Rain, ticks and snakes

We’re in the middle of Spring and those wonderful things that show up this time of year.

First off is the rain. The weather this year is very similar to last year. Cooler than normal and lot’s of moisture. It’s raining again today and high’s might touch 60. We had 5 days of very hot weather last week which really got things flourescent green and now back to the rain. Last year was a very good year for the hatch and if things go the way it looks like they are going, we’re going to have another great hatch. Get your fall plans ready because this year has the possibility of being that super year for chukars. Fingers crossed.

Like last year, the snakes are slow at coming out of the den. I was up at the rattlesnake den yesterday and only four were coming out of the cracks. Usually by now they are out by the dozens and starting to wander to their happy hunting grounds. The next weather in the upper 70’s should get them fired up and moving. For some reason, rattlers are a little slower at dispersing than bull snakes. I’m seeing bulls on the roads in the evenings catching some of that warmth from the sun.

Also yesterday, the dogs and I took a good hike on a chukar mountain. It was a great outing until the ride home. It wasn’t long before I had that familiar feeling of a tick crawling up my neck. I also found a tick on Grady’s back. He likes riding in the passenger seat while Jake sleeps in the back seat. Luckily, Barb is very used to seeing ticks this time of the year. She’s seen hundred of them over our fifty years of marriage. The only bad thing about the tick situation is that our boys are house dogs when not running the hills. Barb is not too happy when she finds one in the bed. So far we’re up to fifteen ticks found in the first 24 hours.

So prepare yourselves for the not so good’s of the Spring and a possible fantastic fall. Hopefully I’ll get some good pictures of little chukars this summer to inspire you.