off the beaten track

[pheonix]

i had a couple of hours to kill this afternoon, and the dog needed a good walk, so i decided to put my boots on and camera and bins around my neck, and headed for the door.
i went out for a long walk, but today decided to go on a completely different route, as ive recently walked the same path over and over. knowing where to go was not a problem as ive lived in the area for over 18 years, the problem was just choosing which path to take. i decided to take a path to the back of my house which leads to open arable feilds as a friend had said hes seen a buzzard out there alot recently. i was hoping the dog would play ball and allow me to take photos, but he spooked a buzzard from off the ground. i carried on crossed a road (now on a path that is part of the centenary way), through some scattered scrub and saw a male bullfinch that was again spooked by the dog?!
now turning out to be a very nice sunny afternoon i carried on and a couple of feilds later i was looking at badger prints and heard the tell tale mewing of a buzzard, it was actually two circling above the feild so i got to watch their ariel acrobatics for a little while.
having countinued along another roadside for a few hundred metres, i saw something out of the corner of my eye that stopped me in my tracks (and nearly broke the dogs neck as he eagerly walked on). in a hollow to my right two foxes where just laid out in the open about twenty metres off the road. one bolted straight away, the other sat there so i slowly got my camera out, just focused, about to take the picture and the dog barked, it was gone without a trace. so having missed another photo i continued on.
i eventually got back so edgehill woods now feeling weary decided to head home along my more usaul path, the dog chasing squirrels and a muntjac deer, back onto the road and home again.

so while the dog was tired out from getting a decent walk, and i had had a welcome change to my walk, i come to the conclusion: dogs and wildlife walks dont mix, espescially if you want to take photos!

[Pat]

Talking about dogs and wildlife, one of the dogs I walk takes no notice of wildlife,squirrels rabbits can run accross right in front of her and she just watches them! even a semi tame fox that I used to feed used to come over for it's food and it would walk over within inches of her and she just used to look at it, no reaction atall, I only wish all the dogs I walk were like that.

[digi]

I was cycling round Carsington Reservoir a couple of years ago on my mountain bike. In the distance I could hear a huntsmens horn, as I continued to cycle along the trail I was passed by a fox, then I was being chased by the hounds! I think the fox got away in the end but it was a lucky escape for me and certainly not what I had expected.

[glsammy]

Your story reminded me of one of my best memories of my german shepard.
I used to take him for regular walks in Sherwood Forest, near Longdale Lane. One Sunday we arrived and got ready, as we set off a Hunt came charging down one of the paths we take. I called my dog to my side as the riders went by. The hounds soon followed and my dog was sitting and waiting. Soon all the hounds bar one had passed at which point my dog took off and cut the hound off, the hound was crying with it's tail between it's legs, my dog was really enjoying himself, chasing this hound all around the woods. At first I was going to try and call my dog back, but I thought what the heck, the Hunt shouldn't have been where they were, and for once a Hound got some of his own treatment.
Eventually the hound ran to the Hunt riders, at which point I called my dog back.
My dog really enjoyed the chase, not so sure the hound did though, although he wasn't touched never mind torn to shreds..

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by pheonix

i had a couple of hours to kill this afternoon, and the dog needed a good walk, so i decided to put my boots on and camera and bins around my neck, and headed for the door.
i went out for a long walk, but today decided to go on a completely different route, as ive recently walked the same path over and over. knowing where to go was not a problem as ive lived in the area for over 18 years, the problem was just choosing which path to take. i decided to take a path to the back of my house which leads to open arable feilds as a friend had said hes seen a buzzard out there alot recently. i was hoping the dog would play ball and allow me to take photos, but he spooked a buzzard from off the ground. i carried on crossed a road (now on a path that is part of the centenary way), through some scattered scrub and saw a male bullfinch that was again spooked by the dog?!
now turning out to be a very nice sunny afternoon i carried on and a couple of feilds later i was looking at badger prints and heard the tell tale mewing of a buzzard, it was actually two circling above the feild so i got to watch their ariel acrobatics for a little while.
having countinued along another roadside for a few hundred metres, i saw something out of the corner of my eye that stopped me in my tracks (and nearly broke the dogs neck as he eagerly walked on). in a hollow to my right two foxes where just laid out in the open about twenty metres off the road. one bolted straight away, the other sat there so i slowly got my camera out, just focused, about to take the picture and the dog barked, it was gone without a trace. so having missed another photo i continued on.
i eventually got back so edgehill woods now feeling weary decided to head home along my more usaul path, the dog chasing squirrels and a muntjac deer, back onto the road and home again.

so while the dog was tired out from getting a decent walk, and i had had a welcome change to my walk, i come to the conclusion: dogs and wildlife walks dont mix, espescially if you want to take photos!

Too true, dogs and wildlife watching don't go together too well, but would you have seen the buzzard and the bullfinch if the dog had not flushed them out. Shame you didn't get photo's, but at least you (and dog) got a good walk................Jon

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by glsammy

Your story reminded me of one of my best memories of my german shepard.
I used to take him for regular walks in Sherwood Forest, near Longdale Lane. One Sunday we arrived and got ready, as we set off a Hunt came charging down one of the paths we take. I called my dog to my side as the riders went by. The hounds soon followed and my dog was sitting and waiting. Soon all the hounds bar one had passed at which point my dog took off and cut the hound off, the hound was crying with it's tail between it's legs, my dog was really enjoying himself, chasing this hound all around the woods. At first I was going to try and call my dog back, but I thought what the heck, the Hunt shouldn't have been where they were, and for once a Hound got some of his own treatment.
Eventually the hound ran to the Hunt riders, at which point I called my dog back.
My dog really enjoyed the chase, not so sure the hound did though, although he wasn't touched never mind torn to shreds..

Enjoyed reading this, thanks..................Jon