DOGS - ONE OF THE BEST

SAD NEWS FROM THE NORTH
By Jim Foster

The news came by email and caught my attention at once. It was from my friends Shelia and James Issacs in Alaska. I had spent time photographing Brown Bear from their lodge and grown to enjoy their family and especially a medium sized dog named Murray.

Murray was a Bear Dog of the first degree and saved my person at least twice. That’s how I know Murray the best.

The message from James and Shelia was - Murray had passed away Thanksgiving morning 2008. Advanced years and a tumor on his spleen hurried his passing.

Murray was not a registered animal by AKC standards. His mother was half Labrador retriever and half Australian Shepherd and his father was a full-blooded Australian Shepherd. Murray was born September 30, 1998 and looks more like a Australian Shepherd. What he was, was a dog’s dog of the first degree.

Murray was raised at the lodge and at an early age, his mother whose name was Piper taught him bears were not welcome in the yard. Piper was a bear dog and taught her son to follow in her footsteps.

One sad day Piper did not return home. Days passed and it was surmised Piper had encountered a pack of wolves and had lost the fight. It could have been coyotes but not a bear; she was much too fast to be caught by a bear.

With Piper gone Murray was now the head bear dog and he took to his job with spirit and enthusiasm. He has become very protective of his family, friends and clients he accompanies on trips. Murray knows his job well and has an inborn instinct to know when a bear has ventured too close and his guard services are needed
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Murray’s other talents included flying from Soldotna to the lodge in James’ J-3 Cub airplane. Gathering many frequent flyer miles to his credit. His second love is riding in front of James on his 3-wheeler when he goes to the beach to meet incoming aircraft. The first time I saw Murray it was on the 3-wheeler meeting my plane.

I remember the crisp and cool morning in Alaska on the western side of Cook Inlet. September was half over and the animals and birds on the western side of Cook Inlet were busy preparing for the long Alaskan winter. I was going to be photographing on and near Silver Salmon Creek.

Nearing the creek it was easy to see several bears fishing. At first, their fishing method looked very much like children playing in the water but most were catching a salmon dinner.

The expedition consisted of James Isaak, yours truly and Murray, and I set up my camera close to the creek and watched a female with two cubs on the other side of the water. She knew we were there but went about her business of attending to her young cubs and eating some low bush cranberries growing near the edge of the trees. She didn’t seem interested in the creek or in doing any fishing.

Downstream a young four or five year old male bear caught my attention. He reminded me of a couple of my friends; although he fished very hard and tried every fishing trick he knew, he couldn’t catch a fish. He tried and tried without tasting even a morsel of salmon. He would stop and look around then try again.

His fishing activities brought him in our direction. He had also attracted the attention of the female with cubs. The female made it clear that she was not happy with the approaching male. There was a good reason for her concern, since male bears cause many cub deaths.

She stood to her full 7 feet and made it clear to the young male that his company was not welcome. Then she moved her cubs near the trees until he had moved a bit further downstream.

At this point his mind was on a fish dinner and not other bears although he did keep looking over his shoulder at the trio near the trees. My camera and tripod were set near the creek bank at a distance where the bear would pass 20 to 30 yards away. This would be a good place for some close-up photos.

James mentioned quietly that we might be inside the bear’s comfort range. We soon found out that we were.

Watching the big bruin through the camera lens showed he was a beautiful and healthy animal. He locked his gaze in our direction and popped his jaws a couple of times. This is bear body language for irritation. His next move was a slow, steady, and almost deliberate walk across the creek directly towards us.

“Stand your ground,” James whispered to me.

I heeded the advice and kept on shooting photographs with the bear filling more and more of the camera’s viewfinder with each splashing step. When the bear was only yards away, the little gray, brown, and white dog left our side and started running circles around the bear barking and snapping. Murray was on the job.

The grizzly was caught off guard and started following Murray in his circles that were also moving away from us. Within only a few minutes, Murray had the bear 100 yards away, confused, and wondering what had happened. It was only then that Murray trotted back to us and sat down by James for a well-deserved petting.

Murray didn’t do his job just once for me but in my eagerness to get some good photographs of the bears, I had two close calls that all ended well, thanks to Murray.

He will be missed and kept in that special place in my heart I have for incredible dogs.

MURRY THE BEAR DOG
September 30, 1998 – November 27, 2008

TRAVEL - CANYON OF THE EAGLES

CANYON OF THE EAGLES
By Jim Foster

The little bird managed to avoid the camera extremely well. If fact the only images recorded on this trip was a small patch of brown with golden head markings were vague in the leaves of the oak tree. The bird was the golden-cheeked warbler an endangered species and after three days a quality image of this bird had not been recorded. In spite of this one fact the trip to the Texas Hill Country had been productive.

