Actually hunting season starts way back in August if you are going archery hunting. In September for the muzzle-load season, and now it is October - Rifle season. We are up at Fishlake mountain. Doug and the boys all have cow elk tags and elk spike tags. So far, we haven't even seen any elk. We did enjoy listening to general conference. We rattled our brains and bones riding over some of the trails on the 4-wheelers. There's not much water in the ponds up here. Many of them are all dried out.
Doug and I drove to SLC the day before the hunt started, spent the night at his cousin JR's home and then went to the new temple in the "Day Break" area. We ran into Jim & Lynda Shumway, a couple we had met in the MTC who were headed to Australia for their mission. We sat by them in the session. It was fun to catch up on mission experiences with them. Doug and Jim, both die hard hunters, had much to talk about. Then we were off to Pleasant Grove to our "mission reunion". It sure was fun to mingle with our mission family. The time went by too quickly, not enough time to really visit with everyone.
We met the boys on the mountain around midnight. Brandon & Brax and Easton stayed for a couple of days then had to head home. Dusty stayed a little longer. He had truck problems and we ended up towing his truck to Richfield to have it looked at. After a $48 diagnosis fee we found out that his transmission was fried. We left the un-drivable truck there to pick up another day. Doug's uncle Warren and his cousin Kory and family have been there for a week all ready.
For my birthday, Doug insisted I need some camo so I could be styling with him while hunting. I must admit I had a fun time hunting with Doug. I actually got up at 5:30 am every morning and trekked the mountain with him. It was pretty darn cold. I stayed warm under my 8 layers, all except for my hands once in a while. We stayed on the east side of Fishlake mountain. It sure was dry, no water to be found at most of the watering holes. We never saw any elk except for 2 big 6 point. doesn't do much good when you can only shoot spikes and cows. Dusty went home on Wed. to take his trailer and pick up his family. Had to take home the trailers is shifts as we only have one truck to do it with. Had to haul home his truck too.
Thursday night Doug and Dusty went out to explore new areas. They happened to see some elk way up on the mountian that the trail is closed to motorized vehicles, horses and hikers only. It was going to be dark in about an hour when they headed hiking up the trail to the place where they glassed some elk. Quite a hike. While stopping in a small clearing to take a break, all of a sudden there were a small herd of elk busting thru the flat. First they saw a cow, then a spike and calf. They got 2 out of the 3. Now it is getting dark, so they gutted the animals and left them there to hike back down to the wheeler and back to camp for the night. A little more excitement in the air at camp tonight. I got up early, 5:30 am, with them to go haul them out and back to camp so we could break camp and get Cari home for work in the after noon.
Saturday was spent cutting up the meat. Some for bottling, some for jerky, steaks and roasts. We enjoyed attending church in our home ward, and had a great visit with our new home teachers. The kids came over for Sunday dinner.
Monday, preparing to go camping and hunting again, this time up to Indian Peaks with Preston Bishoff, one our our "missionaries". His mission homecoming was on Sunday and he was so excited to come and go hunting with us. More later.....
