Beauty, flat tire, and more Beauty !

I AM A LADIES MAN 2, !!!

I went muzzle loader deer hunting in Washington county several days. I went to the north near Central and Pine Valley and saw no deer. I hunted in areas where we have harvested deer before and really expected to see something. NO WAY.

I later went several more days with my rifle and found the deer more or less. I found 28 head one afternoon. 26 were does and 2 were little spike bucks. The spikes had antlers long enough to be legal for harvest but they still had milk around their mouth from sucking their mothers. I just couldn’t shoot the little buggers. I think they need 3 more years to mature. Next time out I went to a "for sure" spot I discovered years ago. I got there and found deer "for sure" but they were 10 does the first day and 12 does the second day. I saw one little spike buck with the does the first day and his antlers were small enough that he wasn’t legal for harvest. He too had milk around his milk from sucking his mother.

I hiked some and took photos. I really enjoyed my time in nature. It is so calming and the air is just that much more clean. I got a bit sunburned and that’s great for deer hunt time. I have pals up north that put up with rain, mud, and snow. I put up with no sunscreen. {Actually, I didn’t want the scent to alert the deer so I didn’t use any sunscreen.}

Yes, I am a Ladies Man. I can really attract the female deer and elk. Guess what? I have a cow elk tag for December. I hope I still have the animal attraction factor when I go to fill that tag. I’ll let you know. {I must have had lots of fun as I had 3 flat tires while deer hunting. Two stones through the tread and one sidewall slice. You know what I mean? Even the Super Trooper got a flat tire!}

LADIES MAN !!!

I AM A LADIES MAN !!!

The first week in October I went elk hunting in the Unitah mountains and really looked forward to seeing at least one little spike. I really believe the spikes cook up the best on the "barbie" but alas I all I could get within eyeball range of was 7 fine looking cow elk. They came into a high mountain meadow just around sundown and I was hidden in the trees completely upwind from them. They didn’t even know I was in the county. I watched them for 45 minutes or so as they grazed on the grasses within 150 yards of me. I just knew at any minute a little cousin bull or even a brute macho bull elk would come out to join the girls as they bulked up munching grass for the upcoming winter. No way amigo. The girls came and mowed the grass with four legged combine efficiency then wandered back into the forest timbers and never even bothered to wave or casually snort at me. It was amazing to be that close to 7 fine animals. I just wish I could have seen a bull with them.

I was camping with my son for the first night and we had a great time together. He helped me find likely spots to look for elk. He had to go back to work so I stayed on alone. Guess what, it was the Unitah mountains at 9,700 + and it snowed. Not a light pretty snow, not a mere dusting of white powder, it was a real snow storm. I am a desert guy and the white stuff scared me to think I might be up there for the entire winter. I was worried I would not be able to get my camper out of the mountains so I packed up and came home. Yes, I was in 4-wheel drive most of the way out of the mountains.

I returned to Washington County and home. I went camping again looking for elk on the Utah - Nevada boarder in northwest Washington county. I saw tracks, sign, and lots of coyotes but no elk. I think they are in the area but hang around later in the year.

All in all, I had a great time hunting elk. I camped with my son, saw my daughter-in-law and the grandkids in Roosevelt. I camped in the mountains and the desert and hiked around some looking for the bull elk. No I didn’t harvest but I had a great time.

Deer Hunt 2009

Deer hunt 2009 has started. Wednesday 9-23-09 was the opening day of muzzle loader season. I went out and saw a lone doe, and a doe with two fawns, and as I walked back the "Forever trooper II*" at sundown I saw another doe with two fawns. I think the deer looked healthy and seemed to have lots to eat around the mountain. Just no bucks to be seen. I think the bucks are still up high even though I was at 7,900 feet above sea level according to my GPS.

I feel so limited with a muzzle loader. My .54 cal. Hawkin style muzzle loader can only shoot 100 yards +/- and with my bifocal glasses I can only see clearly between 20 and 80 yards. Closer than 20 yards and more than 80 yards I have to rely on "the FORCE" to help me with targeting. I promise to not wound as many deer as the archery hunters. If I can't make a clean shot I won't take one. Besides it takes about 3 - 4 minutes to reload for me.

