Mr. Ralph added so much to our Corps of Discovery studies on Lewis and Clark by sharing his own nature journaling with us.
Here is a sample from his hunting journal . . . . .
Bow Season 1993
October 2
Got up at 5:00 and left house at 5:30. In my tree stand at bottom of hill by white rock at 6:00 a.m. Calm and very dark with moon in and out of clouds. 43 degrees. At 6:20 a coyote started howling one hundred yards or so up the bank. A flying squirrel landed on the back side of the tree I was in about two feet away from me. At 6:45 motion caught my eye to the right. A fisher ran along a log and then back out of sight. Wind starting to pick up a little. At 8:05 two deer ran in from the ledges way. One went up the sag. The other came in front of me and stopped twenty-five yards away. It was facing toward me and looking back on where it came. I drew back, but no shot. It ran straight toward me and under my tree, but no shot. At 8:20 a partridge walked under the apple tree behind me. At 8:30 I read Proverbs 1-3 about wisdom and how we should strive to gain more to pass it to others–children especially. Climbed out of my stand at 9:00. Went down to beaver pond and watched five beavers climb up over the dam about thirty seconds apart and about twenty feet away. 9:45 I walked along the swamp and watched eighteen ducks take off. Walked into Foreman’s field and watched three coyotes mulling around for about ten minutes. Seventy-five yards away. Back at the truck 10:25.