Seriously Hunting

I am actually up at 6 am. Dawn is 7:30 am. I stayed up till 11 reading.  The coffee is brewing.  I’ve only got to walk a mile up hill.  The logging road side is across the main a couple of hundred yards from my camper.  I took pictures of the half moon last night with my SiOnyx Night vision camera.  Yesterday I saw a yellow hued bird the size of a robin with yellow streaks on his head. I must look him up when I get home.  

I was thinking of Gilbert and alien space ships when a grouse almost flew into my face. To avoid hitting me It veered to it’s left and landed in a tree. I had carried my Ruger 30:06 and the Argentinian 20 guage over under.  I dropped the Ruger to the ground and took aim with the 20 guage.  Kaboom. The grouse fell.  Now without Gilbert the hard part began. I searched everywhere under the tree and simply couldn’t find it in the thick brush.  It was becoming hopeless when I prayed.  I was telling Gilbert how I needed him and one last look a ways from the tree under some ferns, there was the downed grouse.  Hallelujah! Thank you God and thank you Gilbert.  

I dressed the grouse and put it in a ziplock bag I put in my pocket. Another grouse flew into the spruce but I couldn’t see where it landed in the dusk light. I continued to hike slowly up the deactivated logging road.  I finally arrived where I’d thought deer might descend into the valley. I sat and drank the can of Perrier I’d carried with me in my other pocket along with the extra shells. I’d just drunk it when a young guy and girl barrelled up the road in white GMC 1500 truck, older version.  That was it, I thought and headed back down.  They might have been hunting or just exploring but the speed they were travelling at was some kind of rush.  I had my flashlight out letting them know I was on the road when they came barreling down.  I followed them out walking simply as fast as I could. The hunt was over but I was pleased I had a grouse and had had another conversation with Gilbert.  Nearly losing the grouse made it imperative I have another puppy. One was on the way too, coming in November. A dog is simply necessary to hunting and peace of mind.

My sister in law texted me her congratulations on having another puppy coming and her commiseration with the work that will involve in the early months.  It’s worth it.

I wasn’t hungry last night. I’d a steak to barbecue but my my calabrese salami sandwiches at lunch still sustained me. I finished off the Ziggy potato and egg salad I ‘d brought then topped it off with peanut butter on bun.  After I took pictures of the night before reading in bed before sleep.  

A lovely day.  I’m supposedly hunting deer and bear here but the grouse was totally satisfactory. I remember as a kid hunting with my brother and father that we were just happy with a duck or a grouse. I never went big game hunting with my father because I was too young to go. But the success of a hunt was any bird and the joy of the hunt was the day in autumn in the country.  For me the real boon was the hiking and climbing. I’ve certainly exercised and that’s it’s reward for sure.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you God for a marvellous hunt last night.

Now I’ve actually woken before the 6 am alarm and had a debate about getting up. When the alarm went off I was awake and now I’m drinking coffee and have a thermos of coffee ready to go. I just have to dress and then actually go out the door and head one for after the other up the logging side. It’s so steep at first .

I’ve eaten my Activa yogurt and am working on the NatureValley Crunch with cup of coffee with honey and cream. All that remains is to dress. Putting on the dreaded boots, gathering the gear and heading out into the cold and dark.  Later I have to come home to the city and leave the camper winterized in storage till Christmas or spring.  The next time I’m in it I’ll have a puppy to introduce to a new adventure. Hallelujah!