Today marks the first day of the elk rides up at Hardware Ranch and it also kicks off with the Elk Festival!  Bones, Tracker, Wapiti, Winemaker and I are headed up to do our part to welcome the guests and help kick things off.

We had about 2 inches of snow fall last night here in the valley, so the Ranch should have gotten a good 6 inches.  It is a perfect day for this event.

The Ranch hands should have their ski sleds out instead of the wheeled ones and the guests will really get a treat going out among the elk today.

Meanwhile back at the visitor center we will be set up showing folks blackpowder things and mountain man lure.  As well as allowing them to wear our capotes and holding weapons for pictures!  The DWR people will be there with crafts for the children and showing how things happen in the world of the wild.

The archers will also have their 3D targets set out and the DWR will have their airgun trailer there to let the kids shoot targets.  What a fun day is ahead of us!

Bears Butt

Dec. 15, 2012

I didn’t get outside to take any pictures today as when we got set up here came the people and I was not afforded another chance to get out there.  But there were some archers and a shooting trailer sponsored by the Mule Deer Foundation.  Here are some of the pictures I took of the events.

Fish Prints was done by painting the outside of a fish and then pressing it against a paper.  All the kids had a blast doing that!

Making bird feeders using pine cones, peanut butter and bird seed!  A little messy but again all the kids had fun doing that and taking home their own bird feeder!

Pressing a raised wooden track into the sand and making the tracks of different animals!

This biologist had stopped at the Blacksmith Fork river and gathered up a bunch of specimens and showed everyone what he caught.  Fun to learn about all the bugs that inhabit a river.

Of course we had our own table filled with good stuff to see and touch.  Lots of furs for the kids to feel.

This is part of the Hyrum Youth Group who were there helping people make their own Christmas Ornaments using browse and Other things to fill the clear containers.

They even had a tray of Wapiti Dung….No offense Wapiti Dung from the Willow Creek Group!

The mountain men also had capotes for folks to put on and have their pictures taken holding a real muzzleloader and wearing authentic fur hats.

Aren’t these kids having fun!?!!!

Even Smokey the Bear showed up and had to have his picture taken…..

You really would have been hard pressed not to have a really fun time at the Hardware Ranch today!  A perfect day!

Bears Butt

PM report Dec. 15, 2012