Pennsylvania Game News - February 2012 - 39

NorthamptoN — WCOs  often  invite  different  folks  to  help  process  trapped  nuisance  bears  before  relocating  them.  First-time helpers are usually fascinated by  the events from tranquilizing and tagging  both  ears  to  pulling  a  tooth.  With  one  bear I processed, though, it was I who was  fascinated. Fifteen-year-old Adam Taylor  came  with  his  parents  to  lend  a  hand.  Adam helped with ear tags, pulled a tooth  and  inspected  the  bear  from  head  to  toe  with  his  hands.  He  asked  question  after  question. I’ll remember this particular bear  processing for a long time because Adam  is blind. — WCO Bradley d. Kreider, Cherryville

Quite an Experience

allegheNy — The Hampton Police Department requested my help with a home invasion call that they were not comfortable handling. When I arrived the “home invader” turned out to be a large 8-point  buck that had gotten its antlers tangled in a badminton net alongside the house and  fell into a window well, and then kicked  in  the  basement  window.  The  deer  fell  into the basement, pulling the poles from  the net to the window, keeping the deer  tethered  with  about  10  feet  of  running  room. This, of course, set off the burglar  alarm and the police responded to a home  invasion. A well-placed dart put the deer  into a more manageable state, as we cut it  free from the net and took it out into the  driveway. The deer had only minor injuries  and after some quick treatment was on its  way. Update — This buck was harvested by a  hunter on the last day of archery season. The  hunter called to inquire why it had a red “do  not eat” tag in its ear (the drugs used to sedate  the  deer  made  it  inedible),  but  he  enjoyed  hearing the story. — WCO dan Puhala, PittsBurgh NorthumberlaNd/moNtour — In  our  daily  paper  we  have  a  cartoon  that  from time  to  time  depicts  two  squirrels  up  a  tree and every time someone walks under them, they throw a nut at their head and it  always bounces off, catching the individual  by surprise and bringing him or her back to reality. One day while driving through  Danville,  I  watched  as  two  squirrels  ran  across a powerline that stretched from one side  of  the  street  to  the  other.  The  lead  squirrel  had  a  large  walnut  in  its  mouth  and halfway across the road, it dropped it.  The walnut bounced off the roof of a car in front of me, whose driver was talking on  her cell phone. She slammed on her brakes  and was instantly snapped back to reality.  Makes  you  wonder  if  that squirrel  writes  cartoons on the side. — WCO riCK deiteriCh, danville
39

Get Out of Jail Free Card

Got Her Attention

Fayette/WestmorelaNd — I  was  setting  a  culvert  trap  to  catch  a  nuisance  bear,  while  the  landowner  and  a  few  of  his  grandchildren  watched  with  interest.  When  I  loaded  the  trap  with  cakes  and  donuts,  one  grandson  became  extremely  interested.  The  last  cake  I  placed  in  the  trap  was  covered  in  thick,  peanut  butter  icing. The boy immediately asked how soon  I would be checking the trap. I told him I  would check it the next morning. The boy  paused for a moment, and then said that  a  night  locked  inside  a  bear  trap  would  be  well  worth  the  peanut  butter  icing.  The next morning I was relieved to find a  325-pound bear in the trap and not the boy. — WCO JasOn d. FaraBaugh, sCOttdale
FEBRUARY  2012 

Got the Intended Target
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2012

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