By: Bears Butt

WithOlySignWe had a great time on the muzz hunt this year….time is slow coming, but very fast once it begins.  It seemed like we just got there and it was time to go home.  Bummer on that part.

But the hunt is not over yet, not until Thursday at sundown!  Some of us still have a tag to fill.

Weasel and I are headed out in the morning to try one more time.  Guess where we are going?  Yup!

I will post up the story once the story is finished for this year, but I can tell you we had a really good time and three out of the camp brought home deer.  Several had shots and missed and everyone had a very good time.

One thing I learned about this years hunt is two batches of sweat breads is not enough, I will have to bring three next year!  The feeding frenzy lasted until the last sweet bread was stabbed on the toothpick and that was not long after the first one was stabbed.

Good times, good friends, good fun, good hunting, good food, good weather….well, we had some good weather….and some very wet weather, but over all, a FUN time with lots and lots of laughs.

More to come in the morning!

Bears Butt

Sept. 30, 2013

Written on September 30th, 2013 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

BearSittingAtComputer

The day has finally arrived…the day we head for the mountains for the 2013 muzz deer hunt!  Camping will be in a different spot than we usually have as all the other spots have been taken.  We will be in a large meadow with very few trees, one we call “Monkey Dink” camp…that’s another story.

We will make the best of what we have, as usual and everything will work out just fine.  Our main goal is for everyone to arrive safely, have a good and safe hunt and return to our homes in the same condition as we are leaving.

I had a great workout this morning, something I recommend to everyone.  I have lost about 10 pounds since beginning this routine and am feeling really good.  The only aches and pains are the ones the workout inflicts and they go away after about an hour after.  Life is certainly good!

We are 27 minutes from our pre-determined departure time and I’m quite surprised to have not seen Dry Dog by now.  The burritos are warmed up and ready to be put into the hot/cold bag for the trip up and over Monte.

Muskrat is expected soon, as is Weasel and Wapiti, with Soft Ball in tow.  Fat Duck is meeting us up in the parking lot half way up Monte!

Weather is calling for warm today with increasing winds this afternoon…winds in excess of 20 mph.  Maybe it’s a good thing we aren’t camping near trees…?!?

Beginning tonight, the chance of rain increases to 70% and will be with us most of the day and into the night.  High expected tomorrow in the mid 50’s.  Then the bottom falls out of the temperature, with lows dipping into the mid 20’s and highs in the lower 40’s…Thursday and Friday.  A continuing of rain/snow mix both of those days and the snow level dropping to 6300 feet…guess what the elevation of Randolph is….6285!

April and the kids are coming up Friday afternoon late and I hope the snow level on Monte does not hinder her drive.

Muskrat just arrived…it’s 7:38 a.m….time to get things finalized for the road!

Until I get back!  Have a wonderful time at whatever you are doing!

Bears Butt

Sept. 24, 2013

Written on September 24th, 2013 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

BearsButtDotComBearHandsUpWith tomorrow being the day we head for the hills, I thought I had best take a few minutes and drop a bit of advise to the ladies who are staying back at home and taking care of all the stuff the “old man” has neglected for the past several weeks.

This is mostly for the “new ladies” out there who may or may not be accustomed to the actions of late from their significant other.  Muzz deer season, and I’m sure ALL hunting and fishing seasons, have traditionally been accomplished by the man of the house for centuries.  Ever since the cave man was poking around in the bushes.  He would find a creature that was good to eat and smash its head in and bring it home for the wife and kids to cook and eat.  Nothing has changed forever in that regard.

And so it is today, but not limited to just the man of the house.  The lady of the house is also a big player if she chooses to be and all the ladies that are in our camp, whether hunters or just their because, are treated with respect and hopefully don’t hear a lot of what men do when their aren’t any ladies around.  But, that all depends on the guys and their attitudes.  Our camp is a pretty civil one even though it is the largest on the entire mountain and the largest in the 30 unit setup in this great state of Utah!

As for the expense of this ordeal.  Ladies, I’m sorry, but it takes quite a bit of stuff to put a good old venison steak on the plate in front of you and that stuff is not cheap.  There really isn’t much better tasting than a good venison steak, hash browns and a couple of over medium eggs to wake you up on any given morning, and just like going to your favorite big time restaurant, it costs a bit of money for it!  It’s all a part of hunting.

