DOTTIE'S FIRST PIG RESCUE,
THE BONNIE AND CLYDE STORY!
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.

By Dottie Eggeman