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Borrego Springs, CA

Monday, September 3, 2012

Wandering

I didn’t even wake up this morning until after 8:00.  That is exceptionally late for me.  Luckily, Emma must have been tired too because I never heard a peep out of her until I was dressed and ready to take her for her first outs.  Just before we headed out the door, there was a loud blast nearby.

Yep, small game and deer season has begun on the refuge.  At least one commenter was surprised that hunting was allowed on what he considered a place where animals could find refuge.  You may not know this, but hunting of some sort is allowed on most National Wildlife Refuges.  At Alligator River NWR, small game, deer, and waterfowl can be hunted with certain restrictions.  There is no hunting of the bears allowed, and anyone that is found hunting or harassing wolves will suffer a $100,000 fine and/or one year in jail.  Personally, I can’t imagine hunting in this very challenging wet, hot, humid and bug infested habitat.

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I guess you could say that I do my hunting with a camera and most often from the air conditioned comfort of my car.  Winking smile  After a very rainy afternoon, Emma and I hopped in the car early this evening to wander some more of the back roads of the refuge.  Skies had cleared, the sun was shining, and this red-tailed hawk was visually patrolling the fields.

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Every time I’ve driven these roads a memory of a bridge over a canoe launch keeps nagging at me.  It seemed to me it was a memory from this refuge, but I hadn’t found it yet, and I’ve driven an awful lot of refuges in the last six years.

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Then tonight, I found it.  The canoe launch area is overgrown, but the one lane bridge is still there with an inviting view of Milltail Creek.  When the weather cools, maybe I’ll figure out a way to get my Sea Eagle inflatable kayak in for a little paddle.

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Looking down from the bridge, this algae bloom on the creek’s waters made me think of one of those photos from space of some continent.  On our way back, I took a couple of other roads I haven’t done yet this year.

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I’m glad I did because we got another nice view of a black bear.  He was on his way to the cultivated fields for an evening meal.

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While Emma was not very impressed with our little walk over the bridge on Milltail Creek, this big old bear brought her right to attention!  Her shoulder hair was standing on end, her nose was sniffing in high gear, and a very quiet rumble was coming from her chest.  I’d venture to say that this made her day.

Tomorrow I’ll be off to get new lenses put into my reading glasses, and then do the weekly grocery shopping.  I’ll be open to any excitement offered by these mundane chores.

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                                                                                THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

20 comments:

  1. All these people up here in MT looking for bears and you're finding them all over the place. Emma's so happy you made her day for her.

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  2. Do they allow hunting of copperheads? Seems like the place is over run with them!

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  3. I have never seen so many bears as you have down there...even in Alaska...As for the snakes, if I came upon one I would wet myself, and probably get bitten...I never know when to keep my mouth shut..You and Emma are soooo blessed to be right in the midst of so much wildlife...even those nasty snakes...Are you related to Steve Erwin????

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  4. Those bears just crack me up. They always seem to looking straight at you and then just go one their merry way.

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  5. Oh the nature all around. But I don't like to be where the hunters are.

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  6. Thanks for the bear pictures ... they have now replaced the image of the copperhead from your previous post :-)

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  7. Like yourself we prefer to hunt with our camera. Live and let Live. Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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  8. I guess the hunting is necessary to keep the populations in check since some have no preditors any more thanks to us but it always makes me very nervous. I really don't like guns.

    Happy grocery hunting!

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  9. Judy, you seem to be capturing tons of bear shots these past few days!..good job!!!

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  10. Looks like you and Emma had a great adventure.

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  11. A great adventure and another Bear - a pretty good day, I'd say.

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  12. I think you even have Goldilocks beat for bear sightings...just don't go sharing your porridge with them.

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  13. I must admit, I prefer all the bear pictures. I started reading your previous post and the first picture sent me off and that was the end of that post! Sorry. I'm one of those unreasonably 'afraid of snakes people' :)

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  14. You are seeing as many bears as we've been sighting around our place! Great photos! And, when it comes to hunting in bug infested places, where there's a will, there's a way if you are a die hard hunter. Why would anyone want to go out in freezing cold rain, sit in a wet, muddy blind and shoot defenseless ducks is beyond me! We have bear season here in Montana and it breaks my heart to see those poor dead bears. I hate hunting!

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  15. We've been at Yellowstone for 9 days now and haven't seen a single bear! I guess they are all in No. Carolina! (Have to admit we did see a bear in Grand Teton though.) Always great to see...from a distance!

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  16. I happen to like snakes... despite the copperhead bite several years ago... so like the snake shots as well as the bears. While I realize the need to control "critter" population, I still have a problem with hunting on a refuge. Kinda glad that most of the ones where we volunteer do not permit it ;-)

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  17. People are fined for harassing wolves? How does one harass a wolf! However, when I was MUCH younger and single I can remember a few wolves harassing me.

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  18. That looks like a great place for a paddle. Maybe on a slow day you can give us a rundown of your favorite refuges:)

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  19. Great bear pictures, what fun to roam around all those roads.

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