Thanks giving in western Montana

The morning started out about first light when I awoke in the pod to Ely stretching out and getting ready for the day. As I walked in Mikes’ trailer I met him just on the way out with his Browning 260 on his shoulder. He was on his way across the valley for an early deer hunt.

After breakfast I dug out a small bucket of pistols for show and tell. It is really getting hard to find a spot to lean a rifle or even lay a gun down. Mike has a friend named Gary who is the wild horse manager in the BLM office in Las Vegas, NV. Gary showed up on Monday just as I was rolling in. He is some sort of champion pistol shooter. He shoots in the Las Vegas Team Challenge and they have been champs five years in a row. Gary brought a few pistols and a couple of rifles in along with a arm load of rifles and the bucket of pistols that I brought it.

A couple of hours later Mike came back from across the valley without success. He decided to take a hike up on the hill behind the house. Ely wanted to go on the hike but Mike sent her back. Ely has really had a wonderful time here cruising the deer scrap pile and tuning up the cats. The cats have had the place to themselves for some time and have now found nice high places. Actually I think they will be friends but for now the cats don’t want to admit it.

Gary got up late and started cooking the turkey I picked up in Billings on my way back from the farm. It was amazing that all the turkeys in the freezer were almost exactly 19.75 lbs. There wasn’t one over 20 lbs and none I found fewer than 19. This just goes to show how well the turkey factories are at producing a uniform product. Scary isn’t it?

Well, Mike came back with blood on his boots. We hooked up his little low slung trailer and made a trip up on the hill to load a nice four point buck. All mike could say was that it was unfortunate that it had one of his horns broke off. It was a nice buck and Mike figured it would dress out at 165 lbs.

After a nice afternoon nap Gary headed to Dillon to watch some sort of football game. He is a sports fan while Mike and I are staying home. Mike went out and skinned the deer and Ely helped with some of the cleanup. I have been napping watching a Charlie Chan movie on the TV. I decided to start writing a sort log of my journey.

I am going out now to help Mike change a tire on his trailer and may take a shower latter. I hope you all are having a nice thanksgiving day as well.

We will probably go back to work on Mikes cabins tomorrow. With three of us we can get a lot of work done even with taking a nap after lunch.

Cheers, Rx