It is hunting season here!

Here at Laguna Atascosa NWR the hunting season is by lottery for rifle hunt (weekends only) and 2 one week seasons for the bow hunters at the beginning and ending of the hunting season.  During the season many of the roads are closed to hikers to keep them out of danger.  The season includes wild pig, nilgai antelope (both invasive species) and of course deer.  There is no limit to pigs or nilgai but the nilgai are so big (male 650 and female 400 lbs.) that usually a hunter only takes one and has to quarter it to get it out. John and I helped biologists count populations before the hunt by going on a truck at night spotlighting to count anything seen.  Three trucks went out with John and I on one as spotlighters, one person driving and one person keeping the talley.  Both were experienced so they could tell us what we were seeing.  The nilgai are as large as cows that look like deer with small heads and run like a rocking horse. They look really strange running and they are very numerous here in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.  We saw deer both doe and buck, nilgai, peracke (a ground roosting bird that settles on roads sometimes), herons on the bay probably sleeping,  coyote, bobcat, and a few unknown eyes peering at us.  It was very interesting although a very bumpy ride!! Lots of fun!!!!!!

Yesterday morning 18 turkeys went walking down our little road in front of our MH.  Emma just looked on intently.