*check out the photo of the "Forever Trooper II" This red rocket raider is just perfect for a hunting car. I really only drive it about 300 miles a year and all the miles are going hunting or going to the dump with a trailer full of trash. NO, IT'S NOT FOR SALE so don't get any ideas. Pres. Obama wanted to sucker me in with a $4,500 cash for clunkers deal but he didn't get me.

Medical Leave

SORRY, for not much news on the blog. I have been a little sick and now feel I am getting better everyday. I was in the Timpanogos Hospital last week for treatment on my heart. I was talking to my nurse, Trevor, before my procedure and mentioned I had only drawn an antelope tag in Wyoming last year {2008} and yet had time and reasonable health to hunt lots that fall. This year I am kind of sick and drew 1. a Utah southern region mule deer buck tag for late October, 2. a Utah any bull elk tag for early October, 3. a Utah cow elk tag on Deseret Land and Livestock for December, and 4. my son had procured me a Ute indian tribe cow bison tag for November. I needed to be better for the fall hunts! I think we will have lots of meat for the freezer this fall. I hope to get some real brontosaurus size ribs for the barbie from the elk and the bison. I am feeling better everyday. I hope to start target shooting in September to get practiced up. The Goddess Diana maybe is smiling on me some this year? !!

STILL MORE CHIZZLERS

CHIZZLER SEASON IS ON !!! Bounty Hunter 6 has been so convincing I have neglected home, work, family, and other hobbies and gone chizzler hunting several times over the last few weeks. We have had super success most days. Bounty Hunter 6 has fired about 2,200 rounds out of his new Ruger KM77/17 rifle in the last few weeks. He had one day last week when I was absolutely forced to work where he fired 598 rounds in one day all by himself. He usually connects with about 80% of his targets so that is roughly ?? -- a whole lot of dead varmints in one day {480}. The crows and ravens came to do their job as Nature's Undertakers and probably couldn't fly away being so stuffed with chizzler meat. It would be interesting to see crows and ravens waddling around an alfalfa field with pot bellies and unable to fly. Maybe they would look like black ducks or something? The farmers are really grateful for our efforts. I have attached some photos from our trip to Beryl today. We shot for just about 2.5 hours and harvested about 300 chizzlers. Check out the lactating mammal photo.

It doesn't get much better than this !!!

Bounty Hunter 6 and I went to one of our favorite chizzler harvesting spots this morning in Iron County, Utah. It was a bit cold and somewhat windy but the chizzlers were out in force. The alfalfa on the farm was still in a semi-hibernation state so it was just 3/4" tall which means -- no cover for the chizzlers. Bounty Hunter 6 had a new Ruger KM77/17 .17HMR caliber rifle he was trying out for the first time. Crap-o-matic the little .17HMR really did a number on 100+ little varmints. He was shooting as fast as he could load clips. He had two nine round clips and the only pause in the shooting was to reload. I had my usual .22-250 heavy barrel and a .22 L.R. for the sappers. I think I ended the grazing future of maybe 60 critters or so. All-in-all we had an excellent hunt for about 3 hours. The farmer who owned the field was so pleased he drove out to where we were shooting to personally thank us. This was one of those days that will be remembered for a long time. Check out the photos.

CHIZZLERS ARE OUT ! ! !

I know March 3rd is a bit early to go to Beryl and hunt for Chizzlers. It has been over 75º in the neighborhood so I figured it was warm enough for the little critters to be out up there. Bounty Hunter 6 went up on a scouting mission yesterday with good sightings -- so today we went on safari. We arrived in a mild to less-than-mild hurricane wind but still set up the squirrel-o-matics and went to work saving agriculture. Oh it is so fun to blow up little varmints with .22-250 rifle rounds at distance. I, of course, also had my .22 L.R. also ready for action incase of "sappers" and there were a few "sappers" that needed a 40 gr. h.p. round in the worst way. {I wonder if they get 40 virgin chizzlers in the bossom of alfalfa?} I look forward to a long and fulfilling spring season helping American agriculture. I'll keep the photos coming as I can.