Deer Hunt 2009

Well, the deer hunt began off on a good start. This year Anna, Karina Lindsey, Jacob (Robert’s friend) and Robert joined us. It was good, although crowded at times, and we had a lot of fun. Personally I liked the girl time with Anna and Karina and liked staking out the mountain with their help. Most hunts just involve men, so a little extra estrogen was indeed refreshing.

After my grandpa Harris’ 80th birthday celebration on Friday, Jordan and I drove back to SLC, picked up Robert and his friend, and headed to our cabin. Sarah got to spend a fun weekend with Nana and Bompa in Logan while I went on the hunt. She’s too young to hike miles a day, I was carrying my gun as was Jordan, and I much rather not have her in that sort of environment until she’s older and can understand what is happening. So, she got some quality Nana and Bompa time.

We arrived just shortly before midnight at our cabin—hunting shack—unpacked, and quickly went off to bed knowing we were getting up at 4am the next morning. Robert and Jacob decided to sleep in a tent and the rest of us took the beds in the cabin. With our propane heater, we were toasty warm inside.

Four in the morning came all too quickly. We hurry and ate, got dressed, and headed up the mountain to get our best, plotted spot. Anna and Karina were with me and Robert and Jacob were with Jordan. We hiked in the dark, found our spot, and waited an hour and half before we could even see a few hundred feet in front of us.

Come sunrise, us girls decided to head down the mountain and hike down the ravine, as Jordan and I had planned. We had walkie-talkies, but Jordan turned his off. Since we had no way to communicate, thanks to his clever move, I headed down with the ladies and waited for Jordan to accompany us.

Once we neared the bottom, I decided to wait a few minutes and see if Jordan was going to stick to the plan. Within 30 minutes Jordan and Jacob joined us. Robert didn’t want to hike down the ravine, since it is easily a 6 mile hike on deer trails hugging the mountain side, and stayed at the truck. We then headed in, our spirits high, our mouths sealed closed, and began trekking through the mountains. Within the first mile we saw a herd of deer. Unfortunately we only saw doe and yearlings. We pushed on. Within the next 5 miles we saw nothing. It was a risk to take, but you can never really know where the deer may be. They’re pretty skittish opening day.

Anna fell down at least a dozen times. But she continued on despite her falls. It was rather funny at first, and then she just kept falling and falling. Her black pants, by the end of the hike, were brown. Karina was nice and stayed back with Anna and helped her get up each time.

In the afternoon we ate lunch and then Jordan and I took naps. We were exhausted. The rest of party decided to go 4-wheeling. I didn’t care though, that gave me a solid hour of silence to sleep. I relished the opportunity.

The evening hunt was good. Anna decided to stay behind because her ankle was injured during one of her many falls and Karina stayed behind with her and Robert decided he wanted to stay at the cabin and Jacob stayed behind with him. It was just Jordan and me. We jumped on the 4-wheeler, headed up the mountain, and took off in search of bucks.

We drove all the way up to Skyline Drive thinking the deer would be higher up with the warm weather we were having. We then found an off road leading to Scoffield Reservoir. One the trail we saw 2 doe and 2 yearlings. We thought our chances of getting a buck were pretty good considering how many deer were grazing off the side of the road. We found another off trail, took it, and found ourselves overlooking a beautiful meadow. There were deer tracks and scat everywhere. Bucks had indeed been there.

We waited till it was almost too dark to see. We had an hour drive back to the cabin and didn’t want to get back too late knowing the next morning we’d be up hours before the sun. On our way back a 2-point buck bolted in front of us. Jordan jumped off the 4-wheeler and took a shot at the buck who was trying to assess who we were and if we were a threat. Jordan was at a bad angle, but I thought he would’ve waited till he had a good shot. He shot, the buck bolted up the mountain, and Jordan tried to run after it. He missed, no questions asked. He aimed for the neck area since he didn’t want to just injure the deer or ruin any meat. In my confidence in Jordan, I didn’t even ready my gun. Honestly, how can you miss a target, which wasn’t even moving, from only a 100 yards away? Well, Jordan did.

Sunday I didn’t hunt, since Sunday’s are considered an animal’s day of rest too (at least in my mind it is). Jordan went hunting since he doesn’t care what day of the week it is. Anna and Karina joined us in the morning. They drove the 4-wheeler while Jordan and I opted to drive in the truck. Personally the longer I could prevent freezing to death, the better. Once we arrived at the meadow we had found the night prior, Anna and Karina slipped into the bed of the truck, got inside their sleeping bags, and slept. Jordan and I hiked about a ¼ mile in and found a good spot to sit and watch. As the sun rose, we finally had to admit to ourselves there wasn’t any deer at all and the chances of one coming weren’t high. After a couple of hours waiting, we decided to leave and find another place.

