November 18, 2022

Snapshots from the Rockies

I just spent a week deer hunting in the Rockies. Six days in a row of climbing powder covered hills in single digit temperatures was exhausting, but I can't think of anything else I'd rather have been doing. So many memories that are etched in my mind:

• A surprise grizzly bear encounter at 30 yards (it ran away, thankfully).
• Breaking trail in knee deep snow and returning a few days later to find another grizzly had followed my tracks.
• A cow moose and calf sighting in the wilderness, miles from any road.
• Tracking a buck mule deer uphill for a mile and actually catching up.
• A successful hunt on the last day of the trip just before sunset, and the ensuing pack out -- arriving at the truck at 10 p.m. with the thermometer reading -2°F.

When I'm hunting, I carry a compact camera (Sony α6000 with 20mm lens) instead of my serious Nikon gear. Here are a few pics from the α6000.