Road trip- Steen's Mtn

This is normally what I see of the Steen's in the winter. 

John Hauck came to visit with me for a while. It was a real blessing because Feb can be a bit of a downer at the best of times, especially if you are alone with little to do, ( by that I mean actually required to do something). I am both amused and a bit sad that all either of us wanted to do was relax, go to the Hot tub, complain about the human affliction, Political stupidity. We had a hell of a relaxing time however, in spite of my guilt trip.

Connie also came down Thursday, and go with us to the airport on Friday. On the trip back home I asked her what she wanted to do on Sat. She decided that she wanted to see the Steen's from the East side, especially in winter. It was a 175 mile round trip, up Hwy 78 to Mann Lake Road, down to Fields and back across the White Horse Road to Hwy 95 and home.

Below are the pictures that I took. The lighting tended towards the dramatic, but I like them. Hope that you do as well.

I've got to admit that this one blew me away. I had stopped in the road to take a couple of pictures. This guy obviously worked for the Alvord Ranch. He slowed as he started by me, and began to slow down to help me if needed. I held up my camera to show him that my stop was intended. He apparently was a very helpful guy, since he seemed to be a pretty smart guy, and very busy. I would have loved to see how he managed to load that cow on the open back of his truck. Perhaps it was a pet cow with separation anxiety. 

I first thought these were "feral" Horses, until I noticed that they had roached manes.

It was good to get out of the house a bit. The roads were pretty good. I was surprised that they didn't have any snow really.

I stopped at Fields store in search of some snacks. Every thing that I wanted was in BIG bags. The store is under new management and the guy is ex military, and very abrasive. I asked if I could get a scoop of ice cream to go. He in a large voice announced that "they served milkshakes, and that is what they make. SIR"! That and the fact that they are selling gas at 4$ a gallon. 5 for non Ethyol, convinced me that I didn't need to give them my business no matter how rarely I be would stopping there.

Whoda thunk it?

I made a trip to Boise this morning and had just crossed the state line into Idaho when I saw a white Rabbit lying in the road? I of course whipped a U turn and went back to make sure that my eyes were not deceiving me. It wasn't busted up, so I grabbed it up and tossed it in the back of the car. At first I thought it was a Snow Shoe Rabbit, but it looked too much like a Jack Rabbit. I called a friend to verify what I was seeing and he confirmed that White Tailed Rabbits do inhabit the area. It is all burned over grassland with little to no cover. The White Tails do turn white in the winter. It is the first one that I have ever seen. I guess this one got despondent over the lack of snow cover and committed suicide on the Hwy. I can imagine his life was a pure hell with all the raptors and Coyotes chasing him because he had no chance of hiding looking like a "Eat me beacon" shining in the sun.

 He did not die in vain however, Hope will appreciate the change in diet.

Coyotes and Sunrises

Things have been a bit slow. The winter this year is the best ( for me) that I have witnessed since moving here in 2006. It is the pits for the ranchers who need water and growing grass however. I suppose the old saying "Its an ill wind that blows no one ( or "Nobody", can't remember) any good". There has not been a single morning that got colder than 7 degrees. Normal would be a couple of weeks of -20. It hasn't really rained or snowed either. Perhaps an inch at a time is the most that we have gotten. The good news is that I am reading - a lot!

About 2 weeks ago the rancher whose land surrounds me pulled a dead Cow back up in the Sage across the creek from me. It is common for ranchers to drag their dead Cows back out of the way. It keeps the Coyotes away from the rest of the herd, and calving season will soon be upon us, so they wouldn't want all those Coyotes that will congregate to dine on the Cow, getting used to eating in the middle of a bunch of new born calves.

I had been gone when they did it, and was surprised when Josie, my Britt began her warning "burfs" at invading Coyotes. She doesn't bark, merely the quiet little burfs. I am surprised at how well she can see a Coyote moving through the Sage at 4 and 500 yards. It sometimes takes me a long time and a good pair of bino's to figure out where it is. She is never wrong however.

 The Cow was pulled in a little draw about 450 yards away. It was out of sight of the road there, but since I was up on a rise, I could see it. I made the mistake of trying to hit some of the Coyotes that were feeding on it, and although the gun is sighted in at 300 yards, I couldn't figure the drop of the bullet, so I educated three Coyotes before I quit trying to shoot them. The problem kept bugging me, so I took the Quad over there to try to drag the body into range. A bit foolish since the cow weighed three time what the quad did. So I waited until they had eaten the top half of the cow, then Connie and I went over and drug it to the 300 yard range.

