Today, when we drove onto the refuge, I offered to get dropped off first. It meant a long walk to the end of the trap line, but it meant that that one of the students would get to spend more time on the beach. I don't really like walking on the loose sand, so I was happier just walking along the road.
At trap 11, I found a trap that had been dragged out of its usual place. There were a lot of dog tracks and the back of the trap had been opened. The mongoose was gone. Today, as it turned out, we'd also seen a video from one of the trail cams that showed a pack of at least 4 dogs running loose on the refuge. I took some pictures of the scene, replaced the trap, and walked the rest of the way out to the end of the trap line. It was a hot and dry walk.
At the end, I sat down in the sand and listened to the waves. It was beautiful, with the setting sun and the waves quietly rolling in. Tomorrow is another day.
- Steven D. Brewer's blog
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