One of these mornings I’m going to sleep in and enjoy the day!  But today is one of those days when the turkeys are calling and I gotta be there!  I’ve been invited by Weasel and Kenzie to join them in a morning hunt.  An unusual morning hunt I might add.  Why?  Well, we got to sleep in, per Kenzies request.  Why do we have to get up at 2:30 in the morning to go turkey hunting?  That was the question and the answer….we don’t!

So, it is now 5:43, a time we are usually sitting in the blind waiting for the gobble wake up call.  We are still at home with an hours drive time to get to the blind.

This will certainly be a different day of hunting and perhaps one that will pay off.  Gobblers don’t like to get up before it is time and we don’t want to disturb their sleep.  Maybe by obliging them, the Gods of turkey hunting will offer us a reward.

Do we have a plan?  Sure.  But in the rain it might not pay off.  I do have my newly waxed boots on and that will be a story coming soon!  Today will be a great test for them…it is raining by the way.

Do we live in Oregon?  Perhaps with the Continental drift theory that I hold dearly too, we may have entered into that part of the world.  We have had rain nearly every day now for two weeks and the forecast calls for rain for the next week as well.  Some folks are still saying “We need the water”!  Farmers in the local community are calling for an end to it and I watched as one local guy (Arnell) chopping his week long laying cut hay, which means he got tired of watching it lay there molding and decided to chop it up for silage.  Smart move.

Dear God:  Please let us have a week of sun!

The West coast is getting hammered with small earthquakes, we are getting unusual rain, the rendezvous is being rained out, nobody I know is going camping this long weekend and we are going on a turkey hunt and joining the late goers.  Something just doesn’t seem right today.  But I will be posting up a follow up story on here later today.  As for now, I have to go make a sandwich or two and get my things ready for todays hunt!

Bears Butt

May 23, 2015

UPDATE:  When we got home from our hunt yesterday I had a rain gutter issue that needed to be addressed and by the time I got done with that it was too late to update this.  So here you go:

We left later than usual to go hunting which was a nice change.  Like is said, to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting change that doesn’t come is quite stupid.  So mixing it up just might be the ticket.  Our hopes were high.  We decided to take the long way into the hunting area as the rain was coming down very hard and we knew we did not want to venture out into it just to get soaked.  Our trip took us past the 2015 CVR rendezvous site:

A very muddy mess.  Sorry guys!

We made it up to our hunting area and looked over part of the area from the dry confines of the truck and could see no sign of it letting up.  No turkeys either.  Our decision was to go for a drive and maybe even up to Hardware Ranch looking.  We left this spot and headed for Mendon.

Mendon is an area with quite a few turkeys.  Enough in fact that the residents have complained loudly and the DWR created a Fall turkey hunt in this area to thin out the flocks a little.  So, even though it was raining hard we still thought we might see a turkey as we drove in…and by golly, we did!  One lone hen working her way to her nest.  We only saw one other vehicle in the area and that won me a beer from Weasel who thought we would see at least 4…my bet was two.

From here we headed to Hardware Ranch where we have seen turkeys before in the middle of the day.  What we found up there was a poor young gal trying to fix a section of wooden fence that had fallen down.  We stopped and tried to help her get the fence upright, but that failed and so she made the decision to pound in a few T-posts and string some barbed wire.  We did that and were on our way within an hour.  She really appreciated the help and I for one appreciate the fact that she was willing to try and do all that work by herself.  She is a part time summer hire for the ranch and doing a very good job!  Sara!  I’ll put in a good word for you!

Back in the valley, the rain had stopped!  YEAAA!  The folks over at the rendezvous site will be happy(er) now!

At our hunting spot we looked hard for turkeys and made a great hike through the thick and wet grass and brush.  The mud was slicker than snot and Kenzie found her behind on the ground more often than not as we slide down a very steep hillside.  Traversing up the other side was not an easy task either, but we made it in pretty good form.  Up on top of that hill we glassed and glassed to try and find the birds.  Nothing seemed to be on our side of the mountain.  So, up and over the next ridge we went.  As we peered down into what we call the “steep and deep”, we spotted 4 gobblers an a ridge 600 to 1,000 yards away!  Big old big birds for sure.  Three of them had beards we could see from that distance as we looked through binoculars.  There was no way for us to get on those birds and so we decided on another plan in hopes of hearing gobbling closer to where we were.

After an hour or more we took a short break to eat some Kipper Snacks and rest:

Sometimes it isn’t about the killing of the animals you are in pursuit of, it’s the little things that happen during the hunt that makes it a memory.  This is one of those moments for me.

Good times for sure…Turkeys 12, hunters 0.

Bears Butt

About hunt number 11 last year Weasel was able to connect with a nice gobbler.  Today marks our hunt number 10 for this year.  It’s 2:55 a.m. right now and a light rain is falling outside.  My enthusiasm for venturing out into that rain is not on a very high scale….BUT….we are going.

I’ve been wet so much this hunting season it’s not funny.  My leather boots tell me I might want to look into some rubber hiking boots for the future.  I’m sure that with the weather they have in Alaska and the Yukon, there are such boots available.  Continental drift has our weather pattern changing (my opinion) as we drift more NW’erly and in 1,000 to 10,000 years our weather will be nearly identical to that found in Anchorage.  I’m sure someone will discover a material to make hiking boots from that can handle every climate type from extremely dry and hot to ankle deep standing water.  I could use a pair of those right now.

On the bright side of todays hunt, the weather forecast says:  90% chance of rain until 6 a.m., reducing to 10% for the remaining portion of the day.  Looking outside right now (letting the dog out), it’s 100% chance with no change in cloud cover from here to forever.  I’m a little bit sick of rain right now.

So, what do turkeys do when it rains for 40 days and 40 nights?  Well, two of them have high hopes of being the ones chosen to get on the boat, but the rest of them must do something to keep fed and sleep at night.  Weasel and I have a plan.  We always have a plan.  Set up in our usual spot and wait…typical….but the difference is not taking off our back packs and being ready to sprint to cut off the birds once they begin their morning gobble.  What if they don’t gobble while on the roost?  I guess we sit tight and hope the rain stops soon.  Just like last time, no decoys, no calling (and a very high hope that “Jerry’s friend doesn’t come back”).

We have had as many as 13 bearded bad boys around us in this area we hunt and there is no reason we couldn’t have that happen again today.  The one thing I have learned in my lifetime is this:  You can’t get them by staying in bed and even though that sounds like a wonderful place to be right now, I’m pouring myself a cup of coffee and making up a sandwich.  It’s time to head off into the woods once again…Hell or high water!

