Never thought much of Darwin, he didn't shoot his own specimens.

Got this from a blog about Terriers, www.terrierman.com

GELERT, IRISH WOLFHOUND

Dogs are special beings, and for me I try to regard them always in that light. I have owned many, some that still live in my thoughts, some that never amounted to much, possibly my fault cause they are like us in that they take to certain folks better than others. Right now I am blessed with some above average companions, my first Terriers the three Jagds and some really fine young Plott Hounds. This poem and story I came across pained me when I read it and I could feel the insurmountable gloom the man must have felt when he discovered his mistake. Truly I know how he felt for believe it or not I had a nightmare recently about losing one of my Jagds to a wild boar, I guess I'm getting soft in my pilgrimage of years. I've never been as attached to a set of dogs before, maybe it is my age, maybe I have slowed down enough to pay attention? If so, it is a good thing cause I seem to be learning from them, I look forward to what more they will teach me.



GELERT
William Robert Spencer

The spearmen heard the bugle sound,
And cheerily smiled the morn;
And many a brach, and many a hound
Obeyed Llewellyn’s horn.
And still he blew a louder blast,
And gave a lustier cheer,
“Come, Gelert, come, wert never last
Llewellyn’s horn to hear.

“O where does faithful Gelert roam
The flower of all his race;
So true, so brave – a lamb at home,
A lion in the chase?”

In sooth, he was a peerless hound,
The gift of royal John;
But now no Gelert could be found,
And all the chase rode on.

That day Llewellyn little loved
The chase of hart and hare;
And scant and small the booty proved,
For Gelert was not there.

Unpleased, Llewellyn homeward hied,
When, near the portal seat,
His truant Gelert he espied
Bounding his lord to greet.

But when he gained the castle-door,
Aghast the chieftain stood;
The hound all o’er was smeared with gore;
His lips, his fangs, ran blood.

Llewellyn gazed with fierce surprise;
Unused such looks to meet,
His favourite checked his joyful guise,
And crouched, and licked his feet.

Onward, in haste, Llewellyn passed,
And on went Gelert too;
And still, where’er his eyes he cast,
Fresh blood-gouts shocked his view.

Overturned his infant’s bed he found,
With blood-stained covert rent;
And all around the walls and ground
With recent blood besprent.

He called his child – no voice replied -
He searched with terror wild;
Blood, blood he found on every side,
But nowhere found his child.

“Hell-hound! my child’s by thee devoured,”
The frantic father cried;
And to the hilt his vengeful sword
He plunged in Gelert’s side.

Aroused by Gelert’s dying yell,
Some slumberer wakened nigh;
What words the parent’s joy could tell
To hear his infant’s cry!

Concealed beneath a tumbled heap
His hurried search had missed,
All glowing from his rosy sleep
The cherub boy he kissed.

No hurt had he, nor harm, nor dread,
But, the same couch beneath,
Lay a gaunt wolf, all torn and dead,
Tremendous still in death.

Ah, what was then Llewellyn’s pain!
For now the truth was clear;
His gallant hound the wolf had slain
To save Llewellyn’s heir.

One Bad Mule

A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on this occasion a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs (you'll see the dogs in the background watching). Very, very bad decision...

The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided to shoot in the air to scare away the lion, but before he could get off a shot the lion charged in and decided he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that, the mule took off and decided he wanted a piece of that lion. That's when all hell broke loose... for the lion.

As the lion approached the dogs the mule snatched him up by the tail and started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass. Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat. The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing all over a couple of dozen times to make sure it was dead, than whipped it into the air again, walked back over to the couple (that were stunned in silence) and stood there ready to continue his ride... as if nothing had just happened.

Fortunately even though the hunter didn't get off a shot, his wife got off these 4...



The cat is still alive here and trying to fight back.


The mule stomped the cat, pinned it to the ground, and bit the neck out several times.


The cat was dead by now. For good measure the mule picked up the cat, whipped it into the air and then stomped it again for good measure


Note the dog audience

Nebraska on the Right Foot

The North Platte Telegraph

A bill that would make it a constitutional right to hunt, fish and trap in Nebraska could be debated Monday. LR 40 CA was introduced by Sen. Pete Pirsch of Omaha and made a priority bill by the Natural Resources Committee.

If passed, voters would be asked on the November 2012 ballot if they would like to add this language to the state constitution: "Fishing, trapping and hunting are a valued part of the heritage of the people and will be a right forever preserved for the people subject to reasonable restrictions as prescribed by law."

Pirsch said the goal of the measure is to ensure the freedoms to hunt, fish and trap are not weakened or eliminated for future generations.

"If things are important to you, you protect them," he said. "Just as our forefathers took important concepts and included them in the constitution to make sure they were protected, so too, do I propose to protect these important freedoms that we take for granted."

It's a viewpoint he believes other Nebraskans will share.

"I think this is what the people view as important and fundamental," said Pirsch. "I think that the vast majority value these freedoms, and I'd hate to see them lose them. When you look at our 'good life,' it's tied so tightly to these types of activities."

He said the hobbies are crucial to the state's economy.

"When you look at the success of the Nebraska economy, especially the rural economy, it really depends on these activities," said Pirsch. "According to data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska has 280,000 sportsmen that spend almost a half billion dollars every year. That spending supports $238 million in salaries, $54 million in state and local tax revenue and has a $746 million ripple effect."

The bill is also an attempt to be proactive. Pirsch said animal rights groups are already shutting down hunting in other states.

"We're talking about deep pockets, and it's not unrealistic to say people are swayed by the mass media even if what they're hearing is based on false portrayals," he said. "I think it's warranted, under these types of conditions, to take measures to protect fundamental freedoms we've had since before the beginning of our statehood."

Thirteen states have already adopted similar constitutional amendments. Tanya Hayes, senior legislative aide, said Indiana has not had an amendment on its ballots, but might this year. The issue was put on Arizona ballots last year, but was defeated.

Nice Snake!

My good friend Mark M out in Texas sent me this photo. It seems that in areas where there are large concentrations of wild hogs that the Rattlesnakes in the area have stopped rattling all together. Only reason that they have come up with is that they have decided the snakes are hog shy. Hogs love snakes and will go to a buzzing snake and fight over it. This guy had killed over thirty snakes in the same area in the course of a few days and none buzzed when approached.