I go bow hunting every year, not that I kill an animal each time but it's my time to get away from the modern world. Prior to my hunts in September, I make a few "scouting" trips to see what signs I can find of the elk and deer. In Oregon you can hunt both at the same time with bow and arrow.
This past year there was one scouting trip that I'll never forget. It was in the latter part of July. I normally scout at least once a month between June and the end of August just to get an idea where the animals are and their routines. They don't always maintain their routines but it gives me an idea where to look for them.
I don't go out in the woods unarmed at anytime. At least one cougar that I know of during my hunts has stalked me and it's a sobering feeling knowing you could be someone's lunch. I take a handgun during archery season, mostly for two-legged predators who like to claim the elk you just arrowed are theirs. I pack a rifle during my scouting trips in case I see a one of those sneaky cats.
The trip was at the end of a very hot July; I'd come out on a Thursday evening and set up my camp. I have a four-man tent I like to use; it gives me plenty of room to keep all my belongings inside and out of view of "tweakers". They like to steal camping stuff and sell it for drug money and I like to do my part to keep them away from drugs. I don't always camp in formal campgrounds and being inconspicuous while treading lightly is part of my philosophy.
When I finally got to the area I wanted to look over; I hadn't noticed anyone one around and began to set up camp. After unpacking and putting my food away securely, I went for an evening hike. I got a few nice pictures of the sunset over the western hills on my digital camera. When I returned to camp, I saw another tent pitched not too far away. I didn't think too much of it but wondered why someone, with hundreds of thousands acres of forest to camp in they would camp near me. Since this was a trailhead, I figured they must be hikers so I let it go at that.
I put my rifle and pistol away and started making dinner, looking over at the other camp from time to time just to see if I could catch a glimpse of my neighbor. Finally, around dusk, I heard voices, and from the timber, I saw two "granola crunching" young women emerge.
Don't get me wrong, I am pretty open minded, even though I vote as an independent and support the second amendment. I just think some folks go to extremes to promote their causes; these two girls/young women could have been recruiting posters for ELF (Earth Liberation Front).
They wore their hair braided in ponytails, cut-off denim jeans and plaid shirts over their tees, hiking boots and walking sticks. From what I could see they were both nice looking and in good shape. I just hoped they weren't here carrying a grudge against hunters.
I didn't want to appear to be staring so I went back to making my dinner. I heard them talking, and just minded my own business, knowing my firearms were put away just to avoid a confrontation if they decided to visit.
I started my dinner of barbequed steak and baked beans; I got out my maps, GPS and a beer. I tried to figure out where a good place to scout this area in the morning. I'd heard some good stories from other hunters that this was an ideal for elk.
I get up before dawn and generally don't come back to camp before dinner because I like to make good use of my time. Moreover, hiking around at six thousand feet helps keep me in shape just as much as hitting the gym. I noticed a few draws and possible watering holes that might have tracks I could follow. Since it had been so hot, I figured the animals would venture down and have a drink between feedings and then going back to a bedding area. I marked those prospects on my map and kept an eye on my steak.
I could hear the girls giggling and laughing as they got out their tiny backpack stoves and fixed their own dinner. I assumed they had some freeze-dried stuff and were trying it out before they went on a big trip. I like to do that when I go on these types of trips, just so when I do need the food it's not something I wouldn't enjoy eating. Freeze dried food doesn't have the best flavor, so I normally carry a bottle or two of Tabasco just for that reason. However, this wasn't a serious pre-backpack trip so I brought fresh food and plenty of it.
I could barely hear the girls as they sampled their cuisine, laughing and gagging as they each took turns trying their meals. I felt somewhat sorry for them. You really need a good meal at least once a day up here to keep your energy level up. It didn't sound like they were enjoying their menu selections.
My steak was finally ready, I placed it on my plate and dumped the warmed up beans next to it. I had brought a salad and a few tiny bottles of salad dressing and tossed that in a bowl. I looked at my table and thought, not too bad for a single guy out in the middle of no-where.
I try to keep my camping meals simple yet filling when I'm hunting. I really don't like coming back to camp after hiking all day and trying to cook something lavish when I'm tired and it's dark. I continued looking over my maps as I ate, making notes and planning a route. After finishing my meal and cleaning up, I made and packed my lunch for the next day.
Opening another beer, I sat and enjoyed the solitude, until the sunset around ten o'clock. Well, not total solitude the exception being my neighbors giggling and laughing. I normally don't stay up too late and with no one to talk to and an early wake up; I decided my sleeping bag was a good place to be. I brought my inflatable double bed and laid the bag out on it. I luckily had set the entrance of my tent so the girls couldn't see me without actually coming over.
Lying there in my bag, I could hear them talking to each other but not able to make out what they were saying. As I lay gazing out the front entry at the stars, I thought of the few times my wife had joined me on these trips. I missed her; she would stay in camp and read as I hiked among trees. I had a feeling that she was probably looking down at me and reading my thoughts. I sighed deeply and began counting the brightest stars and trying to make out the different constellations as I began to fall asleep.
As I drifted off, I could have sworn the giggles turned into some other sound, almost like moans. I just smiled to myself and hoped the girls enjoyed their evening.
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I awoke before dawn the next morning thanks to my trusty wind-up alarm clock, dressed in my camo clothes then grabbed a quick bite for breakfast and put my daypack on. The girls were sound asleep I figured, since I didn't hear anything and it was still dark over there. Grabbing my rifle and holstering my pistol, I headed out to look around the areas I had marked the night before. Bow hunting teaches one patience and stealth if you want to kill anything. I crept out of camp trying not to make a sound and I'm quite sure the girls didn't hear a thing.
I flicked on the tiny LED light I had attached to my ball cap and made my way down the trail, silently walking and taking in the clean crisp air. The feeling of being out here alone (almost) with my thoughts made me smile. I hiked a couple miles before turning off my headlamp. The sun had climbed high enough through the fir trees that I didn't need it anymore. I could see the trail clearly and continued my slow pace taking in the various contours of the terrain. Even though I take maps and a GPS, I like to remember landmarks to help in navigation.
I hiked most of the morning, checking for deer and elk sign on the trail and among the trees. I'd pause every so often and hide among the smaller trees to see if any animals were around. Generally, they see you before you see them; pausing and hiding under trees and shrubs with camouflaged clothes on helps you remain unseen.
I had brought my 35mm film camera with me and was hoping to get some nice shots of the large animals in the area. I hadn't seen any this morning and hoped I could use it later that day. Most of the activity occurs just after dawn or just before sunset. It's those times that the lighting seems to be better too.
By noon, I had hiked to the farthest extent of the areas I wanted to see. Not having seen any fresh sigh or heard any animals I sat down on some rim rocks above a nice pool of water and ate lunch. The sun felt so nice beating down on me as I opened my pack and got out my trail mix. I set my camera off to the side and leaned back against my pack letting the sun warm my face as I ate. It felt so nice just sitting there alone, feeling like I was the only one at the top of the world. I took my time eating, savoring each moment and the solitude. From time to time, I'd have a bird swoop close over me or a chipmunk run up to me, discovering I was a living and breathing thing. They are cute but noisy little things that like to sound an alarm when an intruder is near.