I’ll post up the outcome later on!  Stand by.

Bears Butt

May 20, 2015

UPDATE:

Weasel and I arrived at the usual time…O-DARK-THIRTY…perfect for a morning stroll into the woods.  The clouds were hanging around and it had been raining but it had stopped.  The walk in left me with soaking wet feet.  My “spray on” water repellent does not work…see previous post for “Not Bears Butt Approved” spray on repellent….As I settled into my blind for the wait for daylight the clouds built up quickly.  By first light and nearly fly down time, rain was falling…Did I say I was getting wet?  I did have on my rain pants and jacket under my camo outer clothes and so I knew I would not get wet from the rain, maybe from sweating inside the plastic stuff, but not from the rain.  What I didn’t know was the right pant leg of the rain pants was pulled up and the water that was running down the leg was pouring into the boot.

About 8 a.m. the rain was coming down so hard I decided to go and join Weasel in his nice heated tent.  Well, it’s not heated, but it was pretty dry compared to my little hide out.  The birds were all quiet and I’m sure they are hating the rain right now too, just like us humans.  Short prayer:  Please God, Give us a break from this and let some sun shine on us for awhile!

Well, the rain didn’t last too long and sitting in the blind made my knees hurt really bad and so when the weather broke I ventured back into my hidey-hole.

Not long after that, Weasel texted me that there were gobblers up on the hillside above him.  I texted back that I would go up the trail and try to get on the hillside above the birds and wait for them to come to me.  They have travelled that trail before and I wanted to be there waiting in ambush.  I went slowly and with purpose.  The mud is soooo slick on this hillside you really have to watch every step and with mud building up on the souls of the boots it doesn’t take much to slide down after painstakingly making a few feet of progress.  I was doing quite well and as my view above the trees between me and where the gobblers were got better and as I neared my hiding spot, I looked across the draw (100 yards or so), there on the hill opposite me were 4 gobblers, their necks stretched toward the sky, watching my every move with total concentration….BUSTED!

One of them began to put and all of them walked back over the hill from where they had come.  I texted Weasel that I had been busted and that I would try to cut them off on the backside of the mountain and then I headed off to do the task at hand.  The nearly straight up hill and slippery mud was my punishment for attempting to cut off the birds.  I would have been better off staying in my blind down below and taking my chances on them coming past it….but NOOOOO….and so up I went with my one boot 1/2 full of water.

Over the top and partway down the other side and then I skirted around toward where the birds had gone….there they are!  Down on a sage brush flat and they are working their way around the hill toward Weasel…perfect!  I texted him what I was seeing and then I waited a few minutes until the birds were out of my sight.  I dropped down the hill about 2/3 of the way so I would be on the same line as the birds walking towards Weasel.  I kept expecting to hear him shoot.  I could happen any moment.  I slowly walked around the hill, through the oaks and deer were busting out all around me.  It took about 2 hours for me to cover the hill and arrive back at Weasel in the blind.  Nothing had come his way.  And then we heard the distinct gobble of a bird back up on the hill above us!  They had obviously gone from the sage flat, around the point of the mountain and then straight back up the hill to the point Weasel had seen them earlier.  I see now how they got the name “turkeys”.

With the gobbling going on, I could not venture being seen as I made my way to my hidey-hole and so I went through the trees to cover the other side of a wash nearby.  I sat there until we hadn’t heard a gobble for over an hour and then made my way back to my hidey-hole blind.  We stayed until 3 p.m. and then called it a day.  Nothing came our way and we only heard one gobble between about noon and 2 p.m.  We had high hopes but it just wasn’t meant to be.  So, Weasel went to retrieve his card from this trail camera and I waited by his pack.  As I stood there waiting I looked up on the hill above us and there with stretched out neck, looking down on us was Mr. Gobbler himself!  9 inch beard waving in the breeze….THAT SON OF A B*@C#%….and he gobbled as we hiked out of sight!  Icing on the cake for him, poop on our ears for us!

Bears Butt

Yesterday was a fun morning of turkey hunting despite the rain, fog, sloppy mud, cold, miserable wind etc. etc. etc.  I’ve come to realize in order to be a dedicated turkey hunter you have to be partly crazy, numb to what is normal and have an obsession only found in a turkey hunter.  I’ve also come to realize that I could never be a guide.  Guides have to do this sort of thing every day and not for fun, but for profit.  A guide has to put up with people worse than I am and “hope” they get a tip by the end of the day.  I could NEVER be a guide.

OK, so today it is Weasel, Squirrel and I who will don our camo, put on our still wet from yesterday stuff and venture out into the wet and wild woods for another try at those stupid (and smarter than us) turkeys.  With all the rain that fell yesterday (Noah knows how much) it is wind still and not raining right now, where will the turkeys have found themselves when it finally came to roosting last night?  I picture all the turkeys in Northern Utah strutting around with their waddles held high.  Not because they were proud, but because they wanted to breath!  I saw water flowing in streams where there have never been streams before.  In fact, I saw a stream (usually there when it rains), and another crossing it at a 90 degree angle flowing a completely different direction!  Cross flow streams!  And I even think I saw three streams of water in that same section where not only was there a cross-flow, but a third stream that was flowing the opposite direction of the main stream!

There was a ton of water flowing yesterday!

So, what about todays weather?  Rain is a possibility.  But right this very second it is wind still, partly cloudy and only a 20% chance of rain…at least until we get to the mountain.

Dress code for the day:  Rain gear, boat, paddle, life jacket, bible….not necessarily in that order.

Should the waddles have waived appropriately down steam last evening, we should find the turkeys roosted in their normal spot.  However with the prevailing streams they could be anywhere on the mountain, like they were yesterday.  All we can do is go out there and hope we find them, or better yet, hope they find us.  We will be camped in the same spots.  Weasel and Squirrel tucked away in a nice cozy tent/blind, me spread out among the wet sticky ground leaning against an oak tree being drenched by whatever falls from the tree leaves and sky.  Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.  Let’s hope Squirrel gets a shot!

When his dad asked him last night about his desire to go hunting today or staying in his warm bed, he opted quickly to go hunting!  With that….I’m up and ready to take on another raining day challenge!  Let’s go!

Bears Butt

May 17, 2015

UPDATE:

We came back early this morning because of something you will learn in a minute!

Our timing was perfect once again, arriving on the scene well before light and the hike in was uneventful.  The weather was partly cloudy but it hadn’t stopped raining very long before we got there.  Everything was WET, WET, WET!    By the time we got to our respective blinds I was soaked from the knees down, including my newly water proofed boots.  Some stuff sold called “Silicone Water-Guard” isn’t worth a crap.  I hate wet cold feet…this was going to be a long day!

