Leaderboard

Went out near the Park Ranch for a 120-mile ride. Still, not a single deer, elk, bear, moose, etc. sighted. Dozens of RV hunting camps set up for elk season, which opens up Monday. Went pretty deep into the woods with my GoPro running the whole time. Nothing. Checked multiple watering holes and mud holes for tracks. Only cow, deer, and coyote tracks. On the way out of the deep woods, decided to hit a mud hole and about crashed. It was funny afterwards...

Got up North a short ways for an overnight grouse hunt/ BF walkabout in an area with a relatively recent Class B. Covered about 12 miles on foot, down 2-track and overgrown logging spurs. Heard 2 grouse and a gaggle of turkeys, all remained unscathed, by me at least, though I saw no one else while I was there. Very little coyote sign and no owls heard but did have a visitor in camp. M.O. per the usual, after dinner at dusk, which consisted of 2 Imperial ales and jalepeno-lime tortilla chips while sitting at camp along the shore of a small pond amidst a troop of late warblers and a winter wren--catching and eating stuff a little more substantial, I started walking again down the 2 track I parked off of. Went about 3/4 mile in either direction in the gathering darkness then up an overgrown spur til I was lightly impaled in the face because I don't like using a light. Maundered back to camp by 9:15 got set up for sleeping in the back, turned in to read lying down using a small book lamp, windows open and about 2' from the treeline and woods. 15 min later I hear a twig snap and light movement about 20' into the mostly spruce/ balsam trees and underbrush. Turn off the book lamp, grab flashlight and wait in anticipation to see what's coming at me. My head is below the 1/2 open window (they slide front to back), looking out and up at the silhouette of trees against the starry sky, a tad more sound then the whole window frame goes dark, all blotted out by a massive creature that I don't even hear. Hit the light to see a big ole bull moose with quite a rack 6" from the truck strolling by. He turns back to give me a glare as I'm clearly parked on his turf. Cool sighting. Recorder out, lasted about 6 hours with nary a peep of out-of-the-ordinary nor even ordinary night sounds. Next day spent taking the old shotgun for a walk, lots and lots of moose tracks, bear tracks in a couple of places, no coyote tracks nor scat. Snapping turtles look like they had a good hatch by a sandy patch down by the river but no BF sign. Moose squeezed by there on the R side Nice little pond: 2-track getting re-claimed: The old J.P. Sauer & Son, taking a break like a gen z'er, it's done no work:) Great little brook, flows out of a bog at the base a ridge top covered in house sized glacial erratics, bear den central: