In this story, I have made up several names and the quotes of conversations are “almost” correct, the jest of them are pretty accurate,  I also made up names for places on the DLL Ranch for the sake of this story.  It’s all meant to be fun and informative at the same time.  Enjoy.

It was an early 3 a.m. when I got up yesterday and began getting ready for our cow elk hunt up on the Deseret Land and Livestock company property.  I was wondering just how the day would play out and how the “guides” worked, how many guides there would be and how many hunters.  It being a Thursday I figured those who would be hunting might be older people, like myself, but I just couldn’t be sure.

I gathered up everything I figured I’d need and packed it in the rig for the drive up to Lost Creek, our meeting place for the hunt.  It’s a full hour and a half drive from home to there and pulling a trailer (ready to bring two big old cow elk home on) would add additional time to that commute.  So, Weasel and I had planned a two hour drive just to be safe.  It’s always better to be an hour early and a minute late…my motto throughout my life.

I filled two thermos bottles with hot ground soup and made up turkey sandwiches to go with the soup.  That will taste really good up on a sub zero cold mountain top.

With everything packed and a short memo on this site to you all about what was going on for the day, I jumped in the rig and went to Weasels to pick him up…right on 4:30 a.m.

Our drive was pretty much un-eventful and we finished off our coffee about the time we arrived at the dam.  There was one other rig parked there, with one guy in it.  Once we were where we figured we needed to be parked, he soon came over to make sure he was in the right spot.  He was a hunter from the Salt Lake area.  I believe the outside temperature was around minus 15 with a breeze blowing around 5 mph….Cold enough to make you think “I really don’t have to go take a leak”.

Right at the 6:30 a.m. meeting time, here came the folks.  Truck after truck came rolling in.  Those who were obvious hunters sort of joined our two vehicles and our parallel parking attempts.  The other trucks stayed out near the entry area to the parking lot, obviously the guides for todays hunt.

When it looked like things were getting settled down “over there”, Weasel and I decided it was time to get our warm clothes on and wander over to find out the details…we did this and my nostrils were sticking together as we walked the short 50 yards from our vehicle to the gathering of guides trucks.

Papers had to be signed, guns and people checked in for the days hunt and I think there were nine hunters in the group.  Most of them had paid for a guide to take them out , as did Weasel and I.  There was one “guest hunter” and he was assigned to follow our guide.  I didn’t get an actual count of the number of guides, but before the day was over, there seemed to be more guides than the number of hunters, my guess is there were seven trucks with guides in them and then a visiting guide from the Woodruff area and another driving a Polaris side by side UTV that had 4 tracks mounted on it.

Our guide was Wade Jacklin, part owner and operator of Anglers Den out of Roy Utah.  We could not have been more pleased to have him as our guide.  From the introduction and throughout the day, he made us feel very welcome and comfortable with the hunt.  Wade is as honest a person as is found on this earth and was very concerned about our safety and to make our day a success with or without filling our tags.  As a plug to his business, if you are ever in need of some fishing gear, get on down to Anglers Den, 5345 South 1900 West in Roy Utah.  Give them a call about your needs and to find out if they have what you need, 801-773-1166

When the call to get going was finally made we were sort of in a mini scramble to get our stuff in Wades truck.  And of course I forgot some things, but as it turned out I didn’t really need them after all.  The two thermos’ of ground soup were two of the items…they sure would have tasted good about 2 p.m. when the group of us were sitting and trying to figure out how Weasel and I were going to get our elk.  You’ll read more about that soon.  I also left Edjukateers range finder and my cross sticks.  Who need those things anyway?

Sharply at 7 a.m. the group started out for the hunting area.  The snow at the dam was about 4 inches deep.  As we traveled up and around the dam the snow level increased significantly.  At the back end of the dam, the large caravan of guides and hunters split up.  Most of them went North and three of us went East.  Gates were locked and had to be opened and closed behind us and we traveled slowly, the snow level continued to deepen the higher we climbed.

Soon, I was getting concerned that the snow might be too deep for our vehicles to continue without the aid of chains, but a short parley and the men driving the trucks decided they would go until they got stuck and then put the chains on.  A wise choice, as even though the snow continued to get deeper, we soon decided we needed to go down into lower country to find the elk.

The Deseret Land and Livestock Ranch (DLL), covers thousands of acres of some of the most beautiful country to be found in Northern Utah and if you ever get the chance to go in and check it out, please do, you will not be disappointed.  In our days travels, we saw elk, deer, coyotes, antelope, geese, ducks, sage grouse (by the hundreds) and assorted birds of prey and scavengers.  None of the coyotes gave Wade an opportunity to try out is 204 caliber weapon.

