I took the dogs out late this morning. I left the house around 8 AM, and went just west of town to a canyon I haven't hit all winter. There is a pretty decent valley on one side, and then to the west is a 5 mile or so long ridge that is NASTY. I couldn't make it up the valley to the saddle at the north end of the ridge, so I turned around. I let the dogs out to stretch their legs and road them a while. When we got lower, where there are some rocky bluffs, they started getting pretty excited. Tip opened on a track in the rocks, but I just stayed in the truck, as they were only about 100 yards away, and to see if they could figure it out. After a few minutes, and farther down the canyon, all the dogs lined out going north into a small canyon east of the previous mentioned valley and ridge. There was no road in there, but I was able to work my way around in the truck to try and cut them off. There are old drill roads everywhere in that country, so I figured I would minimize my walking as much as possible.
I got out on one point and pinged the dogs pretty good on the other side of this canyon. I could not hear them, so figured they were moving pretty good. I then went back down, and came up the road in the bottom of that little canyon. I checked again, and was getting a marginal signal in the area where I last got a signal. I loaded up the pack, 30-30, and a camera, (no leads, stupid me
). I got to that ridge and found dog tracks, but could not hear or see dogs. I took another reading and got a signal near the north end of that ridge, where I couldn't get with my truck. I have a Quick Track 1000, and I had it on long range. I was only still getting a marginal signal. I checked in all directions, and kept pointing to the north end of that ridge.
I walked in that direction for about the next hour (I left the truck just before 11). I stopped and checked regularly for a signal, and kept getting a signal near that ridge. Now, I was getting closer, and even within 400 yards of the summit, I was still only able to pick them up good on long range, and had to turn the gain up in the med, which is good for up to 1 mile. This was not making sense. I kept checking in all directions, and glassing, but I was not able to see or hear dogs???
Well, I got to the top of that summit, where the road crosses. I found a set of snowed in lion tracks, at least a couple days old, but nothing fresh. I could not hear dogs, and was still getting a reading in the same spot???
I was about to walk back to the truck, when I thought I should get to the point above that summit and make CERTAIN the dogs were not on the other side. I climbed up a little bit, and got on a big rock. I got a good strong signal, this time able to pick it up even on close range, which is for under 1/4 mile!!!
When the wind would pause, I could hear Tip down in the bottom. It took me another half hour to get down there through waist deep snow, and old wrotten falling apart trees, but I caught up with the dogs!
As it turns out, they were messing around with some old sign, and nothing fresh. I leashed up Tip, and the pups followed willingly. Tip was actually helping me up the hill LOL, trying to find that cat!
I left with the dogs at about 1:30 and made a b-line for the truck. It took me 1/2 hour to go up that 1/4 mile rock pile, with the dog pulling me, and less than an hour to get the other 2 miles back to the truck from there.
I sure learned a lesson today.
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK EVERY POSSIBILITY EVEN IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
Had I turned back and went to the truck without walking up to that point, I would have been baffled, and would still be up there looking for dogs.
Hope I didn't bore you to death.
Later,
Marcial