I arrive to the parking lot at the furthest most place in the elk refuge. There is one vehicle parked, a pickup, the hunter already gone. Shooting light is 15 minutes away and things are lighting up. To the east, I see Jupiter and Venus rising above the sun and in very close proximity of each other. Check it out - this morning was a special day to see these two planets! Rising Planets It is still and quiet. Only the sound of Flat Creek, down below, can be heard.
The half mile flat land hike takes me to a straight-up hill. Over the course of the years, a path has been stomped out by wildlife and predators up the hill just north of a slight drainage. The ground is frozen but bare so traction is good. I step, step, step up the steep path, pushing to get my heart rate up. I pause and pull up binoculars, glassing the hillsides beyond.
There are tracks up top. Elk tracks, deer tracks, and a couple of big dog tracks - wolf. They were here and now they are not! The landscape continues to light up. I hear a shot off in the distance on forest service land. Then a few to the north off the hay fields. Someone is seeing elk.
My climb culminates on a prominent knob in the refuge. The north slope is thick in dark evergreens. This is a great place to see acres and acres of the elk refuge. And to see the sun light up the magnificent Teton Range. I catch a glimpse of a lone bull elk below running. This bull is all the wildlife I will see today.
It is a short morning. No need to hang around. The elk are not moving yet. I got a good walk in, saw two planets gracing Sleeping Indian Mountain, and watched an amazing sunrise.
They should be charging me a fee for this!!
So, 2017 hunting for me scores a big, round zero! It's not the first year I have been skunked and I'm sure it won't be the last! Mike still has a tag for the refuge for when we return. There is still hope.
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