HUNTING JOURNAL- DAY 20
4:00 am- Shewho gets up and goes downstairs to sleep on the couch. Yesterday she fell crossing a slippery fence line and twisted her knee. I figure it's either the knee or my snoring and farting that's rousted her from my bed. I can hear the wind blowing, so burrow deeper in the covers and go back to sleep. The dog whimpers.
7:30 am- Shewho's beautiful, insane dog wakes up and starts barking, as Shewho climbs back in bed with me. I wasn't snoring, she informs me. She was just too hot in the loft. I'm glad to hear it wasn't my snores or farts. I've lived alone too long.
8:30 am- We get up. Make coffee and toast a bagel. 45 degrees. Windy. Write blog and let Shewho read it. She's heard it all before and God bless her she's the most non-judgemental person outside of my grandmother I've ever met. I decide to hunt down at Bird's while Shewho stays home and paints watercolors. Yahoo news- They're still talking about a zoo bear eating a monkey in full view of a bunch of kids. Welcome to the Grizzly House. Just mother nature at work kids.
10:00 am- Load the gun and climb the hill behind Bird's. I call in my usual spots but nothing answers. It's still windy. Maybe the cycle is over. I go up in the pines and find a bunch of turkey feathers and shit. This is where they are roosting. I sit down and call and even try a crow call, in order to get a shock gobble. Then a fire whistle goes off and i think I hear one way off, down the ridge. I listen intently. Must have been a woodpecker. I'm ready to give up when i hear it again- a little stronger. I call as loud as i can. He answers. Bingo.
11:00- The bird is coming on strong. i call softer and softer to give him the impression I'm moving off. Then I stop entirely. This drives him nuts. I shift the gun to my left knee and feel for the safety. The whiteout on the front sight helps. Then I see his big head stick out from behind a deadfall. He's in full strut, dragging his wingtips on the ground and hollering. Steady. I put the bead on his neck and squeeze. Down he goes. End Day 20.
7:30 am- Shewho's beautiful, insane dog wakes up and starts barking, as Shewho climbs back in bed with me. I wasn't snoring, she informs me. She was just too hot in the loft. I'm glad to hear it wasn't my snores or farts. I've lived alone too long.
8:30 am- We get up. Make coffee and toast a bagel. 45 degrees. Windy. Write blog and let Shewho read it. She's heard it all before and God bless her she's the most non-judgemental person outside of my grandmother I've ever met. I decide to hunt down at Bird's while Shewho stays home and paints watercolors. Yahoo news- They're still talking about a zoo bear eating a monkey in full view of a bunch of kids. Welcome to the Grizzly House. Just mother nature at work kids.
10:00 am- Load the gun and climb the hill behind Bird's. I call in my usual spots but nothing answers. It's still windy. Maybe the cycle is over. I go up in the pines and find a bunch of turkey feathers and shit. This is where they are roosting. I sit down and call and even try a crow call, in order to get a shock gobble. Then a fire whistle goes off and i think I hear one way off, down the ridge. I listen intently. Must have been a woodpecker. I'm ready to give up when i hear it again- a little stronger. I call as loud as i can. He answers. Bingo.
11:00- The bird is coming on strong. i call softer and softer to give him the impression I'm moving off. Then I stop entirely. This drives him nuts. I shift the gun to my left knee and feel for the safety. The whiteout on the front sight helps. Then I see his big head stick out from behind a deadfall. He's in full strut, dragging his wingtips on the ground and hollering. Steady. I put the bead on his neck and squeeze. Down he goes. End Day 20.
posted by mike osterhout at 12:41 PM
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