My version of a "Cow-ote". I sat in a snow storm for about 15 minutes before I got a shot.

Check out the teeth on this one. He is obviously ancient!

With the movement of the Cow and the misses that I had already done the Coyotes were a little slow to come back to feed. The Eagles, Magpies and Ravens had a field day however. Eventually they began to come back, Early in the morning and in the dark of night. The first Coyote that I shot was unfortunately in the Guts, making a mess of the hide. He died on the spot since the bullet is traveling at 4000 fps at the muzzle, and the bullet is a 40 grain frangible, that blows up on impact. I left him lying there. I noticed a Golden Eagle feeding on him later in the day. The next morning he was gone completely. Someone had taken him completely away. I never did find any parts to suggest where they had taken him.

At first I didn't really take it serious, merely trying to eliminate some of the Coyote population. I have had little luck in selling my hides, so losing interest, I began to take the Coyotes that I shot to a friend and neighbor 25 miles away for him to skin them. After the second Coyote that I shot, I began to feel guilty about it, since he is swallowed up in work, while I live the life of leisure that I so richly deserve. I was interested in having the Coyotes for Hawk food for Hope. She doesn't seem to mind the meat at all, and it is nice rich food. I can also get enough from each Coyote to feed her for at least 25 meals. The cost for feeding Jessie is at least $1.75 each meal. Quite motivating actually, and worth a little effort on my part.

The table etiquette for Coyotes is quite simple. The biggest eats first, so the first few were pretty darned big. So far all I have killed are males. This is the breeding season for Coyotes, and it has been quite noisy at night, with the females calling, and every body getting together for a group sing along. Its starting to get a little more subdued, since I have killed 6 males so far. Some where there is a young male Coyote that had been on the bottom of the breeding ladder that is thanking me. If he can just resist the lure of beef steaks, that is.

The last two Coyotes that have fallen to my rifle showed signs of fighting, with lots of skinned areas on their legs. In spite of my "culling" efforts the carcass is getting pretty skimpy. I apparently still have Coyotes as there were two of them at the carcass this morning before daylight. I have a chair and some rifle shooting bags on the top of my hot tub. I sat there for about 15 minutes this morning before it got light enough to shoot the one that I got this morning. I am thinking that I will run out of lure, before I do of Coyotes, but it has gotten a lot quieter at night.

2019

A new year has started, and it is the second year of my new reality, and I guess I am adapting. I think that it is a bigger challenge living in an area that is as remote as this is. There is little to distract one from your thoughts. The weather while extremely mild this year is still not something that I really want to spend a lot of time in. I seem to have lost my desire to Coyote hunt, probably somewhat due to the fact that almost every one who buys furs seems to be determined to find every possible reason to not give you any money for them. Most of the time its not only the Coyote that gets skinned.

I have been fairly inactive this year, something that I am going to change if I can figure out how to safeguard the critters if something happens to me. I flew less this year than I ever have because I have to lock them up while I am gone. I don't mind the thought of crashing somewhere out in the pucker brush, but I can't stand the thought of the critters being locked up waiting for someone who cannot come to let them out. I'll work it out this next year.

Here are some recent Sunrises and Sun sets.

First the Sunrise

Then the Sun Set as it progresses.

As you can see the only one who hasn't totally succumbed to Connie's charm  

is my faithful dog Josie.

Here is your Christmas card

There are not too many benefits to being a widower. In fact the only one that I can think of is not sending Christmas Cards. Some of you still sent one (a real "Bless your hearts" fits.) I have adapted pretty well, but that does not extend to addressing cards. so- MERRY CHRISTMAS ! This is it!

This mornings sun rise.

Its been an interesting year for me, with lots of adjustments. The hardest part of it was trying to figure out the financial crap, as well as my limitations. Of course there was a substantial reduction in funds. It was made much tougher by the fact that I had foisted that duty off on Karen. Those of you who are older should do yourself a favor and make sure that each of you are proficient in the day to day survival stuff- like how to wash clothes,  where the damn fitted sheets are hiding- as well as how to fold the damn things. Stuff like that. It took me months to just get Karen's clothes sent out to various places that would take them. ( Thanks Mici and Jenifer) Of course there was the added problem of not having any one around to talk to. Several of my friends were a BIG help, and gave of their time to make sure that my head was on straight. More people than I can list helped so much more than I can say, but each of you will hold a special place in my heart forever.