Sure, when you tally up the costs of the license, gas, beer, booze, camping food, extra stuff needed for the daily hunts and extend that over the 9 days of the hunting season, there is a LOT of money being spread around the area.  It’s good for the local economy to spread this money around.  Why just let the bank hang onto it?  Give it out!  Let others enjoy their hunt too.  You have to believe that that lady behind the counter at the convenience store/gas station has an old man out hunting somewhere!  She is there doing her best to make sure the bills get paid while her main squeeze is trying his best to bring home some venison.

As for what you can do while your old man is away.  Some ladies take to the bars and casinos and really whoop it up while he is gone and some of them get into some trouble…while I think it’s a very good idea for the ladies to get together and party it up…it’s a dangerous world out there and things can get out of hand so to speak.  I’d caution you on doing this.

BUT, you deserve a break as well and rightfully so.  Maybe a night with the bridge club ladies or some other kind of card party.  Maybe a movie with some of your besties!  Just some thoughts.

After he gets back and hopefully he is one of the 23% that actually gets to use his tag on an animal, he will ask you to help him cut and wrap it, you know, to save money!  After all, to take it to a butcher shop is sort of a hassle and you never know if you are getting “your” deer meat back or if you even are getting “all” of your deer meat back.  Ever go into a wild game butcher shop and buy some deer jerky?  Where did that deer jerky come from?  Road kill?  Besides they charge like $65 to cut one up…you can do it yourself and save all that money!!!!!

Well, you won’t save ALL that money, because you will need to buy some freezer paper and freezer tape and so there will go about $15, you are still saving $40!  That is almost 6, 12 packs of Olympia where I come from and that is a lot!  You have to save where you can and this is an important thing to do to save money!  And just think there are the other 77% of the other hunters who wish they had your problem.  Help the old man out!  It will be good for the both of you.  You can listen to all the stories he has from the hunt and get that nasty job of cutting up the deer done at the same time. (insert smiley face here)

You know, it wasn’t too long ago, when the man went out hunting and brought the animal back strapped over the back of his horse, it was then left to the lady to skin it, cut and dry the meat and make some clothing out of the hide.  Since then men have come a LONG WAY in making sure the little lady doesn’t have to do all of that.  The least you could do is step in and help with the cutting and wrapping.  Nuff said.

A man’s sanity is carved in the hunting season.  He was born with the instinct to provide his family with “free meat”!  It has always been this way and it won’t be changing anytime soon.  I really like a good piece of venison, some jerky and since I’ve tried venison bacon, I like that too.  And there is only one way to get it…well…there are a few ways to get it, but to go hunting is a must and if I’m not one of the 23%, I’ll explorer one of the other ways after the hunt is over.

Now ladies, I have not mentioned the fact that YOUR MAN is sacrificing waking up with your sweet breath whispering into his ear in order to provide your house with some of this free meat.  He is out there braving the cold and bitter environment!  Every day risking his life against the wild beasts of the forest.  Getting soaking wet in the rain and freezing his butt off in the bush waiting for that deer to come sauntering past!  What a guy he is!!!  Remember to give him a big kiss when he gets home in a week or two.  Offer up your help to clean up the camp trailer and wash his smelly clothes and give him time to take a long hot bath to loosen up his sore muscles and give him some time to just think.  After all he has been thinking like a deer for the past many days and he has to get his head wrapped around being home and having to tend to his job(s) and not think about next years deer hunt, which by the way is about 365 days away.  He will be a total wreck by the time next season comes around.  Give him some “down time”.  That’s good advise coming from me.

So, there you have it.  Never mind that the cost of this hunt could have been put into buying an already cut and wrapped 1300 pound beef animal.  That is NOT what this is all about….it’s about getting a freezer full (or partially full) of FREE MEAT!!!!  AND maybe even a dead head hanging on the wall!!!  Oh Yes!  Only about 3% of the 23% get animals with antlers big enough to consider doing that!  Pray daily while he is hunting that he comes home one of the 3%!  Dead heads are pretty cool hanging around the walls of the home, and don’t listen to your lady friends when they say a big old tough buck with giant horns is not worth eating…that is absolutely NOT true!  Don’t you have to find that out for yourself?  I never trust someone who knows nothing about such as that, and neither should you.  Pray daily for your hunter man to bag the biggest and baddest buck on the whole mountain!  He will have a better mental state while away, knowing that you are doing that for him at home.  Trust me!  Besides he will know you are at home and not at the casino with those other women!

