Wow, what a thread !
This thread is a real roller coaster. I felt sadness, anger, I shed a tear, I laughed at Richards comment "I'll go listen to 20 minutes of disco music for my indescretion." That was great. I think I'll go home and hug my dogs. Maybe I'll even forgive em for the 180.00 vet bill they cost me last weekend.
I just wanted to share a little story with the group:
Last Christmas, my family and I fulfilled a life long dream of owning a ranch. We purchased 60 acres of some of the prettiest rolling land that we'd ever seen in the two years that we looked. After we closed on the property, me and two buddies went out to clear a path for the driveway and to get started. We worked for several hours clearing out brush and mesquites, and then we decided to grab a .22 and shotgun and to do some target practice. My buddy fired off maybe 10 rounds from his .22 and we were headed for the back pond to see if there were any ducks in there for easy pickins. As we started back to it on foot, a little white truck came screaching up to the entrance we had cleared. A man was screaming at the top of his lungs. Naturally we started heading back to the entrance to see what was the matter. The man was screaming "You hurt my boy", "You hurt my boy". You can imagine the horror that overtook my body as I invisioned that we had hurt someones boy, possibly by a stray shot. We ran to the fence line where the man was screaming and asked us if we had been shooting. We said yes, and he commenced to cuss all three of us a blue streak. By this time, I was already shaking from the thought of hurting someone, but my heart was really palpitating hearing him scream. I set down my gun asked how we could help. The man kept on a screamin and cussing and finally said we should get the @#$()% out of there and that if we didn't, he was gonna go get his .50 caliber and show us what it would do to a man, and that they might find three corpses out there. I was freaking out inside by now, shaking, wanting to try to help the guy if his boy was hurt. Finally the man spoke some final death threats and hurried back to his truck again screaming to get the *&^#$ out of there. I told him that I had just bought the property and that we didn't intend on leaving. I was shook up and decided we better call the sheriff to check on this guys boy. I called 911 and the sheriff showed up about 15 minutes later. We explained our story and asked the sheriff to go and check on the man's boy.
The sheriff explained that the man was ex-cia, Texas Ranger, etc. and that he wasn't about to go back there and talk to the man, and that the man didn't even have a boy. It seems that they had to "TAKE HIM OUT" once before and someone had gotten shot. I thought to myself "What have I gotten myself into"
Weeks later, it was discovered that someone had shot the man's bull, with a high caliber rifle and killed it. I can now, after reading this thread sympathize with his uncontrollable rage. My other neighbor tried to explain to him that we were hunting with a .22 and a 12 gauge and that we couldn't have shot his bull. But he still is not convinced. I fear him, my family fears him, and all of the neighbors call him a madman.
My point in sharing this with you is that I can see how easy it would be to become so enraged that you could do something that you and your wife would regret. Don't let this thing eat at you, make you bitter and make you suspect, hate and threaten everyone that approaches your land to hunt.
I'm not saying that that's what you do, but you seem pretty upset - still !
I have always prided myself in being a safe, courteous and consientious hunter. After your tragic experience, it would be very easy to unload on verbally or physically the next hunter that walks down your road with a rifle, or parks his truck in front of your driveway.
Trust me, I'm not defending the booger that did this to your dogs. They truly are scum. I'm just saying that before the incident, life was probably pretty good for you, and now it would be very easy to be suspicious of everyone, everything and make it your life's ambition to make hunting miserable for the hunters next door on the public land. I admire you all for your honesty and this just proves that men can show their feelings and express themselves. I hope I havent' offended anyone in my sharing and I hope that my story might encourage Richard to get him another dog with which he can experience the GOOD Life.
God Bless All of ya,
Charlie Walther
