My turn to post about a days calling - finally.
Was so excited about going that I got up a little too early - left home just after 4 AM for the 35 mile drive to the area in a hidden valley I had seen lots of sign at before. Worked my way in on the rough roads, and parked the truck in a wash crossing to have it out of sight. The first set I wanted to do was about a mile in, and it was tricky picking my way through the rock and cactus in the dark, but I found the spot and settled in to wait for shooting light. Well, it was a long wait - nearly an hour. Place I had picked was a wide wandering arroyo along the base of a lava ridge broken up by deep washes and rock outcroppings, and since the normal prevailing morning winds out here usually blow left to right, I picked the head of the ridge for the first set and would work my way left on down the wash. Right at dawn I tried a few locator calls on my antler howler, but they got no replies. Tried a few short series of jack cries as well, but after 25 minutes had still not stirred anything but a few ground squirrels. So, I swung back out and looped around to come back in the wash about 3/4's of a mile down. Settled in against a big creosote bush, and was letting things quiet down when I noticed a big hawk only about 50-60 feet away on a Joshua knee eating his breakfast - one of the little antelope ground squirrels. I was reluctant to call until he moved off, so pulled out the little Redfield 8X25's and enjoyed the show (no TV where I live, so I don't get to see the Wild Kingdom reruns guys). Must have been sitting there about a half hour before he decided to fly off low following the wash back up the canyon. Anyway, popped off a couple of locator howls, and got an almost immediate reply from way down the arroyo. After a bit, I caught sight of a coyote coming my way but still about 400 yards out. Waited and watched for a while, then did a couple of low squeaks on my 2K Squeaker, and was sort of startled when I caught movement almost straight across from me towards the ridge only about 40-50 yards away. Moving in and out of the landscape was a smallish coyote working its way right to get down wind of me. Damn! Could only catch glimpses of it with no chance for a shot. Well, it did finally make me and hurried its pace on up the canyon. When it came to a fairly open area going over a small rise, I was able to stop it with a couple of loud barks, but it was about 225-250 yards out and I was only carrying the 17 Hummer, so I had to pass on the shot (I knew I should have brought the 6X47 too). Visibility is not the greatest in creosote/Joshua scrub, but I couldn't believe he got in so close before I saw him, so I walked over to where he had crossed in front of me... and there was another small wash behind the big wide one that he had snuck in with. Sheesh! Over the next couple of hours I made wide loops around and back into the wash working down the ridge for 3 more sets, but didn't see anything, never got any more answers to the howler and my jack cries must have fell on deaf ears. So I decided to call it and head back to the truck. Since I was probably about 4 miles from it, I decided to take the easy path and just wander back up the big wash. It was warm out and the sun was shinning bright and it was a great day to be out. Maybe half way back, I cut a huge set of lion tracks - wow! I'd seen lots of coyote and fox tracks out here before, twice bobcat, but never lion. Since it had rained yesterday, these had to have been from during the night or even this morning. I followed them to where they went up on the ridge and into a small bowl in the lava slides before I lost them. What a great way to end the mornings activities, even though I didn't get a chance to eyeball him. Anyway, made it to the truck, but since it was still early, decided to run back down to an area that I know holds a few ground squirrels - see if I could roust a few with the 2K Barker. They are/were far a few between, but I did manage 5 or 6 of them before I started to head back out. All in all a great day for someone who just hasn't been getting out - but that's going to change!!! Rattled long enough...
Picture is the lava ridge I was calling along the base of - taken from where I parked the truck 'cause I forgot to take the camera with me (well, duh).
Ladobe :bye:
Lava Ridge
