While out cutting firewood---

Al Hansen

Al Hansen

Well-known member
I was busy doing my thing this past week.

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The trees that I am allowed to cut are tamerisk or popularly known around here as Salt Cedar. The trees in the picture, when alive, consume up to 200 gallons of water "Per Day". That is why they, the gov't, tried to kill them (spraying) so the trees won't decimate our ground water table.

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This is my buddy and protector----Chili. She is always willing to share my lunch with me, by the way.

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A typical look at the "jungle". Darn near impassible unless you want to crawl on your hands and knees and then you must contend with critters like western diamondback rattlesnakes. I tried crawling just once until I saw a dead rattler on the road.

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I was feeling mighty good until I saw these tracks on our way out. I measured them and they are 4 1/2 inches across. I would have given anything to see this cat. One of my goals is to try and take pictures of mountain lions. I still can remember the morning while hunting the Rio that I heard one scream. That was about a third of a mile from where these pictures were taken.
Now whenever Chili barks and I follow her stare into the thicket----I am always wondering.
Al

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Thats got to be one big kitty! My father lives in Las Veags and we go hiking in Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire alot. We have seen tracks but never seen a live one. Funny story about mountain lions- so we brought one of my little brother's friends and he is a city boy, we found a set of tracks going a cross the trail on our way out. They were on top of a boot print (that was old) but we told him that the boot print was mine from the way in so the cat had to be close. He nearly pee'd himself a dozen times on the last 2 miles back. It didn't help that my brother and sister would slip through the brush and ambush him on the trail.
 
You stay out of there with Chili! If you are fixing to hack off salt cedar, Fire off a few rounds as a gesture of defiance to that Saber-toothed beast in the brush.

Hope you guys have a great season, with no cats involved.
 
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Pat, sounds like that kid was totally initiated by the time he got back. How eager was he to go on his next hike?
Al
 
Todd, I need to cut at least 40 cords this year so it will be tough to stay out. I want to stockpile it at home. However, I can tell you that I will be be more alert now.
Al
 
Chris, that is quite a picture that was taken. Cats are amazing animals. This year I was talking with a wildlife biologist. One of his workers had an encounter with a large tom while he was in the field working. The cat ended up walking about 25/30ft behind him all the way back to his truck. When the guy got into his truck, the cat crouched down and just stared at him for over ten minutes. They tried to capture that one to fit a tracking collar on it but were unsuccessful. This all happened just ten miles south of where we live.
By the way, congrats on the elk!
Al
 
Todd, I need to cut at least 40 cords this year so it will be tough to stay out. I want to stockpile it at home. However, I can tell you that I will be be more alert now.
Al
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Al, Holy.... 40 cords? We heat our house w/ outside wood burner in "Ohio winters" and use nowhere near that amount of wood. Ya got a blast furnace in backyard?HAHA

Gene
 
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