Lost

[todd allen]

I can relate to the above story, though you're not really lost until you let fear in. If you can stay calm, and keep your wits, you are just temporarily misplaced. Been there, done that a few times.
I remember a duck hunt in central Nevada one year quietly walking a little creek, dead of winter, over-cast, windy, with little skiffs of snow hitting on and off. Alone, except for my beloved little chocolate lab, Mabel. With a couple of birds in the bag, the weather turned on me, and a snow storm set in. I figured it was time to call it a day, and head back to camp. A fairly long walk, if I followed the creek, or I could take a short-cut across a meadow. As soon as I was out of sight of the creek, the weather cranked it up another notch or two. Now I'm in a total white out. My tracks were disappearing right before my eyes, eliminating any evidence that I was ever there. Every where I looked, 360 degrees, the view was identical. No landmarks, no tracks, nothing. I couldn't tell North from South, by visual. I retrieved the little compass from my kit, and figured a direction, and went for it. Keeping as straight a line as possible, it seemed like forever, but finally I stumbled onto Cherry Creek. I turned left, and walked the couple miles back to camp. Camp was a borrowed 1970's, or early 80's Ford C Class motor home camper. My hunting partners, Mike and Elise were sitting at the table sipping Crown Royal, with the heater on, dinner warming on the cook-top.
I would never take for granted a little walk in the field, with a little weather at my back.

[ch]

Bruce's pictures great, trees are over rated!!! You don't need trees to get lost there are stories of settlers getting lost hunting there dug out in the sea of grass.

A line from a great movie. I've never been lost but i've been fearsome confused for 3 months.

[charlie cleveland]

my first time to hear that line it was a good one... charlie

[Leighton Stallones]

I know how HEnry felt. I was lost on an Elk Hunt in New Mexico several years ago in the Kit Carson Natl Forest.
I had a compass and a map of the area. I thought I knew where I was ,but I looked at my compass and did not believe it. However, about that time a truck came by and I was found and sent in the right direction.

[Leighton Stallones]

I know how HEnry felt. I was lost on an Elk Hunt in New Mexico several years ago in the Kit Carson Natl Forest.
I had a compass and a map of the area. I thought I knew where I was ,but I looked at my compass and did not believe it. However, about that time a truck came by and I was found and sent in the right direction.

[C.O.B.]

When the GPS was fairly new a friend and I went Elk hunting in Colorado. Wendell was undaunted with his "new" devise and therefore fearsome in his travels. I used a compass and even some red survey tape to mark where I went up the mountain. We were to meet at the truck at dusk. At zero dark thirty he still hadn't showed up. A rancher found him walking down what Wendell thought was a paved road but in reality was the ranch road of some private property. He was only a mile from the truck but it took 30 min to drive the distance, seems there were a couple of ravines between him and the truck.

Being lost or even just turned around is no fun.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by calvin humburg

A line from a great movie. I've never been lost but i've been fearsome confused for 3 months.

That is a slight variation of a quote originally contributed to Daniel Boone

[John Taddeo]

I believe the quote is from Brian Keith to Charlton Heston in the movie "Mountain Men "

[Paul P.]

Thanks Rich. I enjoyed the story. I am awaiting the next few chapters.
I am slightly jealous of you people with story telling gifts.

[C.O.B.]

Chapter three

Henry and Rudy slept late the next day and were greeted to a hard frost which still blanketed the ground at 10am. As bacon sizzled in the cast iron frying pan Henry redied his gear. He made an extra sandwhich, packed an additional couple of apples and two extra bottles of water which all went into the Little Playmate cooler. In his hunting coat he added spare batteries for his GPS and a Mini Mag flashlight. He had no intent on hunting till dark today but then he hadn't planned on the previous nights excursion either.

Rudy was a little stiff this morning so Henry added a little bacon grease to his food and an asprin to ease the ach's and pains, in fact he helped himself to a little Motrin with his morning coffee as well. Over breakfast he looked at the map he was given the night befor and thought about the cover the Yooper had told him about.

Grouse hunting was more than the killing of a bird for Henry, it was exploration into the unknown (to him) wilderness, it was getting off the beaten path and seeing and experienceing things that the road hunters and killer's miss like the nice buck the night befor or watching an industrious Beaver go about his daily chores.

With the GPS location of his truck marked from the night befor Henry loaded his gun and Rudy into the truck to search for the "Autum Olive Cover" as he now called it. This time he took the VH 20 as it was a few ounces lighter than the GHE 16 which was on a #1 frame that he used yesterday and after yesterday a few ounces was afterall ounces saved.

Henry parked in the same spot as the day befor but headed in a different direction. He went primarly north and hunted along the edge of the Aspen cut following the map. Rudy was bouncing along the best an 11 year old dog can and had made a point or two but the birds flushed wild and Henry had only glimpsed one and had no shots at either bird but still rated it as success.

The morning faded into early afternoon and they stopped for a drink and a bite to eat under a huge Maple tree that was still exhibiting all it's fall splendor. Against a background of varying shades of grey and browns the Maple was a beacon of colour, reluctant to give into the grip of the oncoming winter. The old tree stood proud as it had for probably 100 years or more defient in the face of winter to shed it's fall bounty of red leaves.

After their snack and a rest they hunted along a creek that fed another creek that emptied into the beaver dam. This was marked on the map so Henry knew he was getting close to where he wanted to be. It wasn't long befor he realized he couldn't hear Rudy's bell and for a brief moment fear struck him hard in the gut...where did Rudy go? Then just as quickly he realized he was on point, they had reached The Autum Olive cover. Henry circled around in front of Rudy the VH at the ready. The Grouse exploaded from an Evergreen tree and flew right at Henry and he ducked as the bird almost knocked his hat off! He turned quickly to shoot at the rapidly dissappearing bird but his shot was way off the mark. At the report of the gun another bird flushed and flew to safty.

The patch of Autum Olives ran along a hillside and looked to be about three hundred yards long and at the most 20 yards wide. With the wind in their face they proceded to hunt this cover exclusively. Rudy made several points but these birds acted as if they had been hunted befor even though there was no evidence of anyone being there. Henry spotted some feathers and a blood stain along a log with a small piece of gut hanging off a stick. Another hunter had indeed discovered this Grouse paradise, perhaps a hawk or an owl had hunted this place earlier today.

They hunted the rest of the cover and took one bird and as it was now 3:30 and the air was cooling with the promise of another cold night Henry and Rudy headed for the truck. His GPS said 7 miles as the crow flies to the truck, water, food for Rudy and a sandwhich for himself were waiting for them. With the night befor still very fresh in his mind Henry chose discretion over time and turned around and followed the same route they had taken back to the truck. He did however mark The Autum Olive cover as a waypoint in his GPS so he could find it again next year.