I built up my blind a little to make it more homey and maybe keep a gobbler from noticing some of my movements.  I always like to make my blinds look like the beginning of a log cabin!

The forest was quiet again this morning and at 6 a.m. another vehicle had parked up above and a couple of hunters hiked down into the valley.  That happened right at fly down time!  And just barely before I heard their truck door slam shut, I heard a bird come off the roost.  I landed just up the hill from me and I heard a soft hen call as it slowly made its way away and up the hill.  My attention went from “Alert!  Gun up and pointing in the direction of the fly down”, to “Sit back down and relax, we have to wait some more”.

It wasn’t until about 10 minutes later that I heard a gobble far off in the distance.  I heard that twice is all.  Yesterdays rain really did a number on the birds in this zone.  But we will just sit tight and wait them out.  Sooner or later they will come through here.

I watched the deer move to and fro across the valley.  They would feed up hill and then across the hill, then back down the hill and eventually up and over the hill.  That place has a lot of deer in it and there is no reason for them to be leaving.  Lots to eat, plenty of water, loads of cover and nobody bothering them.

About 8:30 3 adults and a young boy appeared high on the ridge above the valley.  They glassed down into the area for about 2 minutes and then two of the adults split up and hiked down into the valley below.  This is the valley we are set up in and they are hiking down and will be up the valley from where we are.  Closer to where that hen was going that flew down earlier.  Maybe they will kick something our way.  That is always a hope.

Well, with just himself and the young boy up on the ridge, Mr. Know it all decided it was time to teach the young hunter to be a lesson or two on turkey hunting!  “Let me show you how to call a turkey”!  He was very loud in his presentation talk!  He pulled out a box call and let out a series of squawks that would make even a deaf turkey run!  Then added, “And this is what turkeys really like to hear”….another definite lesson on what not to do came pouring forth.  Finally, he needed to show the youngster just what it takes to make a turkey come running and another fine display of squawks and squeals came belching forth from the box call.  I’m thinking “perfect”!  That young man is really getting to know how to hunt turkeys….well, how to call them anyway.

AND THEN THE ULTIMATE DEMONSTRATION CAME!

“HEY JERRY!  JERRY!!!!  JERRY!!!!  COME ON BACK UP, THERE AREN’T ANY BIRDS IN HERE!!!  JERRY!  JERRRRRYYYYYY!!!!

Again I’m thinking, man you sure do know how to hunt these birds!  Good job man!  But that isn’t the end!

I’m looking up at him standing there on the ridge thinking wonderful thoughts about his knowledge, when he raises his gun and lets go a blast from the past….BOOM!   And then he yells “TURKEY!!! TURKEY!!!!!   TURKEY!!!!”

Oh My Hell!  He didn’t really just do that did he?  Again echoing down through the channels of all turkey-dom….”JERRY!!!!   JERRRRYYYYY!!!!  JERRRRYYYYYYYYY!  COME ON BACK UP THE TRUCK IS BEHIND US!  LET’S GO WE HAVE ANOTHER PLACE WE NEED TO CHECK OUT”!!!!

Well, by now Jerry and the other guy are working their way back up and over the ridge.  My thoughts are on how stupid some people are when I suddenly came to the conclusion that IF there was some birds working their way up to where we were, they would be going the other way right now.  We might as well head on home!

I picked up my stuff and headed down to Weasel and Squirrel.  Squirrel was ready to go, he was shivering from cold wet feet just like I was and so we packed it up and headed for the truck.

We stopped about half way up the steep hill and glassed a lone gobbler down the hill below where our blinds were and sure enough it was going the other way and into the next drainage.  Thank you very much Jerry’s friend!

Bears Butt

70% chance of rain today!  But is that going to stop 3 dedicated (insane) turkey hunters?  I think not!  Kenzie, Weasel and I will be out in the wet woods trying once again to fool the elusive birds!  We just need 3 bearded bad boys to come close enough for some number 5’s and 6’s to take off their heads….that isn’t asking much is it?

With this threat of rain most people will stay home, which is good, because it’s Saturday, when most are able to play.  Let’s hope they do stay home.  We figure the birds are going to be doing their usual routine and we will be there to interrupt it.

Again we have a plan.  I have made some cardboard cutouts of us and painted them to look real.  Mine looks like a hunter sitting on the ground aiming his shotgun.  Weasels is sitting in a tree stand aiming his shotgun and Kenzies is standing next to the trail looking pretty.  We will place these in strategic spots around the area with the decoys and then we will go and hide somewhere else.  The birds will think the paintings are us and stay away.  We will ambush them as they run from the paintings.

Well, that was in my dream.  So far, it seems no matter where we set up the birds know it and go somewhere else.  I don’t get it.  So, we are leaving the decoys home and keeping the calls in the box.  Today is just plain, set up and hope they come along.  They have heard so many calls by now they know that noise to be danger.  In that respect, if someone does venture out in this rain today, I hope they bring their full entourage of calls and calling knowledge….sing it….”The Hills are alive, with the sounds of calling!!!   The turkeys can hear and they come to me!”  (Sounds like a Sir Butt song to me).

Late season turkey hunting calls for patience and good luck.  The reading on the web says the males are mostly all lonely and in groups, while the hens are on the nest making new turkeys.  If that’s the case, if we see one, we will likely see more than one!  Bring on the big bearded bad boys!  Will this, the eighth day afield, be the day?

More to come later!  Hopefully with pictures!  Wet feathers will have never smelled so good!

Bears Butt

May 16, 2015

UPDATE:

It’s 11 a.m. and I am home.  I left Weasel and Kenzie in the blind…they were warm and dry…I was wet and cold!  But that wasn’t the reason I came home, I have to go to a piano recital for Sydney in Logan today.  So, I had to call it a morning of hunting and come home to clean up.

The morning dawned quite cool compared to what we have had for morning temps.  You could see your breath.  The breeze was very slight but you could see clouds floating above that looked like they were carrying some good rain.  When 6 a.m. arrived it was obvious the birds were off their usual routine.  It was quiet in the hills all around us.  At about 6:15 I heard the first gobble of the morning….WAYYYYYY up the hill from us.  And then another in that same area.  And then one a little closer but still not where they have been lately.  This was going to be a great day.  I figured they would come down our way once they flew from the trees.

