15 days till we head for the hills!

So, what has gone on in the last 5 days?  HMMMMMM……well we had a meeting about the hunt and drank some adult beverages.  I finished the batch of sweetbreads that I plan on taking to the hunt for all to enjoy.  And Weasel and I are working on some modifications to “The Rack”.  My list of things to take is growing almost hourly and this year will be a very different one for me, as my hunting trailer is staying home and I have been invited to sleep in “The Dog House”.

When a change like that comes along it really makes you think about what you need to be bringing on the hunt.  You see, all my things are loaded in that camping trailer and I have been adding things for this hunt ever since we got back from Conner’s bow hunt.  If I forget something for this hunt I will be kicking myself in the rear end the whole time.  But then, someone said once (or twice):  Gun, powder, ball, cap, license…..everything else is a luxury.

Well for old people that list has to be expanded some.  Add to it, insulated underwear, pants, shirt, coat, toilet paper, glasses, hat, radio, phone, cash, beer, food, binoculars, game bag, liver bucket, rope, knife, camera, beaver sharn, kill jug, boobin baby board, measuring tape, marking pen, “Luci” lanterns, gambrel, chain saw, gas, oil, tool box, capot, Kipper snacks, crackers, jerky, hydration pack, extra change of clothes, special surprise gifts, atv, extra gas, tie down straps, shooting cross sticks (what have I forgotten?)…..and then everything else is a luxury.

Whatever happened to the day you just put the rifle over your shoulder and headed out to hunt?  Was there ever such a day?  Maybe back before guns, when the man of the cave just walked out the opening of the cave with nothing but his bare hands to go and get some food.  Suddenly someone invented a spear!  And “Luxury” began.

Look how far we have come, from walking out the cave opening with only our bare hands at a cost of nothing, to absolutely needing all the things I have mentioned including about $1,000 for fuel, because I’ll be danged if I’m walking far.  And with anticipation of bagging a 65 pound deer.  Times have changed alot since Nanook….his anticipation included huge beasts in excess of a ton.  Maybe I should set my sights a bit higher.

Bears Butt

September 8, 2014

For whatever reason, it seems like just after September begins I get this rush and can’t help but feel the need to go “kill” something.  Doves, grouse, whatever.  The weather begins to change and the early mornings get crisper and crisper.  I can already see a change in how the foliage looks up in the back of the canyon.  Fall is upon us and like it or not, winter will be right behind it.  But, while Fall is here, I love it.

The paper has already had articles from people complaining about the elk bugling out in the South of town in that high fence area elk herd.  So that means the wild elk in the mountains are no doubt bugling as well.  Maybe it’s time to take Weasel and his cow elk tag out for a one day trip?  Listen for the bugling and then move in to take one of that big boys cows home.

There was a post the other day on Facebook from one of my friends.  She is bow hunting in the mountains and she was telling her daughter to get her rear end up in the mountains.  She said the weather had been cold enough to “frost” the ground!  Her daughter has a limited entry bull elk tag and when they are bugling it is easier to know where they are and sneak in for a possible shot.  Frost on the ground is a great sign that Fall is on us.  And with that comes the elk breeding season.  I love the Fall!

And more than Fall, I love the muzzleloader deer hunting season.  I have said it a million times…”The muzz deer season begins and ends my year”.  I begin counting down from the last day of the season until it begins again the following year.  From now until it actually comes will be a long set of days.  20 days, but who is counting?  This Saturday at 5 p.m. we will be gathering for our annual muzz deer season planning meeting.  In reality, we don’t need to meet to decide who is going to go up on the Tuesday before the opening day, who is staying in who’s camp trailer, who will be pulling the trailers with the atv’s, who will be leaving camp early or coming up later, what meals we will having on what night.  We have already decided on all of this for years and years in the past.  But it gives us a great excuse to get together, have a few brews and talk about past hunts.  It gets all of us focused on one subject….”The Hunt”!  Winemaker rolls her eyes every year when I tell her the planning meeting is on “X” day, “Y”‘s house and “Z” time.

