Thurs. 10-2-14 I traveled to Roosevelt, Utah and spent the night with my son and his family. I so relish visits with my son and his family. I really enjoy wrestling with the kids and reading stories to them. Friday morning I got up with elk hunting on my mind no more Diary of a Whimpy Kid for me. My son and I took some time to buy food at the local super market and then headed to the mountains.
We found a fine camping place near where we had camped 4 years ago. I had taken a 5 X 5 elk in a meadow near by and we were hoping to score again. My son's friend came with his boy. Clint and Trail were a great addition to the camp. They had a wall tent complete with a small stove. Trail and I were in charge of making a fire. We would all sit around the fire Friday evening and verbally dream about the elk to be harvested tomorrow. This was Trail's first elk hunt.
A comfortable camp
I must mention when Dax and Clint go camping the food is a big part of the equation. I have seldom eaten so well while hunting. I think I will always invite those two hoseheads to my hunting camps if for nothing more than the great food they prepare. Clint can really cook and Dax is not going to be out done by him so we ate really well. Elk steaks for dinner on Friday night to get us in the mood. They were seasoned just right. They were cooked perfect -- still some pink in the middle but heated all the way through. To top it all off there were fresh made scones! These were man sized scones not like the Relief Society would make. Served with homemade peach jam. It was heavenly. Other meals included chicken cordon blu sandwiches and always fresh hot scones. I could really get into the scones with every meal.Everyone was in bed by 10 p.m. and wake up calls were set for 5:45 a.m. Early up and excited we move out to our hunting locations. We are all tethered by two-way radios. I head to the west to the meadow where I had scored last time we hunted in this area. Clint and Trail went to the center of a clear cut timber area directly north and Dax went to the east edge of the clear cut areas. I walk briskly in the dark with a head lamp for a guide. I get to the meadow and pick a spot to look like a bush for the morning. I am waiting for a bull to walk into the meadow and enjoy the grass covered with frost. I have a cow tag and will shoot any elk I see. Bull, cow, or calf it doesn't matter to me. I love the meat and my freezer is getting low on protein.
The meadow with no elk this year
I hear a shot or two at 7:50 a.m. off in the distance and think some one has scored an elk. At 8:05 a.m. I hear a shot and the telltale smack of bullet striking meat rather close. I think Clint or Dax has had opportunity. A minute or so later I hear another shot. I figure it is a "finishing off" shot and calculate someone has a elk bagged. The radio in my pocket beeps and Dax is excited to tell me he has a 6 X 6 down. I am so happy for him. I tell him I am coming over to help with it. I get up and put on my backpack then head east. I walk down a heavily worn trail covered with elk tracks and am thinking about Dax's good fortune. I come face to butt with a cow elk who was surprised at me on "her" trail. She has turned to run away. I raise my rifle and then think Dax already has an elk down about a mile east of here. It is only the first morning and I can shoot a cow later. Besides she is headed down a very steep mountain and getting her out will be a task for an old man with a bad heart like me. I pass on the "Texas heart shot". Now weeks later I realize that was the only elk I was to see live on the 12 day hunt. Crap-o-rama.
I hustle over to Dax's area and Clint with Trail have beat me to the location. Dax hung an orange vest in the tree so we could find him. We congratulate each other profusely. To take a 6 X 6 on public land with an open bull tag is more or less a . . . . MIRACLE. This is just a wonderful moment. I am as happy as could be and I did nothing for the event except to be here. I am so glad for Dax.
Bull down -- YAHOO! ! !
Trail wants to straddle the elk and ride him lots. We take a significant number of photos. We are all grinning like someone who just won the lottery. The air is clear and crisp. The comradry is flowing, and success is already in our camp at 8:10 a.m. on opening day of the season.We have to cut the beast in two pieces to move it. It is a "big" one. We are all pleased with the size of the game. It seems real healthy and we are thankful to have been blessed with this meat. Fortunately we can get a four wheeler to within rock throwing distance to the animal so the pack out is not bad at all. We take the animal back to camp and skin and quarter it. Wrapped in a special game bag it is cooling in the shade. We all eat some sandwiches and take a short nap. Later that evening we go back out to hunt for its twin brother. No luck this evening. Back at camp after dark more scones and excellent food. I am so glad we are eating so well. Food in this camp is lots better than MRE's and ramen noodles, my usual hunting fare. SCONES with home made peach jam rock! I want more scones.
Sunday morning we head out again for another bull, or cow in my case. No animals are seen but a group from Washington State fill up in Dax's position from the day before and score a 5 X 5 bull. Good for them, but Clint should have had that 5 X 5 shot I think. {Public land means the dang Public will be there when you don't want them to be.} We help them load the 5 X 5 and congratulate them with our fingers crossed. Back to camp mid-morning. We listen to LDS General Conference on the radio, eat lunch and have a nap. In the afternoon we listen to conference again then Clint, Trail, and Dax have to go back to town for work Monday. I am left alone in camp to defend against hopefully an onslaught of elk for the next few days.
I don't mind hunting alone. I really enjoy the quiet and the mountains and the clean air. We have had a full moon every night. It is so bright it is gorgeous. The stars seem brighter than ever and it is so quiet up here. I love every thing about the 9,800 ft. elevation except for the lack of oxygen and the cold. I wear my thermal underwear all the time. I sleep in a sweat shirt with a stocking cap on my head. Yes, there is a heater in my camper but still I wear all the warmth I can.
I hunt for several days alone and see no elk. I drive around to some camps in the afternoons and don't really see any elk hanging. Maybe the elk have read the hunting proclamation and have all moved on to the Ute Indian Tribe lands where they can't be followed or hunted. {I hate that when the elk learn to read.}
I look down on the Unitah Basin and can see Gusher, Ballard, Roosevelt and other towns. It is really cool to be up on top of the mountain.
Part of the Unitah Basin
Dax calls it Mountain Church and I agree. One can feel closer to the Creator with these surroundings. It is a spiritual experience to enjoy the magnitude of nature God has made for us. I am so glad to get to go out to do this. I am so blessed to have been in a group that harvested an elk. I am blessed to have two sons that appreciate nature and enjoy it as much as I do. Life is good, even if it is cold and I can't catch my breath hiking.
