HELLO OLD FRIEND...TIME TO HUNT

      Well we made it back to Oregon, with a week to spare before Dwain's big hunt.  We stayed on our friends Sharri and Jim Griffin's property in Medford for 5 days before moving back up to Grants Pass to settle in.
      So I tallied it up, and fun facts go like this:
Days gone - 120                         Total miles traveled - 9,212              States visited - 11
Longest stay in a state - 45 days, Wyoming                                Shortest stay in a state - 24 hrs, Idaho
Highest elevation - 10,998 ft., Bear Tooth Mtns. Montana
Lowest elevation - 305 ft., Red Bluff California
Went through 3 time zones - Pacific, Central, and Eastern         Our favorite place - Cody Wyoming
RV Rally's - 2, Goshen Indiana, Gillette Wyoming                     Hospitals - 1, Gillette Wyoming
Rodeos - 6, Sheridan Wyoming , Cody Wyoming, Crow            Museums - 17
Livestock Fairs - 4            Cultural Fairs - 4, Crow                     Historic Battlefields walked - 4
Birds and animals in the wild - Magpies, Bald Eagle, White Tail Deer, Mule Deer, Antelope, Buffalo,
Praire Dogs, Beaver, and Muscrat

                                                             THE BIG MULE DEER HUNT

      Dwain had made reservations last winter with Sarvis Praire Outfitter, located in Fossil Oregon for a guided 5 day Mule Deer Buck hunt.  For 6 months Dwain talked about it in great anticipation, gathering all the "hunt" stuff needed, getting his Oregon Hunting License, and putting in hoping to draw for a Mule Deer Buck tag.   Dwain was scheduled to leave on Thursday September 25th so we had things to do to prepare.  We rented a car for me so Dwain could take the truck, in hopes of  him hauling back his first Mule Deer Buck.  Dwain left on Thursday morning headed to NE Oregon, spent the night in Redmond Oregon, and in the morning continued on his journey, to arrive in Fossil on Friday afternoon.   Time to site in his rifle, which went well so I was told...Dwain was 1 of 9 up there for this hunt.  In the meantime on Friday back in Grants Pass I had things to do...Pedicure, shopping, a sleep over with my girl friend, you know all the really good stuff.

                                                                 GREAT WHITE HUNTER

       Saturday had finally arrived for the Big Hunt...Dwain said they left at a little after 7 a.m. that morning.  They drove around scouting for a buck for a while, eventually they found just what he had been waiting for, a nice Mule Deer Buck.  A great shot brought him down about 11:30 a.m..  By the time they had gotten to the Deer, had their many Kodak moments, gutted him then he called me.  So you can imagine my reaction when I am "shopping" to get a call from Dwain at 12:30, why isn't he hunting, you are not suppose to call people while you are hunting, I said to myself just before I answered the phone.  So,  here is how the conversation went...Dwain says "hi, I'm done", "what", I said...he repeated himself saying "I'm done", I am thinking what does that mean???  I say again "WHAT, I don't understand what you mean", and now he finally says "I got my deer, I tagged out", I look at the clock in disbelief and say "already", I have watched enough of those hunting shows on TV to know that you don't always get your deer on opening day, or in 4 hours...isn't there alot of tracking and stuff how could this be???  Did I drink too much wine last night with Sharri, and cannot comprehend what he is saying.  Now remember he is suppose to be gone till Thursday and this is Saturday mid day...I am shopping, and BAM, does that mean he is coming home???  So I say "are you coming home", and Dwain says "no, I am going to stay and do some Coyote hunting", Yippee Skippee words now that I understand, he got his deer and I am still going to have some ME time.  Win-Win!!!  A couple other hunters also got their deers that day.

                                                     THE GUIDES SKINNING DWAIN'S DEER

        Dwain spent the next 4 days enjoying time with the other hunters, listening to all their stories of past hunts.  The last hunter of the 9 tagged out on Tuesday afternoon and they stayed along with Dwain till Wednesday.  One hunter got their buck on Saturday and proceeded to leave on Sunday...I told Dwain for what the hunt cost, you better stay there and eat their food and enjoy the whole guy camping experience.  I am really glad he was able to fulfill his dream of a successful Mule Deer Buck hunt.  I was really hoping for a nice shoulder mounted Mule Deer for the wall of our future home, but that will have to wait till the next hunt.  Dwain liked his head but not enough to have it mounted, so for now he is going to have the horns mounted and display them in his garage.  Now he is doing research on Antelope (Prong Horn) hunts in Wyoming.  Oh LORD he has caught the bug...