We are off to Utah ! See you all when we return in 10 days. I'll try to post pictures from the field if the phone works from there.
2012 Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
- Thread starter BuckHunter
- Start date
Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
Personally I like to hunt the entire season and kill my animal on the last day hope you have as much fun.
Personally I like to hunt the entire season and kill my animal on the last day hope you have as much fun.
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
hey good luck buckhunter. I'm going up to La Sal for few days..Soon as I can break away I'm outta here
hey good luck buckhunter. I'm going up to La Sal for few days..Soon as I can break away I'm outta here
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
It has been raining hard everyday but I tagged out on a forky last night. Everyone else has a day and a half left to get it done.
Spot and stalk at 40 yards. Large Rage hole in his armpit put him down quick. Had a stand with 3 different 4x4 bucks, and two 6x6 bull elk, but I was running out of time. I just came down the mountain to the butcher and got cell service. Full report and pics when I get back on Monday. Stopping by the Grand Canyon on the way home.
Everyone is having a great time.
It has been raining hard everyday but I tagged out on a forky last night. Everyone else has a day and a half left to get it done.
Spot and stalk at 40 yards. Large Rage hole in his armpit put him down quick. Had a stand with 3 different 4x4 bucks, and two 6x6 bull elk, but I was running out of time. I just came down the mountain to the butcher and got cell service. Full report and pics when I get back on Monday. Stopping by the Grand Canyon on the way home.
Everyone is having a great time.
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Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
Congratulations on filling the tags. Looking forward to hearing the story.
Congratulations on filling the tags. Looking forward to hearing the story.
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
It wouldn't be a trip with out getting a flat tire. Congrats to those who tagged out.
It wouldn't be a trip with out getting a flat tire. Congrats to those who tagged out.
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
The Family Utah deer hunt was a success. Even our 12 year old vegetarian Claire got into it and went on countless outings (hunts) with her Mom. We taught them all the do’s and don’ts of the woods and why we only take responsible shots even if it means the big one gets away. We saw Deer, Elk, Turkey, Grouse, and lots of cows. There were good times spent with family and friends on the mountain. Morgan (age 4 ) helped me track and find my deer. My Mom flew in and stayed for 5 days of it and had a great time and helped so much with the kids. Tashla and I were bummed that the big bonfire (party) on the last night with our Wisconsin and Utah friends got rained out. Good folks we met there years ago and see for one week every year we go to the mountain. It is so interesting to travel around the country and see how things are outside of our Orange County California bubble. Morgan said she wanted to move there, but only if I would build her a swing set. Claire said several times “All the people are so nice here, and everyone waves to each other when they pass bye.” It was hard to come back to work today and drive on the freeways. I did have someone wave at me on the 91 this morning. I went to wave back, but then realized he was just giving me the bird. Well, That’s why they call it vacation. Now it’s back to the grind.
The hunt:
My brother Jeff got a tall spike / 2x1 cheater. I got a 2x2, and my wife and another buddy got a spikes. (Lots of spikes this year) Everyone was passing on them for the first 4 days then changed their mind at the end of the week. I saw a huge 30 inch wide 4x4 and got to 40 yards but there was a downed tree in the way and then his doe spotted me and they were gone. I had a lot of trail camera pics of 4x4’s from my stand in the flats but they stopped coming in after Sunday. My other stand up in the high country was a bust this year. I was sitting there one afternoon when I heard elk coming. I got my camera ready, but it turns out to be a hunter on a horse. I passed on a very small 2x2 from that stand and on video. I either wanted a big one from one of my stands that were a mile deep off the trail, or I wanted a ok buck that I could get the whole family on the blood trail. With the family there my time was spread thin. No all-day sits in the stand were not allowed. So, I spotted this young 2x2 150 yards off the trail and stalked in to 40 yards. I ranged the doe he was following (his mommy most likely) and waited for him to step into the shooting lane. I drew back and he spotted me. I stuck him hard, right in the arm pit. He was out of there so fast I had thought he had jumped my string. I went to find my arrow and found a bloody mess instead. I followed it downhill until it crossed a logging road. I marked the spot and went back to camp to gather the kids. We all stopped at the spot and before I could gather my things and turn on the video camera my 4 year old daughter yells out Dad I found blood, I found blood on this rock…….. And they were off. We found the buck about 40 yards after that. It was very cool.