Anna and Karina stayed behind and slept while Jordan and I went exploring. I didn’t care at all that we were road hunting, because the chances of getting a buck off the side of the road are less than 5%. At least Jordan doesn’t fully hunt on Sunday, it is halfhearted. Needless to say, we saw nothing the entire day. Not even doe.

Sunday evening Anna, Karina, Robert, and Jacob left for home. Jordan and I were the only ones left and I liked it. I could wake up when I needed to and didn’t have to fight anyone to get them up and ready to go at our appointed get up time. I didn’t have to cater to anyone at all. It was nice (although I did miss a little of the extra estrogen). Jordan and I simply work well together and I love spending time with him. We almost walk the same pace too, so hiking with him isn’t bothersome. I don’t have to slow down and he doesn’t have to slow down. It’s nice.

We woke up early Monday and decided to give our first spot a chance again, since that is where Jordan got his deer last year. We stayed there for a couple of hours and only spotted 3 does across the hillside. We decided to hike back to our 4-wheeler and take our chances heading up higher again. We decided to hike down into the bowl where the elk normally bed down. Since the elk hunt was the prior week, the chances of elk being there were zero to none. Deer would’ve moved in, or so we hoped.

We hiked in about 3 ½ miles. The trail was well trodden and the leaves were trampled into the soil. We were walking practically silently. We were almost to the clearing when Jordan and I spotted a herd of deer. We stopped walking mid-step. Jordan was right in front of me, so I couldn’t see anything in front of him at all. But, standing right in front of him was a huge 4-point or larger buck. Its rack was so huge Jordan at first through he was an elk. Straddled between two trees, he stood grazing as he slowly walked, stopped, ate, and then continued on. Jordan decided to take a shot. He missed, again, and the buck ran behind a large pine tree. He stayed there for a good 30 seconds before he bolted. Jordan took another shot, but missed again. Down the mountainside the trophy buck ran and Jordan had lost his chance.

I was a little upset, I admit, since Jordan was standing right in front of me and I could see nothing but doe and yearlings. He had a chance with the last buck; this one should’ve been mine. But, it was too late and now he was gone.

We followed them down the mountainside for about a mile before we decided to head back up. Layered in about 5 shirts, a sweater, and a coat, I was getting terribly hot. I had to shed my many layers of clothing and carry them while we hiked. Jordan decided to stay and sit a while in hopes another herd would move through. I told him our scent was everywhere now, the two gunshots scared everything in a mile radius away, and it was getting late in the morning. After spending another two hours on the mountain, seeing absolutely nothing, we headed back for lunch.

After spending some time cleaning and packing, we thought about taking our nap. The morning came much too early and it seemed hiking around 8 miles a day wasn’t keeping either of us awake. But, property owner duties called….

Instead of taking our planned nap, Jordan and I decided to cut down some dead Cottonwood trees. The deciduous trees are trashy, rot from the inside out, and look horrid. I want them all gone. So, we started with 4. We cut them down and watched them tip. We moved the truck as a precaution, and thank goodness we did. One of the trees didn’t tip the way we wanted it to and had the truck been there we would’ve been riding home on a 4-wheeler.

We went back to the same meadow in the evening as we did during the day. Jordan was sure the 4 point would return. I was certain he wouldn’t. So, we hiked in the 3 ½ miles and waited. Guess who was right? I was. I spotted 2 doe and that was it. We decided to hike back before it got too dark and hope to see a buck on the way. We saw nothing, so we headed back to the cabin. We loaded the 4-wheeler, packed the rest of our things, and headed home.

On the way home I received a message from a very sick Nana. She had gotten some sort of illness and was so sick she couldn’t watch Sarah. She went to the doctor, worried she had H1N1, and was told she tested negative for the flu. Her asthma had been acting up the last 2 weeks and her doctor seemed to think her illness was bacterial and not viral. Bompa ended up watching Sarah on Monday, since Nana was too sick and couldn’t breathe. So, I woke up early on Tuesday and drove to Logan arriving just as Sarah had woken up.

I felt bad my mom had to take care of Sarah while she was ill. She came down with it Sunday night, survive through Monday, and felt a little better on Tuesday, but was still sicker than a dog. I packed Sarah’s things up and headed home, stopping at Bompa’s work so he could say goodbye to Sarah.

I wanted to spend the day in Logan, but with Nana being so sick (and Becca, Aiden, and Abby) I thought it best just to leave and not let any more time pass. The less exposure, the better.

Sarah and I spent the day at home cleaning. Not the most fun or favorite activity to do, but it needed to be done. Sarah even tried to help me fold clothes and later that day she helped drying dishes. She’s a very good helper for only being 2.

Now we’re back. Jordan and Anna are heading up Thursday night and staying until Saturday night. I’m taking off Friday to spend with Sarah. I need my mommy time with her. She’s such a doll and I feel as if I don’t spend hardly the amount of time with her as I should. She deserves to have a tentative mother.

All in all, a good hunt and a good trip. I'm looking forward to this weekend with Sarah and am praying she doesn’t get sick.