I've missed my plane.
Today, I have to get to Laramie, in Wyoming. My plane left at 10.30am, but minus me. As always, it was a strange sequence of coincidences that resulted in me being temporarily stranded in Denver.
I got up in plenty of time this morning, and had a quick breakfast. I thought I had enough time to do a little browsing on the Internet. I didn't realise how fast the time was passing, and at 9.00am I rushed down to the hotel lobby to arrange a ride to the airport. The receptionist recommended the hotel limo, and I got to the airport 50mins. before my departure. But Fate had cursed me with one of the slowest check-in clerks working for Great Lakes Airlines; he had no idea what to do if a hunter wanted to travel with his gun. His leisurely movements and rambling manner of speech were a real test of my patience. He was pushing the trolley carrying my gun towards the TSA office so slowly that, half-way there, I took over, forcing him to run to keep up with me. He had already given me my boarding pass, but I hadn't examined it properly. I'd never had such a basic boarding pass before. It was printed on very thin paper, the type used in Hungary for shopping receipts. The box for the boarding gate was left blank, so I had no idea which one my plane was leaving from.
For 15mins. I was running around madly, carting my heavy hand luggage with me. I rushed here and there, shouting "Excuse me " all the time, but still couldn't find the Laramie flight anywhere.
There was more bad luck: the person at the information desk went off to answer a call of nature, just as I was running towards him, so there was no-one there I could ask for help. He eventually returned, but didn't give me any good news: I had to get right to the other end of the terminal. I was pouring with sweat, leaping down the escalator… they closed the gate in front of my face. All my pleading was in vain: they wouldn't let me board. I asked to see the supervisor, a somewhat unsympathetic woman - though, of course, in these situations everyone seems unsympathetic -
and, together, we called Cabela's to find out what to do. My ticket was changed to an afternoon flight, and Cabela's called the outfitter to tell him not to meet the early plane, and that I would arrive on a later one.
So, that's how things are. There's nothing else to do but wait, and hope that the outfitter can meet me later this afternoon. Well, there is another problem: it isn't clear where my luggage is. Is it on the original flight - the one I should have been on - or is it still in Denver? They think it wasn't put
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on the early flight, but they are all so ill-informed that I can't get a definite answer.
If I'd left just 5mins. earlier, if the check-in clerk hadn't been working at a snail's pace, if they had printed the information clearly on the boarding pass, if the man at the information desk had gone to relieve himself two minutes later… then I would now be on that plane.
When these things happen, there's no point in getting worked up. You can't change anything, so it is better just to accept it. What's the worst that could happen? That my luggage doesn't arrive on time? I'll survive it. And, anyway, it's quite possible that it will all be found today.
There is Wi-Fi at the airport, so I won't be bored. I've received an email from the SCI Ethical Committee. They have sent me two forms, to be completed and returned. Then they will start to investigate the Bob Adams affair.
I've all the time in the world, so let's take a look at where I'm going, and why!
Wyoming is the 44th state of the US. Covering 97,818 square miles, it is the 10th largest. It is twice the size of Hungary, with a population of only 515,000. Its boundaries appear to have been drawn with a rule, and much of its territory is taken up by the famous Rocky Mountains, which stretch for 29,825mi. from British Columbia, in Canada, down to New Mexico. The state itself can be looked at as something of a high-altitude training camp, as an altimeter records an average of 8,858ft. above sea-level. You can't get lower than 3,123ft. in Wyoming. The state's name means
"Big River Plain", and originally did not refer to the state (it being not so much plain, as mountain), but was borrowed from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania.
t is here that we find the world's first, and best known, National Park, the home of Yogi Bear, the famous Yellowstone National Park. Only 4% of its 3,468 square miles stretch into the neighboring states of Montana and Idaho.
One of the most attractive things about Wyoming is that there is no income tax. None at all.
There's not even a tax on company profits, and, as well as that, they don't tax pensions paid to residents by other states. And the sales tax is - wait for it - only 4%. It is something of a mystery how the state raises the funds to maintain itself. It must be very difficult to commit tax fraud here, and tax advisors probably end up starving to death.
It is a real wild-west state, as can be seen from its flag. The flag has a red border. This symbolises the blood shed during its history; but, exactly whose blood it was, depends on who you ask: Native Americans, or the settlers' descendants. As far as I know, the official view - a decision that even Solomon might have envied - is that it represents the blood of both parties.
