Guinea Hen

11.30.2006 - Now here's a new catch! A Guinea Hen! I suspect that this fine bird was someone's pet, and then it either escaped or was abandoned. Either way, it wound up living on the steps at an apartment complex that I regularly service. This time, instead of removing squirrels from the attic 3-stories high, I removed this feathery friend. Apparently the maintenance crew tried repeatedly to catch it and chase it away, but it stubbornly resisted capture and chasing, and had been living on a particular flight of stairs for approximately a week, and thus I was called onto the scene. As I approached the bird, slowly stalking it with large net in hand and an evil gleam in my eye, I saw it raise its head alertly and prepare to take flight. I knew that it would escape and that I'd have to try again another day, and I didn't want that. So instead, I walked away and hid the net, and put on a fine cap and simply strolled near the bird whisling a tune. My casual demeanor left the hen feeling calm, and I was able to approach it without raising alarm. I whistled and strolled around the bird for some time, and when I'd gained its confidence, I lunged! I grabbed it by the wings and wrastled it to my hidden net place, amidst much sqwawking protest and flying feathers. I threw it in the net and put it in the truck and took it home. The bird somehow gained respect for me, and became my new friend. I let it go on my lawn, and it stayed at my house for many weeks, pecking corn and sitting on my truck and pooping on my truck. At first I thought this was cute, but as the days wore on, I became less and less eneamored with this black and white clucker, and more annoyed. It was scratching up my lawn and chasing the mailman. Finally one morning I