All Kinds of Animals

Yesterday evening Kate had a burst of energy when I wanted to call it quits for the day.  She decided we should load up the Mule and the truck with screens, posts, and stakes so they'd be ready to go in the morning.  I'm glad she made me do it - we were able to get out of the house rather quickly today.  After a quick stop at the shop to put air in one of the truck tires, I headed to the south end.  Kate took the Mule ahead to patrol the north.

I arrived at the double kayak and headed across.  The water was pretty slack, and it was an easy paddle.  I tried to be quiet as I walked up to the ATV, but a Willet saw me and started its warning call.  I got out my camera and snuck around the dune hoping to find the mother Wilson's Plover sitting on her nest - she wasn't.  Maybe she was out getting breakfast, or perhaps the Willet had given me away.  Though I couldn't get the shot I wanted, I was able to get a couple of her nest.  It's very pretty, made of small shells and housing 3 eggs.

I finished up quickly so not to upset mama plover if she was watching, and hopped onto the ATV.  Patrolling South Middle I only came across one false crawl.  Having the camera with me though, I took some shots of an American Oystercatcher.  They're rather slick looking, with their bright orange beak and eye and are quickly becoming of my favorite shorebirds.  I hope a few nest on our beach, I'd love to see their chicks.

After I was finished checking on all my nests, I headed back to the truck and down toward South Beach.  On the way, I found one of the large traps that Eric had set up occupied by a hog.  Kate had told me there was one in it yesterday, so I assumed it was the same one.  I know they can escape given enough time, and I had the rifle with me, so I decided to put him down.  While I felt a little bad about dispatching the little raccoons, I had no problem with the hog.  They're nasty monsters and cause so much damage to our beach.

With that done, I continued my drive south.  I came to the beach access we use when the tide is low, but the boneyard there was underwater and I had to continue south to our other beach access.  Along the way I came upon another of Eric's traps.  This one too was occupied, but not by hog.  Two deer were trapped inside, and trying desperately to get out.  They kept charging the side of the trap, which is made up of a rectangular metal fencing.  The gaps in the fence are large enough for the deer to stick their heads through, and they were doing this.  I could see that they were bleeding - they were really messing themselves up.  I know from Kate's experience as a zoo keeper, that a frightened deer can break its own neck charging a fence.  I acted as quickly as I could to dismantle the trap and open it up to release the deer.  Even with it open, they took some coaxing to get the run the right way, and no longer into the fence.  I'm not sure how Kate will manage if she comes across the same situation.  I know she'll want to free them too, but the fence wasn't easy to get down.  This kind of thing is a real downer.  I hate to see the deer scared and in pain, but we need to have the traps to get the hogs.  I guess everything has it's trade-offs.

After reassembling Eric's trap, I continued down the road and out to the beach.  I didn't find any crawls as I patrolled to the south tip.  When I was coming back, checking our nests, I noticed the tide had gotten even higher.  I realized I couldn't get around the lower boneyard and back to my road.  I was stranded on the beach, and the tide was still rising.  Desperate to get the truck off the beach I drove all the way to the south end and looked over the dune, hoping to find a road that I knew must be there, but have never used.  Eventually I found it, way back behind the dune and on a steep incline.  With little other choice, I drove to it.  After navigating through some tall grass I reached the hill, put the truck in four wheel drive and low gear, and gave it a go.  I was able to get up and over without a problem.  The road was actually in pretty good shape once I was off the beach, and eventually, it led me back to my normal route.

Passing the trap with the hog in it, I decided I shouldn't just leave the thing there.  I figured it would only scare away the other hogs, rendering the trap useless.  All I had to do was take the hog out of the trap, put it in the pickup, and haul it off.  Of course the thing must have weighed 150 - 200 pounds.  It took several attempts, but finally I was able to muscle it into the truck.  Then I headed home to get the supplies I would need to butcher it.

I took the hog into the woods and went to work on it.  It turned out to be much less gruesome than I had anticipated - still, I'll spare you the details.  I was also surprised at my ability to actually complete the task.  I've never field dressed and animal before, but I must have learned something in my early years separating chickens, when McKinley Market was still Elkins Park Prime Meats.  Thanks Dad.

Once I got home, I got a call from Kate, who was still on North Beach.  There was a raccoon in one of our traps, and she was having trouble finding the eggs to a nest - so I'd need to get out there.  I changed back into shorts, got back in the truck, and drove to meet her.  When I arrived, I was amazed by how much sand she had moved.  She'd dug up a six foot circle, almost two feet deep.  I thought, "if the eggs were there, she would have found them by now."  We talked about the nest for a little while, then I went to take care of the raccoon.  When I returned, I helped her dig some more, then decided we needed to stop.  She'd put in over an hour of work on it, and the eggs just couldn't be any deeper.  The sun was overhead and blazing down; Kate looked exhausted.  We called it quits and headed home.  I gave her the truck so she could get some A/C, and I took the Mule.

When we got back to the house, we went over to the clubhouse where the teachers had stayed to collect their leftover food.  We made out like bandits, with candy, desserts, and some staples.  We also ran into Jim there, and he told us about the turtle that made the nest Kate was having trouble with.  He had taken the group of teachers onto the beach again last night, and they saw that turtle.  She had already nested, and was on her way back to the water, but acting funny.  Jim said he saw her cloaca dragging behind her with a white object, possibly an egg, partially sticking out.  He also said the turtle did not go directly back into the water, but instead crawled along the waters edge while making strange motions with her head.  Jim has worked with turtles for years, and he said he never saw such a thing.  It could be that Kate's nest in fact held no eggs.  Still, all signs point to it being a nest - they don't obliterate the nest (bury the cavity and camouflage the area), unless they lay eggs.  I suppose I'll work on it some more tomorrow.

After our food raid, we relaxed at home for a couple hours.  When we were rested, Kate went outside to put the flowers we had bought into pots.  They look great around the deck, we just hope the deer don't eat them.  I stayed inside and prepared dinner: pork.  It was nice indeed to have a hot meal of real meat for a change.  We also had asparagus and egg noodles for Kate.  She did try a little hog, though I don't think she really liked it.  Maybe in a couple days when I grill up some ribs.