Rick and I went out to drop kids off at school while Gary went to hunt quail. My wingshooting isn't good enough to justify any kind of guided hunt for birds, but it did sound like Gary enjoyed the morning's hunt.
All the pig stands had been hit well. The stand where I shot my sow was also hit - I'm always glad when I don't disrupt stands after taking a hog.
It rained most of the morning - not hard, but just a steady, spitting and cold rain. The precipitation was lightening in the late morning so I walked Dixie down to the river - she is a handful.
Back at the lodge Bo and Harrison (father and son) came into camp. They seemed nice enough even if Harrison seemed slightly unprepared for hog hunting. Bo had a wizbang video scope on his rifle which made him look a bit like a weaponized TV videographer. Still, the simplified ability to sight it in was neat and apparently the night vision capability is quite impressive. I was surprised the cost of it (ATN 4K Pro) wasn't more expensive.
There was still rain in the area with some drizzle as we all left to go out for the afternoon so at the last minute I grabbed my rain gear. This proved a good idea if not only for the rain, but also the wind since I was in an open "world-famous" ground blind. I liked the spot I was at since it had showed really good activity all week. The tripod gun stand was set up well.
The stand was close enough to a slightly more busy road to the point that the road noise was annoying at times. I was able to sit quietly for most of the afternoon without squirming which was surprising as it was the end of the week when I'm usually more restless.
As the afternoon went on, the weather cleared and wind seemed to die down. The sun descending to the horizon along with the fast moving and pretty clouds made an almost surreal sky. I enjoyed the afternoon in the blind.
Right near dark four deer came out. I have been very surprised on this trip how late I am seeing deer. Usually I have at least a couple nights where I am covered up in deer, but this trip seems to only show me a few deer right before dark. My hog hunting ended as it got dark with only those deer to keep me company.
It was difficult to walk out since I had to skirt a pond instead of walking down a 2-track. I probably should have used my flashlight, but in the dark it seemed like I ended up walking through every sticker-bush.
Neither Bo nor Harrison had seen any hogs. Gary had shot at a hog and had a tale where the hog hit the ground and flopped like well hit. Then it jumped up and down ("like it was catching butterflies") then ran into and out of the woods a few times. He did not take a follow-up shot.
Back at the lodge, I packed up most of my stuff in the truck and moved everything else into Gary's room so Bo and Harrison could bunk together - additionally both Gary and I are fairly early people. Gary was once again very generous to share his meatloaf and taters with me. Rick stopped by and we said our goodbyes before I turned in for the night.
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I woke up a little after 2:00 and decided I probably wasn't going to get back to sleep so I was on the road by 3:00. Getting home was easy enough as my mind wandered back to the real world and the craziness of coronavirus...
I listened to Janesville by Amy Goldstein. I'm not sure why this book originally ended up on my USB drive, but it was, at best, tolerable. I wasn't really sure what the point of the book was. It tells the stories of several families after a GM plant closes in a small Wisconsin town. While the situation is sympathetic, and the closing of the plant devastating, it is not a new story and with Janesville situated on an interstate between Madison and Rockford, IL, it seems there may have been more palatable or less difficult options than those presented in the book at times.
The drive went fast enough. Getting through Asheville, NC was still frustrating. I stopped a few times for snacks that were increasingly odd (pickled sausage?) which I took as a sign I needed to be off the road. Back at home the beagles were thrilled to see me. I unpacked and did a much-needed oil change on the Ridgeline. I made arrangements to drop off my pig skull to be cleaned out. Given that it was a boar with pretty good tusks, I want it to be done right.
I had a good time and the night hunting was a new, and exciting, experience. I probably think this every year, but I do miss Georgetown. More than that, I miss hunting with Nathan and Rachel or Rob and Jessie. I also realize the world is not a static place.
Every year has something new. I can look forward to what next year might bring.
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