As I was sitting there anticipating the fly down a single hen swooped in from my right and landed about 20 yards in front of me!  My heart raced to think there would be an onslaught of birds gathering in front of me!  I was up and on the shotgun, safety off and swung over to the hen, hoping I would see a beard.  She walked in behind a bush and then reappeared to my left and about 10 yards away.  She had no clue I was anywhere around.  No beard, no shoot.  I kept the gun up until she walked completely out of sight, then held it 30 seconds longer to make sure she would not see me lower it.  All went well.  Still hoping for more birds to drop into this zone, my heart was still pumping hard.  But after about a half hour I gave up on that idea.

In the meantime the gobbling continued up the hill and even though they were getting closer to me, I knew they would stay high on the hill and skirt around the trees above us.

So, there I sat when the first rain drops began to fall, and then the second wave of raindrops fell, and then the third and when that started it didn’t quit!  In fact I can look outside right now and still see the third wave falling!  I sat in that downpour for two solid hours hoping and waiting for the turkeys to appear in front of me…nothing.  Even the few birds that had been chirping quit making any sounds.  I did hear a deer snorting behind me and later Weasel said it was two bucks that had caught my scent.  He also said he saw 6 gobblers go over the hill behind me.  Those were the ones I could hear gobbling earlier.

Well, I left Weasel and Kenzie in the blind like I said.  They were going to continue to sit there in hopes of the 6 gobblers coming down and around the backside of the hill they were on and into their waiting gun sights.  I hope that happens.

On my drive home, the fog was so thick near the top of the pass I had to turn my lights on just to see in front of the car and that was at 9:30.  The fog stayed thick until I was almost to the bottom of the hill on the other side of the mountain!  Cold and rainy wet, I had to strip down in the garage before entering the house.

Turkeys 8, hunters zero!

Bears Butt

HAS YOURS BEEN HIT FOR THE BIG GAME PERMIT?

It’s that time of year here in Utah for everyone to be watching their credit card information!  Mostly to see if there are pending charges for the Utah big game draw!  It is a big deal!  For those of you out of the state, everyone who wishes to hunt big game in Utah and want a “near 100% chance” of that happening, need to enter into the lottery draw for the tags.  The state Division of Wildlife Resources uses this as a means to get more money and money seems to be the big driving force for a lot of things wildlife related.  So, we go along with it, or we don’t go hunting.

So, you must have your “license to purchase a license”….a combination license which allows you to fish and hunt, or a small game license, which allows you to hunt small game like rabbits and birds.  This is the big thing and the number one way the DWR gets their money up front.   Once you have that, you can now enter the drawing for a big game license.  The application fee of $10 goes to the company who has the concession to conduct the drawing, the Division gets none of that.  Each big game species has a different fee attached…for instance, a general deer tag costs $40 for us residents.  It’s a ton more for you non-residents…sorry folks, that’s just the way we run our business here.  Ya gotta pay ta play!  Not only do you too have to purchase your out of state small game or combination license, first, then your $10 and then the huge amount of money for the tag, should you draw it.  It costs soooooo much to play it isn’t worth it to 99.9% of people who don’t live here.  Nuff said about that and I’m sorry to my California cousins who would love to come and take home a 4X4 muley buck from the Crawfords.

Well, we had to apply way back in January in order to get our ticket in the bucket and now they have drawn the winning tickets out of the bucket and are hitting the listed credit cards to seek payment.  As those cards are being hit and cleared through the bank, the DWR will compile their emails for distribution to the masses to let us know officially that we either drew out or not.  The bigger deal is just what did we draw if in fact we drew at all.

A lot of families, most in fact, who have family members who hunt together or hunt the same species of animals, will apply together and use one credit card to pay for it.  They can also apply separately and use the same card to pay for that.  So, when the credit card gets hit, the mystery then becomes “who drew”?

So, what did I apply for this year?  A general deer tag for the muzzleloader season….a pretty standard one for me but that might change with my interest in bows and arrows, who knows.  That tag will cost me $40 like I said and I have a pretty good chance of drawing it, seeings how the DWR increased the number of deer tags from last years numbers.  Almost anyone who wants to hunt a deer can usually get a tag…not always, but most of the time.  You might have to opt for a bow hunting tag or muzzy tag rather than an “any weapon” (center fire rifle) tag, but you can go hunting if you desire.  Once the draw is completed and there has been ample time for people to turn in tags or change their mind on hunting etc., then any tags remaining can be purchased over the counter…..get in line early, because the remaining tags sell out quickly!

I also applied for a limited entry antelope buck tag using my muzzleloader in the same area as my deer tag.  Should I draw that, I will be able to hunt deer and antelope at the same time, using my smoke pole of course.  This special hunting season opportunity is one that I lobbied with the DWR and the Wildlife Board to get approved.  I hope like heck I draw one of the 15 tags available.  I’ve always wanted to shoot a buck antelope with my smoker…one of the few big game hunts (kills if you will) remaining on my bucket list.  That tag will cost me $55 if I’m a lucky guy.

And last on my application is a once in a lifetime moose tag…I only had 3 points (3 consecutive unsuccessful attempts in the past) going into the drawing and I doubt that tag will be drawn with my name on it….yes it’s possible, but like getting struck with lightning or winning the Idaho lottery.  Dry Dog says, “No lead, no dead”….and that applies to this drawing as well.  So, to draw this moose tag would be like Dry Dog actually hitting and killing a deer by shooting at it over 200 yards away, with his muzzleloader.  He makes a lot of attempts and spends a lot of money on powder, ball and caps.  No Lead…No Dead!  He also brings home a deer nearly every year.  I can see him smiling now.

So, here we are watching and waiting for our credit cards to get hit!  Everyone wants to see it happen!  Sort of like waiting to open the Christmas presents under the tree!  When will it happen?  For some it has happened already and now they are waiting to find out just who in the family drew what tag.  Did they draw that hard to get limited entry bull elk tag that EVERYONE seems to want?  Did they draw the (to us) coveted Crawford Mountain tag?  Make it happen cap’n!

And over the loud speaker, echoing in the empty basketball court arena, can be heard:  “ATTENTION!!!  ATTENTION!!!  WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE DRAW THE CRAWFORD TAG THIS YEAR”?

Good luck to all and I sure hope we get the chance to head off to the Crawfords this year!

Bears Butt

May 15, 2015

UPDATE:

My credit card got hit yesterday for $40!  A muzzy deer hunt is in my future!  I have not given up on the $55 for an antelope as of yet!

Well it is now or sometime next week for me!  The weather is going to change to rain tonight so Weasel and I are going to go once again to try and fill our tags!  Those gobblers have us going!  Remember last time we went, we would have been closer to the birds had we stayed in the truck, but this time we are going to out smart them…..ya right.

We have our plan…go in early…go in light…stay mobile…run and gun…don’t stop till you drop…(almost sounds like my younger days hitting the bars).

