The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

It’s been a cold and wet October at the Fairgrounds. This type of weather doesn’t bother Search and Rescue (SAR) members or their special dogs. The SAR met at the Fairgrounds last Sunday and held their dog training exercises. I was asked to be a track layer. This was something I didn’t know anything about, so was given instructions by Diane Morrow, the trainer for the six dogs in the SAR program. I was given a walkie talkie, a flag, some pink tape and four objects to hold so my scent was on them. Then I was shown where to start my track laying. I walked close to buildings and between buildings. I went out into the fairgrounds park and went in circles and also straight but added corners and zigzags to my track pattern. I dropped my objects by my tracks, I only had four objects, so they were really spaced far apart. After laying out a long trail, I finally wandered off into the park bushes and sat behind a big cedar tree and waited hoping to be found. I used my walkie talkie to let Nathan know I was hidden. He and his dog Sasha started following my tracks. It wasn’t long before they found me. I gave the SAR dog a lot of praise and so did Nathan. When these dogs find their “person” their reward is praise and attention for their efforts, it’s all they need to want to go out next time and find their “person.”

When someone is really lost in the woods, the SAR is brought to the site and into action by an instant commander. He gathers information about the missing person, makes a plan and sends out the teams. They gather at the point the person was last seen and are given an article of clothing so the dog can get the scent of who he is looking for. A team is a dog and his handler with a flanker person who has a radio and listens for new information while the dog and handler are working to pick up the trail. These dogs are trained to not let distractions pull them off of the scent trail. Later in the day Ed, Barb, Georgie, Makenzie and I gave them a challenge. We started mowing grass, moving 4-H appliances to the stage deck, transferring flower pots and boxes into the T-building and generally making a lot of noise and activity around the dogs. They kept performing for their handler and finding the items that they needed to search for.

I would like to thank the SAR volunteers for using the fairgrounds for their exercises and letting me participate; it was interesting and a great way to spend my day.

Did you cash your fair check yet? Don’t forget! Fair checks have to be cashed before the end of October. I will keep reminding you each week!

Want to help sponsor next years fair? Donate your fair premium check back to the fair. Send your check to: Wahkiakum County Fair, P.O. Box 1, Skamokawa, WA 98647. Thank you, Mike Backman for donating your fair premium check back to the Fair!

Coming up next month is the Wahkiakum County Fair Board’s Turkey Bingo! This is a fun night for all ages and you just might win your Thanksgiving turkey at the bingo. Keep reading this column for more details each week!

The fair office is open by appointment only. If you need to gain access to the fairgrounds contact Fair Manager Becky Ledtke at 360-560-0371 or 795-3480 and leave a message.

The next Wahkiakum County Fair Board meeting is November 9, 7 p.m. at the River Street meeting room in Cathlamet. The public is always welcome to attend.