All met at Nelson's, then went in.  Weather warm but not too bad, just suggesting heat.  Eric Orup and Craig went out to Prune Ridge Hook to check out Ronnie's Swale, saw 5-6 does and a spike, all down off the hillside.  Paul went up the Van Horn and saw only 3 across the Arroyo.  Ted sat Prune Ridge to check out the upper hillside (anticipating some morning Van Horn jaunts).  (I caught him sitting in a plastic chair, taking his ease.  It can't be real hunting if you sit all evening in a plastic chair!)  He saw a fork on the upper hillside. Bill went to Hill 41 and again saw a buck with a deformed spike on one side and a fork on the other.  David and Guy went up the road, saw none, heard one when we came down in the dark.  Alan went out, saw nothing.

 

We came back to camp and got the fire going, dinner was a free-for-all, with some steak and some sausage, salad, garlic bread, etc. David went to bed early, Bill left to help care for Dad.  Craig slept in his truck halfway to the Casita, Eric slept in his truck near the swings, Paul and Alan slept on Grasshopper.  (Some accuse David of snoring, but he denies it.) Most went to bed around 11 pm, but were awakend around 11:30 due to the crashing, tearing sound of an oak tree falling over, just a bit outside of the compound. A bit of excitement! Eric, who recently had his SUV bashed by an eucalyptus branch at his house, scrambled out to see what was going on, fully expecting to see an oak branch on his vehicle. 

Next morning, Saturday, Ted was up very early, around 4:30, and he rousted the rest of us sluggards at 5:00 am.  Paul was the last one awakened, when David walked out to Grasshopper to wake up Paul and Alan (they didn't set their own alarm; we should have left them sleeping, and had more hunting areas to ourselves!). After the usual chorus of "I don't know, where you going?", Ted took the Van Horn, saw a nice 3-4" fork at 75 yds, then snuck around so quietly that he saw him again on the second hump. Not big enough, passed. Also one coyote.  David and Guy went to Hill 41, only saw a doe in Prune Ridge Swail on the way out.  Bill was not up, so he did not hunt. All the action was with Paul and Alan: Paul went to the top, saw a nice fork down towards San Jose, beyond range. Then, while walking to the top and beyond the gate, a bit to the west, saw on a bench towards San Jose a large, lone pig.  It disappeared, and he snuck up, saw it again, and got to within 100 meters (yes, meters, he has forgotten what a "yard" is), then injined up on him, to 20 meters. Same solo pig. It was precisely 7:16 am when he shot, heard a convincing squeal, and suddenly the "solo" morphed into pigs running all over the place, 5 or 6.  He checked out the area, no blood and no hair despite the squeal. Frustrated. Obviously, he is undergunned, and either failed to penetrate or just did not have the needed knockdown power. Surely, Cousin Paul could not have missed! Not at 20 meters! (Note: this is farther away than 20 yards, which might explain the problem.) Here is Paul, in his inimitable style, quietly and disspassionately describing his error. (Editor's note: please observe that he is moving so fast I can never get a picture without any blurring!)

Paul's story (and it sounded like a story!) The final picure might be: "Beat's me how I missed!"

Alan got out to Hummingbird overlooking Matteoni.  Very early, with just the barest bit of light, he claims he saw one fairly far down, 300-350 yards (note that he can measure in yards, although I am sure he knows what a meter is, but has the good sense to say "yards", unlike others!), that was so big with headgear he knew it was a shooter and did not stop to count points.  It disappeared so fast he did not get a chance to move from binocs to scope.  Here he is telling the story:

Allen telling his story, Craig saying, "Yeah, right!"

Alan is a truthful soul, and told his story with such convincing detail, that we all believed him, considerate devils that we are.

We all sat down to a light breakfast. Craig cooked hash browns, Ted did some eggs and muffins, David did the bacon and sausage, then made Breakfast Burritos. Some Cowboy coffee, fresh OJ, and mellons rounded out our light repast.