Today is the second day of Utah’s general turkey season and it looks like the Weasel and I are heading out to try and use some of the knowledge we picked up at the Youth Turkey Camp seminar that was put on by Darin Gardner.  I have so much confidence in bagging a turkey now I think the Weasel and I are going to come home with two big birds!  How about that Darin?!?  The proof will be if I post up follow-up pictures on this story.

The one thing about turkey hunting that I noticed last weekend is that if a guide gets up late he has to work three times as hard to get that bird.  Since I’m not a guide all I have to worry about is myself and right now it’s 3:33 a.m.  The plan is to hit a well known “walk in access” area in Northern Utah and make the attempt to get on a bird.  It’s about an hours drive from home and I will pick the Weasel up at 4:30…A question to you guides…Is 5:30 early enough to get in and set up before fly down?

We have a good hint on other areas where lots of birds hang out, but we know this little zone pretty well from past years hunting and like Weasel said, “It’s better that we hit this area today than try and learn a new place.  Especially since this is our only day to try this week”.  He is spot on.

If you are one who would like to hunt, fish, trap or just hike around in a “walk in access” area within Utah, remember that you have to read up on it on the Utah Division of Wildlife web site and take a short test to get a certificate to be legal to utilize the land offered.  It’s a small thing for you to do, but it could keep you from getting a trespass ticket.  The Walk in Access program is one where the land owner is being paid a token amount of money to open his land up for sportsmen to trespass and take advantage of the fish and/or game that is found on this property.  And as Sportsmen, it’s our duty to protect this privilege, honor the rules and do our part to maintain the owners trust.  If we who use these lands do our part, the lands enrolled in the program will remain in the program and more property owners will open up their lands for us to use.  For certain a win-win for everyone.  I have already seen a few new lands opened up in the area where Weasel and I are going today and I hope to get a chance to check at least one of them out today.

Yesterdays weather report was calling for a cold front to come through last night bringing winds and colder temps to Northern Utah this morning…they missed it a bit.  The temp right now is 39, they expected 29.  The winds are calm right now…they expected 30 mph…I studied about turkey habits in the wind and have my game plan in my mind, but it looks like Weasel and I can just walk in and shoot our birds…HAHAHAHA!  Could it be so easy.

Both of us have new “seats” with us so we should be able to set down and be more comfy while we wait the birds out this year.  Mine is home built out of a bag I picked up at D.I. and a padded boat seat I picked up off the highway a couple of years back.  I sat on it over the past weekend and never once felt a rock or a stick in the rear end.  I think I have a winner on my “back side”.  The Weasel went out and spent about $20 on a commercial one…I think mine is better than his.  But what each of our butts tells us after today will be the telling truth.

Guns, ammo, water, lunch, phone noises turned off and on vibrate, calls, a new chapstick and a very high confidence level (thanks to Darin)…will it turn into success?  More to come.

Bears Butt

Suddenly May 1, 2013