While on my way to work the other morning I was stopped for a traffic light near the base main gate. It was about 5:30 a.m. and there is a tremendous hatch coming off the Yellow Breeches creek right there at the light. After the signal changes I turn left to drive up the street to the gate. All of the sudden something whacks me in the back of my head, nearly knocks my ball cap off and slams into the inside of my windshield! I can barely make out what appears to be the tip of a wing. For some reason the thought of darned big Helgremite pops into my mind. Well, it sure wasn’t any Helgremite!
The next thing I see is a bat sitting on my dash staring at me. Yikes! Now, I am not afraid of bats as they are a part of our natural world but I do not wish to get bitten either. I quickly pull out of traffic as the little bugger is heading towards my side of the car. Then it dawns on me that only my window is down so I lower the passenger side window. I decide to open the passenger door and as I am reaching for the handle the bat makes a dash towards my hand! Thank providence for those aviator reflexes.
Next I attempt to shoo the bat out of the passenger window with my hat. The bat is flying front to back, my hat is going to and fro, all of this is going no where. The bat lands on the dash right next to the open passenger window. Out of the car I go, around to the passenger side. As I open the door to try to get the bat out the bat jumps to the back seat. Aha, it is right next to my big, floppy fishing hat and frozen is shear terror. I pick up the hat, give it a flip. The bat dodges the hat and climbs up the rear seat belt into the rear quarter trim panel.
Great! I have to get to work as being late for military or D.o.D. duty is not something you want to do. So I drive on post, bat and all. After parking the car I open the trunk as that is where the trim panel exits the vehicle cabin. I do not see any bat fly out of the vehicle, it is still very dark outside, but a subsequent strip search of the vehicle has revealed no bat. The bat must have crawled out through the one way vent in the inner fender well.
Thankfully I have a strong constitution. Hope you get a chuckle out of imagining the antics the bat and I went through. We all got a good laugh out of it at work. The family got a hoot out of it too.
I was out night fishing about 2 years ago… all of a sudden there was something on the end of my line… this was no fish… but there was something there!! maybe a big wind knot…
got the line in and started looking down the leader… HOLY (sailor talk…LOL) you wouldnt believe what I said!! the was a bat tangled it the leader…
so how do you get a bat out of the leader??
first cut you line…nope!!! then you have to worry about the line still on the bat…
here is the best way I have found (yes I said it like that because it has happened more then once!!)
carry a pair of leather glove (just somewhere handy… inside the wader, in the the back of the vest… somewhere out of the way)
bats cant bite through leather… pinch the back of the neck (not to hard because you dont want to hurt them)…turn him on his back in the palm of your hand… you thumb and other finger should keep his little wing under control… and clip the line FAST…
Place him on the ground and back up. he will take flight again one he feels safe… these bats seem annoying on the water… but with out the bats…
Eric,
Did ya read that??? Bats can’t bite through LEATHER!!! Wrap a LEATHER belt around your NECK!!! :lol:
Night Angler1 also pointed out that Bats eat skeeters!!! So maybe you could try KEEPING a Bat IN your Escort, to ward off the skeeters!!! :lol:
Were lookin’ out for YOU!!!
Doug
I have no doubt the bat was thinking what a big sissy. :lol: I was wishing for one of those heavy leather gloves I used to wear while welding in fathers’ shop.[url=http://www.thesmilies.com:75876][/url:75876]
Glad you all enjoyed the laugh. Nothing like a funny, true story. Just think of the yarn I will be able to spin this into at the Halloween hay ride.[url=http://www.thesmilies.com:75876][/url:75876]
Eric,
I wish I had been behind you, although I probably would have wrecked my Jeep!
Look at the bright side…a new pattern for the Battenkill when you get a chance to fish there!!
bat= Bridges Almost Tardy. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I LOVE it!!
Mike
Mike,
The bat must have been chasing bugs around the Yellow Breeches Creek bridge that I had just crossed. Now I know how that creek got it’s name! :lol:
Hope you get a chuckle out of imagining the antics the bat and I went through. We all got a good laugh out of it at work. The family got a hoot out of it too. 
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