Footprints in the sand

[Marvin M.]

About fifteen minutes later and things start to get interesting.  I feel like I am in rush hour back home.  One after another, creatures start to appear.  

 

Everybody wants a drink.  Coyotes are coming in almost constantly.  They are extremely skittish and seem reluctant to come to the water.  Nothing comes in from the left side of the lake, and I am not surprised since that is the side the wind was blowing toward all afternoon.

The cows are in and out as well as the other creatures.

I was busted once.  This old girl saw me moving to take her picture.  She had a small buck with her and was very protective.  Curtis saw them also.  Here she is trying to figure it out.

 

And this young lady was concerned about another predator.

 

And here he is.

 

At one point, there was a coyote drinking near my end of the pond.  He suddenly raised his head and looked to his left, then trotted off up the pond a ways.  As I watched this little drama unfold, I decided that this was going to be one of those water rights battles that you hear about from the old west.  As he moves up the pond, a group of cattle came in.  When they saw him, they poceeded to follow him up the pond bank, instead of just going to water like the other cattle had done.  They ease up there, keeping their eye on him all the time and he goes off into the brush.  Their attention immediatly turns to getting a drink.  As they wade out into the pond, he comes back out of the brush and follows them to the waters edge.

 

As they waded out into the pond farther, he actually came to the waters edge and drank.  When the cows heard him, they turned around and walked back out, making him retreat back into the brush again.  Mexican Standoff at the Pond!!!

I 11 coyote sightings (probably some duplicates) and as many as three at the water at one time.  I counted 14 deer sightings, again some were duplicates, but it was a blast watching them.  These were really healthy looking animals, although some of the 'yotes were limping, probably from cactus spines (I felt their pain -- literally).

No hogs came in that evening, but I literally had a ball sitting there and my mind drifted to other lands and thoughts of Safaris in more exotic places came to mind.  It was easy to imagine the coyotes were jackels or wild dogs, the deer were gazelles, and that I was sitting on a wate hole in the African Plains.  That may be as close as I will ever get to a hunt like that, but the feel was there that night.

 

As darkness closed in the Bull Bats came out and circled the pond and one of the landed within a few feet of the blind.  Once again, I felt like I had a companion to watch the end of the day with me and that soon the pond would belong to the creatures of the night.  I got my gear together and walked out to find Curtis.

[herb haines]

Ck so prickly pears have a use besides making me drop my pants and dig out the tweezers .

Marvin almost like hunting a waterhole in Africa even has the snakes .looks like i better learn what an indigo looks like as if i see a snake if i stop running i will kill the sucker --herb

[Marvin M.]

OK, I'm going to go ahead and put my final installment on here and jump ahead of Curtis to finish up since I left ya'll hanging last night.

We got back to camp and hit the sack immediately.  Next morning, CK was up early and we were out quickly for the last morning of the hunt.  Curtis put me on a new spot, dropping me off a couple hundred yards from where I was to be and telling me, "it's down there on the left, just before you get to the curve."  

I headed ouut in the dark and for the first time all weekend my boots didn't squeak.  This was a phenomena that had me worried about making a stalk, so I was definately glad to hear (or in this case not hear) it.  

As I'm easing along the road I hear the coyotes warming up on my left.  I stopped to listen and soon they broke out into the Song Dog Top 40 and I enjoyed the music standing there on the side of the road and wondered if they were singing about rabbits in the cactus, quail at the feeders, cattle at the pond, fawns in the fields, or some other aspect of the canine lives.  It made me feel good to hear them this morning.

I eased on down to the curve and backtracked to a trail that looked like the right one and into the brush I went.  I found the feeder and set up as best I could, backed up into a Mesquite, on the only side of the area that was semi-downwind.  The wind was not kind again this morning and as the sun came up, I only saw quail, rabbits and birds in my area.  

Eventually I decided that it was too nice a morning to waste sitting on a stand waiting when the wind wasn't the best, and I headed back into the brush to explore and chase bunnies.  I had about an hour till CK would be back and I wanted to explore.

