer and more often.

Once upon a time there were a number of quail in the area. Dad liked hearing them call and he never hunted them seriously but did work his setter on the birds. In the spring of 1978 there was a severe ice storm while the quail were sitting their nests and both adult birds and all the eggs were destroyed/killed. So, since 1978 there have been no quail in the area. I've been thinking that I could pop for a few quail to release and bring quail back to the area. Mom is willing to spend some money on this as well.

Since my parents bought this place the neighbors have gone through changes as well. One adjoining property owner has sold part of her land to her daughter and been sent to "the home". She was a bit potty and had accumulated over 120 cats. Her daughter, living next door, had more cats. It is my understanding that the family went into the house which was stinking of cat urine, etc, and killed some 80-100 cats. They had to as the cats were feral inside the house. Approximately 20-40 cats were driven outside the open doors and have been hanging around, unfed, for weeks now. Rabbits which were on a high cycle generally in this area are non-existent as the cats have had their way. One often sees cats when out and about.

My problem is that if I'm going to reintroduce the quail I can't have the cats out and about. It has been suggested that I trap them and take them to the SPCA. I have a Havahart trap out but this hasn't been successful.

Now, this brings to mind a question have always had about some folks. Why would you have a pet, especially one you rescued from certain death after it was dropped by another uncaring fool, and not take care of it? Why, knowing that cats kill all sorts of wild game and song birds, would you let your cats run loose. Is such a person a hypocrite about animals?

So now I'm stuck with dealing with the cats. Oh, what to do?

Links:
Concerning Pen-Raised Quail
Bobwhite Facts and Fantasies - a PDF file