So, for the next 20 days, I will be thinking, planning and gathering all my stuff and it will no doubt end up all packed and ready to the point that I will start to doubt myself as to whether I have put it in the camp trailer or not.  Up at camp I will find I have packed WAY TOO MUCH STUFF, stuff I really don’t need, but felt I had to have it “just in case”.  I think of all the hunts of my past, there has only been one or two times that the “just in case” stuff ever got used.  Sometime in the next 20 days I will thaw out the sweetbreads and get them ready to cook.  Sweetbreads are always a good snack item on one of the days of the hunt.  This year I have something very special to give each of the participants of the sweetbread eating time.  If you have any doubt that you won’t make it to camp for that eating extravaganza, well, all I can say is, “you won’t have one” of the special things and for sure you will miss out on some very good eating.

Sometime in the next 20 days I will take my rifle to the range in Perry and see how well it digests and shoots 90 grains of blackpowder behind a patched roundball……Yes….this year I am joining the ranks of the “ball babies”.  For the past two years I have tried and tried to get a recipe that my rifle liked shooting the Hornady Great Plains conicals and in those two years I have missed two deer and one very big bull elk.  Good by my “conical head” friends.

Sometime in the next 20 days, I will take the old cardboard off the “Boobin Baby Board” and put on a fresh cardboard, clean of any marks….this in preparation for a fun filled hunting event where there will be a lot of shots taken at deer and those deer not being brought back to camp.  I love it!  BOOM!!!!  “If Idda, Yabutt”.  Another dollar in the biggest buck contest bag and another name on the board!

(This was from the hunt in 2007)

Another fun hunting season is in store for us all and maybe, just maybe we will bring home some venison….I hope!

Sometime in the next 20 days………………..

Bears Butt

September 3, 2014

Monday, August 18….Decided this morning I do not need a trailer battery…Get 4 solar power lights called “Luci” for inside the trailer.  Save $100 and probs with big battery issues.

The deer seemed to be off their normal patterns.  Other hunters have said the same thing.  There was a couple driving a white Ford truck that had evidence of a kill in the back of the truck, so we know of at least one buck being taken.  Our evening road hunt didn’t produce many deer but Cody did spot a very big bull elk about 300 yards above the road.

Tuesday…The weather cleared and it actually got rather warm yesterday.  B&C saw several small bucks on their morning hunt…100 yards and no closer.  When you think about it, we have seen a lot of bucks.  They were hoping to see the wounded buck and even went into the area…kicked up some deer but the brush is way to thick in there to see them.  Cody and I had a nice late morning ride on the toy…saw a doe and a fawn.  Back at camp we contested with BB guns and knife/hock throwing.  At a leftover breakfast of elk, scrambled spuds, ham, cheesy mac and a broken up burrito and 2 each eggs over medium.  Very good lunch.  Supper was rabbit chicken and then the evening hunt.  Left camp at 5.

Went down toward Crushed Canteen and saw a 2 point just 10 yards off the road.  Conner almost got a shot…a small quakie blocked the shot.  Close but o banana.  We did not see many deer…maybe 10.  Before we headed out we had a husband and wife  (Kyle and Sandal) pull into camp on a 4 wheeler.  Both with deer and elk tags.  She has the LE tag.  She was excited to hear of the big bull we saw last night.  He has trail cameras and a stand up the canyon behind camp…they went up there for their evening hunt.  After dark they came to our camp to tell us about their hunt.  From her tree stand she saw a herd of cow elk down the canyon.  No shooter bucks or bulls.  He hiked to the top and checked his trail cams.  No good animals.  Their camp is below Bug Lake.  Nice couple.  She is pretty sure she knows Jess Richards from high school.

This morning it’s over cast and warm..50 outside..wind still, smells like rain.  Pretty sunrise.

Side note:  I have always thought it foolish for bow hunters to road hunt but after having 3 different opportunities I can see why they do it.  I could get into this hunt.  Bow hunters all must have a lot of fo-fer-a as they have most of the day to sit around in camp.  They day before I braided a nylon rope and made a strap for Cody’s binocs.  Yesterday I carved a hawk handle (it broke by days end) ..pine.  Today we have to go to town for gas, ice, beer.  Will it rain??

Last day:  Wednesday, we leave when B&C get back from morning hunt, yesterday B&C saw one buck in am, no chance for a shot.  The deer were off normal habits..clouds…dropping barometer…something had them off.  The high only got to 64…a slight rain early pm…on way to town we came across stranded guys…broken truck…we took them to their camp when we came back from town.  They have a LE elk tag and deer tags…they shared secrets and told us of water hole with small bucks coming each night.  We went and saw the ground blind they had built.  In appreciation for helping them they gave us elk sausage which we cooked some with our breakfast supper…YUMMY…1/2 elk, 1/2 ground pork and season pack from Ridleys in Hyrum.

