Last Time They used Ropes !!

Good Day Wild Utah !! 

Watching these climbers this weekend was worth one more look . This is one of those things that is not on my Utah bucket list. Watching him chip away at the ice, and ice chunks falling away made me think

 this guy is crazy.No one in his right mind would do this. OK maybe taking pictures of a Cougar from five feet is not that crazy right ? Well to each his own.

Last time I watched these guys they were using ropes. There were three guys up climbing in the ice with ropes and this lone climber with out any. I watched them before and they always had a safety rope. This time it was more interesting to watch this guy        methodically work his way up the ice. He would work on each step until he had just the right hold on the ice. He would hack at the ice and drive his hook in several times until he fell secure with the spot and then shift on to the next spot. Maybe just being old makes me feel like its out of my reach. Its cool how we all have such varied ways of enjoying the great outdoors. Every time I go anywhere in the outdoors I see people do so many things that I've never thought of.    Hope you have a great day in          

Wild Day Utah !!

Turkeys in January !!!

          Good Morning Wild Day Utah !!!

     Looks like we are going to continue with the crazy winter weather. It is nice not to shovel snow. I took a couple days off to get out in the field last week. Some times you have to get away from every thing to really appreciate what you have. Thanks honey form supporting me always.

             My wife and daughter and I took a little ride up Provo Canyon. We decided to go up a road we had never seen. It paid off with some fun shots of these four Tom Turkeys. There was just a little sun and it made the colors stand out on them so cool. There was one older long beard and three younger ones. When we were driving down the road my daughter said , " Hey look some peacocks". She was close but, I haven't seen any peacocks that high in the mountains. We loved watching them feeding. I got out off the car on the opposite side of them and started taking pictures. They started getting a little nervous so I whistled at them to get them to look our way for a picture. They were working away from us. I told the girls to make a noise to see if they could get their attention. That was not a good idea. Their idea of a little noise and mine were not the same. City chicks :). Well if you play the little video clip you will hear that a little became a lot . Needless to say the turkeys decided to get out of Dodge. I think I told them to see if they could get them to look over here for a picture. So that literally is what they started yelling. If you turn up the volume you will hear them both really trying to help me out. If any of you gobbler hunters need help hunting your bird this spring ,I'm sure they would be glad to help you. I will know better next time. I was so lucky to have my calling crew with me.
    Well I hope you will enjoy the late January turkey pictures. Like always there is so much to get out and see in Wild Day Utah ! Thanks for checking in.

                       Have a great Monday !       The Bear  !!!!

Antelope Island Bison !!!

                                                              Good Day Wild Utah !

     Another sun shinny day in Utah.How lucky are we ?  Then to top it off we received an email from school telling us that our 13 year old was doing way good in his drama class. That is nice to hear. Keep up the great work. Now I just need to get my camera out and hope for more good news. Seems like some day you have to get up and look for the positive. The morning did have a few bumps. I think that is just life.
     I took some pictures a few days ago at Antelope Island. It's a little hard to believe they actually have a Bison hunt on the Island. My Wife and I drove down pretty close to a few good bulls. They are massive when you get close. This time of year they look pretty rugged. They have such a thick winter coat. We have Three areas in Utah to draw a tag and hunt Bison. The Henry Mountains have the largest free ranging heard in the state. Then we have a new heard just introduced to the Book Cliff area. The last is this heard on Antelope Island. It make take ten to twenty Years to draw a tag in Utah. If you do draw it is a once in a life time draw. So for most hunters it will probable never happen. Just being that close to these animals is so cool. We didn't get out of the car they were so close. If you haven't ever been out to the state park you should do so. The picture on the bottom was interesting. This Magpie was trying to pull one of the long hairs off the Bison's neck .The Bison was getting mad at him and would throw his head back then stand up and shake to remove him. Just as soon as he got him to fly, he would fly right back on his back again. Finally the Bison just went on his way foraging in the snow for the new grass underneath. There is defiantly something very wild and nostalgic about this beautiful animal. They just seem so rugged and have such a history in the West.It is hard to picture thousands of them roaming free. We are lucky to have them in our state. Hope you will get out and enjoy our wildlife. Till tomorrow have a great day.
                                                     The Bear !!
     

Father & Son ????

                       Good Wild Day Utah  !!

     Good Tuesday morning . What a beautiful day it is out there this morning. It's all of 32 degrees out on the thermometer. The sun is shinning and the snow has left for at least one day. I'm sure the resorts are loving the new snow totals. From the sound of the road report it might be a good day to chill and let the roads clear. I'm not real good at the chill thing. I'm already thinking of heading up the mountain. The new snow has got my goat and I have to go play. You can't look at that picture from this morning out my window, and not want to go play in the new snow.

