Milky way above camp

A Few ‘Chucks

May 28, 2018 3 Comments

Sleeping Out Under The Stars

Tim had to work late Friday night so we didn’t get out of town until about 9pm. By the time we got into the area we wanted to explore and look for some rock chucks the next day, it was past midnight. It was chilly, but not freezing, so we just set our sleeping bags out on our cots under the stars and got some shuteye.

Before going to sleep, I set my camera up on a timer to see if I could get a picture of the stars while we slept.

Milky way above camp
Sleeping out under the stars

Watching the sunrise

I was up before sunrise and had my bedding all stowed and packed away and a thermos of coffee ready in time to sit and watch the sun come up.

Sipping coffee, watching the sun come up
Sipping coffee, watching the sun come up

 

Tim was still sleeping, but I rousted him after taking this picture.

Dave up and waiting for Tim to wake up
Deciding whether to wake Tim up yet or not

A Day Well Spent

Then we set out to see what we could see. It was unseasonably cold, and windy, and we got hit with rain squalls off and on throughout the day. But, we still managed to find as many rock chucks as we felt like shooting.

Three 'chucks under threatening skies
Three ‘chucks under threatening skies
Three chucks taken in 10 seconds
These three all got shot in under 10 seconds

The three ‘chucks above, all got popped in less than 10 seconds. That AR is just a hoot in a target rich environment! We ended up with about 30 rock chucks between us for the day. We also stopped to go to work on a few ground squirrel colonies here and there, with both the AR and my old .17 HMR.

Most of the day though, all we really did, was look for new Jeep trails and see where they went. That, and taking in the views. A few pics from the day:

Road is washed out
The road less traveled
Tim on a high mountain
Tim taking in the view
Tacoma on a steep dirt trail
Gaining altitude
Tim sitting in front of colorful rocks
Taking a break
Tacoma driving up towards high hills draped in rain clouds
There’s rock chucks up there in those rain clouds!

And so went the day.  Too quickly.  And too much fun!

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Summary
A Few 'Chucks
Article Name
A Few 'Chucks
Description
Weekend varmint hunt, rock chucks and ground squirrels. Camping out and offroad travel.
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Coyotestuff.com
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3 thoughts on “A Few ‘Chucks”

  1. The “Sleeping Under the Stars” photo is fantastic !
    What kind of boulder is Tim setting next to. Lots of color.
    Is the AR a S&W MP ?
    Thanks for sharing.

    I got to make that trip soon..

    1. Thanks Jody! That was my first try at one of those nightscape star photos. I’m hoping to try for a couple more of them this weekend.

      You know, I’m not sure what the name of that kind of rock Tim is sitting by. It’s some sort of igneous volcanic. The colorful green is lichens growing on it.

      My AR is a Rock River ATH. Have only had it a few months. Tons of fun!

  2. The rock appears to be basalt. Great story. Especially for a guy with a serious case of cabin fever.

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