Say, that reminds me of a story. Two years back this younger kid took up running with me. Decided he wanted to be a hound guy. At this point he didn't have any dogs but was game to hunt with me and it worked out cuz he was young and fired up... so he ramrodded me pretty hard.
We trailed a younger lion into a kill and it was a tracked up mess. There was a big tom track on this kill, so we got it sorted out and started them on this bigger lion. Up, up and away they went up this drainage.
We hiked and the snow was getting deep, and we finally heard them treed. I was exhausted and giving out. They were way up the canyon. It was only about the second lion he'd seen so he was chompin' at the bit. I handed him my video camera, wished him well and he headed up. I turned back for the 4 wheelers.
I picked him up an hour after dark, trudging down the canyon with my dogs and he was one whipped pup. It was the look of dejection.
I said, "Well?" He said, "A damn kitten!!" I pressed him but he wouldn't change his story. I figured it was a joke and it was a big 'ol narly tom, like the track indicated.
Next day I plugged in the video camera and fired it up. There before my eyes is the footage, right at dark, miles from the road, the exhaustion was evident in his voice as he talked into the camera... and there on the TV in front of me was the cutest little furball kitten you've ever seen. Little spots on his back and cute as a button.
I still laugh when I think of him on that death march til dark, the thought of a huge tom driving him on... only to get there and see a little furball purring back at him.