At any rate, we did our work yesterday and today is our day to play!  Come on turkeys!  Give us a chance to blast your beady little heads off!

More to come later!

Bears Butt

May 14, 2015

UPDATE:

Ya, so today marked our 7th day out trying to bag a turkey.  They are winning!

As we pulled up to the parking place I saw my headlight hanging on a fence post:

YEA!  My headlamp…I tried it quickly but it didn’t work.  I figured the batteries must be dead.  I can deal with that later.

We hit the slope right on time and because I had a new blind to establish I needed the extra time.  First to find my spot and second to get me some cover.  You see I don’t have a store bought blind.

We got there just right and I stumbled around until I had everything I needed in place and then settled in for the duration.   My hopes were high.  Remember that the last time I was here the birds flew down “across the ravine”,  well now I’m across the ravine!

My blind went well and soon I was settled in for what was going to be a “LONG DAY”!!!!  Remember we are getting to the area at 5:00 a.m.!!!!  Turns out we didn’t leave the area until 3 p.m. today!  THAT was a long day.  Try that on your butt without moving very much!  I’ll feel it in the morning.  Here is a picture I took later in the day once the birds had settled down.  You are going to like this story.

So here I sit and it’s still very dark outside.  My view is just what you can see here, not much to either side and I’m hearing stuff…..scary stuff.  Grunt and groans, snapping twigs, something shuffling in the grass…I’m not too comfy, but I stick it out without calling out loud noises.  And to my surprise I’m still alive!

As the morning light came to be, the morning was beautiful but quiet (again)…no gobbles.  When it was time for the fly down I heard a cackle and then saw two hens sail past to my right.  I waited for more but there was nothing else.  Bummer dude!  So they go off on their way up the hill to my right and out of sight.  I wait.  I wait some more.  I wait still.  I’m thinking, “is that it for today”?  No!  IT CAN’T BE!

Time continues to go on and it gets lighter and lighter.  Soon I can see the sun coming up, even though covered with clouds it is up.  And then I hear some “PUTTS”….the birds are still on the roost but they are putting!  That is not normal.  Then all goes silent.

My hearing isn’t that good in either ear, but my left is better than my right and I’m turning my head often to try and pick up any sound I can.  Then I hear it….a gobble coming from atop the far hill!  I look up in time to see 9 heads appearing over the horizon!  All of them looking down toward where I am hiding.  I slowly raise my binoculars and low and behold every one is a gobbler!  9 gobblers!  I’m so excited now I can hardly stand it!    Yes they are far away…like 600 yards, but they can still see my lonely hen decoy.  I carefully reached for my call and gave out a “lonely hen, come and git sum” call….5 of the nine birds raced off that mountain like there was no tomorrow!  My heart was really racing now in anticipation of those 5 birds coming to see what was up with lonely little “Gretc- Hen”.  I twisted my body in all sorts of configurations to get the gun up and ready for the first bearded wonder to come through the brush.  I held my position as the gobbled and came running in my direction.  My side was beginning to cramp up as I help firm and steady.  I was thinking, I can’t hold this much longer, come on big bearded boy.  But nothing came.  I heard them gobble and it sounded like they were right on top of me.  Not one, but at least two of them gobbling at the same time.  LOUD, I might add!  And then out of my peripheral vision I saw two hens sail down and to my right past where I expected the gobblers to come out.  I waited and waited and then heard the faint gobble of one going away….bummer!  Those two hens were taking them away from Grec-Hen.

I calmed myself and relaxed, my cramped side was really paining me bad!  I need a blind with a recliner, hot coffee when needed, a caller, a masseuse and a gun bearer.

Well, that was not the end of the day.

Soon I saw the 4 other gobblers up on the hill take a right turn….that means they are coming my way!  And I can see them!  They came to where I watched them cross the hillside across and over my decoy about half way up the hill.  All 4 gobblers!  They disappeared into the trees.  Weasel is just down the way at the bottom of the hill those birds went across.  Maybe he will get a shot, I thought.

Gobbling continued high and low all morning long and I counted at least 13 gobblers around us.  This was going to be our day for sure.  All we need to do is sit quiet and wait.

Then I saw movement coming down the hill toward Weasel!  I slowly lifted my binocs and sure enough RED HEADS!  5 of them!  OOOOOOO!  Weasel get ready it is show time!  From my angle I didn’t know if he could see them or not and they were as silent as could be….coming in quiet.  Weasel had his decoy out and if they saw it they should come running!  As I watched the show unfold the only one I could see with a beard stayed high.  The others had red heads, but I could not put beards on them.  They came down off the hill and one came in front of Weasel about 30 yards out.  I kept waiting for the sound of the shotgun…..nothing….the birds finished up feeding there and proceeded to go back up the hill and disappear.  DANG!

We continued to wait where we were and heard some gobbles below us…again hoping they would come up to pass by our position….that didn’t happen….We called it a day at 3 p.m.

That is turkey hunting folks.  You think you have them cornered and suddenly you are the one with nowhere to go!

Bears Butt

The turkeys won yesterday, but today is another day!  Head Hammer is going to take out a gobbler!

Weasel, Hot Spark and I are going back to try and intercept them.  Weasel posted another movie from his trail camera which showed them buggers about 20 yards from where I was sitting, so we know they like that meadow.  Rather than going back to my old blind, I’m going to once again set up where I did yesterday, in hopes they do something different than they did.  The little buggers had me going yesterday….the nerve….walking right past my other blind!  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Today also marks my day to “lax” out!  What is “lax” out?  Ducolax and Miralax.  For those of you who know what those two “lax” babies do, you know that tomorrow someone is going to see where my head is at!

More later!

Bears Butt

May 11, 2015

LATER:  Not much later, but later still!

The morning dawned beautifully!  Nice and crisp but not a cloud in the sky.  It was kind of an “off” morning in that the birds were not as vocal as they usually are.  Very few robins and crows and I only heard one rooster pheasant!  BUT….the gobbler was in his normal roosting area!  That was a nice sound to hear.  He only gobbled a couple of times before they all flew down and when that action started, it ended as quickly.  I’m not sure how many birds flew down, maybe 9 or 10, but I was busy getting my gun to my shoulder, they were landing right in front of me about 50 yards out!  My heart was pumping hard until I realized they had just landed on the other side of a small ravine that runs down through the middle of the meadow!  DANG!

I’ve read and seen first hand that when it comes to a turkey crossing something like a ravine, creek and even a fence line, they choose not to and this was not going to be any exception.  They were on the other side and working their way up the meadow on that side!

