I'm doing a pole line survey for a proposed fiber route through some really hilly country, very rural for being on the road system here. Some of the spans are well over a 1000' and drop 400' or more. Fun stuff. We were tieing down some poles in a sparsely populated area when I hear something behind moving quickly towards me. I glance over my shoulder and what I at first think is a bear is coming at me turns out to be what I think was an Ovcharka (a Russian breed, lots of Russian influence in AK) of rather large stature. No growl, no bark, just teeth bared, coming in for the kill. The rover swinging his way must have given him pause because he stopped in his tracks and started circling. I think I now know how a moose feels when it's surrounded by wolves. I didn't want to shoot the thing, but I would have if I could have collected my wits fast enough. I love dogs. He finally backed off much to my relief, but never let us out of his sight until we left.
Really glad not to be ending my week in the ER.
Wow. I think that is why I say I hate dogs. Not a popular viewpoint when I share that.
I'm a fan of Cesar Millan "Dog Wisperer" to some extent.
Not all dogs need that level of rehab, but his methods are excellent, for probably 80% + of the canine population.
Look him up on you tube.
N
I like that show but I think Cesar would have been in over his head with this particular hound. I did the right thing and stood my ground. Had I turned my back to run, it would have been all over with.
Thru past experiences with various critters of many forms and shape, I have developed a comfort zone.
Does not matter what it is, if it is attacking with force and has the potential to harm, it is going to be met with force and if it can't be repelled, it is going down.
I really dislike the heelbiters, those cute little critters that may or may not make a sound that stand their distance away while you are looking at them and once you've turned your back they don't make a sound and are on you with all they got.
The most vicious critter I've come across was a mutant cow that stood over 6ft at the shoulders and had horns that went near straight up for about 18in and did not like anything in her pasture. That was on the hill between the old drive in theater and the railroad in Jacksonville, Texas.
I've met a few other surveyors that found the same critter and got ran out of her pasture also.
The owner had a lot built 10ft tall from cross ties that connected to a dead end street that we used to escape the beast.
Glad you got away without any harm.....
One time, a long time ago, East of Mena, AR, I went to a little store, at noon. I went to visit a tree, (old time store, no facilities) and as I came around the corner, a dog met me with teeth barred, and he was airborn, flying for my face. I reacted before I could think, and gave him a side-uppercut to the jaw. It spun him about 170 mid air. He took off, and I never had more problems with him.
Nate
I hope you carry extra shorts in the truck!:-O
I like dogs, I just don't trust dogs that belong to other people. I've befriended dogs only to have them try to bite me a few minutes later. I handle aggressive dogs by becoming the aggressor. I advance on them while yelling and swinging my arms and any handy equipment. Most decide that I'm not worth the trouble.
I've been bitten 3 times. Charged by a 200 pound St. Bernard who stopped just short of a range pole going down his throat and out his other end. Multiple heel biters have been punted into the end zone.
This was closest call I've ever had of suffering some serious hurt.
And still I love dogs.
Never been bitten while surveying....bitten twice while jogging..
The one's that don't make any noise mean business. A dog that barks is usually actual "scared" of you. Maybe apprehensive is a better word.
The worst mauling I've ever experienced was from a Collie that never made a sound. Her name turned out to be Valentine. Personally I think her name should have Atilla the Hun or Jeffrey Dahmer...:pinch:
Glad you survived that one. Tell me, how much like ice-water did your blood feel when you thought it was a bear?
Something I try not to think too much about Paden. I was just relieved it was a dog and not a grizzly. What I've been mulling over, had it been a grizz, I really don't think I would have had the time or wits to draw down on it before it would have been on me. It was just a dark blurr coming at me in my peripheral vision. I agree the dogs that don't make a sound are all business. It's that time of year here when bears are a concern, but not something to lose sleep over. Let's just say I got a not so gentle reminder to always be aware of what's going on around me.
Bears
I grew up in the Rockies. As kids we use to ride our bicycles up to a place called Chalk Creek, outside of Buena Vista, CO. The ride up was exhausting. The ride down was heavenly!
One early summer day we apparently caught a bear's eye as we were tooling along. The slope up the hill from the road was really steep as only mountains can get. My buddy heard (or saw) the bear charging at us from up the slope. Before we could really even think the bear hit one of those wonderful Forest Service field fences that it didn't see. That thing bounced backwards like it had hit a rubber band. It was probably 75 or 100 feet from us.
I didn't know ten year old kids could pedal so fast.
We were always wary up in the hills. Most of them were black bears, but there were grizz up there, too. At least one or two deer hunters a season got crosswise with the bears. I've seen a bear (from a good distance) tear the snot out of stump. I guess there was bugs or something in there. It had it's ears laid back and was pissed as a creature could be. If people could see the wrath and anger that something that weighs north of 300 pounds can dish out...they'd have a healthier respect for those critters.
I've found that most animals will react that way if they're not determined to get you. I've even bluffed down two brahma bulls at once.
Bears
Last summer a tourist from San Diego tried to get a close up photo of a grizzly in Denali National Park to post on his FB page. The bear ate him. Apparently he got some outstanding close ups but someone else had to download the camera.
Had a pack of feral dogs scoping me out one day. I called on the radio to my party chief. He was about 100 yards away and would not have made it in time to assist in case they attacked. Them dogs stared me down and I right back. My ex had a 3/4 wolf + Huskie so I was not new to this kind of intimidation. In the end it weren't no big deal. Me and the huskie/wolf traded some blood so I figured I had "wolf spirits" on my side. I have a poster of some 5 wolves staring at the camera. That poster is on my wall and I call them "my watchers" because they look like they are watching me and whatever goes on in the house.
Back maybe 30 years ago, my best friend sent me a little news blurb from Outdoor Life or Sports Afield. It seems that a utility crew was working in a large Georgia swamp when they were attacked by a large pack of wild dogs. They fought them off with axes and chain saws.
Must have been exciting.
Close Encounters of the Human Variety
We were on a ridge top here in WV Friday collecting GPS data on a corner. I heard something coming up the hill towards us through the brush. I knew from the sound it was something big, either a bear or a deer. We started making noise trying to make it change course but it kept coming. I could hear that it was just about to bust through the brush and I started yelling "Hey! Hey! Hey!". No response. It kept coming. I pulled my pistol and waited for it to show itself. A man busted through the brush much to my relief, although he filled his britches when he saw the barrel of my gun.
I was walking a tract line along a top of a slope in search of tract monuments and though there were several types of fences running along the tract line at different lot lines, and many lots had there dogs..all of a sudden, two Pit Bulls come charging me with aggressive barking freezing me in a standoff about 10' in front of me, with only a 48" lath in hand for my defense, I just starred them down knowing I could only spear one of them down the throat if he charged me. All I could think of was my martial arts training from 25years past in what I must do to defeat two pit bulls. Though it felt like a very long time..I could hear someone yelling at the dogs from afar and more time passed before the dogs retreated. Needless to say, I did not finish the monument recovery that day and I had already found the couple monuments I needed anyway.
Close Encounters of the Human Variety
better him than you.
