Dogs and hunting
‘ Bye to a beaut hunting buddy by Tony Orman
The vet held the X-ray up to the light and murmured,“ It’ s not good.”
Of course Jive didn’ t understand, but it hit me with a whack deep inside.
The vet continued,“ It’ s bone cancer in the leg.”
We discussed it while I felt the emotion welling in my eyes. Somehow I fought it off.
“ Jive is coming up to 12. He’ s getting to be an old dog. It would be kinder to act sooner rather than later,” she said, and explained,“ Dogs can be in excruciating pain but they never let on. They’ re always eager for a walk.”
I left the vet’ s with a heavy heart. She was right. I had to be kind to Jive – and“ sooner rather than later”. She
was correct that no matter how dire the circumstances, Jive would always be eager for a walk.
So I took Jive for his last hunt, deliberately selecting a pine forest block where the contour was relatively easy and the forest floor soft on his leg. We saw no deer or pig although there were some fresh deer droppings and pig snufflings in the pine needles. But it was wonderful. I’ m sure he thought so too.
Three weeks later I took Jive’ s ashes to a favourite hunting spot and scattered them handful by handful, punctuated by pauses with memories flooding back. Why, last roar just a hundred metres away, one evening we had sneaked into a position where I knew a big stag and some hinds were.
Sitting down, I took out my camera, ready for some“ shooting.”
Many hunters understand the benefits of having a dog for scenting. Jive had an excellent nose but he also had quality eyesight. Dogs are also very quick to pick up movement that the human eye doesn’ t notice. So it was that in the 2016 roar we sat looking about 60 metres across to the likely spot for the big stag.
Allied with Jive’ s excellent eyesight was his endless patience. He would just sit and look and look; this way, then that way; then back to this and
“ Jive had an excellent nose …”
Jive – superb eyesight and always looking for game
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 196- Autumn 2017 33