Within the red border is a white one, which, as in every flag, represents purity. The blue field, the largest area, has several meanings: virility, faithfulness, justice, as well as suggesting the mountains, the rivers and the sky. The buffalo on the blue denotes the fauna. It is, of course
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branded: the cattle-breeding lobby is strong here. The "brand" is particularly interesting: it is the State Seal, and has, within it, three figures. In the center is a woman, in front of a banner bearing the state's motto: "Equal Rights", referring to one of America's most traditional values, Democracy. You never find a woman without a man, and this is no exception, only here there are two, on either side of her. One stands for mining, the other for ranching. The lamps suggest the light of knowledge.
I am going after two different species of deer here.
In his wonderful book Széchenyi mentioned the confusion over the name of the American Elk, or Wapiti Deer (Cervus elaphus ssp). Although the information in Széchenyi's book, Tracking Deer, was written some time ago, it is still the most authoritative book in Hungarian on deer species of the world. It should be compulsory reading for any deer hunter. Since its publication there have been even more misunderstandings about the name.
According to the SCI book, this deer is known in many parts of the world as the maral; but, in Hungary, and the rest of Europe, that refers to a type of Asian deer. It might be explained by the
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fact that the elk, or wapiti, or maral - which is even known in some places as the white deer (not to be confused with the white-tail…) - originally came from Asia, though that was a long time ago.
Many other species migrated from Asia, but they all received apropriate names in the New World.
There is also total confusion over the elk's family tree, and its many names have resulted from this. From its Latin name (Cervus elaphus ssp) we can conclude that it is related to what is called the red deer (Cervus elaphus) throughout America. (This common sense is typical of Americans: they name something after its color.) For a while many scientists insisted that the two species were the same, but, fortunately, there were some others who believed them to be separate species.
Today, there is no question that they are two distinct species.
In Asia, the habitats of the elk and red deer overlap, so it is quite possible that they interbred. The red deer is now found in Europe, Asia and - allegedly - North Africa, and the elk in North America and Asia - where, in the latter area, it is called maral, and is a separate sub-species. In Asia there are deer with characteristics of both the maral and the red deer, but that is a problem for hunters in Asia to sort out when they categorize the game they've bagged.
My argument might have been too long and a bit boring, splitting too many hairs, but my feeling is that, if we go hunting, we should at least know what the animal is called.
The elk - and I'm going to stick to its most commonly used name - is the second largest deer in North America; only the moose is bigger. The question, which American deer has the most beautiful antlers, is a matter of taste. We could start a debate about it, but it is not really worth the effort. Personally, I think the elk's antlers are the best, because they are very similar to those of the Hungarian red deer.
It won't be a surprise to any Hungarian hunters, but American deer lovers find the fact that the elk has "eye" teeth, unlike other types of deer, a real curiosity. Sadly, in the first half of the twentieth century, it was almost hunted to extinction, just for its teeth, not its antlers. Indian women wore the teeth as lucky charms, and the crazy fad spread all over the continent. An organization called The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks successfully saved it from dying out, and the reason we are able to hunt it today is mainly due to the efforts of that group.
There are two extinct and four living sub-species of elk registered in North America. The latter are:
Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni)
Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti)
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Tule Elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes)
Manitoba Elk (Cervus elaphus manitobensis)
Over the next few days - but only if I get to Laramie - I am going to hunt Rocky Mountain Elk; because it has the most evocative name, it has become my favorite. The bulls, 62ins. to their withers, and weighing around 700lbs. are smaller than the Roosevelt elk, and weigh less than the similarly-sized Manitoba elk. It is the most common sub-species, has many variations, and is the favorite of most hunters. Hunting it, you sometimes have to go high up into the mountains, so elk hunters tend to be very fit. Another thing about mountain hunts is that you often have to shoot over long distances, and when elk hunting that can mean 850 - 1500ft. And you must remember that, when deciding on the right type of bullet, as the elk - unlike the moose - is a tough creature, and over those distances you can only get a good result using top-class bullets.