Another camp filled with LE elk hunters told us about bucks coming to  JB Pond.  We took our evening drive, seen 10 or so deer and made it to JB just before dark…2 small bucks were on the hill above the pond.  B&C hid and waited..Cody and I went down the road and parked…the bucks got close to the pond but not close enough for a shot…it got dark.

This morning B&C are going to drive back and forth through area where most of the bucks have been seen.  I’ll get camp ready for the trip home.  Today is our 7th day without a shower…I’m sure we smell bad!  It’s been a wonderful trip.  Seen loads of wildlife…deer, elk, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupine, birds (no grouse), heard lots of coyotes.  The guys we helped said they have bear on their trail cameras.  This place is wilder than you might think.  The two boys have had a great time…no bickering…just fun.  Cody is a hoot with all his grown up thoughts and young ideas about how the hunting would work.  He doesn’t miss anything in a conversation and is quick to repeat it later.

B kept track of his truck gas consumption and gets just under 7 mpg and goes 7 mph…at $4/gal. it costs about $40/day to drive it around.  Keep that in mind if you plan to ride in “The Rack” during the muzz hunt, it ain’t cheap.

At all my camping or traveling excursions, I keep a running list of things that need fixing or modifying or investigating.  Things that didn’t quite work out or whatever.  This trip’s list looks like this:  Problem with camp grill right side shutoff valve.  Need a pad of paper in the trailer (this note is written on back of our planning notes), put a magic marker in trailer, replace trailer main battery with 4 or more “Luci” lights, fix pilot light under stove lid, put stick pins in trailer, add paper towel dispenser just inside entry door, need an extra battery for my camera, investigate storage over fridge, bring 3 rolls of paper towels on camp outs, clamp hose on trailer gas tank.

I brought pickled eggs that I made back in June and even though they taste really good, my body couldn’t handle them.  It was queedup time within an hour of eating one.  I suppose if you had a constipation problem, they could be a remedy, but I think it best to leave them home on future hunts.

I didn’t mention it earlier, but B forgot his sleeping bag and has been sleeping under a single blanket this whole hunt.  We are fortunate that it has been relatively warm.

On this our last day of the hunt, the morning hunt wasn’t great.  Only a few does spotted.  B & C stayed out until about 10..no bucks, meanwhile I saw a buck and a doe from camp.

We got things cleaned up and spent about 30 minutes talking with the guys we helped out yesterday.  They hiked up behind our camp and nearly to the top…no elk sign and only one deer.  When they left, we finihsed loading things up and got ready to go.  We made a sandwich and ate it before pulling out of camp…1130…we slowly went down the road hoping to see a buck.  Just across from the spring on the hill, B spotted a doe laying under a pine and then way down by Hamburger Hill we saw six more deer, one being a good little buck…not sure on the number of points.  It was out in the alfalfa and no way to shoot.  In that same place two camps were coming out of Old Canyon, the second rig was pulling a 2 horse trailer…he blew a tire and we ended up taking him to meet his buddy waiting at the main road in Randolph…Home by 3.

So, there you have it in a nut shell.  For the muzz hunt it looks like there will be plenty of action for the shooters and make sure you bring lots of dollars for the Boobin Baby Board!

Bears Butt

August 21, 2014

Edited August 25, 2014

We headed off to our bow hunting camp on Thursday (Aug. 14, 2014) and since there were just the 4 of us with one small camp trailer, we decided to pick a small camp site further up the canyon than where we normally camp.  Our thoughts were to get the camp set up and then spend the rest of the day checking things out.  The next day as well would be spent looking for deer sign and trying to decide just where we might find a buck for Conner to shoot.  Since this is his first ever hunt we wanted to make it a very positive experience and maybe, just maybe he would get a chance to shoot something.  Success in a hunt is always dependent on the attitudes of the people.  What constitutes a successful hunt in my mind may not necessarily be the same as yours.  For me, a total successful hunt would be one where nobody gets hurt or sick, everyone gets along, there are no major vehicle problems and the entire time is spent in good humor, whether any pursued animals are seen or not.  Bagging an animal is a bonus in my mind.

