A man and his tags

Apparently the moon and the stars are in proper alignment. I’ve drawn every tag I applied for so far this year.

My luck has been so good I’m actually expecting to draw an antelope tag next month.

I suspect it’s all in my attitude. There was a time not so long ago when I was crushed if I wasn’t successful in the drawings. And I often wasn’t. But because I hunt birds now from Sept. 1 until January it really doesn’t matter. My dogs could care less if I draw a cow elk tag. In fact they would prefer I didn’t.

This fall, however, they’ll have to get used to spending a bit more time at home. I have a bighorn ewe tag I hope to fill along with a cow elk tag that’s good for a huge chunk of country.

I haven’t hunted big game in recent years as much as I once did. I don’t need the meat I did when I was raising a family, and I certainly don’t eat like I used to. Heck, I can get a couple of meals out of a single pheasant.

I think it’s the stalk I miss the most. There’s nothing sneaky about hunting birds with dogs. Instead there’s usually a lot of whistle blowing and hollering and walking in plain sight.

Big game hunting, on the other hand, requires stealth and patience and on occasion belly-crawling through sagebrush and prickly pear.

I miss that, or at least it’s been so long since I actually belly-crawled that I think I do. I may find out differently this fall, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity. It’s been years since I pulled prickly pear spines out of my knees. It’s also been quite a while since I packed large pieces of meat miles back to the truck. I seem to remember that was never a lot of fun.

But I’m looking forward to the chance to do it all again.

And if I find that it’s not as much fun as it used to be? No big deal. I’ll just head home to the dogs and hunt birds

I suppose I should take advantage of this streak of good luck I’m on and buy a lottery ticket. I hear it’s up to half a billion dollars. But I’d be happy just as happy with an antelope tag.

I’m expecting one next month.

Parker Heinlein is at

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