fastdogs
12-17-2007, 04:39 PM
first, I never get lost. I've been hunting with my dogs for over 25 years, but in the wide open spaces of wyoming.
Saturday we had a snow storm, and were due to get more later in the day. I wanted to take the dogs for a run on a wooded 4 acre lot that we have. It's really rugged land, very steep and heavily wooded. Dh and I had andy with us, and we'd put one of the leashes around his wrist so we could help him up the steep slopes and keep him from falling down. We had all four dogs, the two "young" ones (5 yrs old), the 10 year old, and the 12 year old- Iput a coat on her because they are short haired skinny dogs.
The young ones range out a bit hunting, but I call them back if they get too far away. But I looked down to help andy, and when I looked up both monkey and macan were gone. I called them for a while, then left andy with DH and started following tracks in the snow- deer tracks and dog tracks. It started snowing again. I followed tracks for a while, slipping and sliding and half crawling up some of the steep slopes, in snow and deep leaves, covering rocks (I discovered there's rocks under the leaves after falling a couple of times). It was taking a long time, and I thought I'd better start circling back. But although I normally have a good sense of direction, all of a sudden I couldnt' get a good feel for where "back" was.
I stayed on the ridges, hoping to be able to see something, but with the trees, the snow, and more ridges all around, I couldn't. Monkey came in from behind me, but Macan was still missing. I thought oh well, she's probably back at the truck. Since we were just walking the small lot, I didn't have my cell phone with me.
The terrain started looking too different- too many cedar trees, much rockier. So I back tracked. This went on for a while. I tried calling out and listening for an answer, but it was deadly silent in the woods- maybe the falling snow muffles everything. The old dogs were getting cold and tired.
After I was gone an hour, my DH called 911. After two hours, he called my parents and asked them to come up (about an hour and half drive) and pick up andy so he could look for me. The sheriff didn't show up for an hour.
After almost four hours, I found a four wheeler track, and followed it. After a couple of miles, it came out on a narrow road, and I followed this to a house. I yelled hello till someone came out (barking dog in the yard, and I didn't want to approach with my 3 dogs). He let me use his cell phone to call a very relieved DH, and I had to give the phone back to him so he could give directions to his house. Macan had not gone back to the truck, no sign of her. The homeowner said he'd seen macan an hour ago, but she'd run off when she saw him. I was very worried now, and said I didn't want to come in and warm up, I'd walk up the road and call for her in case she was in the area (we were very far from where we started, and it would take a while for the sheriff and DH to drive there). I walked the steep road. We got accosted by five farm dogs and I had to throw snowballs to scare them off. I came around a turn and there was macan trotting away from me, in the middle of the road. I called her name, but when she turned there was no recognition, just confusion and worse- she looked like she was going to bolt. Sometimes when dogs get lost, they go almost feral very quickly- maybe it's the unfamiliar terrain, or some kind of survival mode, but there was no sign she knew me or my voice. I back up and knelt down, and turned one of the old dogs loose. She walked a few steps forward and stopped, and then macan slowly approached close enough where I could grab her collar and get a leash on her. She never greeted me in her normal enthusiastic manner. I continued up the road- it was a very long driveway, and when I got to the main road, I just sat down in the snow and let the freezing tired dogs pile on top of me. The sheriff and DH arrived and picked us up. I needed dry clothes and a hot shower and bed, but couldnt' sleep going over and over the "what ifs".
The dogs had a trip to the vet chiropracter today and all needed some work- monkey and macan have coughs from over exertion and are pretty beat up from running full speed after deer in that rocky terrain. I'm still sore today.
That was my weekend adventure. I have wished for a garmin forerunner for Christmas, before all this, wonder if I'll get it now. But now, I need the forerunner AND garmin astro gps collars for the dogs!
vickie
Saturday we had a snow storm, and were due to get more later in the day. I wanted to take the dogs for a run on a wooded 4 acre lot that we have. It's really rugged land, very steep and heavily wooded. Dh and I had andy with us, and we'd put one of the leashes around his wrist so we could help him up the steep slopes and keep him from falling down. We had all four dogs, the two "young" ones (5 yrs old), the 10 year old, and the 12 year old- Iput a coat on her because they are short haired skinny dogs.
The young ones range out a bit hunting, but I call them back if they get too far away. But I looked down to help andy, and when I looked up both monkey and macan were gone. I called them for a while, then left andy with DH and started following tracks in the snow- deer tracks and dog tracks. It started snowing again. I followed tracks for a while, slipping and sliding and half crawling up some of the steep slopes, in snow and deep leaves, covering rocks (I discovered there's rocks under the leaves after falling a couple of times). It was taking a long time, and I thought I'd better start circling back. But although I normally have a good sense of direction, all of a sudden I couldnt' get a good feel for where "back" was.
I stayed on the ridges, hoping to be able to see something, but with the trees, the snow, and more ridges all around, I couldn't. Monkey came in from behind me, but Macan was still missing. I thought oh well, she's probably back at the truck. Since we were just walking the small lot, I didn't have my cell phone with me.
The terrain started looking too different- too many cedar trees, much rockier. So I back tracked. This went on for a while. I tried calling out and listening for an answer, but it was deadly silent in the woods- maybe the falling snow muffles everything. The old dogs were getting cold and tired.
After I was gone an hour, my DH called 911. After two hours, he called my parents and asked them to come up (about an hour and half drive) and pick up andy so he could look for me. The sheriff didn't show up for an hour.
After almost four hours, I found a four wheeler track, and followed it. After a couple of miles, it came out on a narrow road, and I followed this to a house. I yelled hello till someone came out (barking dog in the yard, and I didn't want to approach with my 3 dogs). He let me use his cell phone to call a very relieved DH, and I had to give the phone back to him so he could give directions to his house. Macan had not gone back to the truck, no sign of her. The homeowner said he'd seen macan an hour ago, but she'd run off when she saw him. I was very worried now, and said I didn't want to come in and warm up, I'd walk up the road and call for her in case she was in the area (we were very far from where we started, and it would take a while for the sheriff and DH to drive there). I walked the steep road. We got accosted by five farm dogs and I had to throw snowballs to scare them off. I came around a turn and there was macan trotting away from me, in the middle of the road. I called her name, but when she turned there was no recognition, just confusion and worse- she looked like she was going to bolt. Sometimes when dogs get lost, they go almost feral very quickly- maybe it's the unfamiliar terrain, or some kind of survival mode, but there was no sign she knew me or my voice. I back up and knelt down, and turned one of the old dogs loose. She walked a few steps forward and stopped, and then macan slowly approached close enough where I could grab her collar and get a leash on her. She never greeted me in her normal enthusiastic manner. I continued up the road- it was a very long driveway, and when I got to the main road, I just sat down in the snow and let the freezing tired dogs pile on top of me. The sheriff and DH arrived and picked us up. I needed dry clothes and a hot shower and bed, but couldnt' sleep going over and over the "what ifs".
The dogs had a trip to the vet chiropracter today and all needed some work- monkey and macan have coughs from over exertion and are pretty beat up from running full speed after deer in that rocky terrain. I'm still sore today.
That was my weekend adventure. I have wished for a garmin forerunner for Christmas, before all this, wonder if I'll get it now. But now, I need the forerunner AND garmin astro gps collars for the dogs!
vickie