Do You Have A Four Legged Prospecting Buddy?

[madtuna]

This was my new pup also called Elvis.

I didn't want a new mate because of the risk of baits, but everybody else said I needed a new dog. I got back home a couple of weeks ago to find this little fella waiting for me.

He was very hard not to fall in love with in the short week I had him. Unfortuately he took a bait and I had to shoot him too. We don't bait anywhere near the homestead and all I can think of is maybe one fell out of the bags when the baits were delivered and he found it. The bait truck driver was the fella who delivered the pup.

Not a good idea bringing a dog out here.

[Steve Herschbach]

That really sucks and I am sorry to hear about your losses. My wife and I always have three or four pups which is a pile of joy but a real bummer when the time comes.

[madtuna]

Thanks mate, and yeah I just won’t do it again. Most of the year I am here by myself so everyone thinks I’m a lonely old hermit who needs a dog. As much as I’d love one it’s just not worth the risk to the dog or the heartbreak of losing him/her

[IdahoPeg]

Madtuna: what the hell is the bait for? So sorry for your losses?

Steve: oh yeah, it’s so tough when their time is up...took me a year and a half to get over putting my beloved toy poodle down when she had endstage cancer. But then saw Lila at the humane society and she filled the void?

[madtuna]

Hi Peg, we have a very bad wild dog problem here. As much as I hate baits and it’s a nasty way to go, it’s the most affective control method we have until something better comes out.

[Jim in Idaho]

Yeah...I have to be careful where I take Heidi, too. Last fall i wanted to prospect a particular canyon and ran into signs warning of potentially lethal traps in the area. They were trapping wolves, and the rancher told me the traps were non-lethal, but even a leghold for a  wolf would probably break Heidi's leg, so I went elsewhere. I also try to never take her into snake country when the snakes are active. She's had the rattlesnake shots every year, but I'd rather not risk it. Limits where i can go, but not a big deal. I can't imagine a piece of gold big enough I'd risk Heidi to have it.

Jim

[Trent King]

My assistant Jaffa  ?

He doesn’t wander away at all, always by my side trying to get me to throw a stick. He drops it on my coil while detecting to force me to stop and throw it .

[klunker]

 Wonderful thread Mr Herschbach!

My best partner just got too old. I Don't think there will ever be another like him so I haven't replaced him. As the old poem goes "I'd given my heart for a dog to tear".

 I hope Strick and Sourdough Scott weigh in. They each have outstanding four legged partners.

[Steve Herschbach]

It's tough Norm when they get on. I swore off any new dogs when we had four (three English Bulldogs and a Golden) go over the course of two years, and it just seemed like two years of heartbreak. My English Bulldog Teddy in particular was real hard on me. But my wife and I would come home and it was just way too quiet... no little happy herd at the door. And so back into the land of furry people we went. And never a regret as all the rest have been some of the best.

This was probably my best behaved prospecting buddy. Actually my fathers pup back in 1979 but I would "borrow" him for prospecting trips. He was a purebred Golden Retriever registered as Autumn Blaze but we just called him Blaze. A perfect trail dog in bear country. He always went ahead on the trail, but never out of sight. He would stop at turns and such and wait. Just a great guy and like most Golden's a friend to everyone.

I liked this photo I took on the trail into my old claims at Stetson Creek, Alaska. Autumn Blaze in the middle of autumn colors.

[alaskaseeker]

Yes losing your friend is heartbreaking for sure