But, neither here, nor on any other hunt, will a top-class bullet, or the latest caliber Magnum, be any substitute for an accurate shot. This was well-illustrated by Mark's case, when, during my first Alaskan hunt in Brooks Range, using his .375 HH Magnum, he shot a grizzly in the neck, which is probably stil in the best of health, even now. My favorite author, László Kovács, has written about this sort of thing many times, and, unfortunately, I did once experience it myself, during an otherwise pleasantly memorable winter hunt.
We are now back in Csákvár, the scene of my most exciting Hungarian hunt; it is the end of February, this year.
It is the final week of the hunting season.
I have been trying out the Blaser I bought for my US trip for several weeks, and have it with me now. We've been in the sledge for 6hrs. and in the 14F temperature we are slowly freezing as hard as a pile of mountaineer's crap. The time is around 2.00pm, and, on our silent mode of transport, we have started to head for home. This is just as well, as it is going to take at least 40mins. to get back to the hunting lodge. In the evening we still intend to go and sit in the hide, but, before then, we have to defrost, and it wouldn't hurt to eat something, either. A small ram and a ewe are already lying in the bottom of the sledge. It is a particularly precious quarry, as this area lies at the foot of Mt. Vértes, where wild sheep are infrequent visitors. It only leaves the forest if there is heavy snow or it is very cold.
My companion whispers a warning to me that there, on the road ahead of us, are two rams, watching us with curiosity. I jump off the sledge - it is illegal to shoot from it - and get down on one knee. I like this shooting position; if there isn't a lot of undergrowth, it is almost always suitable, and provides a much steadier aim than having no support beneath your elbow.
(Recently, I switched to a sitting position for shooting, which can give better support, but does
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mean that I'm lower than when kneeling.) Robi tells me that, if I can manage it, I should try not to shoot the horses, so I move several feet in front of the sledge. The rams, by now, have become terribly interested in these maneuvers, and are watching the scene unfold. All obstacles are finally removed; we agree that both rams are about the same size, about 16ins. so either will do.
The wild sheep (mouflons) have now decided that they've seen enough of these strange goings on, and move towards the forest. This way they present an even larger target, as when they were watching us, we could only see their chests. Csinos (Pretty), one of the horses, trembles at the sound of the .300WM's report, and the ram gives a shudder, too. After the shot I point the laser at a nearby bush and it registers 492ft.; it is not so far, so there shouldn't have been a problem…
But there is.
There is a lot of blood on the ground, where I shot it, so we can easily follow its escape tracks over the snow. It is a strange phenomenon, but the traces of blood are close to the hoof prints…
and it is also odd that we search for it in vain: we can't find the carcass.
If an animal the size of this mouflon has been hit by a bullet of this size, and is still able to run more than 300ft. then it's very suspicious. It doesn't give any grounds for optimism. And, aware of this, we run faster and faster on its trail. Robi makes a diversion; he knows the area very well, and will try to intercept it. I keep on going through the undergrowth. I'm not very good at tracking, but it would be impossible not to be able to follow this trail: red on white is easily seen. I soon meet up with Robi, but the mouflon wasn't in between us; it has moved into the forestry land. We start making arrangements by phone, as we are not allowed to enter this area without permission; we would be considered to be poachers. Robi soon gets approval from an official: there's no hunt going on anwhere nearby, so we can continue the chase. However, we do not have a completely free rein: we are only allowed to go 600 - 900ft. into the protected area. If we can't find it there, we have to go back.
And that's exactly what happens.
The trail of blood has got fainter, along with our hopes. Apparently, the ram is feeling so good that it has managed to outmaneuver us. It retraced its steps for a while, and then changed direction.
All this makes it very difficult for me to read the tracks, but Robi sees what's been going on in a second. But even he can do nothing about a bad shot. Because that shot was not good. That is the simple truth; I could look for excuses, or blame the hardware, but it is really the fault of the software. Robi works out that it was hit in the foot, and thinks that, not only will the ram recover, but it is probably standing on one of Mt. Vértes' peaks right now, laughing at the incompetent hunter, who, despite the over-sized caliber and top-class sight, still couldn't manage to wound him fatally. There are lessons to be learnt from this. They are, that in the case of a bad shot, a bullet fired from a fast-caliber Magnum can be just as ineffective as one fired from a lower caliber.
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And, quite simply, you have to know how to shoot with accuracy; even in the age of magnums, that basic rule still applies.