Bears Butt

Sept. 23, 2013

 

 

 

Written on September 23rd, 2013 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

WithOlySign

The Weasel said it in a post on Facebook…This is the eve of our muzz hunt outing!  Even with the actual season not starting until Wednesday, we leave to set up camp on Tuesday and that makes today the eve of that.  I have last minute stuff to go buy, the stuff I mentioned in a post before, the kind of things that just have to wait until the last minute.  Once this is posted I’m gone!

I thought I would conger up a poem about it, but it would have to include things like guns and beer and binocs and fuel and maybe the entire mix just wouldn’t sound like a good family entertaining thing….but then who cares?  It’s my blog!

Twaz the night before the muzz hunt and all through the trailer, things were stacked in total diss-array, from the weeks of packing and unpacking just to find stuff I may have missed……not much of a rhyme.

On Zeke, On Goose, On Rack do they go! Up over Monte and on with the show!…a little better.

The beer is stacked high, but not nearly as me!  When we first get to camp you know I’ll have to pee!….not family friendly.

Binocs are all packed, as well as the scope!  And no buck will go unseen, not from this old dope….now we are getting somewhere!

Water jugs filled and gas cans as well!  This hunt will be a fine one, anyone can tell!….oh ya!

Alarm clock is set to wake me at 4!  I gotta do my workout before heading out the door!….damn I’m good!

For those in the travel, who caravans in the pack, a special greeting awaits from the front of the Rack!…oh baby!

With a camp big as Randolph, we will rumble and shake, all the deer, elk and bear will run for Bear Lake!….YES!

And round the next bend, we will find our Bambi, the hammer will fall and we will hold up a dandy!…I’m getting good at this!

Then back to the camp to hang up the beast and collect up a diet coke from Magpie to say the least!

And round the fire at night, with embers a glow, out will come the kill jug to celebrate Bambi’s blow!….another good one!

When it’s all said and done and the hunt is no more, we will look back at the memories and start the countdown toward next year, and that’s for sure (shore)….nuff said!

Bears Butt

Sept. 23, 2013

Written on September 23rd, 2013 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

BearSittingAtComputer

Just so all of you reading this blog spot know, we are having a fund raiser for Black Arrows widow and are selling reproduction pictures of the painting of him for $20…contact either me or Muskrat if you would like one.

For those of you going on the muzz hunt, Muskrat has some of the pictures with him and they will be in camp.

They don’t exactly look like this picture as the “In Memory of..” statement is actually placed in the space in front of his face and not above and below like this picture shows.

InMemoryOfBlackArrow

Thanks to everyone.  This fund raiser is to try and offset some of the expenses the family has had to endure to get his body to the grave side.

Bears Butt

Sept. 23, 2013

Written on September 23rd, 2013 , Uncategorized
By: Bears Butt

3positionBearGetting ready for the hunt always brings on interesting things.  Lately it’s been getting the driving rigs ready for the mountain roads.  The Blue Goose appears to be ready since Magpie put almost $700 into fixes that it needed.  A full tank of gas will cost another $100 or so and it will be ready to go!  On the other end of the line, The Rack had right at $400 put into it with new tires and some steering bars and alignment…it’s ready to go!

I have not heard anything about Zeke, but I’m sure Fat Duck has it ready as well.  At least my atv is ready and this year it is carrying The Cocoon!  What with the weather changing drastically in a downward trend this week, the heat from the engine just might be the ticket to staying warm and comfy!

Our little hunting camp trys to come up with something new and fun each year and it will be interesting to see what happens this year.  One thing for sure is the price of gas will have us doing more walking, glassing etc. and not so much driving around, even though a certain amount of driving around is always done.

I’ve been looking at satellite imagery of the area lately and have some hikes in mind.  I have discovered patches of pines and quakies that have been so obviously in my face this whole time I was surprised when I noticed them in the imagery.  I’ll be hiking into one of them and probably will do that on the second day of the hunt.  That hike will be both a hunt and a workout so I don’t lose the conditioning I have built up so far in my workouts.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about is the coyotes!  $50 bounty on each one and that sure would help with some of the expenses of this hunt.  If you shoot one, you have to have the gps coordinates to record on the paperwork, so make sure you have a pretty good idea as to where you are.  You can get those off Google Earth back home if need be, but you will have to place the cursor over the spot where you killed the coyote.  And for those of you who may not know, only the skull cap and lower jaw are needed to collect the bounty.  So, you don’t have to take the whole animal off the mountain.  Just start at one ear and skin it across the top of the animals head to the other ear and cut it off.  Then pry open the mouth and remove the lower jaw.  Of course the jaw bone has to be cleaned up really well before the DWR will accept it for the bounty.  You can do that in your spare time.  Lots of coyotes live in our deer country, let’s collectively take a bunch of them off the mountain this year!  Kill a coyote, save some deer.

