My leg forcing through the grasping branches of sage released its wonderful fragrance into the pleasantly warm air. Dry branches crunched under boot. Sticker bushes clung to my clothing in their attempt to scratch me, some being all too successful for my liking. Realizing that it was growing to thick for Orion my puppy to get through on his own, I picked him up by the scruff of his neck and with a nifty little flick of the arm I had him like a running back carries a foot ball. In my other hand was my bow. So here I was some where up Rancheria Rd in the National Forest. I was told I could find Rabbits up here. So far all I have found was fresh air, beautiful scenery, and the fact I am woefully out of shape all set the background din of off road motorcycles. Suddenly there was a brief movement ahead of me in the thick shrubs. I quickly found the golden beady eye of a cottontail looking up at me not more then 3 feet away. All I could see was its eye, a bit of head and a touch of body. Putting the dog down and pulling an arrow I knocked, aimed and did the best job I could of threading an arrow through a mess of branches at 190 ft/sec. The rabbit took off like a shot. I pulled my arrow and saw that though the arrow seemed to hit where rabbit was, there was no blood or any I indication I had hit it at all. So I put the arrow away, picked up the dog and carried on. Little did I know that would be the only rabbit we “saw”. After another three hours of this brush breaking hoping for another shot at a rabbit, we headed back to the jeep. “Why is it when you’re done hunting and exhausted from hunting hard and ready to go back the Jeep is always up hill?” I asked myself as Dog and I trudged our way up. At the jeep I unloaded my daypack, put up my bow and set the dog on the driver seat who immediately flopped down. I was tired, the puppy was done.
As I got to where the bumpy dirt road met up with the main road I could see another truck high centered in the ruts and partially blocking my way. I quick looking over the situation and I deduced, correctly it would turn out, that some one came up here in a two wheel drive low rise truck and was now stuck. It wasn’t a problem for me to get around them, but I could see unless I helped they weren’t going to get out soon. In the end I gave their truck a push and got it back on all four wheels. I love my Jeep. It was fun to help the family out, and made me feel good too.
As I got out of the Jeep a little later to try another spot, one look at the puppy and I knew he was going to stay where he was peacefully sleeping. Like I said he was done. Saw some beautiful rock formations. No rabbits though. After doing this routine a few more times decided I was done too.
As I was driving back I turned a corner in the dirt road, and saw something in the middle of it, moving. No, not a rabbit, a spider….A HUGE FREEKING spider. Biggest DANG SPIDER I have ever seen. My first real wild Tarantula! I had heard they could be found here, but never really paid it much mind and yet here it was walking down the middle of the road like it owned the place. I pulled out my camera and snapped some photos from the safety of my car.
Ahh home. Orion slept the whole way on my lap. Bet he’s happy to be home too. No rabbits to have for dinner though. Still I felt it a very successful hunt. I am glad Orion has a yellow coat. Makes it easy to pick off the ticks before they even get set.
Topic: A day's rabbit hunt (Read 518 times)
