Day two in the field and I've already managed to injure myself. I fell right after getting out of the truck and attempting to run to a deer trap. (We are supposed to run when there is a deer in the trap). I felt something pop followed by immense pain. Luckily I can walk!! After cursing myself I managed to walk to slowly towards the trap and was still able to continue to work afterwards. I can rotate my foot, so I'm not sure what is wrong, but it's nothing serious like a sprain or break.
Today was a rough day. We caught on pregnant doe, but she was too stressed so we released her without doing the normal procedures. We also re-captured some fawns. After checking all 23 traps (not 22) we had to remove a rocket net (which is shot at a deer from an airplane, another form of capture). The net was left in the ground for awhile, so much of it was covered in ice. We had to hack away with ice picks before the net was fully removed by being attached to the back of a truck. Then it was off to DNR to help repair deer (clover) traps. Now I'm back home and have changed into comfortable clothes. A nice hot mug of green tea awaits me beside the computer where I must do data entry once again.
At this point I feel very lucky to be put in some a challenging position. Not only am I faced with harsh weather conditions and physical labor, but I'm mentally stimulated everyday. I think after going through this, I will be able to adapt much more easily into new situations and places. I am also getting a great workout! I feel very confident that I can do this job. Today I was assigned to record data as we checked traps. Possessing hearing loss is most undesirable in such cases, however, I was able to catch on after the first few traps and record data somewhat efficiently.
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