     The heading for today was Father & Son ? It is amazing how the smaller buck on the right could eventually grow to the same size as the buck on the left. They may, and probably do have the same gene pool. It may take five or six years for the young buck to reach this size. There is a good chance that he wont live that long. Hopefully he will go through the normal process of shedding his antlers this spring and start his new larger set of antlers. Pretty cool that with the longer days of light, and other factors the new antlers will start to grow and the old ones will fall off. It takes several years for a buck to mature and have antlers like the larger buck. Soon it will be the shed season. Then the hills become alive with antler hunters to claim their prize. I am guilty of the shed hunting disease. I wish I had a dime for every mile I have walked looking for antlers. Once you have watched a buck all winter and then are lucky enough to pick up his sheds you will be hooked for life. I hope you will get out and enjoy the day !  Hope you are liking the pictures. It gives me a good reason to share. 
                                            The Bear !!

Antelope From Last Week Before the Storms

 Good Day Wild Utah !
     
     The storms finally hit the state. We didn't end up with much snow in the Lehi valley, but the mountains did get a good start. I have seen a few pictures of elk that have finally come in to the valley. I haven't seen any good bulls yet. I've been watching a few little bulls, but nothing I'm willing to go hiking for yet. After these next few storms they will be force in to view.
     By the look of these Antelope I would say that they are doing pretty good so far this winter. Seems like there is a lot of feed and with mild temperatures it should be a good year for them. I drove right past where this heard was bedded and didn't even see them. They were lying down in a field with that perfect color camouflage. They were only 75 to a 100 yards from the road and I couldn't see a one.  They totally blended right in. It wasn't until I was coming back a couple of hours later that  I noticed them.They had begun to feed for the evening. It  is so easy to miss a ton when you are driving and not stopping to look with the field glasses.

     I always thought my grand father walked to slow when we were hunting. It took me years to slow down and spend more time looking than walking. I remember walking with him to go hunting and he would stop and say lets just sit down and listen for a while. I couldn't wait to get going again. Funny how he always seemed to be in the right place to bag his buck. Now I know it was his patience and the ability to listen that helped with the process. He and my father taught me to notice the little things all around us.They both gave me a real reverence for the great outdoors.
     We are fortunate in this state to have all the wildlife we do have. If we will really go stop and look we will be surprised at what we might see. There are a ton of small birds and other wildlife in our valley. Get out and enjoy them. Thanks to this blog I have really started watching and noticing things to take pictures of. I don't leave the house with out my camera. Thanks for sharing it with me.

                                   The Bear !!

Eagles and Hawks

Good Wild Day Utah !

I think this guy fits the name Wild Day Utah. He wasn't to keen on me getting close enough to get a good picture. I tried but he would fly off. He did leave me his meal of cold duck. That coupled with being on two inches of ice,I thought it best to pass. I had to put him in today because the Bald Eagle is one cool bird. I will post some close shots another day. To bad we are just a winter feeding ground for the American Bald Eagle. I would love to have as many in our state as we have during the winter. They will for the most part migrate north as the weather and season change. When the Jack Rabbit population is up we have a ton more in our valley. They are pretty easy to spot flying over the valley with their distinct white head and tail. Sanpete County usually has a number this time of year. Keep your eye to the sky.

The bottom pictures are of a hawk that was flying over while I was watching the eagle have his meal. I remember always dreaming about being able to fly. It seems they do it so effortlessly. I wish, I wish, I wish ! I really don't like cold duck  that well any way. I think that is what you have to eat to be able to fly. Get out and have a great weekend. Check back again Monday for more bucks. Thanks for stopping by.      The Bear !!!

Winter Bucks Showing Their Stuff

       Good Morning Wild Day Utah !

     I hope you have more snow than we have this morning. Lehi Utah still has grass showing. The mountains did receive a little. This is just the beginning of what is to come. I'm looking forward to the snow coming.
     The Park City area is have the Sundance Film Festival this weekend. They are expecting an extra 40,0000 people to visit Park City. The snow will be welcomed there for sure. I know I should be headed up there to take some pictures of the wild life. I'm sure there will be a Wild Day in Utah up there. For some reason walking in totally packed streets just doesn't seem all that exciting. I've never photographed celebrity's. Oh well it would be wild !
     I had to show you a back view of the buck from yesterday. The top picture shows the left buck a little better. There must be something wrong with me because I couldn't wait to get up and share some more photo's this morning. I think that since it is so hard to see any good bucks any more, I really appreciate seeing these. It gives me hope that maybe some day there will be more of these some where. That's not likely to happen with the trend in the deer population.
     It never ceases to amaze me that one hour of walking in the mall and I am beat to death !  Walking in the hills for six hours is a piece of cake. I know it's not for every one, but there are so many benefits to getting out in the outdoors. There is always something that makes you feel like you are part of a bigger plan. I always have to stop and just look around and take in the whole experience. Ok I get just a little carried away at times. I always feel like I am missing something if I don't get out in the wild for a few days.
.
     The bottom pictures show a few different bucks. They always look so cool from the back as they trot away. I could sit there for hours just watching them. I hope you will get out there and enjoy the day.

