A True Pig Story By Pigs4Ever's Dottie Eggeman
PART 1
On Friday June 9, 2000 we had a message on our
machine about two potbelly pigs running loose.
Basically the message said: Could we come get them?
Otherwise we will have to shoot them! Well, you KNOW
my husband and I were going to do everything we could to save
those two little pigs.
So on the following Sunday we went over to
check out the situation. Apparently these pigs have
been around for about a year, or at least since fall,
but now are becoming a "perceived" nuisance. Coming
across the alfalfa field and getting into the flower beds.
They are living in the woods, surrounded by about an acre of wild
berry bushes. The woods are across a 16 acre alfalfa
field. Looked real nice and like hog heaven to me. I
still can't believe they survived one of our
Clearwater Mountain Idaho winters, though it is a bit
milder where these people live.
We sat and waited in the driveway of the house,
on the edge of the field, which had been planted but
had no alfalfa growing in it yet, just dirt and weeds.
I finally spotted one in the bushes, but no one would
come out. Richard finally got up and went scouting around
the bushes.
After about 5-10 minutes I heard pig sounds and
two pigs come running out on to the edge of the
field. Little did I know that Richard had quietly come
within about 10 feet of them, talking softly and then
stepped on a wet log and fell on his butt!! No wonder those
pigs came tearing out of there!! Must have sounded like a bear
crashing through the woods. LOL!
I am sure glad I had the binoculars. The woods
were quite a distance away across that field. I
noticed that they were on the small size compared to
my two potbelly's. We estimated one (the female) at
about 100 lbs. and the male at about 40 lbs.
Now came the question "
HOW THE HECK DO WE CATCH THEM?". We
had never done this before. I have two large kennels,
but just don't see how I will get them into them,
since I can't sneak up on them in the woods. So I
asked a few friends who have done some rescue work for
their suggestions.
The first thing out of their mouths was build a
pen, fence them off. I said no that won't work we are
in the middle of a big open field, I can't build a
pen. They also told me that the longer I have to do
this the better. Go out and make friends with them. Start out
by putting food in the place you would like to try and catch
them. Cook something that will smell really yummy. Sit a
distance away
VERY QUITE and let them eat.
Well now that the pen idea wasn't going to work
I set out to make friends with these two pigs. This
was not a hard job, but it did get tiring. I went over
to see the pigs at least once a day if not twice (a
40 mile round trip!). My first chance to go over was Tuesday night.
I was planning on sitting and waiting for them
to come out of the woods, but they were in the field
when I got there. I grabbed the microwave popcorn and
headed out. The good news is that they didn't run. I
threw them some popcorn and of course they were leery, but did come
in closer. Well, I went back to the car and got my bag so I
could have something to sit on, the ground was wet
from the rain we had been getting. Plus the grapes I
brought were in it.
I just plopped myself on the ground and fed
them popcorn and grapes. They had to come in close for
the popcorn as you can't throw it very well.
I discovered that it was a male and female and
at the time I am guessing that she is pregnant, I just
didn't know how far along. She is larger than him and
her teats are hanging some. I got a few whiffs of him
so
I KNEW he was not fixed.
It was fun being with them and having them come
in close at times for the food. Once or twice the
male found himself under my foot trying to get some
popcorn that dropped. I was sitting cross legged. I
even touched him once with my finger on the ear. I just loved their
big eyes looking at me. They were so beautiful.
They are on the thin side now that I have seen
them close up. No bones showing, just sort of thin.
The people whose property the pigs are on said that
someone was feeding them during the winter. They are a
little skittish when I throw the food, but then will come in close
for it. I can't make any quick movements at all.
This morning, Wednesday, they were
WAY across
the field along the edge of the woods. I took
Cheerios, carrots and two bananas. They were a little
skittish but followed me a little ways back into the
field.
I got my bag of goodies again and sat down with
them coming in close and wandering away at times. The
little boy didn't care for the carrots at all. I will
take the microwave popcorn and grapes back this evening.
They seemed to like those the best.
I really just want to reach out and grab them
but know better. I got some straw today from the feed
store and will put some in one of the kennels and will
take it back with me this evening. I am planning on
leaving one kennel there with no door on it so they can get used
to it.
Wednesday evening I took the kennel and put it
in the middle of the field where there is a small
patch of grass growing. I then headed for the woods as
the pigs were nowhere to be found.
I went part way up one of their trails and
started shaking the bag of popcorn and smacking my
lips. After a few minutes I see the bushes in front of
me start to move. I am like
"I sure hope that is you and not something else up there moving around!." Well it was Bonnie. Yes, they have been named Bonnie and Clyde.
