Post by BlueNorther on Sept 24, 2006 12:18:24 GMT -5
Monday morning at first light found us up on the top of the ridge above Smith Creek.Ron and his brother were set up on a knoll about 200 yards to my left,I was in position at the edge of some quakies at the back of the valley.
As light came on there were no signs of elk to be found.Three riders on horseback had beaten us to the back and were riding across the face of the mountain.I stayed put for two hours and glassed all the surrounding slopes.After seeing nothing I started back down the edge of the ridge to hook up with Ron.
As I came to our meeting spot I spied Ron and his brother picking up their packs,so I stayed put and waited for them to make their climb up to me.Before Ron cleared the aspens 50 yards from my position I was assaulted by this horrible smell and as he got nearer the smell got worse.I kept looking for the skunk I knew had to be near.
Ron was already laughing as he got near me and was wiping his eyes and said "You won't believe this.We just got charged by a skunk!"
Seems that when him and his brother were laying down by a big rock doing some glassing along came this skunk who didn't want them there.Bruce was the first one to see it and let out a scream and tried to get up but couldn't.Ron hearing his brother scream immediatly thought BEAR and was picking up his rifle and looking to see which direction the bear was coming from.Meanwhile Bruce had scrambled up away from the rock leaving his brother to cope with the skunk.Now Ron sees the scunk and it's right beside him knashing its teeth and growling.Ron is now trying to scramble to his feet and get away.Meanwhile the skunk has already let loose with a load and is still coming.Ron has made it to his feet and is now being chased around the rock by this skunk,who has now sprayed Rons pack on the ground as it runs over the pack and manages to spray Ron.Two times around the rock they go and finally the skunk disappears down a hole under the rock.
Now as we're all standing together on the top of the ridge and them telling me their story and me trying to stay up wind of them,Bruce is complaining about his eyes burning.Ron tells him that urine will stop the burning and that he should pee in his hands and wipe them.Bruce turns to me and ask if this is true,Ron is behind him and trying hard not to laugh which makes it harder for me to keep a straight face.So Bruce turns back to his brother and ask again if this is true to which Ron replies,"Bruce you have two choices,you can either wash your eyes with urine or tomorrow you'll be using a white cane."I loose it here and my knees buckle and I'm trying not to piss in my own pants from trying not to laugh,Rons doing the same thing.So now we have Bruce convinced that this will work,but he says he's not going to do it in front of us and walks away about ten yards and does it.
Bruce turns to us with his own urine running down his cheeks and wiping his hands on his pants and ask us for some water to rinse with.I don't have any as I drank my last one before meeting up with them,Ron hands Bruce his bottle of orange Gatoraid and tells him not to use it all.
OK, now were off the ridge and back down to the truck.Ron and Bruce take off as much as their clothes as they dare to and we head back to camp.On the way we get pulled over by a fish and wildlife officer.He asks us to get out of the truck so he can check that our rifles are unloaded.He was immediatly overwelmed by skunk odor and doesn't look at our rifles and tears are already in his eyes.Ron ask if he wants to see our tags and he declines saying that he trust that we have them and to have a good day.
And by the way,urine does take the sting out of you eyes.
As light came on there were no signs of elk to be found.Three riders on horseback had beaten us to the back and were riding across the face of the mountain.I stayed put for two hours and glassed all the surrounding slopes.After seeing nothing I started back down the edge of the ridge to hook up with Ron.
As I came to our meeting spot I spied Ron and his brother picking up their packs,so I stayed put and waited for them to make their climb up to me.Before Ron cleared the aspens 50 yards from my position I was assaulted by this horrible smell and as he got nearer the smell got worse.I kept looking for the skunk I knew had to be near.
Ron was already laughing as he got near me and was wiping his eyes and said "You won't believe this.We just got charged by a skunk!"
Seems that when him and his brother were laying down by a big rock doing some glassing along came this skunk who didn't want them there.Bruce was the first one to see it and let out a scream and tried to get up but couldn't.Ron hearing his brother scream immediatly thought BEAR and was picking up his rifle and looking to see which direction the bear was coming from.Meanwhile Bruce had scrambled up away from the rock leaving his brother to cope with the skunk.Now Ron sees the scunk and it's right beside him knashing its teeth and growling.Ron is now trying to scramble to his feet and get away.Meanwhile the skunk has already let loose with a load and is still coming.Ron has made it to his feet and is now being chased around the rock by this skunk,who has now sprayed Rons pack on the ground as it runs over the pack and manages to spray Ron.Two times around the rock they go and finally the skunk disappears down a hole under the rock.
Now as we're all standing together on the top of the ridge and them telling me their story and me trying to stay up wind of them,Bruce is complaining about his eyes burning.Ron tells him that urine will stop the burning and that he should pee in his hands and wipe them.Bruce turns to me and ask if this is true,Ron is behind him and trying hard not to laugh which makes it harder for me to keep a straight face.So Bruce turns back to his brother and ask again if this is true to which Ron replies,"Bruce you have two choices,you can either wash your eyes with urine or tomorrow you'll be using a white cane."I loose it here and my knees buckle and I'm trying not to piss in my own pants from trying not to laugh,Rons doing the same thing.So now we have Bruce convinced that this will work,but he says he's not going to do it in front of us and walks away about ten yards and does it.
Bruce turns to us with his own urine running down his cheeks and wiping his hands on his pants and ask us for some water to rinse with.I don't have any as I drank my last one before meeting up with them,Ron hands Bruce his bottle of orange Gatoraid and tells him not to use it all.
OK, now were off the ridge and back down to the truck.Ron and Bruce take off as much as their clothes as they dare to and we head back to camp.On the way we get pulled over by a fish and wildlife officer.He asks us to get out of the truck so he can check that our rifles are unloaded.He was immediatly overwelmed by skunk odor and doesn't look at our rifles and tears are already in his eyes.Ron ask if he wants to see our tags and he declines saying that he trust that we have them and to have a good day.
And by the way,urine does take the sting out of you eyes.
