When we moved to Montana, I began working for a General Contractor in the area who is an avid Mountain Lion hunter. His daily stories and observations after a fresh snow storm, inspired me to keep my eyes on the side of the road instead of ON the road like I should. Katie will attest to this.
So after my morning duties in the lower elevations at The Double F, I headed just above our house at 6000 feet armed with a camera. I was hoping to find that skunk that has been bothering us lately, but right out of the driveway was a fluffy tail track:
Once in a while you're rewarded for for your efforts with a really fresh track. Sometimes it may be a deer, a fresh grouse track (mountain chicken), or occasionally you will be excited about a bobcat or even a lion crossing the creek on a snowy log. Today I came up over "the beaver slide" and saw this, a large wolf track:
Not much further up the road was the track of a coyote.
And just a bit up the road, was a mule deer track. I really don't know, but I would think that the wolf was taking a close look at this deer.
And since I had my camera, I took a shot of the boulder hole on Jack Creek, just above the house. I am anxious to fish this creek that goes through our front yard, and as I write this I wonder what I was doing taking pics and not fishin. Today, the water visiblility in the creek was the clearest it has been since I've moved in. Spring runoff is right around the corner, and this creek will be raging with melting snow, mud, and sticks.
Here's a self-portrait shot of the conclusion of my long day today. A full day of work (with a little screwing off and taking pics on the way), then a few hours working on Katie's shelter for her goats, and a bit of splitting wood to top it off.
And just a bit up the road, was a mule deer track. I really don't know, but I would think that the wolf was taking a close look at this deer.
And since I had my camera, I took a shot of the boulder hole on Jack Creek, just above the house. I am anxious to fish this creek that goes through our front yard, and as I write this I wonder what I was doing taking pics and not fishin. Today, the water visiblility in the creek was the clearest it has been since I've moved in. Spring runoff is right around the corner, and this creek will be raging with melting snow, mud, and sticks.
Here's a self-portrait shot of the conclusion of my long day today. A full day of work (with a little screwing off and taking pics on the way), then a few hours working on Katie's shelter for her goats, and a bit of splitting wood to top it off.
sweet! I have Squirrels in my yard. There is enough Mountain Lions to hunt out there?
ReplyDeleteLivin' the dream for sure!
Yea Scott. It seems like they're managed well and there is a fine balance. There is a quota in each "zone" and once a lion is harvested, that zone is closed. Similar to Vermont's moose hunting. My boss trees over 50 cats a year. sometimes the same ones. but he does it for the fun of it, he'llclimb up the tree and pokes it with a stick to watch it jump out of a giant fur tree. Crazy bastard. He's killed one. The Montana state record, last winter.
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