Went out in the pond yesterday in my canoe.  As far as fishing was concerned, it was basically a repeat of the last time I went out.  I managed 11 crappies, a 10” bluegill (very nice), and two nice channel cats, one 2 1/2 lbs and one 3 lbs.  The big surprise was finding a Canadian goose trapped in a beaver trap. 

I was casting in one of the small coves where I usually can catch some bass and bluegill.  The cove is surrounded by bushes that reach out into the water.  Then I found out why there was no fish in that area; a goose was back in the bushes flapping around and making all sorts of commotion.  At this point I wasn’t sure what was splashing back in there so, I decided to investigate.  The goose, by the time I got near it was all but totally exhausted.  It’s head was lowering into the water and would soon be drowned if I didn’t hurry and get to it.

I beached the canoe and took off my shoes and socks and weaved my way into the brush and got to the poor bird before it expired.  At first I didn’t know what the bird was trapped in as I have never done any trapping and had never seen a trap like this one but the goose was solidly locked up in the trap by the neck and very tightly.  I could not get the trap opened as I didn’t know how the trap worked mechanically.  So, I pulled out the metal stake that was anchoring the trap and took the it and the goose onto dry land being careful not to make the trap any tighter or to turn the it in a way that may further tighten the trap or twist the neck of the bird; that would surly have killed the bird.  I the noticed that one of the birds legs was also trapped but I managed to free it without doing any further harm.

I could hear one of my  sub division neighbors mowing his lawn so I decided to get help to free the bird.  I told him of the situation and could he get a crowbar and maybe a tire iron to help free the bird.  He responded immediately and came down with two crowbars and a pry bar.  But trying to use the pry bars was not working.  My neighbor recognized the trap as a beaver trap but was unsure how it worked.  After examining the device he managed to release the tension rings that apparently slide up on two parallel bars that were holding the birds neck.  To widen the two parallel bars he used his strength while I tried to slip the birds neck out.  At first try the bars didn’t open wide enough but on a second try we managed to get the bars spread just enough to free the bird.

The goose of course was in the panic mode and burst away from his tormentors as fast as possible.  We took that as a good sign that apparently the bird was bruised but not permanently damaged.

Watching the bird go back to the pond was a relief to both of us, we did our best for nature today and for that I’m glad and so was my good neighbor.

Tight lines

Jim