Muzzleloader Deer Hunt

This year I started the dedicated hunter program where I can hunt archery, muzzleloader and rifle deer hunts. Last Wednesday was the opener of the muzzleloader hunt, but we were traveling back from California on Wednesday. Thursday morning the alarm went off at 3:00 a.m. and me, my dad and Vince were off to meet up with Andrew and Justin. Vince didn't have a tag, but wanted to come up for the day anyway.

We found Andrews' truck and jumped on the four-wheelers...and then drove around in circles for 20 minutes before finding the right road. We made it to the trailhead, and made it up the near vertical trail and hit the ridge about 20 minutes later than we had anticipated. We started towards Andrew when he starts getting excited and telling us to stop and hold still because there was deer that we were pushing. Come to find out it was the two biggest bucks he had seen on the hunt, and he got buck fever. He was telling us on the radio to stop and then the bucks were at 50 yards and he forgot to turn on his red dot scope! He didn't even get a shot off.

Later in the morning we glassed a canyon right below camp. I'm not sure how, but Andrew found a buck laying down...and it was one of the big ones he should've shot earlier that morning! We put together and plan where Andrew would try to sneak in on them and I would sit on the escape route with my dad and Vince watching from across the canyon. A doe came busting out of the next canyon over and came through the canyon we were in and took all the bucks with her.

We had been seeing far more bucks than does until Thursday night. We found the canyon with all of the does and just a few small bucks. I'll bet we found 30 or more in this canyon.

Friday morning found me and Justin sitting on the ridge of the canyon with all the does. We had seen some big bucks come over the ridge on Thursday and Andrew and Justin had seen some bucks crossing the ridge while scouting. We hoped to intercept some of the big bucks. We had 8 does bedded less than 100 yards from us, just around the ridge. We had a 2 point cross about 50 yards above us. Andrew found some big bucks below us and the next canyon over so we started towards them. We had to wait for 7 two points to cross 100 yards from us. We got to the canyon the big bucks went in and couldn't find anything but Andrew had spotted some more bucks in the next canyon over. We kept going and found 2 of the 8 bucks Andrew had spotted. Right after we spotted them they got up and started feeding. There were probably 150+ yards when we first saw them. They started feeding to the left and if they would've went another 5 feet we could've snuck up pretty close to them for the shot. Instead they started feeding down the draw towards us! That was better. There was 2 bucks right next to each other. Justin would take the one on the left, I was to take the one on the right on the count of three. We were almost set and then the deer would take a step or they would move the wrong way and we would have to get set again. Finally the count was on. 1...2...3 and Justins' gun goes boom, my gun goes click! Oh no! My primer didn't go off! Justins' shot was right on and his deer dropped in its tracks. My deer started towards us, but went into a draw between us and the deer. I put a new primer on and ran towards the deer. When he came out of the draw at 10 yards and saw me, I'm sure he was more than surprised. He turned and ran down the draw. I ran across and big rock slab and fell ripping my pants and banging up my knee. I had another shot on him and he was moving away from me, but my primer didn't fire. When we first shot, the deer were only 75 yards away.

Justins' deer ended up being 19 1/2 inches wide. It was probably a good thing my gun didn't go off because Justin killed his deer at 1:30. We got to the truck at 9:30. It would've been another trip to get a second deer.

When we were hiking back to camp we saw a buck likely bigger than Justins run right through camp! It was a lot of fun and we saw a lot of deer.

