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Scary hunt
I was pheasant hunting on Saturday with my big lab Glen. We were on public land south of Wallace, hunting mixed tall grass, weeds and cattails. We came across a fairly fresh gut pile, and I figured some kid had taken his or her youth deer that morning.
We moved on and after 10 yards or so I noticed Glen wasn't with me? I looked back and he just stood, planted. I called, but he wouldn't come, just whimpered. I went back and found he had been snared! It was pulling tight and he was starting to choke. Trying to not panic, I got my Leatherman out and tried to snip the cable. After 3-4 minutes and my dog gasping, I accidentally hit the cam and the pressure was released. He walked off and coughed a few times. I checked him closely and called the vet. She said to watch him awhile, that if his trachea was damaged I would be able to tell.
He turned out fine, and we continued to hunt. (no birds) What a scare!
We moved on and after 10 yards or so I noticed Glen wasn't with me? I looked back and he just stood, planted. I called, but he wouldn't come, just whimpered. I went back and found he had been snared! It was pulling tight and he was starting to choke. Trying to not panic, I got my Leatherman out and tried to snip the cable. After 3-4 minutes and my dog gasping, I accidentally hit the cam and the pressure was released. He walked off and coughed a few times. I checked him closely and called the vet. She said to watch him awhile, that if his trachea was damaged I would be able to tell.
He turned out fine, and we continued to hunt. (no birds) What a scare!
"Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain
Replies
"As long as there's Lead in the air there's hope!" -- Ralph Adkinson(Daddy) The original Marlboro Man
Did you call the authorities? I would guess that this sort of trapping is verboten.
Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
Depends on where you live....in many states snaring is perfectly legal.....sounds like the dog ran afoul of someone's coyote set...finding out who owned the snare should not be hard as most states require traps/snares be tagged with the owner's name/address/etc.....
This is always a hazard when hunting with dogs, especially on public land....I have had to release my dogs from leghold traps on several occasions.
Glad your dog got through it without serious injury....
I've dabbled in trapping for pests but always with foot traps. Did a lot of research that evening on snares!
Learning to release the catch is a lot simpler than trying to chew through cable with a pair of wire cutters.....
Get better pliers.
https://chadstoolbox.com/71-01-200-r-knipex-high-leverage-cobolt-fencing-cutters/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc
Dad 5-31-13