The rain rolled in on Wednesday and made a mess out of camp and the trailer. The kids were getting cabin fever and I was tagged out so I was there too. My wife was out doing her best in the rain and finally got one on Thursday night. It was a great shot at 45 yards. Meat in the freezer !
The Family Utah deer hunt was a success. Even our 12 year old vegetarian Claire got into it and went on countless outings (hunts) with her Mom. We taught them all the do’s and don’ts of the woods and why we only take responsible shots even if it means the big one gets away. We saw Deer, Elk, Turkey, Grouse, and lots of cows. There were good times spent with family and friends on the mountain. Morgan (age 4 ) helped me track and find my deer. My Mom flew in and stayed for 5 days of it and had a great time and helped so much with the kids. Tashla and I were bummed that the big bonfire (party) on the last night with our Wisconsin and Utah friends got rained out. Good folks we met there years ago and see for one week every year we go to the mountain. It is so interesting to travel around the country and see how things are outside of our Orange County California bubble. Morgan said she wanted to move there, but only if I would build her a swing set. Claire said several times “All the people are so nice here, and everyone waves to each other when they pass bye.” It was hard to come back to work today and drive on the freeways. I did have someone wave at me on the 91 this morning. I went to wave back, but then realized he was just giving me the bird. Well, That’s why they call it vacation. Now it’s back to the grind.
The hunt:
My brother Jeff got a tall spike / 2x1 cheater. I got a 2x2, and my wife and another buddy got a spikes. (Lots of spikes this year) Everyone was passing on them for the first 4 days then changed their mind at the end of the week. I saw a huge 30 inch wide 4x4 and got to 40 yards but there was a downed tree in the way and then his doe spotted me and they were gone. I had a lot of trail camera pics of 4x4’s from my stand in the flats but they stopped coming in after Sunday. My other stand up in the high country was a bust this year. I was sitting there one afternoon when I heard elk coming. I got my camera ready, but it turns out to be a hunter on a horse. I passed on a very small 2x2 from that stand and on video. I either wanted a big one from one of my stands that were a mile deep off the trail, or I wanted a ok buck that I could get the whole family on the blood trail. With the family there my time was spread thin. No all-day sits in the stand were not allowed. So, I spotted this young 2x2 150 yards off the trail and stalked in to 40 yards. I ranged the doe he was following (his mommy most likely) and waited for him to step into the shooting lane. I drew back and he spotted me. I stuck him hard, right in the arm pit. He was out of there so fast I had thought he had jumped my string. I went to find my arrow and found a bloody mess instead. I followed it downhill until it crossed a logging road. I marked the spot and went back to camp to gather the kids. We all stopped at the spot and before I could gather my things and turn on the video camera my 4 year old daughter yells out Dad I found blood, I found blood on this rock…….. And they were off. We found the buck about 40 yards after that. It was very cool.
The rain rolled in on Wednesday and made a mess out of camp and the trailer. The kids were getting cabin fever and I was tagged out so I was there too. My wife was out doing her best in the rain and finally got one on Thursday night. It was a great shot at 45 yards. Meat in the freezer !
Attachments
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
WOW... Looks like you guys had a great time. I'm sure watching the kids on the blood trail was a peek moment of the trip. Thanks for sharing.
WOW... Looks like you guys had a great time. I'm sure watching the kids on the blood trail was a peek moment of the trip. Thanks for sharing.
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
Wow, what a great trip! Memories those kids will never soon forget!
Wow, what a great trip! Memories those kids will never soon forget!
Re: Utah hunting trip done "Family Style"
Wow Jim...it doesn't get much better than that. Thanks for sharing. Great photos too. Hunting season is really here -
Wow Jim...it doesn't get much better than that. Thanks for sharing. Great photos too. Hunting season is really here -