by Ron Foster
He scanned low and high to see what might have that raptor squawking the alarm and tried to fix in his brain by sound where that bird might be or which way it was looking, but he could not discern anything other than a general direction to his right that it might be located at.
That stupid bird however would start its bitching and screeching sometimes as soon as he set foot in the woods however on the trail to this tree stand if it saw him high from a tree he figured. He had wandered about 75 yards out there to the hollow more than once trying to identify its nest tree and learn some hawk lore. It always worried him to do so, however, he had never heard of a hawk attacking anyone and he was fairly confident the first few times he had gone seeking the totem he had always enjoyed glimpsing as a sign of good luck, but he began to think differently about it over the years.
His first attempts to spy a hawk with its brood of chicks was tempered with him talking to the woods and hopefully it heard his reassuring voice that he meant no harm and for it to calm down etc. kind of like you do if you are living in the city and the person next door got a new dog in their backyard fence that liked to bark at you every time you walked around your own yard. In observing the creature’s habits from afar (He never got close enough to see it or its nest), he learned many things about it and his woods.
The thing that kept him most respectful about intruding into this magnificent predator’s natural world was understanding that its mate was often a hundred yards or so off from it sitting up in another tall treetop calling back and forth to maybe the sitting hen? Who would call back saying “I am ok” or “the egg moved or maybe get your butt feathers out hunting and feed me, etc.” Walt never knew what they talked of but he tried to interpret it like he learned what certain squirrel and turkey calls meant from his observations.
The Spirit of the woods was deep in Walt’s being, an integral part of who he was and even when he visited his friends in town he would regale them while sitting on their front porch he was visiting and having a beer with what was going on around them by the sounds in the natural world of their yard and neighbors.
A particular screech of a squirrel repeated over and over meant “It’s a CAT!” to a squirrel to warn others of its kind that one was about and you look around at the bushes and weeds for the cat you would soon see one. Birds suddenly flying down into the protection of trees and bushes from the air meant for you to look up and see a hawk circling. These and many other things he called reading the “Signs” were discussed including scientific observations proven as facts like telling you the exact temperature by counting the number of cricket chirps was what Walt was about.
That hawk screeching loudly right now wasn’t helping him out much, he knew what “it’s a fox” was it called sometimes over and over sometimes to spoil its hunt of game by warning small furry creatures next to its nest and its mates hunting area beware. He listened closely to the cadence and repetition of the vocals but it wasn’t the same.
It was hard to tell what went on with the hawk calls or what they meant sometimes because he had not spent enough time learning them. He was happier being blessed with just having a hawk in his backyard wood lot and leaving it mostly alone to reside there unmolested by him or even his presence stepping into the wood line until the fledging hawk chicks had flown the coop as it were and he was comfortable reclaiming the entire hollow.
One thing that worried Walt was the huge buzzards they had living all around here but you never saw one anywhere near his place when it was the season of the hawk. That was one reason he didn’t want to get too close to finding its actual nest. The female would go quiet when you got close but he had heard the chicks before, then you would get one loud shrieking cry from the male in a distant tree and he too went quiet. Walt had seen enough Blue jays and sparrows chasing cats before to not try his luck getting any closer than they thought their comfort zone was protecting the young chicks and backed off quickly when silence set in. He didn’t need his hair parted by the talon of a hawk to get the message of leave me and mine alone, and respected the unmarked boundaries or vocalized warnings to find something better to do today.
“Damn that hawk sings out if I even step foot in the woods it claims, that dang bobcat might be behind me!” Walt thought snapping his head around to nervously watch the stands doorway opening and began intently listening for the sound of cat claws on metal ladder rungs or leaves rustling close by. The woods were quiet now, the birds had quit singing , the hawk had hushed and to Walt’s pricked up ears came the trilling war cry of the male hawk a distance away and instinctively looked up at the tree tops to see it soar to the sky.
