Dry Run, But Fun

[Art Eatman]

There's a big ol' mule deer buck hanging out back of the rimrock above my house. Yesterday, a buddy of mine and I did the "Set 'til dark" thing, to see would he wander by. Too windy; no joy. However, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was really neat to have a fairly comfy sittin' spot and watch the evening light show on the Chisos Mountains. This time of year, the soft light makes them turn purple in the last light...It's only about 15 miles or so to them; there are other mountains visible at much longer distances.

Today, I decided to do a bit of a walkabout and see what I could see. Walked up past where we had sat and made a loop. Sat a while. Walked a wider loop around some other hills on the way back. Stopped and sat a while in a couple of other places, glassing the area. Saw a few older tracks, but nothing new. Can't eat tracks...But, there are at least a few deer wandering through the area. About three hours walking and an hour's sitting. Did maybe three or four miles. Rocks and boulders from baseball to Buick, in size, and most of the area is tilted. Think of stadium steps varying from a few inches to a few feet. All chopped up with ravines, so Bambi does have a bit of an edge.

But it was a neat day. Fun.

And I got back to the house and worshipped at the altar of the Ibuprofen and Tylenol God. And came to think even more highly of the 700Ti's light weight!

, Art

 

[Dave McC]

Art, thanks for that. A few hours in the wild and silent places are always good for the soul.

 

[Rick R]

Last week I went to a section of the National Forest where I used to hunt years ago. There was about 4" of snow on and not another person in sight in the area I went to. Had lunch beside a lake that's a mile from the road and saw a few deer. On the way back out I did find another fellow hunting and he couldn't believe anyone was walking OUT of the area.

Sometimes the most successful hunts are the ones you where you don't fire a shot. Just being in the woods as a predator makes you feel like you've got a reason for being.