Another Long Day on the Mountain
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:35 pm
I loaded five hounds yesterday and went to the mountain to exercise those hounds. We had covered some ground before they finally opened on a track, must have been a little after 5:30 AM going on 6:00. WEll, I dropped the tailgate and shipped ol' Ike and Choco out to strike and strike they did, with a few howls and chops and away they went. I hurried over to verify the track and then turned the other three into the race.........
The track didn't start very fast but did warm up abit as those dogs took it up through the vegetation. I thought cool, maybe they'll get treed in the next canyon or two and I'll have them gathered up before it gets hot--wrong. I caught up with those wild and crazy hounds around noon, treed or bayed off in one of the biggest hell holes in Utah--cliffs and ledges that could and does kill a billy goat.
Well, I couldn't hear them and only had those five hounds on the radio but geared up with my spot check and camera pack and headed into those dogs. I finally got close enough to them to think maybe they were caught, so I pushed on with a hastened speed. They sounded like they were caught right above the ledges on the ground or bayed, but things changed as I got closer. Whatever they had caught, a lion, bear, moose or elk (I threw the moose and elk in there for my buddies) squirted out around me, over the ridge by my truck and down into the second largest hell hole in Utah.....
Those dogs passed above me close enough that I got a glimpse of dog every now and then and thought to call them off but didn't. Maybe they'll tree on top huh? Nope, down in that next hole they went and ol' Ike threw in the towel and called them all off. It was just after 1:30 PM when those hounds started showing up and ol' Ike was sure glad to see them.
Another great day on the mountain, rig dogs up, rig dogs blow air, rig dogs down and strike, away they go and never got under the that was that........
But it was another good day on the hill and a great day to be alive, successful as well!
keep'em treed,
Ike
The track didn't start very fast but did warm up abit as those dogs took it up through the vegetation. I thought cool, maybe they'll get treed in the next canyon or two and I'll have them gathered up before it gets hot--wrong. I caught up with those wild and crazy hounds around noon, treed or bayed off in one of the biggest hell holes in Utah--cliffs and ledges that could and does kill a billy goat.
Well, I couldn't hear them and only had those five hounds on the radio but geared up with my spot check and camera pack and headed into those dogs. I finally got close enough to them to think maybe they were caught, so I pushed on with a hastened speed. They sounded like they were caught right above the ledges on the ground or bayed, but things changed as I got closer. Whatever they had caught, a lion, bear, moose or elk (I threw the moose and elk in there for my buddies) squirted out around me, over the ridge by my truck and down into the second largest hell hole in Utah.....
Those dogs passed above me close enough that I got a glimpse of dog every now and then and thought to call them off but didn't. Maybe they'll tree on top huh? Nope, down in that next hole they went and ol' Ike threw in the towel and called them all off. It was just after 1:30 PM when those hounds started showing up and ol' Ike was sure glad to see them.
Another great day on the mountain, rig dogs up, rig dogs blow air, rig dogs down and strike, away they go and never got under the that was that........
But it was another good day on the hill and a great day to be alive, successful as well!
keep'em treed,
Ike