We had a great lunch and then headed off to see what we could find.

But wait!  Why don’t I just tell you about our experience through the notes I took down while we were there?  I’ll just type exactly what I wrote down.  I was going to scan my notes and show them on here first, but my scanner isn’t working or at least not wanting to play today.  Weasel will be looking into it.  Here goes.  Some of it you will have to decipher yourself, but it’s pretty well defined as it is written.  Pictures will have to come later as you will read in the story, my camera battery had issues and we relied on Cody (age 7) was the main camera man and he has the camera at this point.

CONNERS FIRST BOW HUNT….2014

Trip to cam great–La Beaus 2–Raspberry shakes–arrive camp great time.  Set up 2/4 way to Green Canyon turn off–Cows everywhere–lots of bulls.  Trailer battery dead—a little reconnoiter trip–14 deer–1 buck in clear cut above camp.  Made do in trailer with battery operated lanterns, flashlights, headlamps.  Lights out by 930-10 first night.  2 a.m. thunder rolling, by 3:30 it was really pouring outside–probably 1/2 inch of rain over 3/4 hour–we were all dry and warm in the trailer.  Woke at 4:30–coffee–chocolate-donuts-out of camp as it was just light enough to see sights–another reconnoiter day ahead.

The boys were excited, but soon Cody was sleeping–he slept quite a bit and went to bed early–8:30ish–back at camp about 2 or so for burger lunch and then some bow practice–had some cows and a bull near camp when we arrived–the bull was not happy and tore up a small quakie before he left.  There was a small buck 20 yards out of camp as well.  Not too many deer spotted–10, but 3 were bucks–one a very respectable 3 point with heavy, almost palmated antlers.

The rain made for a lot of gully washes in the roads, but still passable.  No deer spotted in evening reconnoiter.  We ate supper about 5:30 before going out and coming back by dark.  In bed by 930–up at 4 a.m.–opening day–temp outside 38–inside 54–Cody still sleeping–Conner and Brandon left camp to set up at water hole before crushed Canteen Crossing–they left at 530 a.m..  Conner seems older than his 13 years and with some luck and Gods willingness he is very capable of filling his tag.  Yesterdays practice shows his shooting abilities more than adequate.  It is now 6 a.m. and light outside–time for me to do a little camp cleanup but not wake Cody.  Almost forgot–0my camera battery is about dead–I forgot my charger—booooo–Just before retiring last night we were hearing coyote pups barking just South of camp,  hoot owls hooting and assorted other wild game around camp.

Cody finally decided to wake up about 9 am and by 10 we were headed up the road on the toy.  We met Weasel and Conner (B & C) coming down the road back to camp.  I’m sure Cody was bummed but we turned around and headed back to camp.  Seems B&C had a small herd of elk near the water hole that stampeded away as they approached in the early morning darkness.  Dang!!!!  An earlier start will be needed tomorrow.  But, back at camp, as I waited for Cody to awake, the first rays of sunshine hit a small patch of green on the hill up and across from camp.  I caught site of the orange glow of a deer and with binos could clearly see a small fork horn buck heading down toward the road.  Didn’t see it again.  Being Saturday and opening day, there were a lot of people riding the roads.  Most hunting, but a lot just playing, pretty typical for the last weekend before school starting.  We had to go to Randolph for gas and ice, I picked up a 12 pack of beer too, there must have been a thief in the night, as my supply has dwindled rapidly.  For lunch the boys ate leftovers while B & I had ham and egg sandwiches.  Supper was pork chops, hbooms and garlic toast.  Does it get any better than that?  We hit plan B for the evening hunt, hoping for a shot at the big 3 point.  Saw 12 or so deer, no bucks.  B & C were hidden well, while Cody and I glassed the hill.  A group of 5 deer were working their way toward the spot but didn’t drop down like I thought they should.  How do you predict wild animals?  We hang out till dark before coming back to camp–lots of rabbits in the road.  Back by just after 9, everyone tired and in bed by 030.  Up again at 4.  B&C headed back to plan !–left at 510.  I think I’ll take a nap.  Temp outside 36, inside 58–nice!  715, awakened by the noisy bull going past camp.  Heated the coffee and watched as 2 bulls headed to water hole behind camp.  With coffee in hand I stepped out to see a doe and 2 fawns right behind camp.  Cody woke early–8 am–by 9 we were on the 4 wheeler—very little traffic for a Sunday.  Ran into B&C coming down.  They have seen 2 bucks in clear cut above camp..and got within 40 yards of one—too much brush for a shot—cool buck named Archy–2 pt X crooked spike.  Conner had buck fever bad!  Legs shaking—fell off the log he was standing on!  Successful hunt!  Cody and I went on up the road and back to camp by 1130 for lunch.  Conner is pretty excited about the “almost buck”.  Afternoon of sleeping, braiding rope, being lazy.

