Saturday morning I was getting ready to go fishing. As I was packing up the truck, I noticed red spots on my driveway. The pattern appeared to follow the tracks from our van so I drove to where my wife was and looked under the van--nothing. As a precaution I told her not to drive the van until I had a chance to check it out. I also looked at the tractor to see if it was leaking--it wasn't.
Saturday night my wife calls and tells me when she was walking out back with one of our dogs she noticed the red trail went beyond our driveway to the back part of our property. Good news--no problem with the van. Bad news--something was hurt bad.
When I got home yesterday I followed the track. Here's a brief description of what I saw.
Imagine someone taking a 2-3 inch paint brush, dipping it in paint and swinging it at the ground. That's the type of pattern the blood made in the snow and on the ground. At first I thought deer, but then noticed tracks that would be made by a really large dog or a wolf (I don't think they normally come this far south).
The blood trail is at least 1000 feet in length (probably closer to 1500). There are spots where the animal seemed to stop (and the blood pooled).
At this point, I assume one of two things happened.
1. A dog caught another animal and carried it in it's mouth through my property creating the blood trail. The problem with this scenario is this--could a small animal have enough blood to create the trail?
2. A dog (or wolf) was somehow injured and walked across my property creating the trail. But--the blood trail lessens as you follow the trail. What animal could lose that much blood and still walk away. In addition, what type of injury would cause such blood loss and yet appear to stop bleeding after walking a third of a mile.
I realize I haven't provide pictures or any measurable detail, but this sure has me puzzled. With the amount of blood I saw, I really expected to find an animal at the end of the trail. Whatever it was--I hope someone found it and helped it or it's no longer suffering.
Any thoughts?
Bob
Saturday night my wife calls and tells me when she was walking out back with one of our dogs she noticed the red trail went beyond our driveway to the back part of our property. Good news--no problem with the van. Bad news--something was hurt bad.
When I got home yesterday I followed the track. Here's a brief description of what I saw.
Imagine someone taking a 2-3 inch paint brush, dipping it in paint and swinging it at the ground. That's the type of pattern the blood made in the snow and on the ground. At first I thought deer, but then noticed tracks that would be made by a really large dog or a wolf (I don't think they normally come this far south).
The blood trail is at least 1000 feet in length (probably closer to 1500). There are spots where the animal seemed to stop (and the blood pooled).
At this point, I assume one of two things happened.
1. A dog caught another animal and carried it in it's mouth through my property creating the blood trail. The problem with this scenario is this--could a small animal have enough blood to create the trail?
2. A dog (or wolf) was somehow injured and walked across my property creating the trail. But--the blood trail lessens as you follow the trail. What animal could lose that much blood and still walk away. In addition, what type of injury would cause such blood loss and yet appear to stop bleeding after walking a third of a mile.
I realize I haven't provide pictures or any measurable detail, but this sure has me puzzled. With the amount of blood I saw, I really expected to find an animal at the end of the trail. Whatever it was--I hope someone found it and helped it or it's no longer suffering.
Any thoughts?
Bob