As soon as they disappeared from my site, I was up out of my blind and heading up the hill to cut them off.  I had to move fast to get in position and I literally flew up that hill.  In past climbs it took my breath away and caused a near heart attack….not this time!  I was at the top before I even knew it!  Then across the meadow I went to get setup for them to come walking into me.  I was ready!

Waiting is a tough thing when you know they are coming up slowly feeding their way along, but I was going to sit there all day if need be!  I had seen the big old gobbler that was with them and he was sporting about a 9 inch beard.  The fan tail and beard will look good on my wall!  I waited.  I waited.  I kept hoping I would hear the hens clucking and purring as they got closer, but I heard nothing.

Soon I heard Weasels peacock call and knew he and Hot Spark were ready to head for the truck!  The birds must have done something I didn’t expect….well, I have to expect the birds will do something I don’t expect them to do.  Sure enough, they had gone straight up a very steep open hill right after they disappeared from my site and not up the meadow like I thought they would.  As we stood there whispering our next move, we heard him gobble on top of the hill!  Egging us on!  And so we took the challenge and even though poor Hot Spark was having a difficult time maneuvering the slippery hill trail, she made it!

Nearing the truck Weasel whispered he would bet the birds came up over the top, down the short side of the hill to the fence we were standing by and followed the trail up the fence line.  He bet we would see the birds if we drove the truck up the road.  And that is what we did when we left our parking spot.  And sure as tootin!  There were the birds!  All gathered up and happy as larks!  The gobbler showing off his stuff to the hens as we approached.  I was out of the truck like a blowing piece of plastic bag!  Weasel kept driving slowly and the birds were standing there about 10 yards away!  I quickly loaded the gun and ran for the side of the road.  The birds did not like seeing me that close and took off running away up an open hill!  I snapped the safety off and put the bead on the gobbler, but he stayed in the cluster of hens and hit the top of the hill on a full gallop and then they all took wing and off they went!

Had he separated himself from the hens I would have shot!  Road hunting turkeys!  I can be done!  It isn’t the romantic way of killing one, but at this point who is thinking about romance?

So, there you have another “almost” from the mighty hunters!

Now my mind is focusing on the dreaded “lax” and I don’t mean “re-lax”!

Bears Butt

ANOTHER day in the field.  This one is a Sunday, Mothers Day 2015.  Got the green light to head on out in to the stormy woods looking for Mr. Tom!  I should be going to Church with Winemaker, but it just seems more important to be going after a turkey with Weasel and Squirrel.  Squirrel is so excited!  He called me last night to invite me to go with him and his dad to try once again to get a turkey close enough for a shot.  SURE!  I said!  Of course I’ll go!

Weasel has a different plan up his sleeve as to where to set up this morning so, I’m not sure where I’ll set up.  My spot so far has been a bust.  A good spot for watching what is going on in the valley, but not a spot the birds want to play.  Weasel is planning on putting himself and Squirrel closer to the X.  Perhaps I’ll go up hill as well and plant myself near a small spring seep.  We will see.

I hope to have pictures of dead birds for the “LATER UPDATE” on here!  Until then!  Later!

Bears Butt

May 10, 2015

UPDATE:

My view before the morning light!

Turkeys are about as predictable as a wild boar hog!  Actually I think a wild boar hog is predictable.  So, turkeys are about as unpredictable as …….   I can’t think of anything to compare the unpredictability of a turkey to.  Maybe I need to rephrase what I’m trying to say this way:  Turkeys are predictable…..NOT!!!!

We got to the hunting grounds in perfect time!  We had the mountain to ourselves and made our way through the thick and thin of it to our spots.  It was VERY WET from yesterday and last night’s rain.  Needless to say, we made no noise getting in and around to our spots.  Weasel and Squirrel chose to hunt up high where we have seen the birds go the last three times we have been out.  I chose to hunt near to where Weasel had been hiding, only about 100 yards further up the valley.  A spot where the width of the valley narrows.  I figured if the birds came down off the roost and into this valley they would funnel right up past me and BOOM!  Weasel on the other hand knew very well the birds would do exactly what they have been doing since this years season began….flying straight down from the roost and walking up past our high country blinds we built last year.  He too will be in the “neck” of the trail!  When they walk past him and Squirrel…BOOM!

As the morning light ate up the darkness of the night things were looking better and better.  I had a small owl come and land near to me and squawk a few times and then flew off.  I don’t know what kind of owl it was, but it was small, and grey….anyone?  The light gave way to many deer as they fed up the way past my position.  One is a nice little buck with horns growing and nearing the length of its ears.  He will be a pretty nice buck come the season!  When the pheasants began crowing in the fields below us, the gobbler on the roost also sounded off!  This was going to be his day to die!  He wasn’t exactly in the same spot we last heard him, but close.  He should do just what he has been doing before and that will put him in Weasel and Squirrels laps!  He gobbled several times and then shut up.  I heard a hen cackle as she flew down and I knew it was just a matter of minutes before I heard the echo and roar of Squirrels shotgun.  I sat with ears open and eyes peeled in case they came my way.

Suddenly, there was a turkey!  Across the valley!  Another!  And a third!

Those dirty little S.O.B.’s!  They continued up the trail RIGHT PAST MY BLIND on that side of the valley!!!!!!!!!!!!  They were happy birds, clucking and pecking and walking carefully up the trail!  I thought what I started this paragraph with and tossed in a few expletives and justified it all by verifying they were all 3 hens by peering through my binoculars.  That’s ok Bears Butt, you couldn’t have shot them anyway!  NO BIGGIE!  And then it happened….Up popped a gobbler with about a 9 inch beard!  OH NO!  Right by the blind!!!!!  Yes!  The blind across the valley!  And 5 more birds were with him!  Later Weasel said he saw a jake with him and the others!  My hands found my head and held it tightly!  Expletives were swirling and spinning inside my pea brain!  All those birds went right past my blind!  RIGHT PAST IT!  And then they slowly worked their way up and over the hill.  That was fine by me I was tired of looking at that long bearded critter anyway!

That was it for that spot.  We made our way back to the truck a few hours later and then off toward home.

On the way, we decided to go and see if we could find “Dry Dog’s” turkey.  One he is determined to shoot after work one of these days.  On our way to see if the bird was anywhere near the place he has seen it and low and behold….4 big old birds feeding away in an alfalfa field!  All 4 of them toms!  Of course we didn’t have permission to trespass  and even if we did, it would be illegal to shoot them there as they were only about 100 yards away from homes.  The law says you can not be closer than 200 yards from any building.  Hey Dog!  Go get em!