PM hunt–drive around then go sit till dark.  Made our way saw 9 doe/fawn.  Back to drop off point–doe and a buck—10 yards but no shot–too much brush.  Headed out toward drop off point….BUCK!!!!!  100 yards or so out—2 point feeding.  B & C made a slow move to close the gap…taking their time…buck aware of them at 60 yards—Cody and I watched, making small moves trying to get bucks attention.  B & C at 50 yards…buck presents broad side…Conner shoots….Arrow hits shoulder blade, buck falls, loses arrow—we waited 1/2 hour—follow blood trail…not much blood…at 300 yards blood stops…buck going up hill.  Dark.  Exciting day…4 bucks seen…i hit but not mortal wound.  In bed at 930—up at 4 am–B&C to clear cut to wait on trail…today is Monday, slight rain, 40 outside.

More to come later…stay tuned!

Bears Butt

August 21, 2014

Today is the day!  We are heading off to find the big bucks and put a plan together to put one in the cooler!

Weather for the area we are hunting is calling for partly cloudy with a 20% chance of afternoon showers.  I’d say that is a perfect forecast for August 14th.  Highs for the entire week are calling for 80 degrees, with 50 being the low.  A consistent forecast with no more chances of rain after today.

Our travel plans will put us near La Beaus for a raspberry shake and then on to where we plan on camping.

Once the camp is set up and the firewood gathered we will go do some exploring to see what the “clear cutting” is all about.  We have heard there has been a tremendous amount of it done since we were last hunting in the area.  What will the deer patterns be like with all the forest gone?  That is what your day and a half before the opening day is all about…locating and patterning some of the deer.

It’s all meant to be fun for the boys and a great time for us two older guys as well.

Weasel has opted to purchase a spike elk tag for the area and as a bonus, using archery equipment allows him hunters choice as to take a cow elk.  He plans on being with Conner hunting deer, but should a cow elk come into the picture, Conner will give up the bow so his dad can tag the cow.  Sounds like a great plan to me.  Once the cow is down, it will become me and Cody’s job to bring the meat back to camp.  I’m good with that.

So, the next publication on here will be after this hunt has ended…sometime after the weekend.

Later….Wish us luck!

Bears Butt

August 14, 2014

Today is the final day to get things packed for the hunt.  But before I can do that I have some repair work to do on my rain gutters.  Last nights downpour of rain showed me where my gutters are filled with debris from my trees.  The rain was such a drenching one the gutters could not handle it and came pouring over the end.  Crazy rain.

Once I’m done with that chore, I’ll get very busy with the details of packing.

I’ve said it before, I’m excited for this outing and I’m just the cook!  Does it get any better than that?

Many years ago I was in a similar situation where I was again the cook and went on a bow hunt with Dry Dog and Weasel.  Both of them were hunting and I was just there to be in the way.  We had a steak night dinner planned the second night of our stay and I knew without a doubt that Weasel was going to bag his first ever buck.  I knew where his ground blind was and I could observe the happenings from a point high above his position.  I wanted to witness the event.

So, in my own way, I planned to have the steaks all cooked for when we came off the mountain with his buck well after dark.  I put all three T-bones in a dutch oven with spuds and onions and buried it in the coals of the fire pit.  I was the smartest one and those steaks would be so very delicious when we got into camp.  A few hot coals under the oven and a few on top and bury the whole shootin match in the ground.

Well, I sat up on the ridge and watched patiently as deer after deer made their way down and past Weasels position.  They fed slowly along but nary a shot was fired.  Did he fall asleep?  Were the animals not in a position he could see them?  From my vantage point they looked to be well within range, clearly bucks and feeding broadside to him.  Well after dark, he emerged from his blind and began the hike down to the camp.  I too returned in the vehicle arriving at about the same time as he and Dry Dog wandered into camp.

