D
Deleted member 16014
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I went on a quick backpack trip for bears this week. Later on the evening of my return, while pulling into my driveway in a different car, I caught the faint outline of a monster on my rear truck tire. My heart sank, @neffa3 's ordeal coming immediately to mind.
I knew good and well it wasn't going to work, but I had to let my dog try out of respect to her Viking bloodlines. Freja, the Norwegian elkhound, is named for the goddess of war, beauty and like 10 other generic things that apparently didn't fit into the other god's skillsets. My Freja is more like the goddess of worrying and sleeping in other people's space. She gave it a good go, but got nothing other some angry chirps. The neighbor's GSP came along and gave about one sniff. Useless. Lucy the fun loving mutt. Useless.
Darkness came with quiet, both of which helped in locating the marmot. After dropping the spare tire, his favorite spots seemed to be the space above the rear wheel wells, on top of the gas tank, and on top of the exhaust heat shield. I popped him in the face a couple times with the red ryder...I don't know what I thought that would do, make him run away maybe? Yeah it didn't do anything.
After a couple hours I had him herded into a corner of the frame. He was slightly stuck, and slightly exposed. Here was my chance...
This part gets a little gruesome and I don't like an animal to suffer, but it is what it is and I value the integrity of my fuel line. I grabbed an arrow with a field point and jammed it as hard and I could into his head neck junction. I made it in but not lethally, and he chewed the end off the arrow. I watched as the defunct point dropped into a nook of the frame. As he continued to attack the broken shaft I jammed it down his throat 3-4" and pinned him in place. That chunk broke off, and I went in again, my hand now a few inches from his ferocious jaws. I had him dead to rights. He was bleeding pretty good and seemed to give up. I left him to pass and came back a half an hour later. I gave him poke and he didn't respond. It was probably midnight so I figured I'd go to bed and pull him out in the morning.
I come out the next morning to find the back of the arrow shaft chewed off, laying on the ground. No marmot. So with about 4" of carbon somewhere in his front half, he drug himself back up in there. Some tapping here and there elicited demonic chirps. You've got to be effing kidding me. That was TWO DAYS AGO. I take the dog out today and sure enough, "chirp chirp", it lives. I don't have a pellet gun; in hindsight I'd have hit him with bird shot out of the .22 pistol when I had him pinned with the arrow.
I can't poison, too many neighborhood dogs. If I can get him back to being slightly exposed I'm going to have the bird shot ready. Either out of the cricket or Colt buntline depending on his location. The other thing I thought of was fashioning a short gaff hook set-up, the downside being the resulting pissed marmot attached to the thing I'm holding. My dad suggested a power washer, which is somewhat appealing.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes...
I knew good and well it wasn't going to work, but I had to let my dog try out of respect to her Viking bloodlines. Freja, the Norwegian elkhound, is named for the goddess of war, beauty and like 10 other generic things that apparently didn't fit into the other god's skillsets. My Freja is more like the goddess of worrying and sleeping in other people's space. She gave it a good go, but got nothing other some angry chirps. The neighbor's GSP came along and gave about one sniff. Useless. Lucy the fun loving mutt. Useless.
Darkness came with quiet, both of which helped in locating the marmot. After dropping the spare tire, his favorite spots seemed to be the space above the rear wheel wells, on top of the gas tank, and on top of the exhaust heat shield. I popped him in the face a couple times with the red ryder...I don't know what I thought that would do, make him run away maybe? Yeah it didn't do anything.
After a couple hours I had him herded into a corner of the frame. He was slightly stuck, and slightly exposed. Here was my chance...
This part gets a little gruesome and I don't like an animal to suffer, but it is what it is and I value the integrity of my fuel line. I grabbed an arrow with a field point and jammed it as hard and I could into his head neck junction. I made it in but not lethally, and he chewed the end off the arrow. I watched as the defunct point dropped into a nook of the frame. As he continued to attack the broken shaft I jammed it down his throat 3-4" and pinned him in place. That chunk broke off, and I went in again, my hand now a few inches from his ferocious jaws. I had him dead to rights. He was bleeding pretty good and seemed to give up. I left him to pass and came back a half an hour later. I gave him poke and he didn't respond. It was probably midnight so I figured I'd go to bed and pull him out in the morning.
I come out the next morning to find the back of the arrow shaft chewed off, laying on the ground. No marmot. So with about 4" of carbon somewhere in his front half, he drug himself back up in there. Some tapping here and there elicited demonic chirps. You've got to be effing kidding me. That was TWO DAYS AGO. I take the dog out today and sure enough, "chirp chirp", it lives. I don't have a pellet gun; in hindsight I'd have hit him with bird shot out of the .22 pistol when I had him pinned with the arrow.
I can't poison, too many neighborhood dogs. If I can get him back to being slightly exposed I'm going to have the bird shot ready. Either out of the cricket or Colt buntline depending on his location. The other thing I thought of was fashioning a short gaff hook set-up, the downside being the resulting pissed marmot attached to the thing I'm holding. My dad suggested a power washer, which is somewhat appealing.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes...
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