He had observed this vocalized and physical hawk behavior before but didn’t really understand it, he just knew to look up and try to spot the raptor flying up from a treetop or top of a telephone pole perch. Was the bird saying good bye to its mate with bravado to war on the skulking buzzards and vultures that would eat their chicks? Did it mean, no game here close by I am going to fly afar, I am coming to visit or help at the nest? Was it threatening something with beak and claw or just rejoicing to fly free for a bit? Who knew, it always flew way up out of sight or off in an opposite direction from its mate before it came back and circled on hunting or defensive sky patrol or didn’t. The bird might immediately come back or it might just go about its bird business elsewhere and be gone.
Walt calmed down while cautioning himself to quit thinking and just be an ear and listen and look. He chided himself that he was as nervous and jumpy as a little schoolgirl but that wild cat with rabies thing that he had dreamed up as a possibly very realistic day time walking nightmare worried the crap out of him. Damn, an aggressive skunk with rabies was a bad enough thing to fear and he had encountered one once, shit that was a biological, chemical, tooth and nail fast moving physical potential for an attack but a giant housecat on steroids climbing into that wood crate of a deer stand with him was just too much and he checked his belt knifes availability for some last ditch reassurance as a backup to his backup!
Walt scanned the woods carefully noting the known beaten down human walking trails as well as the fainter game trails leading to his platform in the sky and that’s when saw the slinking feline headed his way!
“Don’t look up just yet cat, come on get a little bit closer, just a little bit closer!” Walt thought as he steadied his rifle against the tree and used his hooded front sight like a ghost ring to silhouette the bobcat’s head and carefully lined up the ramp dead center of its forehead.
He drew a breath, slowly let most of it out and then carefully squeezed the trigger. BANG! The bullet impacted exactly where he had aimed and the big cat just sort of nosedived down, kicked a time or two and expired.
“Hot Damn!” Walt quietly exclaimed and stood up to get a better view of the animal and study it for a moment to be sure it was dead. The animal was still but to be on the safe side Walt waited patiently a couple minutes letting go of the anxious excitement of the hunt but very desirous of getting down the ladder and finding out if there were any signs of sickness that would make the meat unusable.
The cat looked healthy enough, no signs of neurological disease like having an odd gait and it wasn’t foaming at the mouth or anything. Bobcats with rabies tend to have erratic behavior, be lethargic in the last stages and foam at the mouth.
Walt climbed down the ladder and proceeded to walk towards the deceased bobcat about 50 yards away. He studied it as he approached and a nudge of a boot assured him it was indeed safely dead. Beautiful creature Walt considered, no longer worried about any exaggerated fears or unwarranted scares thinking it might have been rabid. He went back towards the house and found Yoshi anxiously awaiting him near the trails beginning and he gave him a thumbs up and a broad smile.
“You shoot bobcat! No problems?” Yoshi asked breathlessly.
“No problems, come on we will go fetch it and then cut a deal with Thomas about cooking and cleaning it.” Walt said and they headed back to the carcass
Moving Plans
Thomas was more than happy to clean the bobcat and have his wife cook it while he tried to preserve the skin using salt. The hide was just too pretty to waste. Yoshi and Walt went back to his house and discussed what they would do the rest of the day.
“Yoshi, I have been thinking a lot about you having folks in Florida. I got enough gas to get down there but not enough to make it back. Do you think they are still alive and you can find them?” Walt asked thinking about the two 5-gallon cans of gas he stored and what he had left in his van.
“I think they be ok. Mostly everyone live in city but have half cousin own house in country and used to grow vegetables for restaurant. Everyone probably move there, don’t know what employees do, maybe too many people live there now.” Yoshi said thinking on the matter.
“I hadn’t considered them taking in the employees. I was thinking if we visited there they could put us up for a while. I am sure I could eventually scrounge some gas somewhere to make it back here or I might want to find me a place by the beach to stay for a while.” Walt said ominously.
Yoshi sat back and eyed his friend curiously for a moment before responding. “Walt why you want to leave?” Yoshi asked concerned.