After hearing the stories of the evenings events, and no shots were taken, I unveiled the steak supper.

I removed the dirt from the lid and pulled the dutch oven out of its buried spot, set it on the make shift table I had made out of fallen timbers, and took the lid off.  My expectancies were fall off the bone meat, perfectly done spuds and nice glazed onions on top of the whole thing.  My eyes about popped out of my head when they peered down into the pot only to find a mound of charcoal steaming in its own mess.  Right now I don’t remember what we ended up eating for supper, but I sure did ruin 3 perfectly good steaks.

With that in the back of my mind, I promise I will not repeat that mistake on this trip.

Bears Butt

August 13, 2014

If you are going to point a weapon at an animal, you best be ready to shoot:

Now there is a “good old days” picture if I ever saw one!

Last year Conner bagged a few bunnies while on the muzz hunt, this year it’s his turn to bag a buck!

Today is Monday, and on Thursday of this week, we will have the camp stuff all packed up and will head the mules towards the mountains!  Conner has been doing his homework at the range with his bow and now it’s just a matter of time until he has a buck standing in front of him and he can prove all the hard work and practice will pay off.

It’s always a fun time of year for me, getting ready for the hunt, any hunt.  All the planning and thinking of all the different scenarios that could possibly come into play.   Lists of essential things that need to be packed.  Lists of helpful things that need to be packed.  Lists of “What if” things that need to be packed.  Lists of food that needs to be packed.  And of course, Lists of niceties that need to be packed.

Conner and his younger brother, Cody came up on Saturday and cleaned the camp trailer really good, now it’s time to put all our gear in it.  The refrigerator is plugged into electricity and is very cold right now, ready for food to be put into it.  The battery is on the charger.  Propane has been added to the two tanks and they are ready for the hills.  I’ve looked over the lists more than a dozen times and continue to add things as I think of them.  Sometimes I wonder how we ever used to get by with our hunting.  As a kid I recall, jumping into the station wagon and off we went.  We slept in that rig and had a coleman stove to cook on and dad always brought “the big black grill”.  He could cook up the best meals in the world on that big old grill.  Add in a coffee pot with the grounds boiled in the water.  What more do you need?  Today we are lost without our lanterns, flashlights, cameras, batteries of every sort, binoculars, range finders, spotting scopes, gps units, two way radios (oops, gotta add those to my list) and the list goes on and on.

And I suppose some day, Conner and Cody will look upon this trip as a bare necessity type trip like I recall from my first hunting trip or two.  And too, perhaps there was a lot more put into my first hunting trip than I know about.  Someone had to remember the toilet paper right?  And all the food and drinks!  Not to mention the game bags, rope, guns and bullets, water proofing for the boots and our warm clothing.  And of course the sleeping bags and water and that ever so important “liver and heart” bucket!

Back in the day we would head out as soon as school was out for the week and dad got off work, and be back home by Sunday evening.  Deer or no deer, that was the hunt for the season, even though there were a lot more days to the season left.  Today, we plan on going up a few days before the opening day and staying for a week.  Times have changed.  But the memories go on and on.  We remind ourselves of past hunts when we are sitting around the fire talking.  I have my favorite stories and so did my dad.  I always wanted to hear his story about hunting in Franklin Basin and having the wolf trailing behind him.  It always scared me when he told it, and the next day when I was out hunting, I would keep a good lookout behind me.  That looking behind me actually caused me to bag a buck one time.  Had I not looked back on the trail behind me I would not have seen him slipping around on me to get away.  Yep!  The Good Old Days!

And hopefully this weeks hunting trip will become “the Good Old Days” to a couple of young hunters in the family!

Bears Butt

August 11, 2014

Practice with his bow is about to become a real deal!  One week until the opener of the Mule Deer bow hunt in Utah.  Conner has a tag for the Cache area and we are heading up on Thursday to set up camp and do a little scouting before the hunt begins.  We have a pretty good idea where we will find the bucks and the day or so of scouting will only prove our theory correct (or not).  We will find bucks before the hunt.

There will be four of us, Conner, Weasel, Cody and myself.  Cody will be there for moral support and to enjoy a hunting camp the way the “boys” do it.  Last year he got to come up with his mom and sister and they had a blast for the two days they were there.  This one will be different as we plan on being out for a full week.  Unless of course Conner fills his tag.  Then we will be coming home early.