                            Click on the pictures and enlarge them !                       The Bear !!

Bucks ! Bucks !

    Winter Bucks !!!

     Yesterday I was out in the hills all day trying to get a few pictures before all the storms come. I hope you will check in for the next week because there will be a bunch of Buck pictures posted. You will not want to miss these ! Under the threat of more snow I thought I better get out before I couldn't . The weather report said we will have several storms lined up to come our way. So far it's a bunch of nothing. 
      My wife went with me so she could pick me up after some of the long walks. Thanks honey you saved me miles. At 56 I'm looking for the easiest way to get what I'm looking for. A few years ago I think I could walk with any one . Funny how that has changed lately. How did this happen ? Well it still gets the blood pumping when I find wildlife to shoot. I think the top picture is a shooter buck. They are far and few between any more. It's a great day when you can get any of these bucks in your sights. This buck has great mass. When he would get close to the other bucks that were there his mass stood out. Two of his tines were broken on the ends. If you have ever picked up any deer antler sheds you know that they don't break very easy. It always amazes me to see both deer and elk that have broken off there main beams. That would have had to been some kind of crazy hard force. I watched these bucks for a few hours and did manage to get some great shots of them. I hope you will check in for the next while. It will not disappoint you. It is a real rush to even get to see a good buck. When you get good pictures you know you have been lucky. Along with luck I might add that there is a bit of hard work also. My legs are feeling the extra miles walked in the mountains yesterday. There is always something so awesome about being in the mountains. The second buck in the photo's is a great 3 by 4. He has a cheater on the one side. You will see in further pictures that he is a lot better buck than he looks in this shot. 
     Have a great Wednesday !  Please come back and check in with Wild Day Utah.  What an amazing state we live in . 


        P.S.  Click on the photo's to see them better                         The Bear !!

                       

Sunday Sunrise On Mt. Timpanogos

              Good Day Wild Utah !!

   Sure looked and felt like winter this morning. Now the sun is shining and it looks so nice out side. That is until you step out and it is FREEZING ! Wow was that a change in temperature.
    My wife and I were at Golds Gym early this morning. I thought we would beat the morning rush. It was as busy as I have ever seen it. Usually by the second week of the new year most of the new year resolutioners have given up. Not so this year, it was packed. It's always good to get to the gym after a weekend of eating like a horse. It may have just been that meal at Texas Road house I had to work off . Blackened Samon, it was worth it !
      So just a note or two about this weekends pictures. The top picture was of Sunday morning looking out at Mt Timpanogos. I was awake in bed and could see orange coming through the blind. I jumped up and grabbed the Nikon and headed for the back porch. I sat down and shot a few pictures and the color was gone. Sorry to post more sun rise and sun set pictures, but they are so amazing.
       I had to make one last stop at the duck pond before it turned to ice. This morning it was frozen over. Saturday this Green Head  Mallard Was just enjoying the sun..
       The last picture I hope you can explain to me ! I'm not exactly sure what is going on with this hen duck. It made for an interesting shot though.

       Can't wait for some of the white stuff they promised us will come this week. Get out and enjoy a Wild Day in Utah !  Thanks for checking in. Have a great Day

                                     The Bear !!

Friday the 13th

Good Day Utah !

   Do you ever have days you feel like this ? I woke up this morning and my wife and I went for a brisk half hour walk. Next time I think I better put more than just sweat pants and a coat on. It was 15 degrees out side and by the time we got back I was frozen. My wife has been walking early and was more prepared than I was. She ask me if I had enough on. Being Mr. Macho I thought I did.  I will do better next time. The picture on top was taken a few years ago. It Kind of sums up the day so far. This morning being Friday the 13th I should have know things were going to be different. I have felt like screaming all day. I thought I would try and change my blog a bit and lost all my posts. Needless to say I'm not a computer whiz by any means. So I've been tyring to recover all my posts for the last few hours. When I looked at my pictures this one jumped out at me. Hope you will enjoy it .

The next picture is of a buck I took a few years ago to. I had to try and get my spirits back up. This buck always does that for me. This was in the first week in July. I know he had a lot of growing still to do. I didn't ever see him again. I would have loved to see him in a month or two. He had cheaters on both sides that were pretty impressive.  Well the day promises to get better.  Get out and enjoy !  Have a great day !  The Bear !

