Despite my hectic hour of traffic during Friday's check station, I was again certain I could manage on my own on a Saturday, and sent my assistant off to wander afield, looking for hunters and their game.

Too bad I wasn't more specific in my instructions, since he wandered so far afield, almost everything he checked helped someone else's data.

Not mine.

But I was right... I was able to manage fine without his help.

Except for that one hour... when nine deer came in. But there is a big difference between 9 deer and 12, and I managed okay.

I was surprised when the first truckloads of deer came not from afield, but from town. Four fellows from California Fish and Game who had called several times for advice on where to hunt, and wanted to say thanks before they headed back west.

Having bothered one of our neighbors in town to try to find where I might be parked today. I don't know if it's a good thing or bad thing that people in town know my schedule well enough to know where I'm going to be parked on any given Sunday...

And right behind their trucks full of deer came a truck full of elk, also not coming down my highway but instead coming out of town, looking for me to check their game.

But other than that one hour around noon, it was a slow day. Just over 40 animals checked. With me spending the rest of my time watching hikers on the Trail

or aircraft flying over, either high

or low.

Until the cloudless end of the day.

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