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Nathaniel Akey recalls his single-vehicle accident after his 2017 duck opener, and how his Dakota 283 kennel saved his GSP’s life
Oct. 7, 2017 – the opening morning of duck season in the zone where Nathaniel Akey’s family farm resides.
He had driven up that morning with his German shorthair pup, Tikka, en route to meet his two friends from college, as well as his dog training buddy, Deron Hunter. Both Hunter’s Drahthaar, Rogue, and Tikka were a little over a year old at the time, and the two were looking forward to getting them out for their first live duck hunt after a summer of training and testing through NAVHDA.
According to Akey, the weather was “just what you would hope for an October duck opener, around 50 degrees with a light rain.”
“The action started early right at shooting light with a few birds buzzing us with a few quick shots and misses,” Akey wrote. “As daylight started to allow a bit more visibility, a pair of drake mallards decided to drop in. They committed to us and locked up, the shots rang, and the birds fell. We sent Tikka and Rogue on their first live duck retrieves, and, just like we drew it up, they each grabbed one and brought them back to their respective owner. We were proud of our dogs.”
Akey continued to explain that the morning gave way to many more missed opportunities allowing them to bag just two more wood ducks before they needed to pack it up so that I could make it to work for a shift he was already running behind for.
“We had time to snap a few pictures at the barn before I loaded Tikka up in the rear of the cab of my truck into her Dakota 283 kennel,” he recalled.
Making his way down the access road, Akey noticed that the rain had caused the roads to be a little wetter than he had expected.
“I was merging onto the expressway when everything had started to happen,” he writes.
“I had taken the initial turn a little too quick and noticed my rear end sliding away from me. I overcorrected, putting me into the median where my tires dug into the soil. With the momentum carrying my truck and the wheels pushing against the dirt, it caused my truck to roll. I rolled one and a half times in the median finally landing upside down still in the grass. I had my windows down due to still being a little warm from having my hunting gear on so I was able to slide myself out of the passenger’s side window.”
In OK shape, but still shaken up, all Akey could think about was Tikka.
“I ran back to the nearest window to her crate and could see her inside,” he said. “The window had broken open and I was able to open the door to her kennel and work her outside. She came out, tail wagging, and as if she was happy to see me OK. By that time, a witness to the accident had stopped who just happened to be a veterinarian. She looked over Tikka and confirmed that nothing had happened to her. Physically she was still in perfect condition. At that time, my two college buddies had stopped at the scene when they noticed it was me. I was able to send Tikka with them to bring back to my parents at the farm while I dealt with the aftermath of the accident.
“There is not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful Tikka is alright. Like most dog people, I’d rather be hurt myself than have my dog hurt. Without a doubt, I owe her safety to the Dakota 283 kennel she was in at the time”.
The construction of Akey’s Dakota 283 kennel provided Tikka with an unbreakable pocket of protection. Akey notes that there wasn’t a scratch on her.
“Today we are both doing great, with more hunting adventures and experiences under our belt. We are looking forward to many more using that same Dakota 283 kennel she was in on that very memorable duck season opener,” he said.
Make sure you have the best protection for your dog and purchase one of our kennels today. We have affordable payment plans, making them a great choice for the working man or woman.