My last outing, A Weekly posting Options

[Caveman]

I will have to find some more stones with good color, then. I'll let you know!

[Woody]

Hi All,

I’ve been absent for a while, out trying to poke an elk with a stick. Although I did have a nice shot opening morning on a 6X6, things just weren’t meant to be. It was only 47.5 yards away but at an extreme angle. I would say about 50 degrees downhill. My rangefinder does not have ARC, “Elk hunters will know what I mean by that”. So I had to guess as to the shot placement. And it appears I guessed wrong. I then spent the next week running up and down the mountain side in hopes of another encounter. Didn’t happen! We did have a Bear come in to camp one day while no one was there. He kind of made a mess of things and seemed to have a taste for Sent-Away-Spray and hand soap.

Our hunt was a pack-in trip so everything me and my two brothers brought with us came in on our backs. Of course food and water was a main concern. But a knowing person can lighten the load a bit if they plan ahead. Water can be one of the heaviest items to bring. We overcame this obstacle by camping next to a known good spring. The water coming out of the ground at 9000 feet tastes better than bottle water any day. I know there can be lots of risks due to Beaver Fever and what not but this spring has been a good source for many years. (You ever look at the source of bottled water? The one I have in front of me says, “Denver Public Water Supply”).

I continued to enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer and man the timing could not have been better for the Fall Harvest. Everywhere I looked was an abundant supply of succulent editable items, everything from Rose Hips to Salmon Berries. There is several ways to prepare the Rose Hips but nothing wrong with eating all the berries right off the bush. Ripe Rose Hips are great eaten raw or I also like boiling them with a little water and making a kind of Mush out of them.

Here are some pictures of the Berries and Hips.

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[Woody]

Red Currant Berries and Goose Berries.

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[Woody]

Another good tasting berry. Service Berries, also called June Berries.

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[Woody]

This is a picture of a Salmonberry. It resembles Raspberries but has a different taste. Still great to eat.

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[Woody]

Put them all together and you have a nice tasty little snack.

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[Woody]

Who knew this is actually Bear Attractant. The Bear also however was true to his nature and ate the bottle of Grape Jelly.

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[Woody]

This last picture is of the Spring. Now I got to get back to digging in the hills. I hope all the hunters have a great and safe season, Woody.

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[Caveman]

I am going to have to polish up on my stick bow skills and get ready to head out next year! Got new, lighter shafts, so I have to work up the proper point weight also. Did your shot go over that elk's back? I found out the hard way that on uphill you aim the same as you would for downhill shots (my rangefinder doesn't have ARC either). Counter intuitive, that is.

I thoroughly enjoyed the class on finding your food in the local environs. Very cool!

[traddoerr]

Woody, maybe that bear was trying to get rid of it's bad breath , we got up for 5days and seen many elk but only one of us got a shot(he missed by a hair) all but one of us shoots trad. bows. I'll try to post pic's in the living off the land section. Best, Dennis

[Woody]

Well Caveman actually the shot was low. It was about 50 degrees down hill at 47.5 yards away and I guessed 40 yards. The arrow left the bow and for a split second I was very excited as all looked well. But then I saw the arrow start to fall prematurely and my heart sank with it. It is one of those things you will relive for the rest of your life. Thinking what if I would of done this or maybe done that. Sometimes I recall all the animals I have successfully harvested throughout the years and occasionally it is hard tro remember them all. But I can readily recall each and every one of the missed opportunities and this will go down as one of those. My season is not over yet and I should be able to get out at least one more weekend so who knows.

Still part of the enjoyment is getting away from it all and for a day or two just being able to mentally relax. I may not have got an elk that outing but I still had a great time. Hunting Grouse with a Wrist Rocket is always exciting. I even took some time away from hunting to do a little rock hounding. I know of several layers of material around 10,000 feet that produce great marine fossils. I found some pretty cool bone segments that just fascinated me. One of these days I hope I take time and do a pack in trip just dedicated to exploring those fossil bearing areas. Lots of questions fill my mind about these fossils and it just seems natural to dig in the ground to answer them.

For the most part our lives seem to be dedicated to the work we do as if that was the main reason for living. Sure I agree that when you hire your hands out to accomplish a task you aught to do the best job possible. But I don't think that alone should define who you are. I guess there are a few lucky ones out there that get paid to do their life's passion but for me my tail wagers come mostly from times when I am off the clock. My goal is to be savvy enough to identify and enjoy the Pearls of life when I have them and adopt a motto that embraces the practice of working to live, and never living to work. I think that would make me a winner in life. Woody
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[Woody]

Here is a pic of some of the Bone fragments,

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[Denise]

Yummm, mixed berries! Those have to be the biggest rose hips that I have ever seen Woody! They make great jelly!

Have you been out hunting or are you still getting more prospecting time in? Hope all is going well your way, you have been really quiet lately. Hope you have a Happy Halloween today!

[Crusty]

Anyone heard from Woody? He hasn't visted the board since Nov.

[Woody]

Gastroliths, Stomach Stones, “commonly known as Gizzard Stones”.

Gizzard Stones can be found in many parts of Colorado. They occur frequently in soil and rock that is rich in fossil content. However Gizzard Stones are also still used today by many of our bird and reptile animals, like Ostriches and Crocodiles.

Different groups of animals used these stones differently. The most common use was in animals that needed assistance in gridding up the tough fibrous food they ate. The gizzard is normally assigned this job but somehow, somewhere along the way, a few animals decided that swallowing stones greatly helps this process. Even farm raised chickens are given Grit as an alternative to pecking in natural dirt. Other animals, such as Alligators, use Stomach Stones for ballast. It has nothing to do with digestion but it has great value for weight in some aquatic or marine animals.

There is a third use for these stones that I am familur with. I'm not going to give you the answer right away, but I will tell you it has something to do with Native Americans. Good Luck guessing.

If you are out and about hiking in the hills keep your eyes open for Gizzard stones, they’re out there. Here is a short video that I made a few days ago while out looking for Agate and Jasper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEYUvYdl3OY


Happy hunting, Woody.