Green Pea has it right. I moved up here 2 years ago come December. Made a pact with a neighbor to take me out hunting for signing last years permit on my land. Bought another fella a license as he was to take me hunting. Both these boyz drove deer through my land. All I was told 'word to the wize', lock your dogs up in the house or they will be shot!
Noone has business hunting in anyones 'yard'. Evidently the boyz don't think so around here. Heard this man say 'slugs go stray', as he speaks of another neighbor who was hunting his own land and had a word with these poaching thugs.
Ah, for sure they don't like dogs. One thing to try to intimidate me, another to pose your fist to my forehead or at any point not get out of my grid square as I'm taking my leave. I didn't even call my dogs to get in the truck, but the old dawg was barking, not liking his tone or stance. I do know (raised with nuns for the most part growing up and can adopt 'that look'). Well, 'that look' isn't what that boy was expecting out of a female. Men with tear drop tattoos on their cheek think a person should have the fear of death when he looks at them. As his fist didn't scare me, he turned and said he's gonna kill that dog, and put both hands on her neck. Well, I had to drop him and with the truck door open and nothing for it, I dropped him down atop of me but got him of my dawg. I hit the ground unwinded and ready for bear, "Don't mess with my dawg". Then his brother is pulling him up and away. (It's a city block or more from kitchen to the truck), claims he didn't know anything was going on. Never seen anyone miss a 34 year old man having a tempertantrum chasing down a little old nearly 50 year old woman.
This fella also hunts ginsing. Told another neighbor not to bulldoze to place yet another trailer on his land which buts his own, as he had gotten over $so much last year in ginsing off his and the other neighbor lady. Get's better, he said he'd give the man a percentage of what he sells from poaching off him! That's how they think down here!
He's on maybe 2 acres. I don't think that is enough land for a landowners permit even. Now I don't know much about hunting, but isn't a drivers license required or even a background check?
Heard tell he was caught twice for poaching. Has about 15-20 men to drive deer in this enclosed valley which doesn't abutt his own 2 little acres.
I'm in a prime spot; on the edge of what used to be an apple orchard, many having gone to crab. Briars a pleanty and all that other good stuff which attracts deer. Neighbor let slip other day he found some 'shed' there at the coulee bottom. (small brook running through the valley bottom) - yes he was speaking of my land.
Bought for the view, and stepping out the door is right close to being in the 'wild wood' with a cacaphony of critters churping. Right nice for a city girl who left the city. I've enjoyed my old dawg (and the young dog) get after groundhogs and tried my hand at skinning the poor little critter. Botched that job; botched enough to get a good lung full of that smell, didn't loose my cookies; although soured the bile a bit! I think I've been heard echoing down the hill: 'Get er dead, bring momma the tail'. This old dawg was used to a chain tether and keeps an imaginary tether in a perimiter about me. Independent as all get out, yet an easy read when she's onto a critter; she enjoys the kill, makes sure of the kill and has even toned it down a bit for the young puppy to get the taste of the hunt.
Other day, the old gal got a garden snake (pulled out the baby sac: which I thought was but entrails), the puppy ain't too smart about snakes and a bit too shy. Next they got a groundhog. This time around the puppy wasn't shy (being her second) and played tug a war with the old dog instead of being shook like an extra tail on the critter!
That was from cleaning up what is left of an old wood pile. Last fall found an old witches broom setting on top the pile on the down side of the Harvest Moon. Odd thing, been digging in that pile of scrap wood spring/summer/fall, sure would have seen it before. It takes top rung on the gun rack.
Can't ride the broom, wishful of learning to hunt. Why there is 'that old buck' the locals named and all wanna get. Were I to get that big old buck I'd for sure mount him on my van (as my truck is dead from hitting an oak tree when my back tire was blown out going around a gravel curve ...) - I'd sure drive around with that just to show these poaching thugs. Of course the word is, anyone who gets that buck would go on record after all those extensive tests to make sure it was shot during official hours.
It isn't about the buck, it's about owning land and being run over by lawbreakers and theives. And perhaps that me being a woman and not 'keeping a man' like most of the women do down here. I don't feel any obligation to keep these boyz and turn my back when they are theiving off me either. It's not enjoyable.
I moved to the country as I hit my midlife crisis and I want to enjoy my crisis!
OH, I forgot. This man has a turtle fry every year. Last year him and his brother got into it, and having my dawg one month, these rough type boyz had to wait for me to pull her off the two fighting men. (They tossed over the table I was sitting at). This dawg had his grandbaby fall on her head, eased the child down to the deck before pulling her head out from under and had nothing but kisses. No yipe, growl or defensive moves. Surprised me, and proud for her. Well, one day I bring over a turtle she got. The man wanted it for himself. I told him, no, I'm wishing you'd stuff it, let her have the meat with 'some work' and she'd chew on that shell a good year! The man kept her turtle! That there is a bad man.
They will do a dawg wrong!