The SCI assesses both regular and non-regular elk antlers. The world record was found in the mysteriously-named Collbran area of Colorado, where, in September 2004, the absolute king of all deer was shot.
Besides elk, I'd like to see a mule deer in my reticle.
From descriptions I've given previously, it can be seen that categorizing American deer species is not an easy task, even if you're a qualified researcher. And hunters need to constantly keep up with the latest scientific research. It could easily turn out that a deer bagged decades ago is no longer considered to be the same species it was then… The story of the Mule Deer is far more complex than any of the others, so I have to ask my dear Reader to be patient, as it's not going to be simple.
As with al deer species, the mule deer included, the best place to start is by opening Széchenyi's book: "Tracking Deer" . The subject of my next hunt is found in the chapter titled: "The Mule Deer, or Long- eared American Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)" . Széchenyi says that the species known as the Mule Deer throughout America is also called the Black-tailed Deer in many parts of the country, but that this is incorrect, as the latter is a separate species called Odocoileneus columbianus in the scientific world. He describes it in a later chapter titled "The Black-tailed Deer" , and spends some time describing the difference between the two species. Whoever reads the two chapters one after the other, will easily understand the differences between them.
Széchenyi points them out so clearly that any reasonable person wil see immediately that we are talking about two species.
Things have changed a lot since then, as it has turned out - listen to this! - that the two species are now considered identical!
Crazy!
So, if, in what will follow, I happen to write that mule deer and the Nile crocodile are of the same species, you shouldn't necessarily believe it's true. It would merely show that I have gone completely insane trying to to solve all the contradictions found in the professional literature while getting to the truth. I just hope that no Hungarian zoologist ever comes across this diary, as that would undoubtedly result in yet another definition of these deer.
In 1981 - many decades after Széchenyi had written "Tracking Deer" , Walmo categorised no less than nine sub-species of mule and black-tailed deer, that are now considered to be identical. In a supposedly clever decision he named some of the sub-species mule deer and the remainder black-tailed deer. That way everybody was right, and hunters had the warm feeling that, well,
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well, their theory was proved to be correct, and that of their fellows was complete garbage.
However, the SCI then decided to add yet another twist to the story. If anybody has managed to understand the logic of the categorization so far - and I'm not among the lucky few - they will, from here on, definitely lose track.
The SCI, based on a seemingly arbitrary theory, not detailed in their Record Book so I am unable to fully work it out, categorize these miserable animals into four groups. For those with strong nerves, I will now set down the current SCI position concerning mule and black-tailed deer!
Rocky Mountain Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus, including the californicus sub-species).
Desert Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus crooki including the cerrosensis, fuliginosus, peninsulae and sheldoni sub-species).
Columbia Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus).
Sitka Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis)
I hope I've got it right!
Geographically, the habitat of the Rocky Mountain mule deer covers the largest territory, giving the hunter his best chance of success. Apart from in the southern and eastern states, it is found everywhere, even in the southern provinces of Canada.
With a height of 40ins. and a weight between 175 - 200lbs. it is not a large deer.
Its most characteristic feature, as with the other sub-species, is its huge, shovel-like ears, similar to those of a mule, and which give it its name. The tip of the tail is black, though, as we now know, it is not the black-tailed deer… I mean, it is...
It has beautifully-formed antlers, which I find very attractive. They usually develop ten branches, though they can have more. Their mating season is called troating here, too, and the sound they make is similar to the belling of the Fallow Deer.
The trophy is really wonderful, and generally easier to get than that of the tricky white-tailed deer, which likes to live in dense woods - at least, that is what people who hunt white-tailed deer say. In places where black-tailed, or mule deer, are found, the hunters say the opposite. When hunting it, it is the stalking that gives the most satisfaction; it is hardly ever hunted from a hide.
Among deer, they are one of the best swimmers. Their hearing, as the size of their ears might suggest, is excellent, along with their sense of smell. They can be found as high up as 7,900ft.
but anyone who chooses to hunt them there, must be prepared to cope with all the difficulties usually associated with mountain hunts. Their natural enemies are the puma and the coyote, for which they are the main source of food.
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Because of indiscriminate hunting at the beginning of the last century, their numbers fell to 500,000, but they have now recovered to a safe figure of 1.5m. The SCI record was shot in Idaho, in November 1996.
Deer Hunt Camp