Bears Butt

So, May 7th and we are off once again in pursuit of the wild Utah turkey.  Turkey re-introduction in the state is probably THE number one, best on the list, things the state DWR has done.  I don’t know how long it has taken, but I remember back many years we had a couple down on the farm.  Those got eaten quickly by predators and I figured that was what would happen with the others being planted.  Well, I was wrong, big time.  Now it is not uncommon to see turkeys where you least expect to see them.  They have done well.

Besides the lack of sleep a turkey hunter gets, he/she also gets to see what is going on in the woods in the spring time of year.  It is far different than in the fall when we usually find ourselves in pursuit of deer, grouse, elk and other game animals.  We also get to see the “hard core” hunters that are out there chasing these very illusive animals.  There is a slim chance you can bag one from the road, but very slim.  These are “get your butt out of the truck” animals and usually FAR from any road.  I’m still learning a lot from these guys.

Today the weather is raining.  Why would anyone go turkey hunting when it is raining?  That is something you do for ducks and geese.

Here is something I THINK I know about hunting turkeys in the rain.  1) Other hunters would rather stay in bed when it is raining.  2)  Turkeys don’t like rain because they can’t hear their enemies coming up on them from behind or overhead.  Especially in the canopy of a forest.

So, for me, there will be less hunter interaction, which means I’ll have the woods to myself or at least with other hunters who “care” about what they are doing and probably will turn around if they come into my area and see my setup.  I think.  Also, it means the birds will be out in the open, away from cover in order to “see” rather than “hear” their predators coming.  That is, all but me.  I’ll be waiting near by to blast the fist legal tom that comes up the trail!

So, me and “head hammer” will once again be in the woods.  OH YA!  Weasel too!

More to come later in the day!  Wish us luck!

Bears Butt

May 7, 2015

UPDATE:

Our longest day in the turkey fields!  We got home about 3:30….Almost 12 hours from the time we left.  So, let me tell you about the day!

I said hunting in the rain huh?  We got to our normal spot and donned our rain gear and headed off.  A steady rain until about time for fly down and then it quit.  Everything was wet and muddy!  The mud up there sticks to everything and causes your boots to fill up and you don’t have any traction.  Color us mud!  As for the birds….no gobbles…and we saw two hens go up and over the hill.  No toms to be heard or seen.  So, off we headed to Hardware.  On our way we saw a gobble off the side of the highway!  A quick stop and hot pursuit but no bird.  Never saw it again!

Coming down the canyon we decided to drive over into Left Hand Fork and while there I talked Weasel into going and looking for some morel mushrooms I had seen a couple of years back.  We did find a couple but only picked one of them.

I think leaving one for seed just might be a good thing.  Also, as we were looking around we found a turkey nest full of eggs….all busted and pecked!  A gobbler had found the nest a week or so ago and did his thing breaking them up to keep the hen “hot”.  If she would have been sitting on that nest there is no way you would have seen her or it.  I just happened to see an egg that was laying outside of it and thought maybe it was a mushroom.

Back on the road we decided to go inspect another area we knew about but had never gone into to hunt.  The hike is steep and if you plan on going into it, make sure your legs are in good shape! Mine are not, but I made it and am glad I did.  About half way to a place we figured might hold a turkey, we were catching our breath.  Weasel said, that looks like a good strutting area down there.  He put his glasses up and sure enough there was a turkey walking across the field.  Upon further investigation we both saw a beard on it!  We watched as it started to climb the hill up the canyon from us and put a plan together to intercept it.  We hurried as quickly as we could to get above it, but we didn’t go far enough and it crossed above us into the next drainage.  There we saw it traversing another clearing.  Again we watched as it appeared to going in a certain direction.  To intercept it we would have to hustle and get over and up a hill without being seen.  So, be backtracked and made a quick dash for the spot.  We separated, me low, Weasel high.

AND THEN THE RAINS CAME!  Boom!  BOOM!!!!  Flash!!  FLASH!!!!  BOOM!  BOOM!  For a rain it was awesome!  For the dry year we have been experiencing, it will help with our water problems.  For two turkey hunters without our rain gear (back at the truck), it was a soaker!  And God didn’t have enough fun with the rain, he threw hail at us the size of marbles!  BAM!  BAM!  It was ripping the leaves off the trees and I went to hiding under the canopy of the biggest oak tree I could find!  To heck with that gobbler, I’m getting wet here!

I didn’t know at the time, but Weasel had an emergency rain parka in his backpack which he put on and stayed somewhat dry….me I looked like a drowned rat fink!  I have a hat that has a drop down face mask attached to it and I put that on to cover my ears which were getting pelted from the hail!  Ouch!  Ouch!

After about 30 minutes of getting drenched the sky started to lighten up and the thunder and lightning moved up the valley.  I left my position and went looking for Weasel.  He was down the hill a little bit trying to locate me.  When we got together we started back to the truck.

Now for a little testimonial:  I have a brand of skin tight under clothing made by “Under Armour”.  It is advertised to help keep you warm in the cold weather by trapping your own body heat and wick away moisture from your own sweating while doing just that!  I’m always skeptical about advertising like that.  BUT LET ME TELL YOU RIGHT NOW!  If it wasn’t for that Under Armour I would have frozen my butt off in that rain and hail!  Not only did I get soaked to the bone, the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees and the wind was blowing.  Sure I was wet and I knew it, but at least I wasn’t cold!  My body heat kept me as comfortable as possible thanks to that Under Armour.  Good stuff folks!  Bears Butt Approved!

Well, we didn’t get any turkeys today, but we learned a thing or two….One biggie for me is to pack an emergency poncho rain jacket in my pack!

And I saw an upcoming buck that just might turn out to be a biggun!  It already has buds about 3 inches long and some mass to them.

Maybe we need some of these umbrellas!

Bears Butt

Turkey day once again!  This morning it is time to take Hot Spark out and try and get her a bird.  Weasel is going to set her up in his usual spot while I will be about where Conner and I were on Saturday.  Yesterday Weasel and Squirrel didn’t have the fortunate luck to have the birds drop in on them from the roost and so, we are hoping today will be the day!  One thing I have learned about turkey hunt is this….They don’t do what you think they will do….EVER!

We have had a lot of lessons in the past, both from people who have hunted turkeys their whole lives and have hundreds of kills under their belts and the birds themselves.  Each lesson adds to our volumns of “how to get it done” book, but how many have we put on the table?  One from my first ever hunt in Missouri and one last year for Weasel.  I have taken two shots at birds that busted me sitting in my blind and we have had a bunch of birds tease us from “close but too far to shoot”.  Turkeys!  Someone sure named them right.