“I have been thinking on it for some time; you coming along just firmed up my decision. It is too hard living around here for an old man like me and I am slowing down fast. We have been lucky last couple days finding meat to eat. I can’t tell you how many days in a month we miss catching or shooting something. Maybe it will get better with that bobcat gone but there is no telling. I want an easier life and one that feeds me every day. Florida waters are teeming with fish, crabs, shrimp, crawdads, and turtles, not to mention the abundant squirrels, and various fowl; with the notable exceptions of birds of prey and carrion eaters, pretty much most fowl are edible. Hunting deer and hogs is easier down that way also but I see myself being a beach bum and gathering oysters, throwing a couple crab or shrimp pots out and eating better and easier. I have a Kayak stored in my shed by the way.” Walt said outlining his apocalyptic retirement plans.
“You think lot of people still live on coast?” Yoshi asked.
“I don’t know, the pan handle of Florida is not as populated as other parts of Florida, chances are good that there are a lot of survivors but I have no idea of the conditions down that way.” Walt said speculating.
“What about your garden?” Yoshi asked.
“Oh, Thomas can take that over. I won’t miss hauling creek water for it a bit! I have extra seeds and might take some transplants. The only food we got for the trip is an ammo can of long-term food I have been holding onto for a dire emergency. I used to have a pretty good stash of food put back but it all got eaten up. I bought that can from a company called My Patriot Supply for Kayak rations. I have it stored in a hatch on my boat and had forgotten about it until about a month ago. I have been tempted to get into it several times but avoided the temptation. That stuff tastes really good by the way.” Walt said.
“How much food can you get in an ammo can? Not much but few cans, I guess.” Yoshi said not understanding what it was.
“Oh, actually for what it is, it’s a lot of food. It is different types of dehydrated food in foil pouches. It is supposed to feed one person for a week and it is supposed to stay good to eat for 25 years.” Walt said.
The 1-Week Food Supply Ammo Can provides one person 42 servings of storable food to be used for up to 7 days.
“So maybe three or 4 days each?” Yoshi asked.
“Maybe longer than that if we ration it. We will only eat it if we have to. Hopefully we can find your friends and relatives in four or 5 hours. How far back from the beach is that farm you are talking about?” Walt asked.
“I only been there couple times. I think maybe 20 minutes. It north of main beach though. Have to go past Back Beach towards the city.” Yoshi stated.
“Well that’s okay, that’s still close by. Yoshi, you want to go on a fishing trip to Florida? I have plenty of camping gear, you can see if your folks are still around and if not we can just pal around and have us an adventure until I can figure something out.” Walt said with a happy road trip sparkle in his eye.
“I go Walt, sound like big fun! When we go, Walt?” Yoshi said getting excited himself.
“I say we go in uhh… about a week. I got a lot to do to pack for a bug out like that and a few things to settle with Thomas. He isn’t going to like me leaving, we sort of depend on each other. Well he depends more on me than me him. He has a family to take care of but I have about taught him about everything I can about trapping. That’s another reason I want to go but be sure not to say anything like that around him or his family. They are his responsibility and it’s just too much extra on me to try to catch food for me every day and have to share it with them the best I can. We might leave even sooner, most everything I want to bring is already packed up.” Walt said.
“I not know like I tell you how many people stay at farm there. Maybe they no want Yoshi and Walt.” Yoshi said thinking in these hard times one extra mouth would be hard enough to feed but a total stranger might not be received well at all, even one as useful as Walt.
“Oh they take you in Yoshi, don’t worry about me. Like I said, I want to live on the coast. I just wanted them maybe to let me pitch my tent on their property somewhere while I looked around for another place to stay. They don’t like that, no worries I understand and just leave you there and maybe come visit you someday.” Walt said dreading having to lone wolf it but thinking that would probably be best anyway. Yoshi was a great guy but he really knew nothing about surviving grid down and those folks would probably not want an old man from a different culture hanging around anyway.
“Walt, I no like idea, I tell them if no want Walt, no Want Yoshi!” His Japanese friend said fiercely in his defense.
