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| The gray ghost |
Well, we have finally broken the back of this pig of a summer. The Phoenix valley boasted 33 days of 110+ temperatures - just under twice the annual average making this last August the official hottest month on record. Monsoon precipitation was low this year too, just over half the average annual precipitation amount. To say I was over the heat would be an understatement. And yet, thankfully, seasons do change. This last week blessed us with an unusually cool cold front and dropped the lows from the 70's down into the 50's. The desert is no stranger to austere and dramatic shifts in temperature. To the hunter, that first morning with a chill in the air that makes one shiver is an annual rite of passage, the ushering in of a new season. I was glad to feel it again, and my spirit was renewed for the pursuit of game.
In a style that has become standard for me this season, my friend Caleb and I went on another banzai scouting trip to my deer unit. We left at 3 am, and were back by 3 pm. How good it was to be back in the tall grass! The mountains yielded their treasures to us as we sat behind the glass and peered into the draws and canyons and north facing slopes in the growing light of the sunrise. Mule deer, Coues deer, javelina, coyotes, and a TON of rabbits. Most importantly, we found bucks, and a fair number too! I spotted two bucks over half a mile away, that are both larger than the one I harvested last year. They will be my quarry this season. All in all, it was a great day, and so good to be back in the long grass of southern Arizona.
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| The chaparral |
Well, we have finally broken the back of this pig of a summer. The Phoenix valley boasted 33 days of 110+ temperatures - just under twice the annual average making this last August the official hottest month on record. Monsoon precipitation was low this year too, just over half the average annual precipitation amount. To say I was over the heat would be an understatement. And yet, thankfully, seasons do change. This last week blessed us with an unusually cool cold front and dropped the lows from the 70's down into the 50's. The desert is no stranger to austere and dramatic shifts in temperature. To the hunter, that first morning with a chill in the air that makes one shiver is an annual rite of passage, the ushering in of a new season. I was glad to feel it again, and my spirit was renewed for the pursuit of game. 
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