| Title: | The Hunting Notesfile |
| Notice: | Registry #7, For Sale #15, Success #270 |
| Moderator: | SALEM::PAPPALARDO |
| Created: | Wed Sep 02 1987 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jun 03 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 1561 |
| Total number of notes: | 17784 |
The relationship between a hunter and the once-in-a-lifetime dog is something that can't be put into words. The communication that is inherent to this relationship can be known only to the hunter and to the dog. Only they can experience this form of closeness. There exists a great love and respect in this relationship that can be duplicated in no other place. It is something that a hunter can not explain to anyone who has not felt this incredible bond. The once-in-a-lifetime bird dog is the most wonderful friend a hunter ever has. It's having the confidence that the two of you will see a bird if a bird is in that field. It's knowing that if 10 dogs have worked a field before you, your dog will find a bird. It's knowing that everyone who has hunted with your dog loves your dog. It's having people that hunt with your dog inform you that they are going to get a "dog like that". It's looking each other in the eye and communicating without any words. It's having well known trainers tell you that your dog has a great nose. It's knowing that your dog is the best dog in the world even though another guy has a dog that fits your description. But that once-in-a-lifetime dog is yours and the dog will only work with you. You are always ready to hunt at the drop of a hat. You picture a field and your dog relentlessly rooting through the brush. You picture your dog sitting still as the ducks move in and the excitement is running through both of you. You grab your shotgun and the dog is ready to break down the back door to hunt with you. I met Willie on the opening day of Pheasant Season in 1985 in a cornfield in Pepperell, Mass. Basically, a guy had two dogs and the last puppy of their litter. Due to personal problems, he had to get rid of all of them. He gave me the puppy, papers and all, for free. He was not the runt of the litter so it seemed like a good deal to me. The dog was 12 weeks old and he took to me on the spot. He was a little scrawny, but I went with the hunch. For the remainder of that year, I would take him along hunting with me. At first he sort of just followed me through the fields. As Winter set in, he grew bigger and stronger and started to move through the brush a little. In the Spring I took him fishing after ice out. This was the first time he discovered he could swim, chasing the trout to the other end of White's pond. In the following fall, he became a decent little duck retriever and he was getting pretty good at flushing grouse back to me in Maine. His interest and dedication to hunting was coming out. He loved to hunt more than I did. I can remember great times we shared as he and I grew together. One day he hunted ducks with me from dawn till 9:00 am. Then he hunted grouse with me till 4:00 pm and the finished up the day retrieving ducks. That night he walked in the house and crashed not to move until morning. One Spring he swam across a pond with two huge geese in hot pursuit. It seems he had been sniffing a nest of young gosslings on the opposite bank. People were egging him on as he made it to the bank an instant before the geese had caught him. One morning at 7:00 am Concord P.D. called me to tell me that a water pipe had broken. Everytime the backhoe scooped out some dirt, Willie jumped in to swim in the mud and it took them five minutes to coax him out each time. Apparently Willie had escaped for a morning adventure. Then there were the many successful Pheasant hunts since we moved to Washington. Getting Willie out twice a week for 3 months each of the last 3 years really helped him become my once-in-a-lifetime dog. I loved this dog. When we bought our salmon boat, he turned out to be a pretty good fishing partner too, although, Willie thought no more of seagulls than ducks and thought we ought to have knocked off a few that came down to pick up bait scraps. In the 5 years that we have been together since the cornfield in Pepperell, Willie and I have grown up together. I got married and bought a house. Willie befriended Melissa the day she came to live with us. He guarded the house when I went out of town. He became closer to me than anyone else ever had and I never realized it. Willie died yesterday. I took Willie out to our favorite pheasant spot yesterday morning (10/17) for a little hunting before work. We were having a great time. During the hunt, we passed a point where I had seen at least 5 hunting dogs pass