of red meat and game cameras

For those who are unfamiliar with what a game camera is; it's a small camera enclosed in a weather proof box that has a motion dector attached to the shutter. Said camera can be attached to an object via a nylon strap. In this case the object is a tree that's on the edge of the timber rumored to have a mountain lion who's height is around 32 inches at the shoulder.

I still have some unprocessed deer meat in the freezer from last year and of course the curiosity of what's deep within that timber and brush has been killing me. So red meat + game camera = answers. Or at least I had hoped.

Now something my wife could tell you about me (among the countless other things I don't doubt) is that I am not one for waiting when my curiosity is piqued. So rather then wait for the weekend (and daylight) to set the camera and the raw meat out, I go out after I get home from work.

recap:my impatience and curiosity toward a night predator compels me to set off into the nighttime timber with a bucket of raw meat.

brilliant.

The argument in my head while I was walking went as follows:

Voice 1: this has to be one of the dumbest things you have ever done

Voice 2: this has to be one of the coolest things you have ever done

Voice 1: STOP!! DID YOU HEAR THAT???

So I stop dead and look around very slowly with my head lamp, and then continue to walk the trail... backwards

Voice two: IF there was something stalking you then in theory you could see it's eyes shine back in the light like candles, but of course if it's stalking you, you wont hear it till it gets you.

Voice 1: you are NOT helping, lets go back

Voice 2: Look pansy, we are already half way there, let's dump the meat, set the camera and go back.

Voice 1: I HEARD SOMETHING!

Voice 2: Look I brought the 45, we will be fine.

Right about now my imagination is starting to believe voice one over voice two, as well as my brain because voice two has gotten us into some serious trouble in the past.

The rest of the way to the camera site I probably stopped around six times and did an "eye check" for anything. So help me if so much as a squirrel would have shown his face, it would of gotten blown off.

I got to the tree, set up the camera, placed the bait and gingerly re-traced my path back to the house, relieved that I wasn't carrying a bucket of what smelled like fresh kill.

Four days pass as I get all excited about what's going to be caught on camera. The trip back was much less uneventful then the first as when I told my brilliant and beautiful wife how the first exciting trip went she so plainly asked "why don't you just take the jeep out there?"

I just know she wanted to add a "you bone head" at the end of that question.

SO I took the jeep out there (full brights on) and retrieved the memory card and when I got back I kinda got chills.

The first picture of it was when I check the camera by walking in front of it on Wednesday night to check the motion sensor. I see a picture of me. The next two pictures were of....

And since my story is getting kinda drawn out, and lunch is over, I better quit here and get back to work.