Squirrels and a Minnow: Using a Squirrel Dog to Pursue Small Game in East Texas
I switched on my turn signal for an immediate U-turn.
“What’cha doing, man?” Adam asked from the passenger seat.
“I saw a dog back there,” I replied as I yanked the wheel and whipped the truck in the other direction.
“Really? Where?” Nick interjected from the backseat.
“It was up the road a-ways. By that rest stop.”
From a bed of weeds on the side of the road, a gangly little mutt sprang to its feet as the trucked pulled into the rest stop. With hackle raised and spine arched, a low growl emanated from its curled lips. I could now see that the brooding dog wasn’t more than a pup, despite the animal’s facade of wolf-like ferocity. The young mutt’s four oversized paws were a tell-tale sign that this dog still had some growing to do before it could fit into its clodhoppers.
Before the truck rolled to a complete stop, the backdoor of the vehicle opened, and Nick was out of the truck and approaching the dog.
“Hey man, be careful! It's just a pup, but it’ll bite you all the same,” I warned.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Nick replied, without taking his eyes off the dog.
The mutt continued to channel its most primal and intimidating instincts, a growl and several frothy barks greeted Nick before he stopped in front of the dog.
The truck was now parked. I looked over as Adam fiddled with a plastic bag and produced a half-eaten Subway sandwich. We jumped out and started moving toward Nick; he was continuing to try and tame the unbroken beast with some soft words and a calming presence. Adam tossed the rest of his lunch in front of the mutt's nose. The dog hesitantly sniffed at the chicken teriyaki. Its tail flitted back and forth, a brief sign of gratitude. It didn't take long for the dog to decide the chicken was safe. It snatched the sandwich, and in two bites, the remainder of Adam's lunch disappeared.
Each of us then crouched down to the level of the dog to appear more like friends than the foes of the dark pine forests to which it was accustomed. We spoke kindly to it, and with each soft compliment, the tail-wagging became more fervid. With just a few cooing sentences, the whole demeanor of the pup had changed. Its tail now whipped from side to side with overflowing excitement.
We walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. Without hesitation, the dog followed and jumped onto the bench next to Nick.
“It’s a girl,” Adam said.
"Yeah, it is," Nick confirmed.
We sat with the dog for a little while, petting its head and talking to it.
"Well,” Nick started, “Adam and I are already proud dog owners," A smile cracked across his face as he looked up at me.
“Yep,” I replied, already knowing where this conversation was headed.
"That's right," Adam giggled. "Neither of us could take this poor thing. But you could." Both Nick and Adam were beaming at me as they patted the young mutt on the head.
I let out a sigh, “Let me call my wife.”
The truck cruised down the highway, back towards the city. I lifted my gaze from the road to the rearview mirror. In the bed of the truck, sat a young dog; her curious eyes looked out over the tailgate as she said good-bye to her temporary arboreal accommodations. Her floppy ears bounced along with every bump in the highway. She seemed entirely at ease as the forest whizzed by, almost as if she knew where she was going. She acted like she had been there before, with us, in that very same truck bed, returning home.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but this young pup would open my eyes to a world of hunting in the South. I would follow her into the swamps and pine forests, where she would show me how to find and hunt the many creatures of the Southern woods. Together, we would learn about squirrel hunting in the East Texas Pineywoods, and for me, it would rekindle a passion for small game hunting. She would be an ambassador for squirrel hunting to new hunters and seasoned hunters alike. She would help introduce the pursuit of those bushy-tailed tree rodents to many of our friends, all of whom would find immense passion in it.
Thinking back to that day, when she showed us her teeth and met us with a snarl, I can only say thanks to Nick, Adam, and Minnow. Thank you to Nick for his reckless approach of the feisty pup. Thank you to Adam for sacrificing his Subway sandwich to bribe Minnow. Thank you to Minnow for bringing a little bit of the wild and untamed forest back with her, into my home, and for being my guide along the many miles of winding creeks and trails, under a dark canopy of pines.