She poked her head out of the bushes looking at
me. I backed up some leaving a trail of popcorn for
her to follow. She came to a log but wouldn't cross it
so I backed up some more. I decided on reinforcements
and got the grapes too. She came across and would root around for
the popcorn and grapes, but no Clyde.
I think we were alone for 10 to15 minutes
before Clyde showed up. He wouldn't come down the
trail that we were on and used another one to go out
into the field. So it was just the two of us in the field while
Bonnie was making sure she got every thing that I had thrown
on the trail.
I wasn't able to lure them to the kennel so I
left a few goodies around and in the kennel. I did
watch from a distance before I left. They went near
the kennel, but would have nothing to do with it.
Thursday, I didn't get over till the evening
and this was the first time there was some sun. They
were over at the edge of the woods and went into the
brush when I came towards them. I shook the bag of popcorn and
called their names. Bonnie was the first one to poke her head
out and come over to me.
I just sat down right there and started feeding
them. I had some french fries this time. Both of
them to took a fry out of my hand. Then I would sit
with my hands on my legs and Clyde thought that my
fingers looked just like french fries and would try to take a
bite. I learned quickly not to leave my fingers out.
I then moved us right next to the kennel and
laid a few french fries on the edge of the kennel. It
took awhile, but Clyde did eat them. They had not
touched any of the food I had left in the kennel the
day before. Bonnie continued to eat out of my hands.
Friday morning Richard went with me for the
first time. When we pulled in the driveway they were
at that end of the field grazing. I got out with the
can of Cheerios and they followed me up to where the
kennel was.
Once there I had Richard feeding them and
calling their names. He even laid on the ground and
had them coming up to him. We were sitting apart from
each other with space for them to go in between us. Bonnie
didn't seem to have a problem, but Clyde said no way.
We took some goats milk and put it in some old
bowls that we had. Clyde wanted nothing to do with it,
but Bonnie sure drank it up. They also liked the
blueberry pancakes that I had made that morning. We
didn't stay long as the sun was finally out and it was getting
hot fast.
We made an attempt at catching them on Sunday
with no luck. We took lots of food and some wine
coolers in hopes of getting them drunk enough to grab
and put in the kennels. What a joke that was. After 7
wine coolers each the only affect was they had to pee! Back to
the drawing board.
Bonnie & Clyde Pig Rescue - PART 2
On Monday, June 19th, I went over but didn't
stay long as it started raining. They were at the edge
of the field and came out to the center when they saw
me. I noticed that Clyde's hair around his neck and
shoulders was standing up sort of like a punk hair do.
He was also being a skittish again when I would throw the popcorn.
Well upon a closer look I noticed several
scrapes on his left side. I just prayed that Bonnie
had done it and not some wild animal. He was keeping
his distance from her too and not head butting like he
had been. Clyde also had blood running down his right ear from
the top of it.
When I went to leave I asked Jim if he had seen
them fighting this morning. He said yes and that
Clyde was squealing too. I guess Bonnie had had enough
of his picking on her and put him back in his place.
It was cute watching Clyde run across the field
and back into the woods to keep from getting wet.
Bonnie hung around a little to make sure she had
gotten all the popcorn and water. Then she casually walked
across the field and into the woods.
Tuesday June 20th we tried some acepromozine
pills with a beer chaser which someone had
recommended. It had no effect on Clyde at all. After
about two hours Bonnie was stumbling a little, but not enough to
catch. Richard and I both made attempts to grab Clyde and
ended up in the dirt. I'm glad no one was there with a
camera. The good news is that they would at least come
back to us after we had tried to grab them.
We finally decided that the original
recommendation of building a pen just might be the
only way we could capture them. On Thursday June 22
the hog panels we ordered arrived. They had to be shipped in,
none to be found in Orofino. Richard bought 4 and we are using
3, setting them up in a triangle formation with two
sides anchored by steel fence posts and the third side
movable.
Bonnie and Clyde hung around while we set it up
that afternoon. We then went in and set the water
bowls and some food at the entrance. They were very
leery, but did come up and in just a little. We left food
and water inside when we left. They seem more interested in the
water since the rain has stopped and it was getting hot.
In fact, while I am pouring the water in the bowls they
will put their noses underneath the running water.
