It has been a hard cold winter. Luckily spring is starting to show itself. Good thing too I am getting cabin fever. Time to go hunting. I grabbed my pack and my Winchester and headed out the door. The snow is still deep enough to use the snow shoes so I strapped them on and headed for the big valley to the west. The Elk show up early in that valley and the Squatch seems to spend a lot of time in it too.
When I topped the ridge I noticed fresh tracks in the snow heading to the east. they were a big set of Squatch tracks. I followed the tracks down the ridge and up to a ledge on the cliff above the cabin. There was a spot in the rocks where the big male had bedded down right above the cabin. It was protected from the wind by the rocks. Why would he bed there? I looked down at the valley. I could see the cabin and everything around it. Was that big male watching me? Why would he be watching the cabin? I continued following the tracks down through some thick timber and windfalls. As I approached a small opening I could hear noises. I stopped and took off the snow shoes. Then I crawled up to the edge of the ridge and looked over. There in the small clearing were ten Squatch gathered in a circle. The big male looked like he was giving them orders. his arms were flailing around and he was making all kinds of grunts and growls. The others were looking at him and occasionally at each other. This little pow wow went on for a good ten minutes and then they all got up and headed off in different directions.
Two of the smaller Squatch headed off in the direction of the cabin and the large male headed down towards the river. I waited for all of them to leave and then headed for the river. I lost the big males tracks at the river. it looked to be too deep and fast for him to have crossed but with out tracks to follow I was lost. I headed back and went after the two small ones that headed towards the cabin. I caught up with the two about half way to the cabin. They were meandering along at a slow and noisy pace. I have never seen them act like this. I have seen them run at full speed through the woods and make less noise. What is going on? I moved to a spot where I could get a shot at the two Squatch. I waited as they moved out of the thick brush into the open timber. just as the two were about to move out of the thick brush they stopped. I kept watching them, ready to shoot. Suddenly the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something was terribly wrong. I did not move, but I started looking all around me with just my eyes. I caught a glimpse of movement to my left. I looked to my right and saw movement there too. It was a trap. The two moving through the thick brush were bait to get me to follow them. This was an old Squatch trick. they would either try to jump me or herd me to the bottom of a cliff where one or two of them could crush me with rocks from above. the quickest way out for me was to the right. The ridge was steep, but once I reached the top the trail down was easy to move fast on and free of snow. I could get back to the cabin quickly that way. I waited until I saw where the one to my right was and then I turned and shot that Squatch. I ran quickly for the top of the ridge. About half way up I spun around and could see four more coming after me. I shot two more and the other two ran for the cover of thick brush. I ran to the top of the ridge. I stopped long enough to reload the Winchester and then sprinted down the trail.
It took me a couple of hours to get back to the cabin. I ran in and gathered up all my ammo, my extra revolver, and clothes. I then crammed as much of my food as I could into the pack as well. I went out to the back of the cabin and brought the big bear trap into the cabin. I set the trap right in the middle of the cabin and covered it with a blanket for camouflage. I shut the door and headed to the North. There was a small cave with a narrow trail leading to it about half way up a sheer bluff. There was only one way in and out of that cave. They would not be able to surround me and attack from all sides there. I grabbed the bear trap from the edge of the woods and took it with me. I would set it in the entrance to the cave just to be safe.
I made it to the cave just before dark. I put my pack in the cave and then went and grabbed some small branches. I set the trap and then covered it with the branches. I settled into the back of the cave for the night. Tomorrow I will go after them. i have to be very careful now that they are hunting me.