So, here it is, 3 a.m., I’m driving and taking Tracker (videographer), Weasel, Hot Spark and myself.  3 guns and a camera.  We will be covering two different, but close areas and hope the birds like what we have in store for them.  My shell of choice, per popular vote….Head Hammer!

More to come later!  For now it is a cup of coffee and load the wagon time!  For all of you heading out on this, the first day of the general Utah turkey season…I wish you luck!

Bears Butt

May 4, 2015

UPDATE:

Boy did 2:30 a.m. come quickly!  But with a cup of coffee in me I was packed and ready to go pick up the rest of the gang!

Whatever happened to grabbing your gun and heading out?  Those days are long gone I’m afraid!  Gotta have the gun, shells, hydration pack, goodies to eat, a bi-pod gun holder, blind, Decoys, calls….and the list goes on and on.  Depending on who is going that could weigh the pack down significantly.

We got away a bit behind schedule but we made up for that on the other end.  We hurried from the truck down the trail to our hideout spots!  But not before I got a cool pic of Weasel and Hot Spark with the full moon shining behind them.

They went their way and I went mine.  Our goal was to kill 3 turkeys this morning.  The air was crisp and there was some heavy dew (rain) on the plants and the ground was sticky and slick, but that just made it more quiet to sneak in.

Once I was set in my natural materials blind I decided to take a couple of pics before I settled in to wait until the morning light.

There is “Hammer Head”, my shell by vote!  The black bag is my soft cushion I picked up at D.I. for a buck.  My slate call handy.  Hydration pack with the spigot ready.  Now to just settle in and wait.

My view is a very good one and any turkey that comes my way will be well within shotgun range by the time he can see me.  I’ve got this one!

So, the morning light came.  The deer went past my position pretty much all morning long and only saw the decoys I had out in front of me.  The gobbler was roosted right where he was on Saturday and unfortunately for us, we had other hunter company.

Let me ask you this:  You are hunting along, doing everything right and expecting to fill your turkey tag any minute.  You have heard the repeated gobbles of a gobbler still on the roost.  Suddenly in front of you is another hunters blind and decoy.  What do you do?

What I would do is say to myself….Crap….and turn my butt around and high tail it back the way I came.  Hoping I hadn’t busted things up for the hunters in the blind.

Well folks…our two guest hunters continued right on down the trail past the three blinds (Weasel and Hot Sparks, Trackers (videographer) and mine.  Happy guys for sure.  Ya, they were quiet, but still, WTF!  Just sayin.

OK, they got past us before the fly down.  But was it them that caused the birds to do what they did today?  I don’t know.  The birds came off the roost and stayed high on the hill, proceeding up out of the trees and over the top.  Feeding away like nobodies business.  The Tom was strutting his stuff all the way up and over, but I noticed something, I could still see his tail all fanned out, when what to my surprise (NOT) our two guest hunters standing about 100 yards away from them on the skyline!  Waiving arms and suggesting to each other how great they were and what a wonderful land they were hunting in.  The birds came back on our side of the hill and launched in full flight down and over to the East.  Thanks guys for sending them back our way, sort of.

OK, we aren’t done yet.  When I first saw the turkeys heading up and over the top, I quickly abandoned my post and ran to Weasel and Hot Spark and suggested they get up and head to a spot up the draw to cut them off.  I figured they would travel a similar route to the one they used on Saturday.  Then I booked it back to my spot and nestled back in.  That is when the two dudes showed up on the ridge and sent the birds in the opposite direction of Weasel and Hot Spark.  Nothing was working in our favor.

Well, as time went on the gobbler was separated from his hens and trying to relocate them.  I thought for sure I had a chance to call him in.  He came a ways, but then got back with his 3 hens and went off in the direction they wanted him to go….away from me.

Weasel and Hot Spark tried to get in front of where they thought the turkeys might go, but they didn’t know about the dudes on the ridgeline and the fact that the birds flew down East.  They finally worked their way back to their blind and settled in.

ENTER HUNTER NUMBER 3!

A lone dude, sneaking and calling, sneaking and calling.  He saw the blinds!  He continued on down the trail sneaking and calling!  Weasel even whispered to him “Have you seen any turkeys today”?  The guy looked at him and went right on by without a word!  Then he stopped his travel about 50 yards down hill and turned around and went back up past the blinds!!!!!!!   OMG!  (I like the acronyms!)

We kept our heads.  After all it’s the opening day of Utah’s general turkey season.  We are on ground that is pretty good for holding turkeys.  It isn’t easy to hunt, but still fairly close to a lot of hunters AND what the heck, we are a sharing bunch who like to chat with other hunters when we get the chance!  Why didn’t they stop in and share our blinds with us?  Share a cup of coffee or a trail snack?

Well, the morning hunt went just like that and so we packed it up and decided to get out of there before we busted someone else’s hunt.

The decision was made to take a ride up toward Hardware Ranch.  We have seen turkeys up there before…and off we went!

On the way we saw this tree that will someday not be standing and decided to take a picture or two of it….Beaver Sharn!

It’s a big old tree and when it goes down it will hit the highway!  I hope nobody is coming down the road when it happens!

So, we go up past Hardware and decide to take a hike.  Move slowly, call every 50 to 100 yards and hope we can get a gobbler to sound off.  Hot Spark is going to take the shot.  Weasel will do the calling.  So, up the trail we go!  About a half mile into it, we are on a call spot, Hot Spark is ready and in the lead next to a corner in the trail.  If a gobbler hears the call and comes running down the trail she will be on it like stink on you know what.  Weasel sounds off with a soft yelp.  Hot Spark jumps up from her position and runs down the trail past Weasel and then past me.  She is not a happy girl!  What is going on?  SNAKE!!!!!  Sure enough, there was a rattle snake crossing the trail just in front of us….it was at least 3 feet long and maybe even 4 feet long.  12 solid buttons on the rattles and big and round.  This baby would make a fine belt for a guy the size of Fat Duck!  Or any of the Hurd Brothers for that matter!

These pictures don’t do it justice, but it was a HONKER of a snake!

Tracker got some good video of it and all the buzzing it was doing.  I’ll have to hear it once he posts something up cuz I can’t hear crap.  I only barely heard it once and we hung around it for at least 10 minutes while it tried to scare us off.  Hot Spark was easy for it to scare off, the rest of us weren’t as bright as her.

Well, that ended our turkey hunt and we headed down the trail leaving old mister buzz worm to find his next prey.

All in all I’d say we had a pretty good day.  Saw a Gobbler, saw lots of deer, saw a snake….YA!  It was good!

Bears Butt