The science of poop.

I remember target practicing with a .22 caliber rifle as child of 8 or 9. I remember cutting the heads off chickens with an axe at about the same age. I was probably even younger than that when I witnessed a live pig being strung up by the ankles before being shot with a large rifle. I remember having the unthankful task of having to drown a batch of kittens in a burlap sack at the age of ... well, at the risk of having my parents arrested... let's just say I wasn't very old. Even though the purpose of my task was to euthanize the poor creatures, I could not bring myself to tie the top of the burlap potato sack closed. It seemed just too claustrophobic to me. So I threw them into the Fraser River in an open sack. Did you you know cats can swim? I don't think I ever told anyone I hadn't accomplished my mission that day, and I secretly hoped they all made it to shore.

While I am a carnivore and I enjoy a good steak, I am not particularly excited about the kill.

We agreed to meet with some friends who were out hunting yesterday. With the exception of the above incidences, I have never gone hunting. We armed ourselves with warm clothes and a camera and headed out to the bush.

We piled on the ATV's and we were off. It was a fun ride, but not anything like being on the back of a Goldwing on the 401. However, some of the trails were reminiscent of some roads in rural Nova Scotia.

This looks relatively flat, but trust me, it was about a 60 degree slope.
I was shocked that the Quad was able to come back up this hill without hesitation
while packing Dan and I - neither of whom are feather weights.

Fresh poop. It was still wet. Apparently it belonged to an elk.
And he wasn't far away.
I didn't even know elk lived around here.

I'm told this is moose poop.
And it's been quite a few days since he passed this way.
Who knew poop was so informative?

We also came across a pile of bear poop.
Also not that fresh. But it was too fresh for my liking.
From the size of the pile, I'm guessing he had very large bowels.
I didn't even get a picture cuz I was too busy having my eyes
closed in prayer hoping he wouldn't materialize.


There was an old homestead way out there
in the middle of nowhere. People used to live
out here in the boonies.

Not only did people live in this remote location. Various animals have tried to take up residence in the old buildings over the years. There were an enormous number of bones trapped inside. Some were just random bones, others complete skeletons laying exactly as they had been when they laid down while wearing skin. See the cat legs on the stump on the right? It was quite decomposed, but it sure looked like the remains of a domestic cat to me. Way out here? How did it get here? Perhaps some other weak stomached person had tried to send a batch of kittens to kitty heaven in the nearby river. I dunno, but it was all a little much for me, and I think I'll continue to do my carnivorous hunting in the aisles of Costco and Superstore.