Back to the fixing of the rigs, I found this little site that sells some interesting devises to mount on your 4X4 driving rig…Why buy tires when you can buy these?

http://www.alpinesurvival.com/4x4_tracked-jeeps_tracked-trucks.html

Three more days until the hunt begins!  Happy dreams!

Bears Butt

Sept. 22, 2013

Written on September 22nd, 2013 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

3positionBear

Here we go again!  I found this quite by accident just now and I can see a ton of uses for it.  Check it out for yourself!  And if you are a flashlight freak like I am, you might just want to pick one up!

 

Written on September 21st, 2013 , Uncategorized
By: Bears Butt

BearsButtDotComBearHandsUpOne day closer to the hunt!

Now is when things start to get exciting!  People coming in from out of town to get ready for the hunt.  The local boys and girls gathering up their things and packing them away.  It’s really getting fun.  I’ve packed things I know I won’t be using or needing for this hunt and am still trying to think of  “what have I forgotten” items.

There are always certain items you just can’t pick up or pack because you are using them daily or there is no sense in buying it until you are ready to go.  That is part of the fun I suppose.

I have sharpened ALL my hunting knives.  Rubbed down my muzz rifle.  Installed my “cocoon” on the toy.  Made sure the kill jug is safely stored in the camp trailer.  Gotten all my gear sitting in a quick to load area of the house.  Double checked my possibles bag for all the things I know I will need.  Packed my spare clothes and made sure my beaver sharn is in the trailer, along with my sleeping bag and pillow.  Looked over all the batteries in all the two way radios, flashlights, cameras, gps unit and am planning on packing more in case the ones in the devises go dead.  Double checked the propane and made sure the camp chef is packed, as well as the grill and bbq box.  The EZ up is packed and ready and the lantern stand that Magpie made is ready to go into the truck!  Filled up the jug of chainsaw gas and got out a full quart of bar oil, changed the chain to a newer and sharper one.  Have the water jugs sitting where they will get filled with water at the last minute.  Plugged in the power and have the refrigerator all cold and ready for food.  Checked the air pressure in all the tires.  Greased up the hubs on the camp trailer and the toy hauler trailer.  Loaded up my toy on the trailer and have it ready for three more to get loaded.  Checked on the game gambrel and game bags.  Fixed a small leak in the potty drain system.  And have been watching the weather forecasts like a hawk.

By the way…it looks like a major change is coming to the mountains where we will be hunting.  Beginning the day of the hunt the high is expected to only be around 50 degrees, the low in the upper 20’s and a 50% chance of rain…if the rain comes to the valley, it will likely be snow up in the mountains maybe as low as our camp!  Bring it on!

That leads to more gear to be packed!  Chains for the trucks!  Warm gloves!  Rain coats!  And covers for the rifles!

I’m almost ready!

Bears Butt

Sept. 21, 2013  (Weasel and Muskrats Birthdays!  Happy Birthday fella’s!)

smiley

 

Written on September 21st, 2013 , Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Stories
By: Bears Butt

WithOlySignMuskrat told this joke yesterday and I thought it was very funny…

Where did “You have got to be shitting me” come from?

George Washington and his 40 men were crossing the almost frozen river while trying to find the British soldiers.  In the lead boat was George and his boat full of men rowing against the current.  Suddenly very close to the shore they hit a large rock.  George ordered Corporal Peters out to tend to the boat and pull it the rest of the way onto shore.

Once safe, he again ordered Corporal Peters to tend to the rest of the boats and make sure they too made it safely to shore.  Corporal Peters did as he was ordered and as the last of the boats full of men came toward him, Corporal Peters fell into the icy water.

In spite of all the effort the other men went to trying to find Corporal Peters in that icy water, Corporal Peters drowned.

With all his men soaking wet and the weather freezing George wasn’t sure what he was going to do to help his men survive.  Suddenly down the shore of the river he saw a faint glow of a lantern.  He quickly went down that way and found a brothel (house of ill repute mind you).  Knocking on the door the madam greeted him and he asked if she would mind if his men could spend the night and get their clothes dry.  She was very delighted and asked George how many men he had with him…..