Weasel tells me that Conner’s groups are about the size of a paper plate at 40 yards.  We all know that shooting paper is one thing, while shooting at a live animal is an all together different challenge.  I hope he gets a chance to be that close or closer to a buck deer and gets to experience Buck Fever…..Every hunter I know has had it at least once in their lifetime.  I got to witness Wapiti go through it on a mule deer hunt with his rifle one time.

The snow from the night before had stopped falling right as day light was coming for the day.  We hiked away from camp and up a draw, it was very quiet walking and we were taking our time.  I looked to our left and there laying next to a large clump of pine bow bushes, was a very large 4 point buck.  Wapiti had not seen it and so I hurried up and tapped him on the back and whispered the location of the buck.  We backtracked the few yards it took for Wapiti to see the deer laying there.  He used a tree to steady the rifle and proceeded to empty the gun in the direction of the buck.  It was after the second shot that the buck stood up and after the 4th shot it jumped over the pine bows, never to be seen again.  Completely missed by all 5 shots.  Buck Fever at its finest.  I think I was about 14 at the time.

When I was able to hunt (16 years old), my friends dad took me with them on a hunt in a coveted area (now private and very much guarded property), I had the biggest 4 point I had ever seen standing less than 50 yards from me and I shot my 5 shots at it in “Rifleman style”, completely missing the buck and it walked away after the 5th shot…not running, but walking.  I could not believe I missed that deer, but we found all 5 bullet holes in the dirt below where the buck had stood and in the trees high above its standing position.  Less than 10 minutes later I shot a 2 point right in the neck where I aimed.  Buck Fever on buck number one, and completely calm on buck number 2.

I’m very excited to get to accompany my oldest grandson on his first big game hunt and I sure do hope he gets in close to some animals.

Bears Butt

August 8, 2014

May 30…..Time sure passes quickly.  Tomorrow is the official end of the Utah turkey hunt for 2014, but unofficially today is my last day I can go and try to fill my tag.  Weather for today is calling for a high of 84 degrees!  Wow that is warm.  Who would have thought?  We started this season sitting on the hill with snow blowing in our faces and now it’s going to be 84!  We have gone from Spring to Summer and just in the time it took for the turkey season to begin and end.  It’s all good.  We have also gone from hunting one particular hill and brush blinds, to a completely different valley and hunting out of a purchased blind, again it’s all good.  If the birds don’t care, why should we?

We have learned some valuable lessons this season and probably the most important one is calling technique.  A purring hen can only be heard by the human ear if you are within 15 yards and I have heard it with my near deaf ears.  I’ve also heard the raucous noise of two fighting gobblers from 10 feet away.  I almost think the bird Weasel took a couple of days ago was the one that got beat up that day.  They have no mercy on each other.

This morning will find Weasel and I sitting on what we hope is the X once again.  But just like all our mornings, the birds have to be there and cooperating or else it will be just another day where we get to witness the coming of the morning sun and the awakening of the woods.  Nothing is wrong with the latter, but it would be nice to get a chance at a bird.  We have said all along, you don’t get to fill your tag by sitting (laying) on the couch.  It’s 3:09 a.m. right now and time for a morning cup of Joe.

Thinking back about this turkey season, we have seen coyotes, foxes, chipmunks, mice, hundreds of turkeys, geese, ducks, grouse, pheasants, sand hill cranes, squirrels, deer, cows and probably millions of other birds.  We had two or three little bluish/grey ones fighting within a couple feet of us one morning.  Nature is fun, but like I said, you don’t see it by not being out in it.  There really isn’t anything better than watching and listening to the world wake up at first light, from the first start of a diesel engine far off in the distance to the waking call of a Robin followed by another far off Sandhill Crane.  The cool, sometimes very cold, morning breeze and when things are right, the first gobble of a big old bird up in the tree.  There is a lot to be said about turkey hunting and for sure, this old boy is hooked on it.  I have to thank the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for putting these birds out and getting the flocks to survive like they have.  They say it’s one of the best and most successful programs they have done and I believe it.  Their map of established flocks shows turkeys available for anyone in the state to take advantage of them.

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=72119ec937f3426197b800217502df25&extent=-117.8402,36.5649,-105.311,42.0349

They have a lot of people NOT HAPPY about these birds as well and perhaps that is why they are talking about a season for them this Fall.  Turkeys can be a pain in the butt if they get together in a residential area.  They are a big bird, with lots of bad habits….well, not bad habits really, they are just doing what turkeys do best….scratch and eat.  Scratching can lead to the paint on your vehicle from looking its best and eating can devastate your veggie garden and lets not talk about the stuff you track into your house after being outside.

This morning I’m going out and try to make sure one more turkey can’t get up on someones brand new Silverado!  Wish me luck!

Bears Butt

May 30, 2014

UPDATE:

Weasel and I arrived in perfect time to set up his blind at our favorite little meadow.  Most if not all of the birds were still sound asleep.  Once in the blind however, we started hearing the sounds of the robins and then the crows.  A wonderful morning to be out in the woods.  Little or no wind, no chance of rain, a bit on the warm side.  And best of all, there were gobblers in the area.

The first birds to sound off were quite a distance below us, almost out of hearing range, but they were there, at least two distinctly different sounding birds.  The rest of the gobblers were sounding off up hill from us, farther West than where we usually find them perched.  When it was light enough for them to come down, they dropped silently and then quit gobbling all together.  Our hopes of having them fly down to our location was dashed.  Our only hope at that point was that they would feed into our meadow, so we kept a close eye out for any movement in the grass.

Weasel spotted three gobblers walking a trail up on the side of an open hill some 400 or more yards from us.  They gobbled a time or two before disappearing around the curving landscape.  15 minutes later they were an additional 300 yards up the hill from where we last saw them.  For sure not coming our way…bummer.  All was quiet as far as gobblers and their noises were concerned and so Weasel decided to give his hen yelp call a try…why not?  Nothing else is happening and it just might get something going.  About the time he got the call out, 4 birds came into view on the hill opposite from where we saw the 3 gobblers earlier and they were coming down in our direction.  Weasel gave out a hen yelp and we could hear them yelping back.  A quick look with the binocs showed all 4 birds were gobblers.  With the call back in his hands one of the birds lifted off and came sailing down in our direction.  I readied the shotgun for the action I knew was about to unfold before us.  But instead of the bird coming down and landing in front of the blind, it landed right behind us, maybe 10 yards.  When it hit the ground it went into super defense mode and began putting like a crazy bird and walking away from us down the hill behind us.

What caused him to putt is beyond us, he could not have possibly seen us inside the blind.  And for the life of us we have to question why it didn’t land right on the X in front of us to check out the decoys.  As it putted away, the other 3 on the hill looked down and I just knew they would fly down as well.  I was ready!  But instead of flying down they began to walk down the hill parallel to the tree line and disappeared into the trees lower down on the hill.  The terrain in that part of the hunting area contains a deep gully and we didn’t think they would cross it up high where we knew they were going to go.  Down near us the gully flattens out and would make them about 40 yards from us when they showed their beady eyes and red heads.  We waited patiently for the view of them coming through the grass….after a long time, we decided they weren’t going to come down that way.

Weasel got out his call and gave a single hen yelp string and was immediately answered by a gobbler in the trees West of us and probably 100 yards up hill.  My hopes were reignited and I was ready for action.  After what seemed like an eternity and no sight of a gobbler coming into our meadow, my legs, knees and feet began to ache very badly from kneeling there without blood for such a long time.  I had to move or begin to cry.  Inside the blind we could get away with moving some and when the blood started to flow, I almost began to cry from the rush of it going down into my feet.

We stayed on our spot for another 15 or so minutes and then I decided my season had run its course…..It’s time to go!

Well, another fine morning and we did see 8 different birds, all of which were gobblers and one of them was less than 10 yards from us!  When we were in the truck and heading up the road to go home, I did spot another turkey down in the trees, but at soon as the truck stopped it took off running the other direction.  I didn’t get a good enough view to know if it was a tom or a hen, but my bet is on a tom.  Heck yes I would have shot at him had he given me the time to get my shells out and loaded (about 2 minutes by my estimation)…so a total of 9 birds today.  When you think about how big (small) the area is that we are hunting in, that is quite a few birds and to all be toms….Next year we are going to have a ton of turkeys to play with!

A great year and I’m very glad Weasel got to tag one of them!

In our case…Turkeys 12, Hunters 1…..

Bears Butt

May 30, 2014