Grandaddy's 2010

This year I was able to go backpacking to the Granddaddy lakes basin of the High Uintas. We drove out there Thursday night, and slept in the trailer Thursday night, and then we hiked in Friday morning. I decided to take all three of my dogs, and decided three dogs was too many for me to handle, thanks to my dad for helping me wrangle my herd! I got a dog pack for Guage to pack. I wasn't going to pack in dog food for the dogs. It was heavy because he had to carry food for Guage, Bo, Tilley and Gus. Tilley and Gus are small and they wouldn't be able to carry much, and Bo is too old to carry anything (I tried) and so Guage was the packdog. I put the pack on him before we ever hit the trail, and he started bucking just like a bull. After I stopped laughing, I settled him down, and didn't have any more problems. We got in and got camp setup and hit Fish Hatchery lake Friday night. Evan caught one on his first or second cast with a neon green jakes lure. I pulled a couple out, but cut it short when Tilley had an allergic reaction to something. I would tie my dogs to trees and then fish for a little while. I was going to move down the shore and noticed that her eyelids and lips were very swollen. I think that might have been the only places the mosquito's could get her, and they got her good. I headed back to camp to get some food in her (and me) and she was back to normal by the time she ate and settled down for the night.

Saturday we fished Pine Island in the morning. I wasn't having any luck, so I threw the bumper for Guage for a little while and tried to get a few good pics. That was his reward for packing stuff around all weekend! Andrew and Vince had gone over to Lily Pad while I was fishing Pine Island and had caught a couple, so we moved over there. That is what I love about that area, if you aren't catching fish in one lake, move on to the next lake. We pulled a couple out at Lily Pad, but then Andrew decided he wanted to go swimming.

Andrew had been calling the forest service out there and as of two weeks ago there was 4 feet of snow in the pass and the lakes were froze solid. As of Monday, MOST of the ice was gone, but a couple lake still had a little bit of ice.

Back to Andrew swimming. There was a tree that was out over the water, he climbed it and jumped in and was out as quick as he went in! Merrill, then put on his shorts and he didn't go as high as Andrew did, but he jumped in too. Merrill has a little more insulation than Andrew does, so he played in the water for a few minutes.

We then moved back over to Pine Island, on the other side from where I was earlier. I caught one, but it was my biggest so far. Andrew was out in his raft that he packed in and was catching quite a few. After we fished there a while we moved down to Palisade. I pulled a couple out there. Up until then all I had caught were Brooke Trout. Palisade treated me to my first Cutthroat Trout of the trip. It was clear enough that I would see the fish, throw in my lure, and watch the fish take the lure. We then went back and had dinner and then hit Fish Hatchery again.

The first time we hit Fish Hatchery Evan lost his neon green lure. Because it was neon green you could see it from the shore, but Evan didn't want to get wet to get it. I was intent on stipping down to my underwear and getting that neon green lure. When we got there more people were there than I had anticipated, so Vince ended up getting it from the boat and gave it to me to use. I ended up losing it the next day at Palisade. The only lure I lost on the trip.

Sunday (July 4th) we woke up to dark clouds, and just as we were finishing breakfast, it started to snow. We (I) procrastinated going out fishing in the snow, but it finally let up so we headed out. We went back to Palisade and caught a bunch more fish. While we were at Palisade it really opened up and snowed/hailed on us. We took shelter under a big tree that had fallen over, and after it let up we headed back to Pine Island.

When we had left in the morning I had only packed a lunch and had intended to be back to camp for dinner. We ended up clear around the back of Pine Island about dinner time, so we cooked up a couple of Brooke Trout right there as soon as we caught them. That hit the spot! There's not too much better in life than sitting on the lake shore eating a Brooke Trout that you caught 20 minutes earlier.

After we ate we headed back to Lily Pad where I caught one more for dinner back at camp. Andrew had stayed and fished Pine Island a little longer and caught by far the biggest fish of the trip. That fish fed all of us for dinner!

Monday morning we packed up and headed out. I fished Betsy for just a few minutes on the way out, but didn't get anything there.

It was one of the funnest trips I have been on. The last time I was there I was Evan's age, and Matt was my age. Time flies!

Junior Hunter

I got Guages Junior Hunter certificate in the mail today!!! Now we need to start working now to be ready for Senior Hunter next spring.

