The other day I was picking around in the grass at roadside trying to figure out what 3 Long-billed Curlews might be eating when a pickup came down a long drive across the way and stopped next to me. The man, Scott, was highly agitated at me and all birders.
He initially blamed us for a long litany of offenses including getting him and his PTSD flared up, causing his dogs to bark, littering that occurs every week of the year especially during Cheyenne Frontier Days, setting fires, cutting his fences, hunting on
his land, trespassing on the road that may or may not be private but that he considers private and more. Suffice it to say this man, who I think is probably a pretty nice guy under his Marine Corps hat, is armed and not to be messed with. The location is
a little spur road between CR5 and I-25 that goes north from Larimer CR92. This road goes about a mile and ends at a closed gate which leads to the City of Fort Collins solid waste treatment plant for use on the Meadow Springs Ranch. Scott lives up on the
hill to the east of this road in the only house at the end of a long driveway. After a long chat during which he calmed down considerably, he said it was OK for me to look at the curlews but that he would just like to know who is coming up his road and when.
He gave me his phone that could be used for text messaging
(970/568-6434). I know a few Larimer folks who go up that road all the way to the gate looking north for longspurs, etc. on a regular basis. The ill-will this might cause is not worth a tick mark
on a checklist. Either call Scott in advance or go elsewhere. Be advised.