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In Other Words<br />
Bearing with Bud<br />
Sharmane Hindbo • Alberta, Canada<br />
The relationship among me. Bud,<br />
and Micah is somewhat abnormal<br />
to some people—but you can't<br />
imagine how much I depend on<br />
these dogs!<br />
Last May I went up to our camp (we<br />
run South Ram Outfitters, specializing in<br />
non-resident Bighorn Hunts in Alberta's<br />
Rocky Mountsins) to stay in the cabin for<br />
the long weekend. There was about a foot<br />
of snow and I wanted to get into the cabin<br />
to get a fire going. I couldn't find the key<br />
to open the door but Bud and Micah were<br />
quick to realized that the cabin was already<br />
inhabited!<br />
They did laps, scratched on the door,<br />
and tried to find holes in the floor for at<br />
least an hour before I finally found the<br />
key. I barely opened the door and they<br />
were inside treeing packrats. Packrats<br />
are extremely busy rodents. They were<br />
into virtual housekeeping, stockpiled<br />
mushrooms, horse hoof trimmings from<br />
the corral, leaves, pine and spruce cones,<br />
twigs, anything you can imagine. They also<br />
had their bedroom complete with chunks<br />
of foam and lots of grass clippings not to<br />
mention the "bathroom"area. Unbelievable,<br />
but needless to say there wasn't room for<br />
me in their house. I had been ousted!<br />
Micah, like her mother and sisters is an<br />
amazing rodent catcher. She grabs, flattens,<br />
drops, and moves to the next victim. A little<br />
graphicI realize,but essentialwhendealing<br />
with mice or even the big blue flies! Bud is<br />
the tracker and tree-er, if that is a word. I<br />
think he takes lessons from ourPlott hounds<br />
but he'd never admit it. After Micah had<br />
captured #1 rodent and hauled it outside.<br />
Bud was hot on the trail of partner #2. He<br />
had it treedontop of somefoamies waiting<br />
for Micah to return to finish the job. After<br />
all the fluff settled they strutted their stuff<br />
and marked their trophies like they make<br />
"Boone and Crockett" records. It was<br />
hysterical to say the least. This isn't the<br />
best crowd control but it sure makes for an<br />
entertaining afternoon!<br />
Bud and Creston, daughter ofB & M,<br />
also saved my skin quite literally this fall.<br />
We were at our base camp overnight, ready<br />
to move to fly camps in the morning. I had<br />
packed and balanced some ofthe packboxes<br />
and set them near where were would be<br />
packing the horses the next morning.<br />
They were tied and covered with tarps.<br />
The guide has a male, 1.5 years old from<br />
B & M who is a very nice dog—but camp<br />
is Bud's territory so Bud doesn't welcome<br />
these "boys" even ifthey are his sons. Bud<br />
woke me about just before daybreak with<br />
some growling and generally acting like<br />
something was up. I scolded him because<br />
I "thought" it was just the other male that<br />
had set him off.<br />
He continued to grumble as I got<br />
up, went to the camp kitchen, and lit the<br />
stove. I didn't light the lantern because "it<br />
hurts my eyes that early in the morning".<br />
So, I was using a pathetic flashlight that<br />
was in desperate need of new batteries.<br />
Meanwhile, I heard something in the<br />
packboxes but was so preoccupied with<br />
other things it didn't register or set off<br />
any bells! The pack boxes were no more<br />
that 40 feet from the cooktent. The guide<br />
also heard something in the boxes but he<br />
thought it was me. Then we went for our<br />
morning outhouse break. Bud and Creston<br />
went loyally with me.<br />
I heard something in the bushes and<br />
just thought, all within a matter of a few<br />
seconds, "Whatare the horses doing there?<br />
They are outside the electric fence ... I<br />
don't think that's horses, after saying .. .<br />
'hey boys, what are you doing?"'<br />
Suddenly, out ofthe bush and willows<br />
in the dim reach of my little light I saw,<br />
Bud and Creston saw ... we all saw the<br />
Grizzly! But not just standing there but<br />
charging with teeth and claws all headed<br />
toward us I You cannot believe how scared<br />
I was.I still get goosebumps and teary eyes<br />
to realize just how close we got.<br />
Bud was then in front of me in full<br />
guard mode. Little six-month-old Creston<br />
was right in there too reinforcing her dad's<br />
counter charge. I was screaming—and I<br />
don't scream well! I don't have a soft girl<br />
scream, it is something I need to practice<br />
I guess. I jumped up and down, somehow<br />
remembering to make myself look bigger<br />
while this black frosted critter snarled and<br />
snapped toward us. You have to realize that<br />
in order to run I wanted to be sure that I<br />
wouldn't fall down, almost impossible on<br />
that terrain, but God had wings attached<br />
to my feet I am sure. I ran down into the<br />
willows toward the camp and fortunately<br />
the Griz had called off its bluff! Some<br />
bluff—I believed it!<br />
Bud and Creston gave chase and<br />
honestly saved me. The bear had gotten<br />
into the pack boxes about the same time<br />
that I was lighting the stove. You have to<br />
realize that with a strong mountain breeze,<br />
the wind direction can make it difficult<br />
for a dog to pick up a scent and bears are<br />
extremely quiet! The bear helped itself<br />
to the pack boxes then dragged its "kill"<br />
toward the trail. I surprised the bear with<br />
its kill, which caused the bear to charge.<br />
I have had it reinforced that I should<br />
trust my dog. Later in that hunt. Bud and<br />
I were out scouting and he sensed bear on<br />
the trail and I didn't doubt him. The next<br />
day the guide and hunter saw another Griz<br />
on the same mountain ide where Bud had<br />
the strong reaction.<br />
This dog is amazing! We have had<br />
other bear encounters together and I have<br />
taken safety for granted. I now realize that<br />
we can't afford to question his instinct.<br />
I hate to go to camp without him<br />
or Micah or now even Creston—a little<br />
ridiculous I know, but when you are alone<br />
in this wonderful wilderness, these little<br />
Aussies are your BEST FRIENDS!<br />
Bud has been a struggle sometimes<br />
and I defend him with people that don't<br />
appreciate or realize just how wonderful<br />
dogs are. They are work, it takes patience<br />
and some smartssometimes,but thesedogs<br />
are more that worth it.<br />
AUSSIE TIMES 1 <strong>July</strong>-<strong>Aug</strong>ust <strong>2005</strong> 115
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