Down in flatter country, which by the way is still very hilly and covered with mostly sage, is where the majority of the cow elk were found.  On our way down into this area, we did see one very big bull up high in the aspens and in knee deep snow (knee deep to me snow, not to be confused with knee deep to anyone else).  Around the same area was a very heavy horned 4X4 buck that I estimated to be 24 wide and 27 high…it was the mass of the antlers that stood out so much.

The guides were in constant radio contact with each other and as we approached the low country we got a call to not go into that area as we would bust up the herd.  Not being familiar with the country, nor the way these outfitters were working, I didn’t pay much attention to that comment and actually thought they were talking to someone else.  Soon, the same voice came on and said we were about to encounter a herd of bull elk.  We stopped the trucks and began to glass the area.  We were among a very large herd of beef cattle and I didn’t think the wild animals and the domestic would interact, but sure enough here came a string of all bull elk and they continued their walk through the domestic animals and up and away over the next rise.

It’s a very unique site to see that many BIG elk all in a line!  Pictures?  Well, I did have my camera but who has time when so much is going on around you all the time.  Actually, I did not take even one picture all day long.

Our threesome caravan continued on and around until we found ourselves next to a large shallow lake (frozen over of course as the temperature outside was a very cold minus 24) and we spotted a very large herd of bull elk, working their way away from our position and on to who knows where.  We thought we had seen one cow in and among one of the smaller groups of bulls and so the “guest hunter” got all excited and wanted to go after it.  Wade made sure he understood, he had to stay with him and that our plans did not include going after a single cow among a group of 15 or so bulls.  A hunter would never be able to get on that cow.  There was a discussion with the other guide in the other truck, and he decided he would take his hunters back and over another road that would take him in the direction of where those bulls would likely go and maybe even cut off their direction and send them our way.  Our job was to get over into a position West of where we were, quite a ways away too as it turned out.

Well, I guess what I’m trying to say to you right now is that these guides “know their stuff” when it comes to these elk.  They know where they need to be to get the elk to go in a direction they want them to go and they know where they need the hunters to be in order to fill their tag.  Once they get the hunter into position, it then becomes the hunters job to make the shot count.

We had all signed papers at the dam, that said, “If you, the hunter, draw blood on an animal, that that animal is yours, whether you are able to kill and tag it or not, your hunt is over”.  Pretty strict rules, but one I certainly agree with.  Nobody wants to see a bunch of wounded animals limping their way around the place to eventually die.

In our travel around to “where ever it was we were supposed to be”, while the other guide drove around another way, we spotted several groups of elk way across the valley and up on a hill.  From so far away we were pretty confident there were several cows in at least one of the groups.  How we would get to them was going to be a bit of a task for our guide, as he wasn’t all that familiar with that particular part of the ranch.  The radio belched out more information.  Cow elk had been found!  So and So, you need to be at such and such.  Joe (made up name), take your hunters to the cross road of X,Y.  Eddy (made up name), get your guys over to the black tank.  Wade, where you at?  We are at “I don’t remember the name to tell you here” and I’m almost to the cabins.  Wade it sounds like you are at “I don’t remember the name to tell you here”,  Go towards the cabins and wait there.

It was actually kind of comical to hear that conversation.  But Wade did what he was told.  Then they made us stop where we were and hold in case the elk came over the ridge and descended down to our position.

Well, as wild animals are, they don’t always do what you think they are going to do and so it was with the herd these guys had spotted.  Pretty soon all the guides and all the hunters were up in the same area and the shooting had began.  Two elk down over here!  Two elk down over there!  Where did the herd go?  The last I saw them they were headed down toward, “????”, Wade get your guys down over to “Z” and up the two track to “Y”, Jed, you go with Wade and hurry it up.

And so, the day progressed with this sort of radio chatter.  One time we would be heading down the road in a direction someone had told us to go and then we were spinning around and going in the direction we had just came.  And then turned around and headed back.  The entire time I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, knowing exactly what the spotters we doing who were trying to get us into position on a moving herd of elk.  They are miles away and high up on a hill overlooking what they can see and it terrain always looks much flatter from a distance than it is in reality.  They are also trying to read the herd and figure out exactly which draw they are heading for and going to.  All a big guessing game.  It was a very fun situation to be in.

Again, we found ourselves up with everyone else.  Some of the guides trucks had the elk from their hunters kills in the back, but all of the guides were there to help every one of us hunters try to fill our tags.  Nobody was going home early.

The radio belched out again, hey, Wade, Scott, get up past the black tank and down toward the swamp (I’m making all of this up), the herd is headed North and West, you need to get down there and cut them off.

And so it was, off we went just as told to do.  About two miles later…Scott, stop right there, Wade, You and Scott get back over to the black tank and down the fence line about 400 yards, the herd is going to cross over at Seep Creek.  Get there fast!  I mean NOW!!!