without any success. As we passed through, Willie had found and flushed a huge cockbird that I, subsequently, missed twice. About an hour into the hunt, Willie had come crashing out of some hedgerow in his normal brute force manner. He headed to the next spot; a likely looking row of corn. After he took several steps, he yelped once and collapsed on the field. He was about 20 feet from me. I thought he had stepped in a bear trap from the way he jerked his hind leg. I rushed to his side just in time to see the life pass from his eyes. I could see that he wasn't breathing. I desperately tried to perform CPR on him and when I opened his mouth I noticed that his tongue was a faint color of blue. I tried and tried to revive him for a long time, but I realized that in those initial few seconds I had suffered an incredible loss. I was devastated. I'd have given anything to see him move. I knew he wasn't ever going to move again. After trying to regain my composure for a while, I picked Willie up and carried him on my shoulder a mile and a half back to the truck. I just couldn't stop the tears. After taking him to the vet for an autopsy, I found that he was in perfect health but that a blood clot in the brain had taken his life prematurely. Melissa took the news very hard last night. He meant so much to both of us. He'll always be missed. I can't believe how much he touched our lives. Everybody that knew Willie liked Willie. Five years ago he mysteriously came to me in that cornfield in Pepperell, Mass. He left me in a cornfield yesterday just as mysteriously as he appeared. He was truly a great spirit. He was the best friend I've ever hunted with. It is a very sad day when you lose something this great. /brett
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 810.1 | deepest sympathy | ODIXIE::RHARRIS | Fri Oct 19 1990 09:36 | 18 | |
Brett,
Losing a dog is like losing a member of the family. Words can't really
express the loss. Reading your tribute, makes me appreciate my dog
even more, knowing the dog is looking forward to me coming home,
playing etc. A dog is more devoted and faithful then any member in my
family, and her day comes, it will be one of the worst days of my life.
So, you have to enjoy and be thankful for everyday you had with your
dog. I know the feeling you must be having right now. Our family dog
was put to sleep and had its last breath on my lap. That was 2 years
ago and I still tear up when I think about it.
Be extremely thankful that god gave you the opportunity to share time
in life with such a good being, and my deepest sympathy on such a great
loss.
bob
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| 810.2 | HAZEL::LEFEBVRE | Wondering where the lions are | Fri Oct 19 1990 09:38 | 10 | |
Holy cow, Brett...this is awful.
My heart goes out to you and your family. The loss of a dog,
especially suddenly, is no less painful than losing a loved one.
If there's anything that can be found positive about all this, it is
that the dog apparently didn't suffer.
Your wonderful note is a touching tribute to him.
Mark.
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| 810.3 | WAHOO::LEVESQUE | No artificial sweeteners | Fri Oct 19 1990 09:59 | 3 | |
Tears in my eyes, Brett. That was beautiful. All my deepest sympathies. Mark | |||||
| 810.4 | VLNVAX::DMICHAELSON | Fri Oct 19 1990 10:19 | 9 | ||
Geeze, I'm so sorry Brett. I know how you feel, I too have lost a close
4 legged member of the family. Anyone who knows the joys of a dog feels
the loss with you.
The tribute you've given him was beautiful. I had to clear my eyes a
few times. Its too bad your life with Willie was cut short, but take
pride in knowing he loved you and that he was a very special dog.
Don
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| 810.5 | sorry to hear that Brett. | BTOVT::REMILLARD_K | Fri Oct 19 1990 10:23 | 17 | |
re .0
Brett,
I was hoping this tribute I was reading was not going to be a final
tribute to your fine companion. I have a similar relationship with my
lab and don't even want to think about a day without her. I came close
to loosing her a couple of years ago on an icy retrieve, she was
tangled in rope and not doing very well. I was prepared to swim after
her, there's nothing that can describe this bond with hunting partner
but love. I grieve with you, your tribute was a very appropriate
memorial.
keep your chin up.
Kevin
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| 810.6 | may you find him again | WFOVX8::DRUMM | Fri Oct 19 1990 11:09 | 7 | |
Brett,
Sorry to hear that you and your friend willie parted paths. That
they crossed is a God given gift to you and him. May you find your
friend again in some far away corn field.
