[AT] Got Woodchuck Pills? and Dogs

[Gene Dotson]

    The dog, Kirby that I mentioned in my story had a partner, or more like a
decoy, who was a yellow mixture of unknown origin named Buffy who was slow
witted and slow moving. Kirby and Buffy would meet the groundhog head on. When
they were close enough, Kirby would jump to the side and the groundhog would go
after Buffy while kirby would attack the back of the critter's neck and kill it
instantly. Kirby got all groundhog and Buffy got the bites and scratches.
    Kirby was a gentle dog who would not even give a rabbit or pheasant a second
look. He even tolerated the foxes who visited the apple trees each year. This
dog loved to fly with me and didn't know a stranger at an airport.

                        Gene


----- Original Message -----
From: "Cecil E Monson" <cmonson at hvc.rr.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 7:09 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Got Woodchuck Pills?


: I had a friend who had two dogs. They were sort of a mix which
: we called farm dogs - collie/shepherd mixes. One day when I was over at
: his place he told me to watch his dogs. They had spotted a woodchuck in
: a neighbor's field about a quarter mile away. One of his dogs trotted out
: into the field in plain sight and the other ran at a 90 degree angle down
: the road and out of sight. The one in the field continued to walk around
: back and forth and even barked once in a while in the direction of the
: woodchuck. It wasn't but a few minutes when the other dog appeared behind
: the woodchuck and was advancing on him from the rear while the first dog
: played decoy. In less than a minute the chuck was dead. I have heard of
: dogs doing this but really didn't believe it until I saw it with my own
: eyes. I wonder now if anyone else has ever seen this happen?
:
: As to rats, we get them once in a while in our little chicken
: house because of the feed in the hanging feeders. What I have done that
: gives a lot of pleasure and some action is to use my .45 Colt or the .44
: Special with #8 birdshot handloaded in the shells and shoot them on the
: run when I open the door. The chickens don't particularly like it the
: first time or two but after that I don't think they hear very well and
: don't seem to mind. FWIW, I've found that sometimes the first shot will
: cause the rat being fired at to faint dead away and it takes one more
: shot to put them away permanently. Since we got all these new neighbors
: I don't do this much any more. I control them now with a bait box I made
: that holds D-Con or something similar that Purina sells. The box is 6" X
: 6" X about 16" or so long with a rat sized hole in each end. The bait
: is in the middle so the chickens can't get it. Size of the holes is about
: 1 3/4" but doesn't really matter as the first rat there will knaw the
: hole to suit him. If anyone is interested, the loads are simply target
: loads as far as powder is concerned with a gas check seated cup side up
: on top of the powder, then shot put in to fill the case, and then another
: gas check cup side down over the shot and crimped lightly to hold it in
: place. I also swipe some of my wife's clear fingernail polish and seal
: the end over the gas check with it. It works for me.
:
: Cecil
: --
: The nicest thing about telling the truth is you never have to wonder
: what you said.
:
: Cecil E Monson
: Lucille Hand-Monson
: Mountainville, New York   Just a little east of the North Pole
:
: Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment
:
: Free advice
:
: