Two From Down under

I was standing on the edge of the power line at the camp I worked at, with Nature Joe and two guys from down under, one from New Zealand and one from Australia. I could only glimpse the sky as we walked across the border into the wilds of Streamside.

We stopped just inside the tree canopy to get our eyes adjusted, and to give some instructions for the down under two. No talking as we walked, we needed to be as silent as possible. Feel your step before you put weight down on your foot for the step, there were to be no twigs or braches stepped on. Finally guard your face from long hanging branches, they scratch.

Almost a third into the woods I finally heard the padding of feet. About half way in I whispered to Joe I heard something, he whispered back he did as well. A whisper can seem so loud in total quiet. I told him I thought it was the bobcat, he thought the same and we decided to walk further in. I soon realized my time was about up, and the bobcat got no closer to us. We told the other two what we heard and told them we would try to find a clearing, and hopefully see it with a flash light.

We got to where we thought there was a clearing, tried to figure out about where to aim the flashlights and turned them on. We were in a clearing…about ten feet deep, maybe fifteen at its deepest. Unfortunately there was a solid wall of rhododendron all around the clearing. Not bobcat to be seen. I was a bit frustrated, I don’t know how the other 3 felt.

We turned the flashlights of then stayed in place to readjust our eyes before we went back to the camp center. Then much to Joes and mine surprise the bobcat padded right towards us, this totally surprised Joe and I. We motioned to the others, waited until we thought it was close enough then turned on the flashlights again. There it was in the beam of the lights. He looked at use, for a bit, either sizing us up…food or no food, or as a cat, just curious. It turned away showing its bobbed tail and walked away from us. I don’t remember hearing its soft footfalls as it went away. We were pretty excited talking about it on the way back.

The two from down under admitted to thinking we were making it up until they finally heard the footfalls right near us. They heard nothing until then. I believe Joe and I heard it only because we had trained ourselves to hear such things. What do you hear?

John A Miller 

1/10/11