The good and bad

[Bob Brown]

The last week started out well with the anticipation of the arrival of a 20guage Parker. I've got a project 20 but this one promised to be in much better shape. A 1914 VHE with 30" barrels, straight grip stock, and a ivory bead sight. Canada Post predicted a Friday arrival and they were bang on. Unfortunately, the shotgun arrived Friday but we had something happen that muted the pleasure of its getting here. On Friday at around 4 am I let my two labs and the wife's little dog out for a nature call. The little fella was a rescue, but Jack Russel/Chihuahua cross is the best anyone could guess at. Less than a year old and I don't think he weighed 10 lbs, but a real sweetheart. My black lab will be 15 in a couple of months. He doesn't make it through the night without a break, and needs help up the stairs to get back in. My yellow lab is 4, but she's timid other than when hunting for some reason we've never figured out. My wife's other dog, a lapso aphso stayed inside. They were barking up a storm as usual but we don't have close neighbors so not a big deal. A coyote killed the little guy right in our driveway. We live in the country on the northern edge of cultivated land about 100 miles from the Northwest Territories Border. Lots of wildlife including coyotes and wolves around, but for the 15 years we lived here we never lost a cat or a dog to them. The wife is pretty torn up by losing the little guy. He was fearless and didn't understand he was a flyweight with a heavyweight's heart. From the tracks in the snow and location on the driveway he charged out to chase the intruder away. The labs followed but were too late to save him but the coyote did drop him and run. I dusted off the varmit rifle and I'm heading out to get some payback.
Oh, the VHE arrived and is nice, better than I expected. I'll post some photos in a few days.

[scott kittredge]

sorry about the loss of your dog, about 2 weeks ago my dog was standing a the sliding door and low barking like to go out side. i went over to the door and open it and there was a sound like a plastice bag being dragged along the ground, oh my garbage bag on the deck is gone :shock: looked in to the dark and saw a darker spot about 15 ft away, BEAR! yelled at him to give up the bag, nothen,he stood his ground, grabbed my shot gun let off a few shots over his head and off he ran. just think if i let the dog out what would have happed . scott

[charlie cleveland]

i can feel for you..a coyote killed and eat my little dog about 2 years ago... charlie

[Brian Stucker]

We have two Chihuahua mixes (both rescue) and they are lion hearted. Sorry about the little one.

[Rich Anderson]

My condolences on your loss. It sounds like he was a brave fellow who gave everything in defense of his home.

I have a very busy road to contend with and therefor fenced in the back yard. Coyotes can be heard "singing" most nights and Daisy would be right after them.

A Ballistic Tip will work wonders. Good luck on the payback.

[Mills Morrison]

That is awful news. Yes, I would be getting out traps, varmint guns and everything else to get back. Losing a good dog is a terrible thing.

[Steve McCarty]

Cougars here in Oregon are a problem. Anyone who chains up their dog outside is at risk of losing it. Happens all the time and even in town. Lady saw a cougar sleeping in her tomatos. She called the cops and they came out and shot it in the eye.

Cayotes too, of course, but here the cougars are taking them too. We are no longer allowed to hunt cougars with dogs. When we could hunters pretty much kept the population of the big cats down, so they didn't pose much of a risk to pets, etc... After the dog hunting ban the population of the cats has skyrocketed. While few people have been attacked, if you are in the woods and see one, he is usually stalking YOU.

[Bob Brown]

Thanks for the support, guys. I guess where ever we live there are threats to our pets. I went out with the dogs for their break last night. A breezy minus 32 celcius in a house coat gets a bit drafty, but whatever it takes.
I have some photos of my new to me VHE20. I'll start a new thread for them once I figure out what is wrong with my photobucket account.

[George M. Purtill]

I am sorry for that loss of your pet. They are so dependent upon you and it imparts such bad feeling of sorrow when they die of accidents instead of old age.