Tokk Ruby to the river and sent her along the corn at the curve. She barked a couple of times in the corn then nothing. She came back after about 15 minutes. I took her to the Shakopee gate and sent her along the road corn. I drove down to about where the clump of trees sits out in the swamp. Ruby came back, again about 15 minutes. I drove to the big tree and shined around. A coon was sitting up. I sent Rudy in. As soon as she came into the tree and located I was right there.
I caught a coon over at Evelyns. I took it and Roy up to the farm and picked up the kids and Pearl. We drove out in the middle of a hay field and let the coon go. It took off on a dead run for the woods. I let Pearl go a few minutes later. Once I saw that she was on the track I let Roy go too. They didn't open until several minutes had passed. They ran a short while in the woods and treed. Good little bit of exercise for the two of them. I've been spending all of my time with Ruby & they need a night out once and a while too.
Took Lauri and her dog Cooper along with Ruby tonight. Went to the curve and sent Ruby in. She made a pass and came back after about 15 minutes. We loaded up and headed towards the Shakopee gate. A coon ran out of the corn as we drove up. I parked and led Ruby into the corn. She struck and made a couple of tight circles. Then she headed into the woods. It was a nice track through the jungle. After about 10 minutes she located on moster tree by a little pothole. She had the coon. I sure like Ruby.
Took Ruby to the back field and sent her along the river. I started hearing splashing & heard her open a couple of times. I don't know if she fell or if catfish were jumping. She was down there fumbling around though. I cut several paths through the jungle before I finally got to a place where I could see her. I called a few times & she finally made it to the bank and tried climbing. I was just able to grab her collar and hoist her up. What a mess the river is this year! She was aking a little spooked from the experience. On the way back to the truck I saw a coon & I let her tree it. Then I headed home. The gun club and the back field are just about picked clean. I'll have to work the curve now. Those campers are in for a surprise!
Took Ruby to the back field and wlaked, no strikes. They are picking there. Decided to go check some of the other corn tonight. As I was rounding the big curve by the trailer I saw coon run out of the corn. I stopped and let Ruby out. She went in the corn and opened once or twice. She went into the woods and located then came back out into the corn. She trailed around silent for a few minutes, went back into the woods located and treed. I saw the coon in her tree. I went in and tied her up and then I couldn't see the coon anymore. I made all kinds of racket getting her excited and looking for that coon. I finally found it again after about 15 minutes.
I drove around and checked the rest of the corn then headed out. At the end of the last field my headlights caught something. I turned on my spot and saw vehicle parked down by the bridge. I kept my spot on and kept driving. When I got close I could see it was cops & they tuirned on their flashing lights. They had me keep my hands on the dash while they checked me out. I guess somebody from the campground was scared by all the noise I made. They were Ok once they figured out I wasn't going to shoot them.
Took Ruby to the gun club. She struck in the corn and trailed around a little. As I was walking to where I heard her last, she popped out into a picked area in front of me. I didn't see anything sitting up so I just caught her. Went to the back field and sent her in the corn. She yipped once & started grubbing. I saw a coon sitting up. It was in a vine covered tree. There was quite a jungle between Ruby and the tree. I just waited & she finally located and treed there. Pretty good lesson for her.
Took Ruby to the river again. Lauri and Cooper came along & played on the road. I sent Ruby in the corn at the gun club. They are picking there now. She checked it and came back after about 15 minutes. Went to the back field and walked the corn. I was almost to the far end when I heard something big rustling around. I looked around and saw a large coon climbing up a brushy tree. I called for Ruby but she was way back down by the truck. I walked all the way back wherre Lauri had caught and leashed her. It was midnight but I decided to try her on that coon. I drove to the other end of the field and sent her down the edge. She struck immediately & headed away from the trees! (Darn, that coon must have took off earlier when I went to find Ruby.) She crossed the road and the field and trailed in the treeline along the swamp. For a while I thought she'd tree there. No luck though, she turned back into the swamp & I lost the sound of her. I headed back to the truck and drove towards the very back field. I only got a few yards into the woods & saw that the road is washed out. I backed up and parked. I heard Ruby treed when I got out of the truck. She was a little way off the road, almost to the back field, treed on one of the giant cottenwoods. It was in the middle of jungle growth. To my surprise I was able to find a small opening in the brush and see up to the top of the tree and the coon was up there. It was 1 am when I got back to the truck. I was hot and tired but felt pretty good about the pygmy dogs performance.
Took the wife again. She and Cooper walked the road while Ruby & I walked the corn. A little damage in the back field. Ruby was trying to run a track but could hardly bark on it. I decided ot catch her. Just as i snapped her up, I saw a coon going up. Rather than let her go I just put her on the tree. I think things will be picking up from here on out. Man was it hot!
