I thought I was done with "Everything in the desert is trying to kill me" stories, but I guess I was wrong.
I was about 12 miles from the trailhead where I would leave the trail for a few days to spend time with Eva. The morning air was cool and I was hiking along without a care in the world except for the thorn bushes that occasionally snagged my clothes and scratched my skin. And then BANG! A gunshot rang out and I heard the bullet ricochet in my direction. I dropped to my hands and knees and immediately thought: I probably look more like a deer in this position, so I laid down on the ground and tried to be still and quiet. Seconds later I heard another shot and this time I saw a cloud of dust and deer the hunter was shooting at. It was about forty yards to the east of me in a dry ravine. Given the approximate position of the shooter (I couldn't see him), and the location and direction of the trail, about 5 minutes ago I would have been behind the deer and in the direct line of fire.
After the second shot, the deer ran away and I could hear at least two voices talking quietly. I waited a couple of minutes and then shouted: "HIKER ON TRAIL" several times. I asked if it was safe to pass and I got no response. I shouted again 'HIKER ON TRAIL" several times as I stood up, brushed off my clothes, took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and started walking. I never saw the hunters or heard them talking again, but I did see two trucks parked at the next trailhead. The experience definitely got my blood pumping. I heard more gunshots over the next hour or two, but I could tell I was moving further away. A quick search online told me deer season is open in Arizona through the end of the year so I think I'll be singing and talking to myself during the prime hunting hours to make sure hunters know I'm in the area. And I'll be thankful whenever I am in a state or national park where hunting is not allowed.
I was about 12 miles from the trailhead where I would leave the trail for a few days to spend time with Eva. The morning air was cool and I was hiking along without a care in the world except for the thorn bushes that occasionally snagged my clothes and scratched my skin. And then BANG! A gunshot rang out and I heard the bullet ricochet in my direction. I dropped to my hands and knees and immediately thought: I probably look more like a deer in this position, so I laid down on the ground and tried to be still and quiet. Seconds later I heard another shot and this time I saw a cloud of dust and deer the hunter was shooting at. It was about forty yards to the east of me in a dry ravine. Given the approximate position of the shooter (I couldn't see him), and the location and direction of the trail, about 5 minutes ago I would have been behind the deer and in the direct line of fire.
After the second shot, the deer ran away and I could hear at least two voices talking quietly. I waited a couple of minutes and then shouted: "HIKER ON TRAIL" several times. I asked if it was safe to pass and I got no response. I shouted again 'HIKER ON TRAIL" several times as I stood up, brushed off my clothes, took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and started walking. I never saw the hunters or heard them talking again, but I did see two trucks parked at the next trailhead. The experience definitely got my blood pumping. I heard more gunshots over the next hour or two, but I could tell I was moving further away. A quick search online told me deer season is open in Arizona through the end of the year so I think I'll be singing and talking to myself during the prime hunting hours to make sure hunters know I'm in the area. And I'll be thankful whenever I am in a state or national park where hunting is not allowed.
I don't have any photos from the AZT for this post but the incident did remind me of a picture I took on my Pacific Crest Trail hike in 2014. When I saw this road sign, I thought to myself, the message of this sign is to encourage drivers to swerve to avoid getting hit when they are being shot at. I'll keep this in mind the next time I'm in the line of fire!
Thanks for following along!
Butterfingers
A friend had in his garage a sign that said "not shooting" that was, of course, sprayed with buckshot. I guess a bit of beer will do that to you!
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