Well, it's starting to wind down. It's been winding down since I got back from Oregon. Soon it will be time to load the truck and head east.
It's been a fantastic time for sure with plenty of adventure and wildlife encounters. I'm sure to miss it... but for now there's still huntin to be done and more adventures to experience.
For instance... when I arrived back in Wyoming the sage hen season had just opened and I'd been looking forward to that for some time.
Chickens (as they are lovingly referred to in this country) are big birds. Big as...uh...chickens.
Though I'd been seeing a lot over the last month or two, I knew they could be very difficult to find in the expanses of sagebrush, but I had a spot or two in mind that usually produced sightings.
So my very first night back from Oregon, I unpacked the truck and then threw my bow back in and headed for my hot spots.
You don't actually hunt sage hens at night, but they are easiest to find just before dark, when they can be found filling their crops with fine grit in gravelly areas.
I hoped that they hadn't been worked over by shotgunners and be spooky as a march hare... my luck seemed to hold.
The first bunch I got into spotted me before I spotted them and were moving slowly away, weaving in and out of the foot high sage.
Because of their size I had a Magnus I broadhead on the string and drew it fully to anchor on a huge adult that trailed the group.
The Carbonwood shaft, with yellow cap and yellow fletch, streaked through the evening air and took the bird admidships at 15 yards.
I jockeyed for another shot, but the remaining birds rocketed away...for as big as they are, they are VERY fast.
Oh well, I had a bird in hand and that was a damn site better than none at all. I pressed on looking for another flock.
I could hardly believe my luck when a few minutes later I heard a warning cluck from the nearby sage.
The light was failing fast now, but I picked out the form of a bird standing stock still 20 yards distant.
Once again I drew the heavy recurve to anchor and let the shaft fly. THWOCK!! The big Magnus connected once more and ended the days hunt. (state regs limit you to two birds a day and four in possession).
I was more than thrilled with my performance. I've done much worse.
By the time I got to my camera, the light was almost gone, but I did the best I could with the situation and got this picture...
![](https://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Sagehens1.jpg)