At one point, I stopped for a break in the shade of a Mesquite to rest and take a drink.  While I was there I snapped this pic of my gear in honor of Killdeer so that she could see my hat, with a little Mesquite added to soften the lines.  

 

I did manage to find proof that there are Javalina in there and I could almost hear Joe Javelina's Texas Cousin snickering from the brush as I snapped a picture of this track.

 

As I hit the road to head out, I came across this laying in the road.  I don't know if I knocked it off on the way in, or something else knocked it off, but the bunnies profited by it.  You can see the "Footprints in the Sand" (Sorry Curtis, it was just too good an opportunity) around this little desert snack.  As you can see, not only did the rabbit profit from it, a fly is also getting a little moisture for himself.

 

I came out of the brush just in time without any additional rabbits to show for the morning, but I'm carrying a quiver full of memories.

My hunt was not successful if you consider that I didn't "bring home the bacon", but it was a resounding success in experience photographs, and memories gained in a beautiful place.  I know that my footprints are already gone from the sand, but maybe, just maybe, I can go back someday and leave a few more.

Thanks for the opportunity Curtis.  It was great.

[Littlefeather]

I must say that I can't remember much about the last night in camp. All my memories and emotions were running together. Id hunted harder than Id anticipated on this trip and even after several days of close calls, I still had an empty meat cooler. Well, except for a number of bunnies and frogs.

I know Marvin and I sharpened a few broadheads and did some other gear repair at on point but I can't begin to remember when. We would have one last shot at making meat when the Sun rose in the morning. For now We'd sleep.....


The morning routine was just becoming second nature at this point. Two large cups of coffee, a short trip to the library, and then a tribal council to decide where we would spend our last morning on the Ranch. I gotta tell you that I started this last morning with a lump in my stomach. Im not sure what the force is that drives me but sometime it overtakes my ability to decipher the importance of the hunt-vs-killing. I guess I've come to think Im expected to drag meat out of the thorn bush every time I go in. Debbie would later relieve my negative thoughts by telling me how proud she is to have me a Trad archer rather than a wheel shooter. She says that she sees where my friends and I place the importance of a hunt. Deb says it is a comfort to know it is more a spiritual journey we as trad archers undertake in a hunt instead of a record number of kills or seeing how far we can shoot.. She never knew how much it ment to hear those words.

This mornings hunt would find me once again overlooking the gate area leading to the pond. Marvin wanted to shoot a javalina so I told him of an area Id been in that held a lot of sign. He promptly agreed to hunt that area as his last effort to encounter the elusive javi.

The morning kind of drug on. I saw very few critters as the Sun rose higher in the deepening blue sky. I made a special effort this morning to record the finer details of a trip slowly comming to an end. I took a picture of a small cactus that hung high above the ground in the crevace of this Mesquite tree.

   

I had earlier caught this Dragonfly in the rising light of day.

   

As my watch neared 10:00 am I climbed from my perch and went for a quiet stroll. I needed this time to strech the cramps from my legs and move a bit. I hate to sit too still for periods of time. It makes me figit like a kid in Church.
On my walk this morning I really felt at one with the environment here. Nothing really seemed to notice my presence as I crossed paths with many of the smaller creatures that inhabit the region. The window of opportunity was closing quickly and no matter my action, I could not prevent it from happening. I suppose I would have to bow to Mother Nature on this trip for the victory was all hers. I had no hard feelings. Afterall, Id triumphed over nature on many hunts and knew I was the one who the Spirit Guides had smile upon, no matter the weight of the meat in my cooler. I was content as I crawled behind the wheel of the Ford to traverse the Ranch one last time.

On my last trip back to camp I stopped to take some parting pics. This one reminds me of being back on the Reservation out West.

   

Those of you who have experienced the Navajo Nation have seen sights just as this before. Who could have known the events that lead men to exit a truck and just leave it there for time to swallow up?

After checking over the condition of the ol 72 Chevy, I pressed on. I was sure Marvin was waiting on me and I had high hopes he had gotten his javalina. I'd certainly seen stranger things happen than taking a game animal in 4th quarter, with long yardage, in the closing seconds of the game.