His reply was “Well maam, 39, without Peters…”  Her reply “You have got to be shitting me”!!!!!

 

Written on September 20th, 2013 , Jokes I like!
By: Bears Butt

Today we said our last good byes to one of the greatest men on this earth (in my opinion), Black Arrow.

InMemoryOfBlackArrow

I remember meeting him for the first time at one of the early Old Ephraim Mountain Men rendezvous, probably back about 1980 or so.  I thought about him and how quiet he was and still was right in the middle of the action.  He never drank any hard liquor or beer either, but was right there along side those who were very much enjoying their drinks.

Black Arrow had something very special about his character that really drew me in.  He was honest as the day is long.  He was caring and very much giving.  He would pass on a bite of jerky if he knew someone else wanted it and there was only one piece left.

One muzzleloader deer season he and Magpie came to our camp, not to camp with us, but to let us know they were hunting near by.  He was shooting his flintlock rifle.  Again I thought how strange for someone shooting a gun that was a handicap in the first place would further restrict their chances at tagging a buck by shooting a flintlock rifle.  That was Jim.

After we all got to know him better, and he with our group as well, he did camp with us a time or two and he was just as much a gentleman as he was at rendezvous and around the women and children.  On one particular hunt we decided we needed to make a long push through some trees and brush to kick the deer out.  Black Arrow was on my left side as we proceeded.  After about 2 miles of pushing, I angled his direction and offered up a piece of jerky and some water.  He didn’t bring any water that time and gladly took a drink (and jerky).  He said he didn’t think we would be walking that far.  His leg was giving him some trouble and so he and I continued to walk much slower and finally came out to the meeting place on the road.  We didn’t do any pushes that far again.

I have to tell you all another story about the Old Ephraim Mountain Men Rendezvous….it wasn’t that long ago….Up on the shooting line Black Arrow and Magpie were the Range Masters and doing a great job, as usual, keeping us yahoo’s in line.  But we all knew the prizes for the top shooters could use a little boost.  Black Arrow and Magpie could not do anything about that and we knew that as well.

Well, as fate would have it, I won a first place on one of the shoots.  I figured I’d end up with a tube of bear grease or a half knapped flint arrow head or something totally un-usable…instead when Black Arrow called me down to the Council Fire to award me with my prize, it was a Damascus Knife Blade!  For those of you who might not know what that is, to make a Damascus blade, you have to heat a bar of steel extremely hot, hot enough to be able to fold it, and pound it into one piece again.  Then you treat it with oil and then heat it up again and fold it again and continue to do this process for many, many, many times….And then, you have to heat it and pound it and shape it into what you want it to be…in this case a knife blade!

I’d like to give credit to the man who made this knife blade, but for this story it doesn’t really matter, what matters is that Black Arrow gave it to me as a first place winner of a pretty hard shoot that he and Magpie had come up with.  I was, and AM very proud of that knife blade and deep down inside, I honestly think Black Arrow went into his own camp, dug through his stuff and came out with that knife blade to give to me.  That is MY story and I’M sticking to it!

Well, much later, after that rendezvous, I put a handle on that blade and made a knife sheath for it and it has been with my mountain man clothes ever since.  I will be wearing that knife on this coming muzz hunt and on my elk hunts as well.  It holds an edge very well and has already helped process a few deer, both in the field and at home.

You can say what you will about a man not crying, but believe me I have a lot of tears in my eyes right now, as I think about this man and how special he was.

Black Arrow, you are going to be missed “BIG TIME”, but you can also bet there will be a ton of story’s told where you were right there!  The most honest man I have ever met!  He could have “swindled” me and Winemaker many years ago when we bought our boys their first muzzleloader rifles.  45 caliber TC Cherokee models.  Fine little rifles and Jim made sure we were happy with them and the price and of course we thought he was not making any money for himself, the price was that low.  He assured us he was making enough.  I’ll bet he didn’t even get enough to cover the shipping costs, he just wanted to see two young boys get involved with  muzzleloading and rendezvous.

God Bless you Jim “Black Arrow” Gill!  God Bless!

Bears Butt

Sept. 19, 2013

 

Written on September 19th, 2013 , WILLOW CREEK FREE TRAPPERS GONE ON AHEAD

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Just some of my old stories, new stories, and in general what is going on in my life.