Posted on 11/02/2007 9:57:28 AM PDT by george76
Not at all. It's still a fox and shy. Whenever they kill a fox and send the head to Anchorage the report always comes back positive--rabies.
We live 110 miles down river from dawson, in eagle. Right Whale is telling the truth, this time; (just kiddin). Rabies very prevalent around here. My neighbor had a dog that contacted rabies. He had to cut off its head, ALL OF IT and send it in for exam.
We kept dog team for like 14 years and I gave all but rabies shots, and local woman did that for free (need state license for rabies).
In most of the villages, only the smart, strong, and best dogs are allowed to live. Indians very functional people you know. They don’t feed dogs as they are convinced it makes more aggressive dogs to run bear outta village. Trouble is dogs eat each other, and tear up kids now and then; none ever get shots. But here’s the best one: We taught at a village once and it seemed every 6 months new puppies all over the place. Then at 3-4 months they’d shoot all the puppies and new litter would be born soon after. I once said, why not just spay the females and Indians told me why would they want to do that? They said the puppies purpose on this earth was to give kids something to play with and that’s it. Left me scratching my head???? but I ain’t even saying they are wrong. I don’t judge other cultures especially being the only white boy in the village, ha. Imagine humane society people tryin to tell Indians this or that; they’d get fed to the bear.
It’s still quite common to hear about white people eatin dog meat up and down the river, no joke; Lewis & Clark style. You can’t be just giving extra dogs to anyone around these parts. People get mad when they figure out that someone ate their Fido.
“L48 *know nothings* have fought Alaskan wolf population control programs for years - because they don’t have to live with the results of lack of wolf population control.”
Rant away, my FRiend. We’re starting to have some serious coyote problems here in southern Wisconsin. And with the rate that the weather is changing due to us coming out of ‘The Little Ice Age’ (it’s NOT “man-made” Global Warming, it is what it is; a WEATHER CYCLE that we all just happen to be living through!) I can see wolves moving further and further south in Wisconsin in years to come. However, I find some consolation in the fact that the ugly, stupid, useless Possum will, in turn, move further NORTH, LOL!
Vaccinate your dogs, especially if they’re working dogs and are your bread and butter. Duh!
I’m down to one Basset Hound for now, but I see two new Lab pups on my horizon. And they WILL be vaccinated and they WILL have a good life. :)
We have a pack of coyotes running around the North end of ANchorage, out by the air base. So far, all they have eaten is some pet food and a couple of small dogs.
Eagle River (a burb) has an active pack of wolves.
You may keep all of your Possums to your own selves.... : )
Interesting story about village life.
When you had your team, did you ever run in the Percy DeWolfe?
People used to say that dog teams were better than snowmobiles; because you can’t eat a snowmobile if you’re stranded in the bush.
Never run the percy, thought about it. My one buddy runs percy every year and quest about every 4th year. I just did the 3 day a week thing, would run them 45 miles downriver, then back after rest.
Dog team is only way to experience Alaska. I ripped ACL off bone on glaciation with dog team, knees started going after that. Once 30-50 below, after 2 weeks runnin dogs, I ended up on crutches, had to give it up. We fed fish but also I’d buy a ton of national, 1400 every year, got spendy to keep dogteam.
I shot at wolf a few months back on river, but he was bee lining to brush and too far off. We got a few caribou today, got down Jack Wade at 10:30 and had them loaded and on way home by lunch, Kinda hunting I prefer. All kinds wolf tracks, but most wolves tend to follow the caribou migration anyway. I see tracks but never get good shots at old wolf.
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