Nestled into the rolling hills surrounding Lake Buchanan is 990 acres of Texas that up until now has been one of the state’s best-kept secrets. Canyon of the Eagles Lodge and Nature Park is the place for a family outing and it’s affordable.

Certified by Texas Parks and Wildlife as a Texas "Wildscape”, the quality of design and fitting it into the landscape was accomplished under the watchful guidance of an outstanding collection of talented stone artisans and native plant experts. One of these was native Texan Ron Moore who has several Hill Country Ranch Retreats to his credit.

My first evening at the Lodge was spent sitting in a large rocking chair on the porch with my camera. Several species of bird landed nearby including a beautiful painted bunting and a female paraluxia making trip after trip with materials for her nest. She landed near me several times and allowed me to add several images of her to my files. But the day would last until way past dark with a trip to the Eagle Eye observatory.

The Eagle Eye is one of few observatories offering a quality star gazing atmosphere, has lodging available, and is open to the public. Amateur viewers as well as practiced astronomers will enjoy the educational seminars and sky parties. The Eagle Eye has two telescopes one of which is a 16-inch Ealing Cassegrain Telescope. Outside there are tables and stands for your personal telescope.

The next morning after breakfast there was an informative gathering in the park’s nature center where those present learned some interesting facts about the three endangered birds that use the property. These are the golden-cheeked warbler, the black-capped vireo and our national bird the bald eagle. Only two of the three were using the park at this time. The bald eagle winters here and can be spotted from the lodge as well as the lake.

Later in the morning a group of birders and this writer took off on a birding walk through some of the protected habitat of the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo. Hopes were high that these two species would be spotted and added to the life list of several of the hikers. As it was several of us saw two golden-cheeked warblers (I even got a couple of photos) and our guide pointed out the song of the vireo but nobody had even a quick glance. Being in close proximity to these rare species was a great experience.

Areas of the park contain the ideal habitat for the Golden-cheeked Warbler. This species of warbler was placed on the Federal Endangered Species List in 1990. This little migratory songbird was thought to depend upon the fine, shredded bark of the mature Ashe Juniper trees to build their nests. It is now known the nesting variety is much wider.

Several of the birding trails go through the nesting habitat of these two species and are closed during the times when the birds are actually nesting. Exceptions are made but they are rare and very limited.

COE is also offers the popular Vanishing Texas River Cruise from its new docks on the lake. This cruse is not about a vanishing river as some may think but is about the land and calls attention to how Texas natural wild places are becoming rare. The large private ranches located at lake’s edge now stress ranching practices that preserve and help the ecology and wildlife.

The cruise has been described as a premier ecological tour. The TEXAS EAGLE II is a 70 foot, 200 passenger vessel with an enclosed all weather deck and two open observation decks that permit cruises to be conducted all year round.

The Texas Eagle II makes several different cruises form the COE dock. Some of these are dinner cruises, special charters, seasonal cruises, and of course, the famous 2-1/2 hour scenic wilderness cruise up the historic Colorado River Canyon, past spectacular waterfalls and sheer cliffs.

Of course one of the most popular cruises takes place when the bald eagles return to the lake to spend the winter. Taking place from November through March this is the largest colonies of bald eagles in Texas. The 2-1/2 hour cruise departs daily except Tuesdays and the 4-hour Ultimate Eagle Cruise, which increases your opportunities to view bald eagles, is conducted on most weekends. Visitors should call for cruise dates, times, and make reservations.

I ended my day watching one of the other writers take a dip in the "stock tank" pool and "spring well". After a good dinner I settled in with a large mug of coffee to watch the sunset over the lake.

For more information about Canyon of the Eagles Lodge and Nature Park contact them at 1-800-977-0081 or look at their web site www.canyonoftheeagles.com. Located close to the town of Burnet, Texas it’s only a minimal drive from most places in Central and South Texas. It’s well worth the time getting there.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

HUNTING - WHITETAIL DEER

THE MORNING AND BLIND NUMBER 6
By Jim Foster

This morning I hunted blind number 6.

There was a cold wind blowing and the protection of the box blind was seriously appreciated. The sun was scheduled to rise at 7:15. It was 6:30. I settled in, opened my pack, arranged my gear, loaded my rifle, poured a cup of hot West Texas coffee, and began the wait for dawn.

