Bushnell sent me one of their TRAILCAMS to use to find out what kind of critters dig all those holes beneath tree stumps and brushpiles, also along road berms. Since the dens are way too small for coyotes and probably foxes, my guess is that ringtails are the residents. Surely, pack rats don't make holes that large. Whatever shows up may be wearing tiny sombreros as most of a breakfast burrito was scattered around the dens in view of the camera.

Thanksgiving Quail Hunt

Son Courtney and six year old grandson Casey left Plano, (north of Dallas) Texas at 6:30 a.m. Thursday in hopes of hunting blue (scaled) quail in Lea County New Mexico that afternoon. When grandpa Rusty called them at about 9:15 CST, they were stopped for gasoline at Ranger, Texas (estimated to be about half way to Hobbs, NM). Great, at that rate they should arrive in Hobbs around noon or so MST. After buying licenses, ammo, waterproof boots, and tea bag type hand and toe warmers, we should have a couple shooting hours left. WRONG. Their 6:30 p.m. Hobbs arrival shot that in the rump.

 When an anxious grandpa called around noon NM time, they reported being, “Between  Colorado City and  Big Spring. It’s snowin’ like the devil and we can barely see where the road is. We had to pull off because these new glasses are makin’ some of those snowflakes look as big as my hand and they’re comin’ from all directions. I don’t remember ever seein’ it snow this hard.” Later, we heard that it was the worst snowfall this early in the year for over 100 years at Big Spring. On their return trip Sunday they heard the same thing about Abilene. Fortunate to get a motel room outside Sweetwater, they got home late Monday afternoon.

An early start Friday was negated by Courtney’s cramps keeping him awake most of the night.  His sudden onset of (surely it’s) diabetis is draining his electrolytes faster’n he can replace ‘em.. When the soles fell off his 23 year old pair of Browning hunting boots, we duct taped ‘em back on until we could replace the boots.

.Not having a local map was a big mistake when Paige Darden at MYTOPO.COM tried to figure out just what area to include on the custom topo map she made me.

She did her best to include all the possible area we might hunt according to local directions,”After you get about 15 miles WEST of town (Hobbs), it’s about all public land and you can just take those oilfield roads and hunt anywhere.” Wouldn’t you know it? The Carlsbad Highway runs SOUTHWEST, right off the map. We spent two days looking for Marathon Road “There’s a sign there. It’s about 15 miles towards Carlsbad. After you get there it’s good quail huntin’ all over the place.” Contrary to all the other side roads in the area, there were none pointing to that one. If there was a sigtn at all, it was a the size of a city street marker way off the highway. Naturally, it was the only one we didn’t check. After all, it was over 30 miles from town. 

On BLM (Bureau of Land Management, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior) land we took a road towards an oilwell location until the road got too rough. We stopped beside the red sandy clay road and where looking around when Court got a nearly heart stopping surprise. He related, “I was standin’ in that bunch of grass when I started smellin’ somethin’ and it was really`strong. I was lookin’ for (the source of) it when a great big jackrabbit jumped nearly right out from between my feet. His ears looked a foot long. It’s a wonder I didn’t wet my pants”

****TO BE CONTINUED****

Although company paid four day home leaves are greatly appreciated, all the driving to the Lubbock or Midland-Odessa airports and all the airport hassle make for an extra tired old man. Electing to stay in Hobbs, NM for the holiday and get acquaqinted with a new (Used) laptop, there were stories to be written. Maybe one could get some much needed rest.

Then Grandma Rusty related, "I think Courtney (our son) wants to come over and do some quail hunting." Contacting Court revealed that six year old Casey Wayne was coming with him. Today Court said, "Casey's so wound up he was ready for school at 5:00 this mornin'." He usually leaves for school at 7:30.

We just learned that Court has been tested for diabetes. Will hear next week.

Around here stopped up heads, coughin', hackin' and nose blowin' or spittin' has infected very many of us with what Rusty calls the gallopin' dumb (butt). Sure hope he's not too unpleasant to be around this weekend.

They're predicting lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s, snow Thursday night. At least the snow should make the quail and rabbits easier to find. One of the locals said that the rattlesnakes (they've killed some six footers lately) don't normally get out and start moving around until it gets about 65 degrees out.

There are reports of there being plenty of quail this year partly due to the unusual amount of rain they had around here. One party of six bagged 75 birds Friday. There are millions of acres of public land around here. Another factor in the good bird numbers is that the Lea County chapter of Quail Unlimited has built 108 wildlife guzzlers on public land. The structures capture rain water, store it in 1500 gallon tanks and let a small amount (to limit evaporation) of water out at a time. A real blessing in this desert.

Here's wishing all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

It cost Rusty a steak to have a lunch with his new friend from Alaska who related some great tales about a half White Mountain Apache lass. Some of the resulting planned keyboard work includes such exciting episodes as: "How'd that kid do that? It took three of us to load that horse in the trailer this mornin'." 

After the second time the gray wolves rescued her from three ruffians the lowlifes had the brass to accuse her of forcing them to leave their guns and packs near her camp. The investigating Alaska State Policeman told a different story when he got back to his post.

"I wouldn't take that horse." "Oh, he won't be any problem, he wants to go." "How do ya know?" "He told me he does."

"I'll NEVER fly with you again."

Does anyone want to read these TRUE stories?

Those jackasses will never learn. Those goody goody SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE idiots really think things out before they start raising hell about something. Nearly the whole state of Georgia is about to totally dry up from lack of rain. When the govorner called for a public prayer meeting on the capitol steps to pray for rain, the idiots showed their lack of brain power. The rain prayers were for THEIR good as well as for their neighbors. Rusty doesn't believe the ears of those folks will ever freeze because of their warm location.

With our new non-dst hours, Rusty MAY have to report to the office before 5:30 A.M. then take a company vehicle another 25 miles to be at the crusher/pit site by 6:00 A.M.  Both of the companies supplying backfill material for our project have their own rock crushing operations from which our material is mined, really a dusty mess. From the ridge the JAL, NM pit is on one can see for miles across a shallow valley over into Texas on the east and on the south. On the paved roads vehicles look like bugs. Rusty got all excited the other day when he thought he saw an antelope in the distance. It turned out to be a truck on an unseen distant paved roadway.

Travel on the caleche (sp?) roads kicks up dust clouds that allow one to follow progress of whatever is on those roads. While watching for his dirt haul trucks to return via the closest highway about a half mile away, Rusty sits up there and imagines being a native American watching the dust of wagon trains, Pauncho Villa, cattle drives, cavalry troops, or warring tribes.

From his favorite observation post the other day, Rusty saw what appeared to be a stationary blacktail jackrabbit in the scrub brush. Then it gradually moved. Look at the ears on that thing!!  During rusty's quick glance away, the rabbit disappeared, probably by simply squatting on the ground in cover. No photo opp.