click to enlarge

Things are still slightly chaotic as the various organizations struggle with reopening after the shut down. It’s not just a question of taking down the yellow crime scene tape and  throwing open the gates. The various groups that had been dispersed have to re-gather, check in and get their new assignments. Their new id cards have to be issued and duty schedules have to be worked out. Late arrivals have to be tracked down to make certain the pack is up to full strength and to make sure they’re all present for the final muster before they turn the tourists loose in the park. Logistically it’s just another screwed up monkey dance to get the place up and running again.

Felony VonLupus, master-at-arms of the Hayden pack is seen returning after getting the word out to some of the stragglers that hadn’t checked in yet. She has been working tirelessly to get the pack reformed so they qualify for their elk allotment. If the pack isn’t at full strength they won’t get their kill authorization for their full allocation of elk and buffalo and with it being this late in the season they’re going to have  to work double-time to bring down enough animals as it is, to make it through the winter. Plus this whole shut down thing meant that the instructors, being government employees, had to cease training so they didn’t have sufficient time to get the young wolves up to speed in elk killing let alone how to bring down a full grown buffalo. So they’ll have to spend valuable time on OJT, or on the job training, to turn the youngsters into proper killing machines. There’s going to be a lot of ripple effects from this fiasco.

But problems or not, they’re ready to open this place up for business and get everybody back to work. At least for the next month or two. So I feel better, don’t you?