Rock Dell
The next day, December 12th, I finally made it out to the Rock Dell WMA. It spreads over 490 acres and is a mix of woods, cornfields, prairie and even a little river running through it. I was greeted by a sign that I had also seen at Keller WMA.
It made me wonder if all WMA's had these same rules. I knew from reading about them on the interwebs that some WMA's had restrictions. Some you could only use a shotgun because pellets don't fly as far as rifle bullets. Some you can't hunt waterfowl. Some you can't hunt deer. These sorts of things. But both the Keller and now the Rock Dell WMA's had rules forbidding target shooting. It made me wonder if my adventure in zeroing up in Whitewater had been legal or not. The place I park to hike into the GMA doesn't have a sign like this. Still so much to learn and figure out.
Rock Dell has some steep terrain as well, so I hiked up onto a hill overlooking the river and filled with oak trees and set up to wait for nature again.
It was a steep hill that I sat upon, and the view was terrific. I heard and watched an eagle fishing down on the river, and wondered if my prayers for seeing something weren't specific enough. After all, I was seeing lots of bird species. I even had a woodpecker land on the tree I was leaning against and start working. I could feel the hammering in my body as it dug for bugs. Maybe I needed to define what I wanted to see.
So I asked this time to see a MAMMAL instead of just avians. Not that I minded the birds. Having them gather around me as I sat made me feel like I was being still and silent enough for wild life to come out and be seen.
So... Mammal, God. I want to see a four legged next time I come out.
The Rules
It made me wonder if all WMA's had these same rules. I knew from reading about them on the interwebs that some WMA's had restrictions. Some you could only use a shotgun because pellets don't fly as far as rifle bullets. Some you can't hunt waterfowl. Some you can't hunt deer. These sorts of things. But both the Keller and now the Rock Dell WMA's had rules forbidding target shooting. It made me wonder if my adventure in zeroing up in Whitewater had been legal or not. The place I park to hike into the GMA doesn't have a sign like this. Still so much to learn and figure out.
Rock Dell has some steep terrain as well, so I hiked up onto a hill overlooking the river and filled with oak trees and set up to wait for nature again.
Look Ma! A rocky dell!
Once more I sat quietly and contemplated life, the universe and the nature of all things as I waited for movement.
It was a steep hill that I sat upon, and the view was terrific. I heard and watched an eagle fishing down on the river, and wondered if my prayers for seeing something weren't specific enough. After all, I was seeing lots of bird species. I even had a woodpecker land on the tree I was leaning against and start working. I could feel the hammering in my body as it dug for bugs. Maybe I needed to define what I wanted to see.
So I asked this time to see a MAMMAL instead of just avians. Not that I minded the birds. Having them gather around me as I sat made me feel like I was being still and silent enough for wild life to come out and be seen.
So... Mammal, God. I want to see a four legged next time I come out.
Great view. No mammals.
I headed home empty handed again, and decided to get a sling put on Peach. Hiking the steep hills of these WMA's was challenging enough without using a hand to carry a rifle.
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