Took my wife Lauri & her dog with me to the river tonight. I sent Ruby along the corn at the gun club and She and Cooper walked the road. Ruby struck by the swamp and ran a track for a while. It could have been a coon but it sounded a lot like a fox too. She quit it after about 10 minutes. I gave her a warning beep and she got back to the truck before I did. We loaded up and headed for the back field. In the road we saw three young coons playing. I stopped and sent Ruby in. I saw a coon up a tree and I waited. Ruby bawled around for a little while and then treed there. She was treeing well & I knew she had it but I could never find the coon again. We loaded up and continued to the back field. I walked Ruby along the river & Lauri took Cooper down the road. No strikes & I headed home. Good to see those little coons. They were right where a dead one was on the road. So it's probably not disease down there after all. Not many coons yet just because the corn is not really ripe anywhere. It's close now though. This coming week should be the start of good hunting.
Waited til 10:30 & then took Ruby to the River. Sent her in along the road corn at the gun club, she hunted out for about 20 minutes and came back. I went to the back field and sent her in. She found a skunk by the edge of the corn and was baying it. I shocked her pretty hard on this one. She was a little freaked out by this but I'm getting tired of her fooling around. I went back to the gun club and sent her down the ditch corn. She was a little hesitant about halfway down. I think there might have been another skunk down there. I walked with her, made a loop and back to the truck. She was OK by the time we got back & was hunting around in the woods pretty well. I caught her & was getting ready to go. A pack of coyotes opened up near the corn where I had been walking. I yelled at them to shut up and they did. Just for good measure I fired a round in the ground. That's all I need is a pack of them getting bold at night. No damage in the corn yet. It is really early but I've seen a couple of dead young coons down there. I suspect that a disease has finally hit the river this year. I don't expect a good summer of pup training down there. We'll know in a couple of weeks. If so, Sever will have some nice corn.
Took Ruby to the river.
She checked the gun club and the back field without striking.
Corn getting close but not ready to attract coons.
Saw two skunks while driving around.
Went home.
Took Ruby to the river again and let her go in the corn by the gun club bridge. I saw her go across the road and into the woods by the vegetables. A few minutes later she was back in the road rubbing her face. I got down there & she smelled of skunk again. I scolded her and smacked her once. I could tell she already knew she was in trouble. I actually think she can be broke off skunk. We'll see.
I headed for the truck & was going to go to the back field. I saw a coon sitting up. I put her on it but it was tough for her to figure out. She back tracked to the bridge, then came back but never found the tree. In the mean time I had lost the coon in the leaves. I had to walk all the way around and look at it from the other side of the ditch to see it again. Ruby came around with me and stayed on that side when I went back around. She treed on the water for a while & then left. I started calling but she went deeper and was running something. I gave her a shock and made her come back. I finally just put her on the tree & proved to her a coon was up there. This all took about 1-1/2 hours. I was soaked with sweat. I don't know what I taught her. We both had a workout though.
Took Ruby to the river and sent her in by the Gun Club. She went out for about 15 minutes and came back. There was a bulldozer in the road to the back field. I could have sqeezed by, but I thought maybe Seever left it there on purpose. A lot of rain last night, maybe the road was washed out by the dam. I went and checked the other fields instead. Nothing ready yet so I just went home. No reason to push it too much with a pup yet. There will be plenty of good nights coming soon.
Took Ruby to the river. Walked into the corn and must have turned her loose right on top of a skunk. I caught her and scolded her, but not until after she had run it a little and been sprayed. I took her to another field and sent her in. I saw something run down the road, small but not a coon. She struck in the corn. I was trying to stay on top of her just in case it was bad. I spotted a coon sitting up and I relaxed. She made a loop in the corn and came into the tree nicely. That coon had definately been in the corn. So had that skunk... I went home.
Took Roy and Ruby to the far end of the field beyond the dam and headed them back toward the bridge. I drove around and picked Ruby up in the corn. Roy had split off and was down by the dam. He was treed as I drove up. He got quiet when I got close and came to meet me. He was scared. I put him back on the tree, he was still a little unsure of me. I went back to the truck and brought Ruby in. They both treed ahrd then & Roy was OK then. He had the coon. I figure I've got my work cut out with him. We'll see if I can get him treeing good again without leaving and not picking slick ones. I don't know why I bother, but I like him for some reason.
The corn is way behind, we need a week of warm weather to bring it on.
Took Ruby and Roy to the river. The roads have been cleard and repaired. The corn looks a little rough in spots. I put them on a hot one in the back field. I had Roy by the collar still when Ruby struck. He bolted and took my glove with him. Dam, it was only $2 for the pair, but I just got them. They treed quick & I was sure they had it. Ruby was part way up the tree & slipped. She fell down the bank & plopped in the mud. She came back up covered with mud and started treeing again. A real mudpuppy. The tree leaned out over the river & was a real jungle. I couldn't find the coon & I finally took them back to the truck. A good ten days before any corn is ready.