Josh Smith
45 Cal.
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- Sep 24, 2010
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Just got in from a "short long hunt." I only call it that because I walk briskly to the place from where I want to shoot or start stalking.
I took Nikki, my hunting partner, along. She is a big girl, being about 1/3 wolf, 1/3 Husky and 1/3 Yellow Lab.
Picture a wolfdog with a Husky's front build and undercoat, a Yellow Lab's coloration and water resistant fur, and a wolf's longish legs and head with jaw power to match (When she was a pup, about 6mos, I gave her the biggest rawhide bone I could find. She took it, applied her self-sharpening molars to it, and it fell neatly in two with no effort apparent on her part. She proceeded to devour it and sick it up. No more rawhide for her!) She is very much at home in the snow.
Still, it was a struggle going. I had underestimated the depth of the snow, which, it quickly became apparent, was halfway up my shins at its shallowest points -- and I stand 6'2" not including the boots.
I was bogged down with a short Kentucky rifle (what I've come to think of the CVA Kentucky as since it's missing about a foot from the barrel compared to a traditional Kentucky). I was, of course, carrying a powder horn and extra ball, patch, and a leather capper. Combined with clothing appropriate for 14 degree weather, I was humping a lot. I didn't bother to pack water, though, as there's plenty of clean snow.
Nikki was dragging her chest through the snow when it was relatively shallow, and bounding when it was not.
We saw plenty of squirrel sign -- the critters went out on Jan 31st, but I still had an urge to pop one just because they were able to skitter along the crust, the bastages.
The rabbits, as I suspected, were all holed up. No sign and Nikki scented nothing pertaining to rabbits, which greatly distressed her.
To keep from freezing, we had to keep moving. I know for a fact that we walked 400 yards in that stuff, crossing two frozen creeks in the process. How much extra wandering around we did, I am not sure, but I'd estimate another 50 to 100 yards.
So, only a bit over 1/4 of a mile.
Yet, I'm sitting here feeling like I did 10 miles. Nikki is tuckered out at my feet, and it's hard to wear her out.
I didn't discharge my rifle, so I was able to come in and pay only quick attention to the rifle. As I had decapped before I came in, I only had to swab the bore out in front of the ball to make sure there was no moisture, and make sure the leather strap that goes between the nipple and hammer was in place well to seal the barrel from that end.
Put the rifle up, Got Nikki out of her orange and took the electronic collar off, took care of myself last, and had a bit of rum before diving into a good, high carb supper. Afterward, I had a bit more rum to sooth muscles and joints which began mysteriously aching this year. I'm debating a roaring fire later. We'll see.
But, it feels good. I needed the lubricity to the joints and muscles which a good, strenuous hike/hunt provides. I didn't realize I had been suffering from cabin fever as much as I obviously had been.
It was a good evening even though no rabbits were taken.
Josh
I took Nikki, my hunting partner, along. She is a big girl, being about 1/3 wolf, 1/3 Husky and 1/3 Yellow Lab.
Picture a wolfdog with a Husky's front build and undercoat, a Yellow Lab's coloration and water resistant fur, and a wolf's longish legs and head with jaw power to match (When she was a pup, about 6mos, I gave her the biggest rawhide bone I could find. She took it, applied her self-sharpening molars to it, and it fell neatly in two with no effort apparent on her part. She proceeded to devour it and sick it up. No more rawhide for her!) She is very much at home in the snow.
Still, it was a struggle going. I had underestimated the depth of the snow, which, it quickly became apparent, was halfway up my shins at its shallowest points -- and I stand 6'2" not including the boots.
I was bogged down with a short Kentucky rifle (what I've come to think of the CVA Kentucky as since it's missing about a foot from the barrel compared to a traditional Kentucky). I was, of course, carrying a powder horn and extra ball, patch, and a leather capper. Combined with clothing appropriate for 14 degree weather, I was humping a lot. I didn't bother to pack water, though, as there's plenty of clean snow.
Nikki was dragging her chest through the snow when it was relatively shallow, and bounding when it was not.
We saw plenty of squirrel sign -- the critters went out on Jan 31st, but I still had an urge to pop one just because they were able to skitter along the crust, the bastages.
The rabbits, as I suspected, were all holed up. No sign and Nikki scented nothing pertaining to rabbits, which greatly distressed her.
To keep from freezing, we had to keep moving. I know for a fact that we walked 400 yards in that stuff, crossing two frozen creeks in the process. How much extra wandering around we did, I am not sure, but I'd estimate another 50 to 100 yards.
So, only a bit over 1/4 of a mile.
Yet, I'm sitting here feeling like I did 10 miles. Nikki is tuckered out at my feet, and it's hard to wear her out.
I didn't discharge my rifle, so I was able to come in and pay only quick attention to the rifle. As I had decapped before I came in, I only had to swab the bore out in front of the ball to make sure there was no moisture, and make sure the leather strap that goes between the nipple and hammer was in place well to seal the barrel from that end.
Put the rifle up, Got Nikki out of her orange and took the electronic collar off, took care of myself last, and had a bit of rum before diving into a good, high carb supper. Afterward, I had a bit more rum to sooth muscles and joints which began mysteriously aching this year. I'm debating a roaring fire later. We'll see.
But, it feels good. I needed the lubricity to the joints and muscles which a good, strenuous hike/hunt provides. I didn't realize I had been suffering from cabin fever as much as I obviously had been.
It was a good evening even though no rabbits were taken.
Josh
