What is that Aroma Anyway?

Have you ever caught a whiff of something that you just wish you had been upwind of rather than on the downwind side? Yeah, I can almost see you wrinkling up your nose as you remember how your nostril hairs were burning. Not an aroma you want to remember, is it?

I had one of those experiences out on the side of a big ole canyon one really chilly, no, downright cold morning while I was a watchin for wapiti. Now it was quite a hike down into this hole, so even though the mercury was hanging out well below the freezing level, just the moving about was enough to keep me warm. Thats all good and well as long as the moving about part is still happening, but I've reached my destination. I've been planning on heading down to this ole log on the side of the canyon to set my tail down and glass the openings on the far face. So, sit down I did. And I sat, and I glassed, and I waited............repeat.............repeat (getting chilly)..........repeat (cold now)...........repeat (okay, I'm freezin'). I gotta do somethin' different, but I know this is the spot to be (why I don't remember, but I just knew).

Well, I can't leave, I need to stick to my preminitions. So I get this idea, why not build a little warming fire. I know, fire tells the critters that man is around, but dog-gone-it, I'm COLD. So into my fanny pack I dig. Yep, right where I figured it was was my fire starter and some matches in a waterproof container. Let's see, I figure, what can I find here on this canyon wall to burn. I scrounged some grass and twigs and needles and a couple fair sized sticks, but not enough to make a fire warm enough to get me thawed out good.

Then it hit me, why not light this ole log on fire? I get my gathered kindling together inside this log and, daydreaming about someplace warm, I light it. Now this fire doesn't take off right away, it just smolders and spits and coughs up a little smoke, and yep, you guessed it, it smelled a little funny too. I'm not too worried about the smell though, cause remember, I'm COLD. I choked back the tears and blow on the fire to get it going and pretty soon I've got, not a fire, but a real stinkin, rotten, smellin, smoke emitting, thing to get away from. But, I don't, cause yup, I'm COLD.

Now, down the canyon a ways are my buddies. I know they're down there, but what I don't know is that this retched smoke is starting to affect them as well. They do figure out that something is burning, and they just hafta come see what is so bloomin' aromatic. Along they come, Brad and Randy, my hunting partners through thick and thin. Only the best of buddies will go toward this smell for you, or, they are a bit deranged. Or in this case, probably a little of both.

They've been moving, so they aren't COLD like me, and they can't for the life of em figure out why on earth I'm cuddled up so close to this smoldering log of reeking whatever it is. They back off and convince me that if I don't get out of there I'll smell just like that log for the duration of elk season.

So here's the thing, I truly believe that this ole log, all by itself on the side of the canyon wall, must be the only thing that the resident black bear can find to mark his territory on. I've never burned bear scat, and I don't think I'll ever try to, but if I do, I'm pretty certain it will smell like that ole log, and me too, for the duration of elk season.