My new friend

[skeetbum]

With time on my hands and temps rising quickly as the day progresses, I went to Woods Res. early this morning. I have a firm belief that at certain times we are spoken to for reasons beyond our understanding and this, as you will read, was one of those times. Loaded up with my trolling gear and a couple of light jig rods I idled out looking at the lake I had all to myself, no other trailers at the ramp. A very good feeling. I haven't fished by the Pumping station for almost a year, but following something inside I headed that way. The pumping station has had the reputation of being the Candy Store, so you can imagine how much fun has been had there in the past. Motoring over that way i got the feeling that I needed to hit the downed on the left first. Shut down, dropped the TM and set up to cast the tree. First cast just hit the water and something caught my eye to my left. It was either a young or female Loon had gotten tied up in an abandoned limb hook and had been there long enough that it could barely move as I approached, all but done in. All of us have witnessed the indiscriminate way these things kill and are left unchecked, and I'll not say how I truly feel but I have a feeling you already know. I put down the rod, and said "I can't stand for this" and got out my little Case knife that is always in the pocket. Grabbed the branch the nylon string was tied to, cut the bird loose and brought it aboard. For those of you that don't know, Loons have a 4 1/2" face mounted spear that demands respect. This bird was so done in that it only made 1 or 2 half hearted attempts to defend itself, and this made me even madder yet. Grabbed a towel I keep in one of the hatches and draped it over the birds head and went to work. Holding the head thru the towel I cut off the string that was wrapped around the birds right wing, but there was more. Unwrapping the tag end I finally made my way to the rusted hook that had to have been there for a month or more before the bird got to it,which had wrapped itself onto the leading edge of the wing. Unhooked, checked for raw skin, felt for broken bones, found none so I released the bird and walked to the front of the boat. The bird walked to the rear of the boat to the drivers side of the motor and settled down, panting hard, no doubt stressed out bad, and thoroughly saturated. I started to fish, talking to it some in a calm voice, and worked my way from that point, past the candy store, across the creek mouth to the far side and fished a cove that had given up many crappie in the past but was a ghost town this day. 45 minutes after I picked up my hitch hiker I moved to pick up a tackle box about half way to the back of the boat. My new friend must have gotten enough rest 'cause he flapped his wings about 3 or 4 times, landed about 10 feet off the back of the boat, settled the wings and paddled off into the sunrise. Spoken to, for reasons beyond my comprehension, to do what no one else was there to do? I'll leave that up to you. I can safely say I know how Jack Hanna sometimes feels. I will also say that sometime in the future you may hear of me in trouble with someone over cutting these abandoned lines because I intend to remove every one I can. Thanks for taking the time to read this, tight lines......Skeet

PS.....I finished the day having released 18 keepers and home before noon.

[arf]

Good on you.

[jaxsprat]

you done good, loon or no loon that ain't the way he should of been left before you came, thanks

[stormcloud]

Good story. Good deed.

[huntinslabs]

Awesome Skeet! NO critter should suffer.

["G"]

Good job

[kickingback]

Very cool. Nice of you.

[Rees Guide]

Good deal Skeet, one happy loon now!!

[Redge]

Great story, and great job on helping out!!

[yankee doodler]

Great post Skeet and well done my friend!