There are days spent in the woods, where at the conclusion, and the sun has set, I am filled with a most excited thankfulness for all that was gifted to see, to breath, to take in. Our morning started with a heavy gray fog lifting off of the damp forest, revealing the terrain. A tranquil pond was disrupted by the splash of an owl, who sat in the water for some time, making his way to the bulrushes where he waited, hunting nearby ducks. Throughout the day, we encountered rabbits whose fur had turned already as they await a late arriving snow. We trailed some bulls, always behind. After bumping some deer, we ate lunch on a cliff face, perched on the summit we had scaled all morning. The view was magnificent. After a long bushwhack out, we closed the day in a meadow. I fell asleep under a pine, and awoke to a herd of elk pouring into the peaceful arena fenced by forest, all cows with some calves. We watched as the lead cow kept watch while others grazed. Three of the calves began to frolic, prance and gallop around the meadow, not knowing we sat at times mere yards away watching their spectacle. The calves played as children play, reminding me of innocence and youth. At home, meat, onions, broth and bread; the marrow of men’s bones.
#beautifulday #hunting
