We brought Richard up to Touchwood with us this time; Patricia stayed home to watch grandson Dean.
Friday evening was not terribly cold; temperature sat around 5-6 degrees above zero and with no rain, it was pretty comfortable around the fire.
We got out of camp at 8.15 after a fast breakfast. Richard’s quad loaded onto his trailer with our General tucked in behind it; good fit. Themii in hand, off we went.
The weather was quite nice by our low standards; overcast and about 6 degrees with a little wind that was not cold. Positively balmy for us! Moon was in it’s first quarter.
We saw our first doe at 9.15 am, just as we entered the hunting zone on Touchwood Trail. We all popped out of the truck, ready to chase, but she was long gone. Of course, a decidedly unsociable grouse had to pop out and scoot off too, just letting us know that humans are indeed too slow. Of note, the deer are still out and active in mid-morning on a cloudy day.
About 20 minutes further up the road, we came across another roving band of does. These were the smart kind; English-reading does that were loitering aimlessly RIGHT by the sign that says YE ARE NOW ENTERING A PROVINCIAL PARK AND THOUGH SHALT NOT HUNT HERE, OR FOR THE NEXT 400 YARDS. We’ve told Richard of this odd phenomenon before as we have seen the literate bitches ladies many times in the past, but he was so impressed he took a quick video. The thing we found most odd was the fact that this looks like a mixed-race gang: 3 mules and 1 whitetail doe. I’ve read about this but never before seen it.
So we carry on with our carrying on, for another five minutes or so. Then I spotted two does lurking about 10 feet into the trees off the roadside. Sven slams on the brakes, but I was not sure of what I thought I had seen. I told him to back up to where I had spotted them. We all 3 came out of the truck and went after them, just in time to see them spook and take off. I should have walked back to the site, but ah well. We are still pretty excited because at less than an hour in, we have spotted 7 does. That’s pretty high activity.
We carried on up the trail, heading for 3-Tire Trailhead. Somewhere along the way we met a grouse that teased Richard all the way to the grass line where she promptly disappeared.
Our plan was to stage at 3-Tire, then road ride up to the top of 3-Moose Loop, ride the loop and end at the truck again. Surprisingly, our plan worked. Not without a little rain, though. We had something between a mizzle and a drizzle fall on us the whole time we were staging, but we had rain ponchos, warm Thermoses and cheerful demeanors. Well, ok to be truthful, I had a cheerful demeanor. Enough to make up for the two grumpy old men offloading the rigs in the mud. And the rain cleared up before too long.
We took Richard down past the Forestry Cabin at the Y, which notably now has a very fresh and attractive pile of wood stacked in front for all to see. We carried on past it to Buck Dam, the site where I missed the shot couple of weeks ago. (boy do I LOVE saying that)
No deer this time, but we were quite pleased to see that the dam has been draining some off the left side. It looked like some riders had been through and tried to open the dam up some. Of course Richard and Sven had to open it up some more, why you ask? Because picking apart a well made beaver dam is just plain FUN. So they made the appropriate sized hole in the wall, which made quite a satisfying whoosh! Of water pour out down the slope. We figure it will probably drain out in a day, unless the beaver dams it up again.
I don’t know whose idea it was to have Richard try to ride through the pond, but of course he had to try.
He got about 8 feet in, very cautiously, until the front end of his quad just tipped in to a HUGE DIP and almost soaked his guns strapped to the front. BACK UP BACK UP BACK UP but of course he couldn’t get traction, so Sven came in with the General and pulled him back out. Made for a great video!
We carried on down the Loop without further mishap, and stopped at Dragonfly Crossroads where we opted to not explore the loop further, but instead to head over to Campground Trail.
Off we went back to the truck, which I drove down the road behind the guys to the next trail (rather than load the quads again, and unload) Mizzle came down again, so we put a plastic bag poncho on Richard to keep him dry, if not exactly elegant. I quite enjoyed that ride, from inside the toasty warm and dry truck. Watched Richard chase two more grouse off the road; ornery critters. They were sure skittish this time.
The weather cleared again and we stopped for trail lunch about ½ km into Campground Trail. We actually saw some sunshine for a brief few moments. And then the grouse started to come out…. In DROVES.
I can honestly say that I have never seen so many grouse on one trail in such a short time. We rode in nice and easy, 14 km in and 14 back out, and in that time we must have seen upwards of 20 grouse. Richard got 3, Toft’s got 3. Toft’s kind of took the backseat on the grouse, because our prime target is deer, and Richard won’t be out as late in the season as we will be. AND ok, full disclosure, Mr. Toft forgot to bring the shotgun ammo. After Richard bagged his 3, I begged some ammo from him and we got a couple of for our freezer.
When we ran out of all shotgun ammo, what else is a person to do? But break out the .270 and SHOW OFF. Not I, of course, but Sven. The last shot of the day was right at the gloaming, about 10 minutes after sundown. In the woods, of course, that is full on dark. He spooked a grouse high up into a tree about 40 yards out, and HE SHOT IT’S HEAD OFF. I wish I could recreate in words how great that shot was, but the photo perhaps will say it better than I can.
Note that there is no head, so of course the breast meat is fully intact. Great shot, Sven.
Along the trail we did see one WT doe, but we scared her off into the bush as soon as we crested the hill. That was about 5.30 pm, again proving they are not nocturnal. Sorry we couldn’t have stalked her, but glad to see they are there.
Spotted a small bear track out there as well.
We got further down the trail than we did last time, and ended up in a no-hunting zone which at 6pm, seemed a good place to turn around. That was one long damned day! Offloaded in the rain, loaded in the rain.
We did not get back to base camp until 9 pm, which I would not plan for again. Still, we had a great time out there and now we know where God’s country is. Missed Patricia, but she assures me that she is coming up next weekend.
Saturday evening was quite nice, temperature actually stayed around 5 degrees. After such a long day, we did not yak around the campfire for very long. Sven and I slept in till about 8, Richard headed home around 7 am without waking us.
Put away all my solar lights, snow is probably coming soon. All my little birds are still happily feasting away at the feeder, and now 3 Blue Jays have decided to get in on the action. They are too big for the feeder, but they can eat the suet cake. And apparently they are ground feeders too! Like the Swallows, they will eat up what the other birds drop on the ground. I didn’t know they did that.
Of course, Mr. Squirrel came by to say hello
I took Gunnar for a little trail hunt down my foot path in the morning, but did not see a thing despite his best efforts to flush. Nice walk anyway, I love that back path. Of course, with Mr. Bear roaming around still, I love that path a lot more when I have a gun in my hand.
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