Fresh Starts, Fresh Pups

Field Journal: 01/01/2025

Weather:
H 19° L 14°

Location:
Central Montana

Wildlife:
Sign
Bobcat Tracks, Elk Tracks, Deer Tracks
Sighting
Whitetail Deer: 50+
Mule Deer: 25+

Activity:
Mountain Lion Hunting

Harvest:
None

January 1, 2025

The new year has dawned with a fitting sense of purpose. A quiet symphony of fresh snow blanketing a winter that had been, until now, a mere imitation of itself. After weeks of dry ground and unfulfilled promises, the weather finally remembered its seasonal obligation, painting the mountains in pristine white.

For eight restless hounds, the snow is more than a seasonal shift; it’s an invitation. They’ve been waiting, noses twitching, for this moment when the world transforms into a canvas for adventure. Snow means mountains, and mountains mean the chase.

Among them are three young pups embarking on their first lion season. Their enthusiasm is boundless, their training fresh, and their inexperience both endearing and maddening.

Whether they will grow into the wise, fleet-footed shadows of their elders remains to be seen, but as with all things, time and trails will tell.

This time, I left my bow at home and opted for something with a bit more bark. A new rifle, suppressor, and ammunition fell in my pack. It’s a different tool for a familiar purpose, though it felt oddly at odds with the wilderness, a little too much modern in a landscape that thrives on the ancient.

Though, it’s hard to make that comment while riding a snowmobile covered in top-of-the-line gear.

Conditions were perfect: fresh snow, crisp air, a horizon vast enough to make you feel deliciously small. Yet for all our efforts, miles traversed, and snacks devoured, not a single cat was troubled by our passage.

The hills held their secrets close, and we returned home empty-handed but no less fulfilled.

Reflection:

Life, I’ve decided, is a master class in patience. It is a string of quiet interludes punctuated by the moments we live for. For now, the pups will have to bide their time until the weekend, just like the rest of us.

This year, I’ve resolved to make peace with the in-between.

I’m learning to savor the space between adventures, to find joy not in the waiting but in the living, those small, unnoticed moments that stitch the days together. It’s a resolution not of grand ambitions but of subtle shifts: to embrace the now, even when the now feels like a prelude.

Here’s to enjoying the time between the time enjoyed.