If not, here's a picture for you:
Except, more two dimensional and a lot less underwater.
I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing this once, with sheep, not fish.
I was out working my herding dog at a local sheep farm. We were in a 15-20 acre field with a half dozen sheep or so, when I noticed that the flock in the field next to us had suddenly bunched up, much like the picture above.
That's not normal. Normally, that 100 head of ewes would spread out and grazing.
Nope, they were in a tight ball and what looked like a darker sheep was running around the outside of the ball, and occasionally diving into it.
That's when I realized that the dark sheep was a dog.
Well, no gun, no fast way into the field, I ran to the fence bellowing my lungs out.
Now, I'm big and I'm loud and I scare most things when I get going and this dog was a wiemeraner (no, I will not look that up) and not a more determined breed, so I got lucky. Also lucky was the fact that a mile away on the other side of the field it's mistress was started calling the damned thing after I started bellowing how I as going to skin the fucking thing alive.
The whole attack didn't last that long but long enough for me to think "wish I had a gun".
Followed by "no way in hell could I get a shot off without killing a sheep".
Anyway, this farm is owned by a full time farmer, but it was after her farmer's bedtime so I ran like crazy up to her house and pounded on the door until she got up.
She grabbed her utility vehicle and I ran back down with my dog and we moved those sheep out of there.
There was fortunately only one casualty, and I got to assist while the farmer gave it a jab of penicillin and we glued its ear back on. (Yes, superglue was invented for surgical purposes).
Looking back on this I know
- if I hadn't been there that night, the farmer would have lost one or more of her sheep as she was asleep in the house and couldn't have seen or heard anything.
- There's no way a gun would have helped that particular situation. It was dusk and too far away for a good shot with a rifle, and to all the guys saying "I should have had a gun on me", it would have been a handgun at I was really out of range. Either way, couldn't have shot at all without a good chance of having to tell the farmer that I'd killed on of her sheep for her.
Guns aren't some magic wand you wave and the doggie just dies. You have to be in range. You have to have a clear shot. You have to have enough space between the dog and it's victim that you don't accidentally take out the victim.
For every Mark or Walt story, I can tell you a dozen other laments of "if only I had a clean shot" or "If only I'd heard them (baa'ing, neigh-ing, running).
Yes, guns CAN be part of the solution, but we also need laws and we need them enforced.
I'll get to those in the next post.
This whole mess distresses so many people so badly, some of us lose our sense of humor sometimes. Not saying you do or did, just saying some of us do.
ReplyDeleteThe city slicker cry of 'shoot, shit and shovel like they do in the country' is partly because so many of us so often dream of doing that. It helps sometimes to imagine a place where people can and do. We can imagine that at least some mauler bulldogs get what they deserve (and their disgusting owners too). It's a fantasy that at least somewhere there's a possibility of justice.
I personally often hope that if enough people do resort to shooting the f***ers, several things will happen:
1) Owners will start to keep their bull/dogs confined because they're so scared their fashion accessory will be the one to end up dead.
2) Animal Control will start responding REAL FAST to loose dog calls because they're afraid otherwise they'll get there too late to save the dog (since they don't care about saving ours or your livestock).
3) Lawmakers will get alarmed and start making laws that work, if only to protect the poor bulldogs from a public that doesn't want to get mauled or its children and normal animals to get killed.
4) All these dog trainers, dog hairdressers, formerly unemployed actresses, scientific prostitutes, etc, will lose the smug smile on their face because even if they are bought, we still shoot their darlings.
Meanwhile, I'm seriously enjoying your posts about the reality of it -- but I'll still keep dreaming of being able to just shoot them on sight.
I too dream of being able to shoot them on sight, and my hunting buddies keep offering up equipment like rifles with scopes that they can drop an elk at 600' away. Haven't yet got a chance to take a shot, but soon, maybe.
DeleteWhat you're hearing here, and what I hear from others battling dogs, is frustration and guilt about not being in the right place at the right time.
You make some excellent points, and I'd say we are likely to get there soon, with more and more "city folk" moving out where livestock is kept, there are more and more dog issues.
Unfortunately, that means things are going to have to get a lot worse before there's a chance for them to get better.
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ReplyDeleteHow do you submit a post? I have one you will like.
ReplyDeleteHi. Sorry for the delay. You can either add it in the comments, and I'll move it to a post, or you can email me at this gmail address. You'll have to let me know in a comment you emailed it, though, as I don't check my mailbox.
DeleteIMO losing one sheep is well worth dirtnapping the dog. This seems to be the only way dog owners learn to keep their mutts put up properly. I'd have at least shot into the ground to scare the shit out of the dogs owner.
ReplyDeleteA man whose family I know was looking out for a young girl when she was attacked by their neighbor's yardshark. This was not the first time the bastard had attacked someone, either. The guy shot the POS with a bow and arrow, and I still chuckle at the thought of that sabre toothed dung beetle yelping and hobbling around with an arrow in its side!
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Stupid ass dog!