The rigs were spun around and down the road (well two track) we went lickety split!  Going past the black tank and down to our left, through the fence and stopped by the radio!  STOP RIGHT THERE!  GET YOUR HUNTERS OUT!  THE HERD IS RIGHT BELOW YOU!  HURRY!

And out we baled, guns and bullets spilling on the ground, but done so safely I might add!  And then the herd came up over the rise below us and continued to travel up the ridge in front of us some 400 yards out.  At a slight rise, they stopped.  Glassing the animals it was clear there were two small bulls in the group.  Wade called out, “Bulls in the group, make sure you are shooting a cow before you pull the trigger!”

The two guys in the truck that had been following us baled like Weasel and I did, the hunter was down on the ground with his rifle resting on his shooting sticks, and aiming toward the animals.  His friend was on the spotting scope and verified the two bulls, then off the spotting scope and onto his range finder…382!  Is what I heard him say, and then “You can do it Pete”!  Pete is on the ground with the rifle and asks, “Is the one on the extreme left a cow?”  YES!  A moment later Petes rifle belches out and the cow dropped in its tracks!  Elk down!

Shooting is g0ing on from several directions as all us hunters are on top of this herd of cows, but 400 yards is a pretty long shot, especially for nimrods like Weasel and I who are just not used to such long range shots.  I can see an animal is wounded and does not appear like it’s going to go down anytime soon and I tell Wade, “I’m going to try for that wounded one and if I’m able to knock it down and the guy who hit it first wants it, he can have it, but I can’t stand to see it wounded like it is.”  Wade confirmed and said “Go Ahead”.

I borrowed the cross sticks from Pete and leveled down on the wounded cow, I could see blood all down the side from a high gut shot and more blood toward the rear leg from a second hit.  It was a standing broadside shot for me, but 400 yards…ooo…I’m not sure I can do this.  But I put the horizontal cross hair along it’s back and settled the vertical mid point from the middle of the leg, putting the cross hair X on top of its shoulder, took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.  The cow went down with a plop!

Well, not knowing if the guy who hit it first would want it or not, I figured I might have just filled my tag and so all I could do was watch as the firing continued and the elk began to walk away.  When the smoke was cleared, 4 more elk were down for the count.  The guy who hit the elk I finished off, did in fact want to take it and without argument from  me, after all he hit it first.

And so, with all of the days activity, Weasel and I and one of the guides were the only three still with tags to fill.  The quest became the guides to get us on another herd of cows.

Long story short, they did in fact have us very close to a couple of herds and of course the animals would not cooperate to allow us any shots.  It was getting late, 3:30 or so and it gets dark at 5:30.  We are high up on the mountain and quite a distance to travel to get back to the dam.  The decision was made to work our way back off the mountain.

In so doing, we encountered a small band of cows along the way, but couldn’t get a shot at them and then about a mile or so farther down, I spotted a cow in a clearing through the cedars about 350 yards up the hill.  We scrambled to get out for the shot, but she bounded up and into the cedars.  We could see more movement in the area we last saw her and so I readied my rifle using the side of a pickup as my rest.  Through the scope I could see elk filtering through a smallish opening between cedars, when suddenly a cow stepped into the clearing and stopped.  With the cross hairs high on her shoulder I let it rip!  BOOM….POP….I knew I had hit her and then she dropped and began rolling down the very steep hill toward the road.  Elk Down!  It’s just after 4 p.m.

By the time we hiked up the steep hill, through rocks, underbrush and deep snow, pushed the elk farther down the mountain and then did the quartering job, it was dark enough to need flashlights to get off the mountain and back to the truck!

Wade did that quartering job in less than 30 minutes and saved the liver and tenderloins in the process and did it without gutting the animal.  I was in awe as he worked that animal over with his knives and in such quick fashion.

Wade you are a great guy, a wonderful guide and I hope I can pay you back some day!

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As a general statement, I must say, the guides and people we have dealt with from Wild Country Outfitters are a very OUTSTANDING bunch of guys.  They care about safety!  They care about the people they are trying to get on an animal!  They care about each other!  They just flat out CARE!  When I saw that even though their hunters had filled their tags and that they were there to help us all fill our tags, I was very impressed.  Nobody was going to go home until everyone was going home!  That really meant a lot to me and I’m sure to Weasel as well.

When I realized one guide came from Woodruff to help in the search for elk, I was again impressed that he would take time away from his personal day to come and help a bunch of people he didn’t even know, try and fill their tags.

When I realized that the “Main Spotter” was somewhere high on a ridge overlooking the valley below and trying his best to get us on our elk, I was triplie (sp) impessed.

Weasel and I could not have had a more enjoyable day and even though he did not get to pop a cap on an animal, he most likely will the next time they allow him access to the ranch and the good hands of the guide services provided.

THANK YOU ALL for a very enjoyable day!  Wade…especially you!  And the very best of luck to you and your family on your upcoming elk hunts!

Bears Butt

December 6, 2013