Again, the impending deadline looms for the annual herd reports. But, as of this afternoon, pronghorn and elk are done, only two deer reports left to go.

Yes, these two are the longer, detailed reports (pronghorn were last year, elk next year), but still...

The end is in sight.

Of course, the annual sage grouse database update is due just five days later.

And the breeding bird surveys within ten days after that. But at least they're field work.

In other news, the large new project the boss "encouraged" me to take on last month has suddenly been postponed one year. Good in some ways, not so in others. But certainly should make the next six months less hell.

No elk telemetry flight this week. We've dropped back to the twice a month monitoring to save on flight money, since elk generally don't move much through the summer.

Oddly, I miss it.

Passed through the park on the way back into town today, and spotted one young owl still hiding in the tree by the baseball field. Mowing crew was working the lawns, so I didn't stop to scout for any others.

And, since we were again unseasonally hot, and because I haven't posted a Grouse Pic with a grouse in it for a while, a shot from a frigid morning late in April.