UplandFeathers: Gun Pups, Land Trusts and Beaver

I am absolutely convinced that nature has a sense of humor. On a recent trek through the land trust Cooper and I encountered a tree felled by a beaver. There’s nothing really unusually about that especially since the land trust has a beaver pond within its boundaries. And the tree was a hardwood so common in these parts I don’t remember if it was oak, ash or maple. The thing that made me laugh out loud was what was on the tree.

The tree held a red trail plague indicating that this was the red branch of the trail, which is helpful if you are “Daniel-Boone challenged” in the woods. Obviously the beaver in the area are sick and tired of Cooper and I traipsing near their pond. Well that was a clever beaver indeed and it only took Cooper and I an extra three hours to find our way out of the woods. Cooper didn’t seem to mind. He had the scent of woodcock in his nose. And I was confounded by beaver yet again.