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"I Swear That I'm Never
Running Dogs Again" I got off to a late start training dogs this morning. As usual I planned on taking out my "B" team first and then my "A" team. Two of the roads I normally go down are not maintained in the winter. I was prepared for the snow bank across the road, but I still got the ATV stuck. Five minutes of digging and pushing and I was on my way again. Sometimes I cannot see my wheel dogs that well because of the crate that I have strapped to the front of my ATV so that I can carry water. Boo must have decided to jump over his brother Turbo and into the snow on the side of the road. I did not really see what happened, only Boo in the air and then I felt Boo thump thump under my tire. Boo seemed unfazed by my tire running him over. The sucky part was that the gangline was wrapped around the front axle twice. I had to unhook tugs and pull back on the line with 11 dogs trying to pull in the other direction. It took some time and muscle but I did get it unwrapped. I continued on my way. When I got to the turkey farm there were about 6 or 7 male muskovy ducks in the road. The stupid things ran down the middle of the road instead of flying away. I crept along behind them waiting for the stupid things to move, not daring to get off the ATV. Then all of a sudden one of the stupid things turned around and ran into my team! I was off in a flash. Gynger, Tymber, Pando, Kyia and Zak all had a part of the duck and they were all pulling in different directions. I was doing everything in my power to get the duck away from them. I swear to God that I thought the duck's head was going to come off because Zak had the whole head in his mouth and he was pulling. I do not know what I said, but I know that I was screaming the whole time. Blood and feathers were everywhere. Some how I got them off the duck and he sort of ran back towards the house. I think that he was missing a leg. The whole thing was horrible. I lined out my leaders and they turned to go after the duck. I lined them out again and bit them on the ear so hard that I thought my teeth were going to break. They did not dare move. Somehow Orion and Hailee ended up backwards in their harness and the team was in a huge cluster f**k. I fixed them as best as I could then I continued down the road. The stupid ducks were farther away, but still in the middle of the road. I got closer and a few of them flew off, but two stupid f***ing ducks were still in the middle of the road. I got off my ATV and chased them down the road. Not wanting to go far from my team, I ran back to the ATV then I moved up the ATV, and got back off. I did this about 5 times. I caught one of the stupid ducks and I threw him off the side of the road. Then I continued moving up a few yards getting off chasing the stupid duck down the road and then getting back on the ATV. I cannot tell you how long I did this, but I must have gotten off my ATV a minimum of 20 times. I was soaked with sweat and my dogs were screaming the whole time. Finally I was able to chase the stupid thing down someone's driveway. This house must be a half mile from the farm. Of course Tymber and Gynger wanted to go down the driveway. I lined them out, went back to my ATV, and they turned down the driveway. I got off, lined them out, bit them in the ear, got back on the ATV, and they went back down the driveway. I must have done this pattern a dozen times. I was so pissed off. The last time I picked them both up by the harness and tossed them in the road, I bit them on the ear so hard that they screamed and I did not let off. They decided that they would continue home. When I got home Scott was already in bed. I made him go out and take care of the dogs. Then I had him go to the farm. He called me when he was at the farm. Apparently nobody was home. He could not find the injured duck...he probably went off and died somewhere. At one point Scott said "There is a spot with a lot of blood and feathers." No sh*t Scott, that is where they tried ripping the duck to pieces. I never did take out the "A" team.
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