I saw one last opportunity at a great picture. As I passed an Oil Field Tank Battery, I noticed the ladder on the side of a tank. Surely I could get a nice parting shot to remember the trip.

     

I took the picture and knew right away it could never do justice to the view. I continued on to pick up Marvin...... CK

[Roy Stroh]

Thankyou for the great story.

[Littlefeather]

I must say, I was very disappointed when I found that Marvin hadn't gotten his game animal. It was my biggest goal for the trip to send him home with a memorable kill and it hadn't transpired. Marvin seemed happy anyway and we stopped just outside of camp to examine the last of the species we'd see on this trip. It was a Texas Tortus and he was as bis as Id ever seen one. Most of these Desert dwellers outnumber my years on earth by a great deal. Texas Tortus's live to be more than 100 years Im told. This guy must be a Great, Great, Grandfather.

   

Back at camp we gather gear and place everything back as we'd found it. Marvin and I said our farwells and he left the Ranch. I stayed behind for a little while. I mostly just fumbled around camp taking inventory of my memories. I always have a hard time accepting the end to great hunts and this time was no different. Almost as if I was leaving this place to never return. My heart ached and my throat burned. I longed to stay!

 I regretably placed the lock on the cabin door and fired up the diesel. I was on my last leg of this fine journey and as I went through the gate for the last time, I couldn't help but notice that more Immigrants had passed this way. The only sign of their ever passing, was their "Footprints in the sand"..........

[DaveInOhio]

Thanks guys.  That was great storytelling.

[AZStickman]

I enjoyed the story..... Thanks for taking us along guys....     Terry

[JC]

That blasted Charlie Lamb and is story telling classes!

Thanks for taking us back through it with you guys, awesome pics. Gave me incentive to take more the next time out!

[Carcajou]

Great story Curtis, thanks for sharing another piece of America  

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Well written Marvin, CK.  Well written indeed.

Marvin, you have to make room on your calendar for another trip.  Round II so to speak.

Thanks guys, I really enjoyed perusing your endeavors in the Texas wilderness.

[Marvin M.]

Tracy,

I'd love to come back.  Beautiful place!!!  Lots of wildlife, including alians.  What more could you ask for?

[Killdeer]

What a hunt! I am still thrilling to the tales. Stories well told, and super pictures to boot! My compliments to the chefs for cooking up this fine adventure.

And Marvin, from my hat to your hat, "You had a wonderful time, wish I were there."

 

And I would add, "But well-armed!"
Nothing scares me but people, and illegals scare me deeply! They are already breaking several laws, and you don't know why each one is leaving home....brrrrr!
 

   
Killdeer  

[Littlefeather]

Thanks guys! The comments are the fuel to write them. I appreciate it.

Before this thread fades into the archives, I want to extend my deepest appreciation to Jerry Gonzales(Pedernal Bowhunts). Without his excellent work managing these properties, we wouldn't have the opportunities to have the quality of hunts like this. If Jerry or I can ever place you on a hunt, don't hesitate to ask. Jerry manages seven or eight very large ranches that are very low pressured, to ensure you the best opportunity to take game. Thanks again Jerry! Great job!

[Shaun]

Thanks guys. Love that south Texas brush country. I'm dreamin of TS06 and also my anual trip south in March. Thanks again for sharing.

[the Ferret]

nicely done guys,nicely done.

[Marvin M.]

Thanks guys.  I got almost as much enjoyment out of telling the story as I did going down there.

Killy,

Don't know if you get as much enjoyment out of your hat as I do mine, but you must since you feature it so much in your posts.  Don't know what I would have done in TX without my hat.  Kept the back of my neck from getting any redder than it is.

[benzy]

Great story, the trade off in writers was cool.
Well worth the wait!!!
Thank you two for sharing.

[Dirteater]

Bravo!  Thanks for taking me along on the hunt fellas.  It brightened my week.

[Guru]

Thanks guys...that was great