“Well, here I am again.” I thought. “Let’s see, I believe it was Paul Hope who killed a really good buck from this blind almost 20 years ago on a December hunt. And, if my mind isn’t failing we all returned to camp to one of Bud McDonald’s camp breakfasts and increased our combined cholesterol levels to far exceed the desired level.”

Sipping the hot brew I again strained my eyes trying to see the hills, but to no avail.

“The sun will come in it’s own time.” I laughingly reminded myself and leaned back to enjoy the coffee and wait for the light. My thoughts returned to hunts past and my hand went unconsciously to the knife on my belt. A custom blade crafted by Ray Shelton retired from the US Border Patrol then made custom hunting knives.

The owner of the Ranch whom shall be known as Gene has been our host for over a couple of decades. I have enjoyed his company and hospitality, Gene has the true qualities of a friend. He also eats pancakes with his eggs instead of toast.

Three gobblers caught my attention in the dim light as the moved through the brush to my left.
It is a fact many wild turkey have begun their trip to the roasting oven from this blind.

“Tonight,” I thought as the light increased, “I would hunt Paul’s blind in a small draw surrounded by cedar covered hills.”
Paul and I had hunted the stand known now as “Paul’s Blind” together many times. Calling in several gobblers on our spring trips to the ranch. We had spent hours in the little green box sometimes seeing lots of game while other times we shared quiet and silent companionship. This evening I would try to recapture shared moments with Paul, if only in spirit. But, now something caught my eye.

The animal moved quietly in the half-light in a manner that only expressed one thing - buck. A closer look through the binoculars caught enough light to confirm my identification. The spotting scope images were better and showed a mature whitetail buck. A short “grunt” call stopped him in his tracks.

Another closer look through the scope, this time at the 25-power setting. Yep, eight points, one with a broken tip, a flattened head, larger nose, and a bit of a belly, all spelled mature deer. After a pause the buck resumed walking. As he came closer another grunt stopped him for a quick look.

This time I was seeing him through the riflescope.

“How many times had I been in this position? Should I kill this buck? He had a very respectable eight points, he was mature, the safety snapped off and….”

A few minutes later I walked down to admire the fallen buck.

Here’s to old friends now gone, and memories of blind #6.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

HUNTING - TEXAS QUAIL

ANOTHER GOOD YEAR FOR TEXAS QUAIL HUNTERS - MAYBE?
By Jim Foster

It could be the excitement of watching the dogs accomplish what has been bred into them for generations – that being finding birds. It could also be getting outside with friends following behind our canine leaders – or maybe it’s the excitement when a covey of quail takes to the air. Or, it could be the feel of a light side-by-side 28 gauge following the flight of a flushing quail.

Maybe, all of the above?

If you selected all of the above you would be partially correct, but there is so much more.

Last year I found quail in just about every place I hunted and recorded and astounding 22 coveys in one day on a ranch near the famed Palo Duro Canyon. Hunting with longtime wing shooting friends. What a trip that was.

But now it’s 2008 and in a very short time the dogs will be out and hunting and I will be tagging along.

South Texas is a semi-arid region where much of the annual variation in bobwhite quail populations can be attributed to the timing and amount of rainfall.

The statewide quail season runs October 25 and closes on February 22, 2009. The daily bag limit is 15, with 45 in possession.
"For South Texas, production came late and history tells us when you get these late hatches, they tend to be less productive so right out of the box we’re going to have less birds," said Robert Perez, TPWD upland game bird program director. "I would encourage hunters to go early in the season, as soon as hunting conditions are favorable for dog work."

Surveys predict a below-average year, but at the time biologists ran these routes the bulk of hatching had no yet occurred. There will likely be a whole lot of small birds at the beginning of the season and plenty of hunter opportunity. July rains spurred pairing and nesting and September field reports indicate broods of small chicks.

"We had an extremely dry year, with some rains last September, but less than we normally receive, and then essentially little or no rain until this past July. During July, we received about eight inches the first half of the month, and then received up to a foot of rainfall with Hurricane Dolly," said Stephen Benn, area manager at the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area. "The good news is that we were coming off an extremely wet 2007, so habitat was in excellent condition going into the drought period, and has, of course, rebounded."

For those who don't have access to private land or are on a budget there are ample opportunities to take part in the upcoming quail season on public land. Wildlife biologists at the Chaparral and James Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas in South Texas predict there will be quality quail hunts early in the season. Access to hunting at these WMAs and others is available with the purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit, which can be bought wherever hunting licenses are sold. The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities.

So get out and enjoy some of the most enjoyable hunting Texas has to offer. And, should you see a gray bearded hunter following an orange and white dog and a young wirehair pointer give me a wave and take a minute to talk hunting. I just might need the break.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com