Beauregard was so proud of his find, which he carried aloft like a fabulous prize.
My usual response, "Oh, yuck, what is that?" seems to be high praise for Beau. If there had been a bottom shell, I might have identified it as a painted turtle; the top shell was smooth.
Living the high life here in the country, Beau gets to scavenge treasures from time to time. Deer season, just past, is always good for the odd leg left behind by local hunters. This time, it was a spine, ribcage and head. Beau worked on it for days, dashing off and burying it in leaves when it looked like I might take it for disposal. Finally, all that was left was piles of fur here and there and some grisly but interesting teeth.
The Offal Truth
Cattle farmers nearby don't dispose of fatalities in the herd, preferring to let the turkey vultures do their job. When I see the vultures in the lone sycamore across the way, I know Beau will be coming home with another tasty chew. That is usually after the coyotes have had their fill. Even the impressive bald eagles will swoop to eat carrion, spoiling the national image.
Beau's prize bone was an adult cow's femur, which looked like it came from a mastodon. He worked on it for some time but couldn't grind it up. I had recently gone to tremendous work to establish a new iris bed. I found the plants dug up and the bone placed in their stead. Beau looked hurt when I didn't appreciate his thoughtful gift.
One of the more unacceptable finds was a calf spine and head. After the head had become detached, I put it in a bucket in the cold workshop to get rid of later. It was unnerving to have it appear to stare at me while I used the log splitter there.
No matter what state of decomposition, Beau will try it. In fact, "the deader the better" seems to be his motto.
Once, he threw up something on the carpet that smelled so horribly disgusting that I ran for my respirator before cleaning it up.
My coon hound is not a killer, though. He is great at chasing raccoons up trees. Then he barks ferociously until he is wild-eyed, panting and frothing at the mouth. The last time that happened, the raccoon had the effrontery to fall asleep on a high branch. I saw it later as it crept down and slipped away from the exhausted, sleeping dog.
Living with a canine gourmand brings me a closer look at critters that I might not otherwise see, or want to see. Sometimes, these doggie delicacies are even identifiable.
