After a pretty rough nights sleep (anticipation and all) we were gently awaken to the sound of BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP from the little bear alarm clock.  Feet hit the floor quickly as we were all ready to get the day started…it was 5:15 in my trailer.  Two full hours until it would be light enough to see our sights.  Still, we were all very anxious.  The coffee was put to the heat and things got rolling!

One thing about my trailer and the guys in it, we have a laugh a minute and this morning was no different.  Maybe a little of the anxiousness was pulling some of our strings, but we laughed a lot!

Dry Dog was excited to show off his new socks….more like leggins!

One thing for sure is his legs should stay warm.  Next year he might even have short attached to the top of his socks!  Wouldn’t that be funny!  Only Dry Dog!

When the coffee was all consumed and the horseplay for the morning completed, assignments were called out and who was going with who was all decided, all we had to do then was get our gear ready and load up!  About 7 a.m. rigs started to roll out of camp.  Some going up, some going down and some going as far out as town.  It was going to be a cold and wet day according to “Weather Butt”…the dawn would show us the cloud cover and by noon things would get a bit wet.

The “Rack Crew” for opening day would be Weasel (driver), Gattlin (shotgun), Gunner, Raif, Butt Shot and Bears Butt riding in the back.  A great crew for opening morning.

We decided we would go down the road from camp and across the flat to the old cabin and then up and around Flat Top…No real reason for doing this other than it’s usually a good plan, well, it’s a plan.

The number of deer we saw were few and I believe it had everything to do with the impending storm.  We worked our way up and around and over and down and were at our pushing pockets around noon time.  We pushed a few pockets and met back at the truck…just as the rain began to fall….By the time we made if off the top and down through Monkey Dink draw, the crew in the back of the rack were soaked!  It really began to put down the rain and sleet by that time and so everyone scattered for the inside of their trailers to wait it out.

Weasel and I talked about the storm and how the deer would be reacting to it and decided that the best thing about this storm was the settling of the dust!  What more can you do?  You have to stay positive about the prospects of filling your tag.

The storm stayed with us until the middle of the afternoon and then a break in the clouds and storm came.  We were all like flies waiting for a break so we could come out and resume our hunting.

I for one was soaked to the skin from the storm as we came off the mountain.  All the clothes I had brought were on my body and very wet.  I would not get warm until I jumped into the sack that night.

Before retiring to the trailer, Half Cocked (Half Cock Ed) and Dry Dog had a surprise for us…mini bottles for kill jugs!  Thanks Guys!

These little bottles will go on our Beaver Sharns and will either be full after the hunt or empty….only empty ones show that the owner of the Beaver Sharn filled their tag.  Thanks again!  That was a really nice thing for you guys to do!

No deer were shot this day, but there were plenty of sightings.  A few small bucks got through the day without being put on the meat pole!  Lucky for them.

It was a pretty full day and I was cold and ready for bed.  I think I remember the clock reading 8:30 p.m. when I finally turned out the light!

Bears Butt

Oct. 3, 2013