Remembering Matt

Three weeks ago Matt passed on. Matt was a great guy who was one of my best friends as well as my uncle. We had a lot of great memories. Here are a few pictures to remember Matt. Matt will be missed.

The deer is from Colorado 2009. Matt was the only one to shoot a deer on that trip and my last hunt with Matt.

The next two pictures I borrowed from Andrew. I believe they were muzzle loader in Utah in 2006. There were up on the divide where a lot of memories were made with Matt.

The pintail was taken while we were swan hunting in 2008. He hit the pintail and it sailed a long ways so Justin and I took the boat out after it and the duck kept diving while Justin was trying to grab it.

The swan was Matt's last, and made it to the taxidermist. The swans come off a small pond where they roost at night and we had a hard time getting any close, and when we did get one in range he got lucky and one bb to the head was all that it took to bring the swan down.

Frozen on the river

As a duck hunter sometimes I question my sanity. Today was one of those days. Maybe sanity is isn't the right term, but I have learned there is a fine line between crazy and stupid.

Joel had permission to try a new spot on the river. It was -2 when we started down walking down to the river at 6:30 this morning. We found the hole we wanted to hunt, thanks to google earth on my phone. I never would have thought my Blackberry would've helped me duck hunting, but I've used it several times. Anyway, we had some mallard, wood duck and golden eye decoys. Joel and Skye were putting the wood duck decoys on the far side, and I was putting the golden eye's on the close bank when one of the golden eye's got caught in the current and was going down stream quick. I ran down and snagged the golden eye just in time to pick up four decoys that had got away from Joel and Skye. After doing this a couple more times, we ended up with about 1/3 the decoys in the water that we started with.

We had a pair of mallard that tried to drop in and Joel got the drake. That was the first and last duck killed by us this morning. We had one drake golden eye buzz us that didn't even pay attention, and then a hen woodie circled once, but didn't present a shot. We packed up and were back to the truck by probably 9:00. I got home and took my waders off the this is what they looked like. I had been in the river up to about my waist and then the water froze and my waders were able to stand up on their own.

I'm still not sure if I am crazy or stupid, but I do know that I am a duck hunter that has mud in my blood.

Hunt on the river

Last Saturday I went out with my father in law, Danny, for a hunt on the river. It was just for a couple hours in the afternoon and I wasn't sure what to expect. Usually late in the season is when it is the best, and I didn't know if we were late enough yet. We threw a couple decoys out in the river, and nothing was flying. I was teaching him about fantasy football when I look up and see about 15 mallards locked up! We were up above the river, and the ducks were probably only 15 yards when I first saw them. We each took a greenhead out of that flock, but we should've had several more. Shortly after that I shot a hen mallard. Then it slowed down for another hour. Then a lone goose was trying to land on the sewer ponds behind us. I kept calling at him and he finally came over and I hit him and Danny finished him. Definately an enjoyable hunt with Danny.

A few pics

Here are a few pictures I had on my camera from hunts this year.

This was with Martin and Samantha last Saturday. It was slow and Samantha would conveniently "see" ducks that just went behind the reeds...I think she had ducks on the brain. We didn't shoot much, but I sure had a good time.

Here is Guage. He is turning into an amazing duck dog.
Here is Guage learning about the Mutt Hutt blind.

I left work a couple hours early and went out with Brandon and one of the Secretary's husband (Yancy). It was Yancy's first time duck hunting. We tried jump shooting and a couple hen spoonies came up and Yancy dropped the one on the right and I missed the front one. I'm usually a pretty good shot so I was a little surprised I missed as close as they were. We jumped a hen widgeon and I shot first, but she was in the trees in the river, and I didn't hit her hard enough. Yancy finished her off for his second duck. We threw out a couple decoys, but the birds just wouldn't quite come close enough. On the way out I shot a hen spoony, and I believe it is the one I missed earlier in the day. Not too bad for a hen slaying day. I took a couple pics of Yancy and his first two ducks, but my camera isn't very good and they didn't turn out at all.