“Now, Yoshi, you don’t you go saying anything stupid or foolish like that. You are very lucky to have somewhere to go to and if they already knew enough about farming to raise extra food for that restaurant already there is no way you want to get them mad at you. I will just drop you off and move on, you know me, I can get by fine on my own.” Walt reassured him.
“They farm with gasoline and fertilizer, not like old traditional ways. Maybe they not ok either. They laugh at Yoshi buy big pistol, say not safe no good. Say Yoshi shoot foot off and not want to come to gun range with him to have fun or practice. Maybe bad men take farm from them.” Yoshi said bringing up a point that neither one of them had thought of yet.
Walt eyed him for a minute and changed his tack. “You see Yoshi, they need you! Old Papa San with his big Man gun be there to protect them! Besides, I bet they had enough rice in that restaurant to feed an army before they had to close up. They will be getting by some kind of way.” Walt said trying to put a positive spin on the situation.
“Not fair, Walt! You cheat! You break word! You say you take Yoshi fishing Florida and Yoshi want to be.. how you say.. BEACH BUM, go fishing with Walt!” Yoshi declared looking angry.
“Ah buddy, that’s awful nice of you. We go fishing together, I promise. Maybe if we get a chance we go duck hunting too. Hey, I can teach you nasty way of survival catching, emergency purposes only way of maybe getting a few ducks and you can help feed your relatives. Hey, we do get some ducks I get to come to dinner!” Walt said laughing and commenced to explain a rather brutal but simple way to catch a duck.
“Oh, so mean Walt! But understand how it work. Useful to know though if only have big man’s gun.” Yoshi said chuckling.
“Or no gun, hey you can have that cheap bb/pellet gun you say for kids.” Walt said.
“Oh, not say cheap or not useful no more. I make family give you lot of money when we get to Florida!” Yoshi said.
“It’s a gift, Yoshi, no payment needed. I will give you lots of ammo for it also.” Walt said.
“Well, I thank you very much!” Yoshi said with a quick bow remembering Wa
lt didn’t like that sort of thing and instead about pumped his arm off shaking hands.
They spent most of the day discussing the trip as Walt started dragging gear out and making a load list for the van. This was a bitter sweet chore filled with lots of ups and downs for Walt. He had his reservations about having to think that he was “Never coming home again” but that was his new reality now and he had to face the task of leaving all his non-useful possessions behind.
There were a lot of memories and knick-knacks on the shelves that he would occasionally pause to look at and relate some brief story to Yoshi about but he didn’t dwell on them. Yoshi made out like a bandit when it came to his new wardrobe and Walt had a blast laughing at the fact that any extra pants he had were almost as tall as Yoshi but a pair of scissors could take care of that. Neither one of them could sew worth a damn and Walt suggested that he would trade something to Thomas’s wife to hem up a few pair for him and then said the hell with that, they were getting everything he had ever owned in life except his bug out gear and half the gardening tools so in his opinion he was leaving plenty of compensation behind.
He wished that he had thought to make some jerky out of that bobcat but it was too late now. He had left the cooking and cleaning of that to the neighbors with no other instructions but to try slow cooking the majority of it and save the choice meat of the back strap for the grill. He had also cautioned them he was sick and tired of soups and stews and wanted a plate of meat with side dishes of vegetables that hadn’t been boiled down.
He still had no idea what that critter was going to taste like but Lottie was a good cook and whatever the results were that he would eat as much as he could of it and so would Yoshi. It was feast and famine these days and when you got a chance to eat a lot in one sitting you did, to try to build up some reserves for the hard times. Problem was, as far as he knew, bobcat would be lean meat like a deer and offer very little much needed fat reserves. That was another reason he wanted to get down to the coast and actually have a chance of eating some seafood. He was beyond food monotony these days, bitter wild greens, waiting on the garden to share, no cooking oil to fry things, gamey tasting wild animals etc. made dinner time a combination of eat anything and try not to complain or ignore the ease he had of wanting to skip a meal no matter how he knew his body was wasting away. He was losing his joy of living and he also knew the mental drug of slow starvation and lethargy to conserve energy when he could afford it was affecting his judgements.