My morning started out a bit rocky, but things eventually turned out. As the light was just starting to come up. I bent down to duck under the tree and came face to face with a palm sized tarantula. The end of my nose was about 8 inches away from the rock that his hairy arachnid body clung to and for a moment my world stopped. I stifled the “little girl scream” that was rising in my throat and hurried along my way as the spider did the same. I could hear the covey of quail putting and chirping their way through the heavy patch of cholla ahead of me, and when they finally did flush, I was ready. Despite the spider and shirtsleeve full of cholla, it turned out to be a beautiful day hunting Gambel’s quail.
Arizona quail hunting can be tough and this season looks to be only slightly better than last. I am cherishing these mornings where I can get out and stretch my legs while the rest of the city is sleeping in on a Saturday.
Ben I used to love to do some bird hunting when I was younger. Now all I do is get a chill and see tying feathers!
I hear you Howard. I’ve got so many sandwich bags full of Gambel’s feathers. Let me know if you need some.
Ben