Steve
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| 810.7 | I Know The Pain | PCCAD1::RICHARDJ | Bluegrass,Music Aged to Perfection | Fri Oct 19 1990 11:16 | 7 |
Brett,
I'm looking a my screen through tears Brett. I'll pray for you and
your family. If you feel the desire to hunt, call me. My dog may
not measure up to what yours was, but she's comming along.
Jim 297-3289
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| 810.8 | Take solace in knowing that Willie died doing what he loved best | SMURF::PUSHEE | Fri Oct 19 1990 11:53 | 0 | |
| 810.9 | hang in there | TINCUP::BILLINGSLEA | Mark | Fri Oct 19 1990 12:32 | 12 |
Brett,
I share in your loss. I know the pain. I lost my buddy, Nelson, a few
years back very unexpectedly. I think that makes it harder too. You
don't have a chance to prepare yourself, as you might with an older
dog.
At any rate, the pain will decrease over time. I believe there is
another hunting buddy out there for you (when you're ready). I now
have two (Louie and Courtney). :-)
+- Mark
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| 810.10 | TO A WONDERFUL DOG | TOLKIN::KCROWLEY | Fri Oct 19 1990 16:43 | 7 | |
Brett,
I'am very sadend to read such a moving story as your's please think
about all the good days you had with your buddy most poeple don't get
to experience such a wonderful dog as yours!
Kevin Crowley
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| 810.11 | A loss for us all... | CUJO::BROWN | Dave Brown | Fri Oct 19 1990 23:23 | 13 |
I would like to say that many times I had the opportunity to see
Brett and Willy in their close relationship that had so closely and
perfectly developed. It was reminicent of the ideal man-dog
relationship that one would read about or fantisize of on cold frosty
autumn mornings. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to go out with
Willy. Brett and I did enjoy a few good hunts together though.
What can one say Brett? Is is apropos though that he both came into
and departed your presence in the field.
Dave
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| 810.12 | DATABS::STORM | Mon Oct 22 1990 11:33 | 6 | ||
Brett, I am saddened by your lost. Your tribute was well stated. It
has taken me all morning to regain my composure enough to respond.
My deepest condolenses,
Mark
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| 810.13 | Life goes on | DECWET::HELSEL | Legitimate sporting purpose | Mon Oct 22 1990 17:18 | 30 |
Thanks to everyone who replied. It was definitly a low point in
hunting, and yes, it's a high point too to have had such a companion.
I know that I will never find that same dog in another dog, but
hopefully I will find another dog that will be equally as wonderful in
his/her own way.
Thanks to those of you who have made generous offers to hunt, etc.
What great people!
What I would recommend is that everyone that has a dog(s) that they
really love......try to get him/her out an extra time....give him/her
an extra rub...maybe an extra steak bone sometime. The one think I
don't regret is that I never took my favorite dog for granted. He
always knew how much we cared for him and returned our affection.
Sorry if this got corny. I just couldn't believe how devasted we were.
We have a two year old bitch that will have to step up and carry the
load. We've also decided to take on another pup. We will take our
time and look around for another springer that's big and broad like
Willie was. The one thing that Willie had going for him was his large
frame. Small and quick is nice, but big and strong goes a long way in
the blackberries. And most of all we'll hope for another dog with a
bionic nose. Or maybe it was his sixth sense....
Anyway, thanks for the replies. It's nice to have you folks to share
it with.
/brett
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| 810.14 | DATABS::STORM | Mon Oct 22 1990 17:40 | 6 | ||
Yea, it is times like that when you realize you won't be looking back
and regretting "I wished I had worked just one more morning instead
of sneaking out hunting with the dogs"......
Mark
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| 810.15 | Good bye Toby... | BTOVT::PEDERSEND | Sears...Damn right Sears! | Fri Nov 30 1990 12:28 | 14 |
Brett -
First of all sorry to hear about your loss. Your story
brought tears to my eyes as well, especially after last night. My dog
(Toby, god bless him) had to be put to sleep last night after a very
short battle with Cancer. It came on very quick so he didn't have to
suffer and the Vet made the right call, it was time for him to move
on to a better place. I'd had him for 15 wonderful years and the
joys of his memories will live with me forever.....
RIP my friend....
Darren
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