We haven't met any of our neighbors yet, but we have become friendly (too friendly, if you ask me) with our closest neighbor's dog. In fact, BUD (Big Ugly Dog) met us at our gate the day we arrived at Eegeebegee. He is a fearsome looking german shepherd, with the gentlest disposition. He must not get much attention at home, because after we patted him on the noggin' once he has spent more time over here than away.
I like the fact that we have a big black dog patrolling the premises. But this morning I wasn't happy for his companionship. I was trying to slip into the back forty and call up a tom turkey. I set my decoy out, put my back to a big ole tree, and broke out my slate call. At least three gobblers were sounding off in my general vicinity, so I started in on my best rendition of a hen turkey looking for some love. Two gobblers answered. So did BUD. He came racing into the field and ran up to my decoy growling like it was time to fight for Corps and country. When I hissed, "Git!!", ole BUD spun around and looked in amazement at the bush that sounded like me. I hissed at him again and he took off.
The toms were still gobbling, so I started in again on the slate call. One gobbler was coming in from the right and about the time he closed the distance to 150 yards, and about to come into my property, a shotgun blast ended his trot towards me. I couldn't see, but I guess my neighbor got him. "Wonder why ole BUD is not pestering his owner, instead of me," I grumbled.
I got up to move, and BUD was instantly at my feet.
"Git!"
BUD looked hurt and slinked off.
I walked further back on my property and set up on a powerline where I had heard a gobbler the other day. As soon as I scratched the slate, a gobbler answered. So did BUD. The stupid dog was not going to let me hunt this morning. So, I got up and did a little scouting. BUD thought this was a much better idea than turkey hunting and he raced around me in exploratory circles through the woods.
When we came to the fence at the back of my property, BUD scooted under and into the pasture on the other side. He disappeared into a brushy gully.
Ten seconds later, BUD came racing back out of the gully, looking over his shoulder. He ran up to and through the fence ten yards from me and spun around to face his chaser. I looked back in the direction from which BUD had come, and saw the biggest coyote I had ever seen stopped forty yards away, looking my way. We stared at each other for a few seconds, while BUD barked and growled menacingly from his side of the fence, and then Wiley spun and disappeared.
He's lucky all I had was bird shot in the gun.
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