Last Post 25 Mar 2018 05:42 PM by  ARTHUR WAUGH
I could have been eaten...
 2 Replies
Sort:
You are not authorized to post a reply.
Author Messages
Thomas Wentling
New Member
New Member
Posts:71



--
23 Jan 2018 07:10 PM

     I got introduced to gold panning in June 2017 and since I was planning a motorcycle trip out to Colorado up through Wyoming and back through South Dakota to Pennsylvania , I figured I would bring along some gear. While I was camping on the west side of Yellowstone, I ran into a local who suggested going to Virginia City, MT.  Off I rolled, with buckets, sluice and gear hanging off the bike. Once there I find a local who points me down a dirt road. I got permission to dig on a claim. Now being from out east, I was warned about the bear and other assorted animals that would want to eat me. No problem... I am a Vet, been in combat, and I had my 44 with me. I can handle this. So I drag my gear down to the creek to get set up. I unpack.... look around.... put the sluice in the creek....look around.... get the rest of the gear out.... you get the point. I started digging a ways from the creek and carried the bucket to the water to run through the sluice. I kept looking up. Look to the left.... look to the right... all clear.... Then it happened... That awful sound that you hear behind you. Do you spin around ready for battle or do you move slow and hope you don't get attacked. I took option #2. I slowly put my hand on the 44 while I turned my head to see. There it was.... not 50 feet from me.... A COW. Looking at me with those big eyes and huge nostrils. She had a look on her face that said.... Hi.... I'm Cow.... It was a thrill I will never forget. I brought home some fools gold just to have a reminder of how much danger I was in.   THE END

    David Hay
    New Member
    New Member
    Posts:54



    --
    25 Mar 2018 01:12 AM
    At least you didn't pull the trigger. Being a Vet helped with that.

    You'd be surprised at the number of cows that do get shot during deer season.

    Of course, always by city slickers and out-of-staters.

    Great story to go with your souvenir.
    ARTHUR WAUGH
    Advanced Member
    Advanced Member
    Posts:967



    --
    25 Mar 2018 05:42 PM

    This one was told to us back in '93 by the state game cop who ran across it.

    The city guy, from Portland, OR came into the diner on his way back from the elk hunting trip in NE Oregon.  Was on top of the world that he got his elk.  Game cop happened to be in there eating, and asked to see it and check that the tag was properly punched, etc.  It was a special cow hunt, so they were doing a count to see what the harvest ratio to tags issued was.

    He was more than happy to tell the cop exactly where he got it, and the cop was local to the area and knew every land owner and rancher up there.  Cop got all the guys information from him, took a couple of pictures, congratulated him on the animal, and sent him on his way back to the city.

    Cop went back in and finished his meal, and told those that asked, yeah, guy got what he thought was his elk, I have to go to the rancher and tell him something.

    Game cop goes to the rancher, and hands him a piece of paper with the hunters name and address, and tells him, you are going to be short a MULE, and here's the guy that has it so you can send him the bill, and I'll get you prints of the pictures I took. 

    City guy though it was an elk, and the game cop said he just shook his head and thought that at least the elk herd was safe from at least one idiot.

     

    Not just beef that take a hit during hunting season.  Have heard of some ranchers that will spray paint "cow" on the sides of thier range stock to cut down on the incidental take.   At times out here, we call beef on grazing allotments "slow elk".

     

    You are not authorized to post a reply.