Friday went well I think. I went alone this
morning and just sat at the far end with my bowl of
popcorn, some watermelon and jugs of water. It took
them a few minutes, but they finally came in. I was surprised
that Clyde came in the farthest. Bonnie was leery and would
walk around behind it some. We both went over on Friday
evening and just kept Bonnie and Clyde comfortable
with the surroundings.
Saturday morning went fine. Richard came with
me and just stood at the pen opening. They were pretty
skittish, but did come in and out of the pen. Clyde
RAN in
and out of the pen! Saturday evening Richard came
along again. When we got there the people that own the property
were sitting outside with several chairs lined up. They
invited guests to watch the show!! We were like:
"Oh no not an audience". We even had to move the car so they could have a clear view!
Water bowls were first. They both took big
drinks of water. I filled them again and they dumped
them. LOL! I enjoyed watching as they tried to make a
mud hole. While I sat in the corner of the pen feeding
them I had Richard standing outside the fence where he would need
to be when it is time to close up the pen with them
inside. Both pigs did real good and didn't seem to mind
Richard at all.
Before we left we moved the one section of
fence in about a foot closer, leaving about a 4-5 foot
opening. I threw some more popcorn, filled the bowls
and helped make a mud hole before leaving. We decided
to go for it on Sunday morning early. We did a few practice runs
closing the pen up as quickly as possible. It was going
smooth. We felt like pros!!
On Sunday we got up at 5:30am and were out the
door at 7am. Needed to do this early as we are
starting to warm up during the day now. When we got
there they were at a far end of the field and I had to
go get them to follow me back to the pen area. No problem.
It took a little bit to get them to the far end
of the pen. I had a ton of food, half a watermelon
cut up, a box of Cheerios, a large brown bag full of
popcorn and a bag of dog food. I started throwing it
all and making a nice smorgasbord for them. Richard took his
place outside the pen opening ready to close it on them and
wire it shut.
While Bonnie and Clyde were inside stuffing
their faces Richard moved in and wired the pen closed.
Step one was complete! All Richard had to do now was
crawl over the fence and help me herd them into the
kennels with the herding boards we made. (The herding boards
were made out of plywood, 4' by 6' with hand holds cut out)
Bonnie and Clyde seemed fine, for about 30 seconds!
Bonnie became riled up quickly. She went to one
corner and started head butting the corner, but could
not get out. She then tried to pick up the fence. It
started to rise a bit, but Richard stepped down on it
and ended that escape route. At this point Clyde was starting
to get bent out of shape, but was too small to do anything
serious.
Bonnie then headed, full speed, for the corner
that Richard had closed up and wired shut. When she
hit it the wire split like sewing thread. 14 gauge
wire in 4 different spots!! Richard, being outside that
corner, dove and caught Bonnie but Clyde slipped out the opening.
Bonnie was placed in the middle of the enclosure and we
quickly grabbed the herding boards and pinned her in the
corner with the kennel. As soon as she was pinned,
she just laid there quietly. Richard then picked her
up and into the kennel she went.
OK, one down, one to go!
Richard thought for sure that Clyde was gone.
He was just at the edge of the woods, but still in the
field. I took off with the bag of popcorn and
surprisingly he followed me back! Phyllis did say he would not
leave Bonnie!! It took a lot of food just to coax him far
enough into the pen so Richard could close the opening,
but ten minutes later we had Clyde penned.
This time Richard was on the inside and we were
able to corner him right away and get him into the
kennel with out much fuss. Richard quickly cut the pen
open with wire cutters so we could get them home. Jim,
the property owner came out said it would be okay to back the car
up to the pen on the alfalfa field. He also helped in
loading them in.
We got them loaded and were home by 9am. The
trip home was fine and rather quiet. I was surprised
that they didn't scream when crated and barely moved
around. I had to sit cockeyed as Bonnie's door was
rattling and driving us nuts. Richard stayed with me and our
new babies for about 30 minutes before going back to get the
hog panels, sorting boards and whatever else we left
behind.
I stayed with them for the next couple of hours
throwing them food and filling the large water bowl
that I took from the cats. I wanted them to be calm
and get to know their new home. The cats didn't help at
all!. Inquisitive as cats are, they wanted to check out the new
family members. Tiger (our oldest male cat) would hide
under the wood shed and look out from an opening that
Richard left for them. The look in his eyes was
priceless and I didn't have the camera with me. Clyde
did check out the fence in a few spots, but never made
an attempt to get out.
We are already planing on expanding their area
after we get a couple of trees taken down. We took a
number of pigtures of where they were living and the
pen we set up.
I know that they miss the 11 acres that they
had to roam. But they are now safe and will always
have a home here with us.
