Hunting Among Hazards -by Greg Munther
“Hunting among Hazards
I knew that the continuous piercing high screams from my nearby German shorthair Oakley meant something serious. Just out of sight over a small rise I closed the distance and saw her chest wide open, with a tear 4 inches by 2 inches. It was soon apparent she had impaled herself on a limb from a broken tree hidden in the tall grass. The hole in her chest revealed her shoulder muscle exposed and I could see the pulsing of her carotid artery.
Nasty Gash on Greg’s Shorthair
Just a year and a half old I had been anxious to get her on first Mearns quail. She had successfully pointed one covey that Sunday morning, and she was solid on her second quail point of her short hunting life. I approached her solid point and a hen Mearns exploded to my left which I dropped. She went to the first bird and as she got to that down bird, a cock Mearns exploded to my right. I pivoted to drop that bird. Oakley left the first bird to pursue the second and then she flushed a third bird, which she enthusiastically pursued over the hill. That is when I heard her scream.
My options were limited. Hunting solo, I decided to walk her out once it was apparent she was not bleeding extensively. I had forceps and carry a dog carrying pack in my game vest. It was a mile and a half walk to the truck and even at heel she stopped to point twice along the way.
Another pic of Oakley’s wound
Sunday is not a good day to find a vet. One vet recommended either the Tucson Emergency Vet Clinic or the Coronado Vet Hospital in Sierra Vista, which stays open until 3 pm on Sundays. It behooves all bird hunters to have phone numbers of nearby vets readily available. The attending vet spent 4.5 hours cleaning debris from the wound and skin trimming and extensive stitches. I am happy to say she is back hunting after only 2.5 weeks.
In my 20 winters in southern AZ my dogs have experienced slashes from javalina and pursued quail over a cliff, falling over 20 feet. Our hunting friends have snakebites, bad barbwire cuts and other traumatic injuries. The hazards are always out there. Hindsight is 20-20 and some, but not all, mishaps could have been avoided. Being prepared for the worst is best, and knowing close available vets before something happens may make the difference whether your dog survives or not.
Greg Munther is a 20 year snowbird from Montana who pursues Mearns quail and hunts coues deer with his longbow each winter.”