Another Day in X5B

[Califelkslayer]

I headed out this AM to do some chukar hunting. Left after daylight on purpose so I could look at mule deer, and maybe catch a coyote in the open. First rush of the day was watching a lion run from my truck and go here:

I geabbed my camera and pistol and headed out to get a pic. I went to the left of the trees because thats where he jumped up at. Nothing! Thinking he may have split while I turned away for a second, I circled around the tree and saw this:

And this:

I realized I was in a hairy situation after several photos. My heart was beating and my respirations were were faster. At that point I drew the pistol and took photos with one hand. After several photos, I returned the 100 yards to the truck, locked in the hubs and drove under the tree. He stayed put.

Went to Nevada, saw some sage hens:

And some of these:

But we did this:

Got some good points and shot well for a change, 6 birds in 7 shots. I fragged one bird on one shot and fragged him again on the second shot.

On the way back to the truck we saw 7-8 mule deer about 250 yards from the truck. After loading the quad:

We headed out and about 250-300 yards before where the lion as treed, we saw these:

6-8 does and that little buck looking at you. About 300 yards past where the lion treed, I saw these:

There were 19 does and one small buck. Across the road from them were these:

Actually 5 does and fawns, one was camrea shy. A mile up the road I saw these:

29 deer in that bunch, 3 smallish bucks.

Just another day in X5B.

 

[PCPython]

Cool pics. Are those a couple of mules with the horses?

 

[bullskin]

Your remuda is looking a wee bit thin. Would you care for a couple dozen from "my" zone?

 

[Goindeep]

Looks like a good day!I'm going to do a similar trip soon.

 

[sageadvice]

Fire? What Fire? Couldn't tell from your pic's that most of that zone burned last year. Nice and thanks!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[larrbo]

Cool photos. Thanks for sharing

 

[Gator]

I now see that you was in X5B. That is some cool pictures.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[Califelkslayer]

Joey, trust me, it burned! If you look at the tree photo you can see it's burnt on one side. All of the other photos were in the burn. The little buck was in a burned juniper thicket where I used to see lots of deer when the weather got extremely cold.

There are patches of 5 foot all sage that got missed, and places it burned so hot grasses haven't come back yet.

I don't see a mule there, maybe the one facing us? I see burros (jacka$$) all of the time. Not sure if they breed in the wild? And with the economy and price of hay these last few years, I know for a fact that lots of horses got turned loose back in 2007/2008. People couldn't afford to feed them and nobody was apying money for em. I picked up 2 horses for free in 08 and still have the mustang I got.

And trust me, there are plenty of horses, too many. From where I took that photo there were 6 more just over the ridge from me I'd scared and about a dozen 800 yards away. I have a theory on the wild horses. They did a capture, 1,100 horses out of the Twin Peaks herd about 3 years ago. The first year after the capture I saw 5-15 horses a trip after seeing more than 100 most trips the year before. The next year they more than doubled. This year they more than doubled again. My theory is that regardless how many you take out of good habitat, they'll move back in from lesser habitat faster than they can breed.

 

[Califelkslayer]

Actually I think this is the first photo I took. He seems like he's still on his feet, kind of. Later he seems relaxed with his chin on his paw.

I must have took at least 40 photos of him, or at least the trees. In some you can't even see him.

 

[cjboz]

You should have double checked you GPS sounds to me you were in Nevada when you saw that cat.....just saying. Go buy a new GPS

 

[ducksbucksandbulls]

Bang...

SSS

 

[Califelkslayer]

Guys, that thought lasted only a fleeting moment. Risk too high for the reward. Fine and jail time didn't factor into it. With 30+ years in my career, a felony and I lose my job AND the pension I've been paying in to for those 30 years. I regularly say, "I can retire before they can fire me." But I don't want to test that theory, not during the final stages of the game.

 

[JR]

Great pic Hunter, that's a dandy close encounter with one efficient killer!!! I was shed hunting up around ram horn back when I was at antelope and saw one then but I wasn't as close
. Headed down to Sequoia kennels tomorrow afternoon to get my gsp pup. I'll post up some pics when I get her and can't wait to get to training and running her on birds this next year... Benny and I might have to come up and run out in the desert with ya one day!! At least to have your back when you go nose to nose with big kitties lol.

 

[Califelkslayer]

Jeff, the white one is the female I have from Sequoia. She's a strange dog in a lot of ways but stamina, willinginess to please, and being mild mannered are her strong suits. I really believe if she was my only dog she'd be twice the hunter. I've left her at home about 5-6 times this year and only hunted the male. But I haven't returned the favor to her this year.

She's been with us the last 5-6 hunts though since my average with both of them is well over 4 birds a trip and with just the male it's under 3. She just covers so much country and finds a covey, or 2 we wouldn't find without her. Happened yesterday in fact.

Good luck with your dog. And if we get some decent spring rains this year, we should plan a desert trip after deer season next year, late oct/early nov. Set the wall tent up in the desert, get Ernie and Leroy (CC#09)to go and have at em.

I'll try to post another picture of her doing her thing:

Not the one I was looking for but funny. Wife put this on her when we were in the Alps, thought she was cold:

Retrieving from water @ 6 months:

Still not the one I'm looking for but she does retrieve:

Another retrieve, can't find the one I'm looking for:

Here's one. I didn't have her e-collar on her that day hence the leash/belt. I have tons of better points in my mind but not on film:

 

[Califelkslayer]

A sage grouse sailing just above the horizon. you can barely see it. Someone wanted grouse photos but the other pics are just of burnt desert. My photography sucks when I can't see the view finder through the glare.

 

[eelgrass]

Califelkslayer, good looking dogs and it's good to see them used for what they were bred to do!

Thanks also for the photos. Very nice!

Even I would have let that lion walk. That country is way too open to risk getting caught. With todays optics you never know who is watching. Now, if you had provoked it to attack, you would have had to protect yourself.

Eel

 

[NickW]

Some great photos and much appreciated!

 

[NORKALNIMROD]

Hunter,
Somethings missing in the picture with your truck. Ah, I got it! It's that old white Dodge pulling it!
Sorry, couldn't help myself!
Take care my Brother!

Norkal

"One can take my life but not my faith or my
confidence. I fear none and respect all."

 

[Califelkslayer]

DJ, I wish you had your Dodge the day my quad broke down, would have saved me a 10:45 minute walk.

Eel, I appreciate your comments. I gave a fleeting thought to "running" away to provoke the predator/prey reaction. Honestly I knew one 158 grain, jacketed hollow point going 1300 fps would do the job BUT a miss would make it too interesting IMO. Call me a coward, but "risk/reward" entered my thought process once again.