Out for a morning constitutional, I came upon a really big beaver on the Willamette. I was easing up on him, down wind. He sniffs, turns and looks at me from about 10 meters. He eyes my Pygmy like a starving man eying an ettoufee, thick with andouille sausage, shrimps and okra, a chunk of garlic bread dripping with butter, a tall glass of cold whole milk, and a creme bruler. Starts chugging right at me. My mind flashes on the infamous Jimmy Carter canoe rabbit attack. That beast was actually a nutria (nutrium?), the only slightly less vicious step brother of the beaver. At about 5 meters he slaps tail and dives. Can't out run him; I'll sit and fight. I wait, listening, like the guys in "Das Boot", for the terrifying sounds of gnawing on my hull. The seconds tick by. I haul booty. Unscathed... this time. About 15 minutes later, I spot a coyote loping along the bank below the tank farm. I turn, and give chase. Got a good tailwind; throttle up the HP and start gaining on him, but he loses me in the brush. It was a good morning. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
For those laffing at the idea of Bad Beaver Attacks, a couple of summers back two boys where swimming in the large lake I do most of my paddling in. They were at one of the numerous public beaches and a RABID beaver attacked and bit them both. They had to take the rabies shot(s) as a result. The landing I use was within a couple of miles of where they were attacked and has/had plenty of beaver chewed trees. Wierd to have to look over your shoulder to see if a mad bad beaver was going to come charging up out of the woods/lake to use you like a tree when loading/unloading! 8-) And beavers ain't no little cute fuzzy animal either! They can get big. I've seen adults that had to weigh 60+ pounds. BTW, Louis and Clark thought beaver tail was a delicacy..... Later.... Dan McCarty *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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