July 2023 - 4

A COUPLE PENNIES
WYOMING
WILDLIFE
VOLUME 87, NUMBER 7 * JULY 2023
State of Wyoming
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
Governor
President
Buck, far right, adjusted well to his temporary home and enjoyed being around Hank, middle and Fisher, left.
(Photo by Robert Gagliardi/WGFD)
Bonding with Buck
By Robert Gagliardi, associate editor
Sometimes a positive emerges from a
negative situation. That's been the case with
one of my best friends and his Labrador
retriever, Buck.
Long story short about my friend - he's
very sick and over the last couple of months
spent nearly three weeks in the hospital. My
wife and I took care of Buck for nearly six
weeks. Buck joined our two golden retrievers.
Needless to say, there was never a dull
moment in and around our house.
I've known Buck since my friend got him
three years ago. Our interactions were mostly
during camping trips. Like most black Labs,
Buck is full of nonstop energy. No matter if
it's a stick, ball, frisbee or pine cone, Buck
wants to chase it and retrieve it ... again,
again and again. Buck is mild-mannered and
wonderful around people and other dogs.
Our youngest golden retriever tests Buck's
patience with his - at times - aggressive
playfulness. Buck handles it like a champ.
Buck's stay at our house was sudden and
unexpected. My wife and I wondered how
it would work with two other dogs who are
the kings of the castle. Would the dogs get
along in close quarters? Would they fight
over food, toys, attention, etc.?
There was some chaos and a lot more
dog hair shed throughout the house, but
in a nutshell, Buck was great and our dogs
were good together. The superstar was my
wife, who works from home and spent all
day and night with these three beasts from
start to finish.
Buck was a constant reminder of our sick
friend. Feelings ranged from worry, concern
and uncertainty. There also was motivation
to take care of Buck so when our friend got
4 | July 2023
better he could reunite with his buddy.
But in the process of all those emotions,
something special happened. My wife and I
developed a bond with Buck, and we think
he did the same with us. In the past we
mostly saw the high-energy Buck that was
relentless - and at times annoying - about
fetching while camping. That high energy
didn't go away, but we did our best to play
with him and the other dogs in the yard as
much as possible.
What we saw from Buck was a sweet,
gentle soul that liked to be close to us -
especially my wife. If we were on the couch
watching TV, Buck was next to her, and
sometimes almost on top of her. Buck followed
one of us around no matter where
we went in the house. He wouldn't lose
sight of either of us. He became playful
with the other two dogs in ways we'd never
seen before.
Buck became part of the family. We
know Buck better, and I think he knows
us better, too.
It was wonderful to bring Buck back to
my friend. Those with pets know how much
of an emotional lift they can be during tough
times. At the same time, and a little selfishly,
it was tough to see Buck leave us. My wife
and I realized having two dogs to take care
of full-time is our limit, but there was a sense
of emptiness and sadness to see Buck go.
We will see Buck again soon, hopefully
on camping trips or shorter stays at the
house as my friend continues his recovery
and journey with his health issues. Seeing
someone close to you struggle is tough no
matter the circumstances. But to do something
nice for him and his family was fulfilling,
and to build a bond with Buck was a
positive experience we'll never forget.
Vice President
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Ralph Brokaw, Arlington
Richard Ladwig, Manville
John Masterson, Casper
Rusty Bell, Gillette
Kenneth Roberts, Kemmerer
Ashlee Lundvall, Powell
Mark Jolovich, Torrington
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Director
Deputy Director
Deputy Director
Chief of Fiscal
Chief of Wildlife
Chief of Fisheries
Chief of Services
Chief of Communications
and Education
Brian Nesvik
John Kennedy
Angela Bruce
Greg Phipps
Richard King
Alan Osterland
Eric Wiltanger
Nish Goicolea
Magazine Staff
Editor
Associate Editor
Creative Director
Contributing Designer
Mark Gordon
Tracie Binkerd
Robert Gagliardi
Patrick Owen
Emalee Roth
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July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2023