Take the time to enjoy what you're doing

Javelina 2001

Well this years hunt was unsuccessful, in a way. That means that I didn’t fill my tag, but the stuff I discovered was amazing. I hunted approximately 25 miles south of Prescott. The mountainside still had snow but the weather was wonderful. The grass and streams were plentiful, thanks to all the rain we have received lately. I came across a waterfall atop the mountain with the clearest and coldest water I have seen in a long time. With snow on the ground and the sun shining down, there was no other place I would’ve rather been at that moment.

We saw plenty of sign to indicate that the javelina enjoyed that spot as much as I did. The problem was that the javelina just did not want to be seen, but the deer didn’t mind. Isn’t that the way it usually works. We saw plenty of deer, over 30 in the three days of hunting, another reason my hunt wasn’t totally unsuccessful. The deer were many and looked healthy. A good sign for years to come. I also came across the largest mountain lion track I have ever seen, so the deer aren’t the only ones thriving.

As you can tell, filling my tag is only the icing on the cake to me, when it comes to hunting. Take the time to enjoy your surroundings, you’ll be amazed at what you might see.

Annette Urquides, Wild Cooking Editor for AZOD