I choose to try to find some one who could share at least a part of my life to give it some meaning, rather than sit and brood. Ms Connie McIntire has so far filled that position quite well. My only problem is that she chooses to make it a part time arrangement. All I can say is that it is quite amusing to see one's self at 73 trying to court a new lady. A good sense of humor will stand you in good stead. When she comes to see me she brings her (protesting) cat with her. I take two dogs, a cat and a hunting hawk in season.

Hope's foot is finally showing some signs that she will have some use out of it. I kept her in the house for a while fearing dirt and seriously dropping temps. For what ever reason, this year the bitter cold of past years has so far passed us by. Decembers past have been marked by temps of - 20 or better through the month. If this is due to global warming it is quite timely. She is beginning to use it to hold food, but she gimps like Chester on Gun smoke, when she walks. The damage that was done to it is in the ball of the foot, and there is still a knot there, but it is going down some.

Here are some picture postcards for you taken at different times and differing light conditions with a Sunset to finish.

South Mountain in Idaho. About 60 miles away.

Steen's Mountain from the White Horse Road.

Oregon Canyon Mountains

Steen's from drive way

Steen's again from White Horse Road in sections. ( the following two pictures are each a portion)

Antelope gathered on White Horse road

Sunset at the house

Merry Christmas!

28th of Nov - update

This was Hope's foot on Nov 18th when I brought her in the house. There is little to do with a foot injury. I can claim no success as of yet with this. I don't know if it is a bruise, nothing is out of alignment, or visibly wrong.

I brought her in the house so that I don't have to worry about the temperature, and she can have someplace clean to lie down on. She does quite well, and has settled into this easy living quite well. She never bates, and other than changing the tarp under her is no problem.

The foot is still swollen, although I have used meds to reduce the swelling mixed with antibiotics along with DMSO to help the body absorb the medications. Nothing left to do but wait, but our season is over for at least this year. She just tried too hard. That of course is what defines a "great Hawk", but is hard on the body. Hopefully she will be able to hunt next year. Time will tell.

On the way to get the mail at the Jct. today, I picked up a nice tarp that had blown off some "pilgrim's" PU heading South. I get a lot of stuff that way. So far this year I have rescued two new life preservers, Sun shades, a steel wheel barrow and turned down countless other little goodies.

We are heading into winter and hopefully we will get some moisture this year. Every thing is dried up, even Mann Lake. Connie and I made a trip up through the Sheepsheads range and the horses are everywhere sucking up every bit of the water that they can. We counted about 200 horses and I am told that is only a small portion of the horses that are there. As far as I know there are only three water sources up there.

Hopefully it will put some snow on the Mountains this winter.

I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit this year so I decorated my "Hairless Juniparie
 (Hune a parie ) tree" for the first time. Karen would never let me take it down, so Connie suggested that I decorate it. Now I am the only one in the neighbor hood with a decorated Christmas tree.

Hope's foot

Its been six days and her foot is still swollen. She does not like to stand on it. I have examined it twice, Initially with Connie, then again with Tami, and I can see no obvious injury other than a scrape on the inside of the ankle. I am at a bit of a loss as to what to do other than to wait it out.

Since publishing this, I have had many suggestions as to what I could do. I appreciate all of them, however there is not a lot I can do in this case.

There is no open wound. I have examined it, I asked Tami to come over and we scrubbed the foot with my toothbrush (personal one) and soap. She could find nothing, and even squeezed, rubbed the abrasion and nothing shows up, either by visual of tactile examination.

On the first day, I applied an antibiotic salve and drove it in with DMSO. She still smells like garlic. We did that twice. Since then I have been using Prep H in the hope that it would reduce the swelling.

I could take her to the Vet. Last trip with Jessie cost $120.00 for medication for frounce. (The vet, a good one with Raptors, insisted that she had Aspergillosis. I insisted that she had an internal version of Frounce, so yes, I did know more about raptor problems than he did. Still a good vet!)  However there is nothing to treat other than the swelling. No open wounds, no obvious broken bones. A two hour drive with her swaying back and forth in a box, most likely needing to use that foot to steady herself, is not something that I really want to do, not to mention the cost. I suspect that it is a stone bruise, in which case only time will help. Her swelling is not so bad that it is hazardous to the foot tissue and does not seem to be an issue. My biggest handicap in treating her is that I have no one to hold her while I work on the foot. My biggest worry is for the healthy foot that she is having to stand on all the time. I have since brought her in the house where I have a perch that is better for her other foot.

It would appear that our season has ended a bit early. I don't see much chance of hunting her again before it gets too cold to do so. Perhaps I can get some hunting in Feb or March.