California Quail

     Good morning Utah !

  

    Woke up this morning to 13 degree temperatures out side. Not exactly what I was hoping for. Then they added a few more bulls to the bachelor herd we have behind our back yard fence. There are four Angus Bulls already there.They brought in three more this morning. That stirred the pot. They have been bawling and fighting all day. They will stop as soon as they figure out who is the top dog in the field.

      Just checked the temp and it is all the way up to a balmy 27 degrees. Just right to get out and shoot some wild life. This little covey of California Quail stopped in just to make my day. There must be some thing in the grass they like at my house. There were about a dozen of them scooting around the yard. Beautiful little game bird. I was just wondering what I would put in my blog today, and they answered the call. If I were to going out looking for them I probably wouldn't be able to find them. So Bless their little hearts for making my day. They seem to be smart enough to stay in the city where they are not able to be hunted. If you are on the east side of Salt Lake City you may run in to a covey any where. They never seem to stop for a picture. There always on the move looking for better feed. They only fed for about 5 minutes and then they were gone. It would have been so easy to miss them. Yes even though they are in my back yard they are part of a Wild Day in Utah !  Keep the camera ready . You never know what might be happening right out your door.
                                                               Have a great day !

                                                                        The Bear !!!

Remembering Ogden City Police Officers

       If you have watched the news out of Utah today you can't help but be touched. The events surrounding Officer Jared Francoms funeral proceedings have been very emotional for me. He was an incredible man with a love for his family, life and his work. I am so thankful for all those who serve us in these thankless jobs. This was a tragedy and a shock to our state. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families that were affected by this tragedy. As I watched the proceedings of the day on the news I am so thankful for all those who protect our freedom. What a great compliment to all of the officers and the community of Ogden Utah. The turn out was one that will be hard to match. Policemen from all around the country, were in attendance. It was one of their own. The Boy Scouts, friends, and the community of Ogden were all there in support. Yes it was a very hard event to watch, but yet so touching to see the out pouring of love and respect that was shown today. I hope we may always be thankful for our great state . We live in the greatest nation on earth. I add my personal love and sympathy to the families of the officers who were shot. We pray nothing like this will ever happen again. 

 Thank you Officer Francom !

The Bear !

                                       

Finding His Winter Meal

    My wife invited me up to The Olive Garden to eat lunch today. We were meeting her daughters and grandchild there. Well I always tell you to have your camera ready . I did have mine with me . So I told my wife to go in and I was going to try and take a few pictures. Yes this is the same wife that I gave the roses to yesterday. It's a good thing I did. I always get just a little carried away when  I have my camera. It's just  the Olive Garden not that big of a deal if I'm a half hour late right ? Come on I have to follow and shoot. So you say well it's just a Sparrow Hawk. Have you ever watched a Sparrow Hawk stay stationary in flight ? He was doing this watching for his prey below. I watched him several times and he slowly led me away from the restaurant. The thought did come that maybe I should turn around and go join the the lunch party. Just a thought. Salad and soup could wait. I watched him land in a near by tree , so off I went. The coloring is so cool on these little hawks.

    After I snapped a few shots he flew off again. Just my lucky day he headed right back to the Olive Garden Restaurant. He landed on a light pole in the parking lot. I shot a few pictures and then hurried into see how much trouble I was in. I don't think I was missed !  See what just two dozen roses can do .

   The last picture I think shows that he has been here before. Maybe even in the exact spot. 
   
     The name of this picture is Hawk & Poop !

         Have a great day !   Thanks for checking in.

                               The Bear !!!!

OK Guys You Have to Try It !

    Good Monday !

    It's been a long time since I have given my wife flowers. I am here to tell you that it was well worth the time. So cool to see her excitement. I'm not very good at that kind of thing. I just decided it was a good time to get roses and take to her work. I think I forget to thank her for all she does some times. Just a simple thing but to my wife it meant so much. Thank you for all you do Honey!
    I had to take a picture of the roses. This time of year any flower looks pretty cool.   Just Do It !

    The moon picture was from Sunday , just as it was going behind the mountain. It's amazing how big it looks when it gets to that point in the sky. It also seems to move and go behind the mountain fast. I noticed it on my way home and by the time I got my camera from the house I all but missed it .

   The last picture is from this morning up near Alpine Utah. I was fun to finally see a little taste of winter. Crazy how I had to look for enough snow for a picture. With this little bit of snow, it hasn't brought the wildlife down the mountain yet. I hope we get dumped on soon.
   
   Have a great day !
      

        The Bear !!

                                                                                      P.S. The Flowers Do Work :)

Cougar Fever

   Good Morning Utah !

   I couldn't resist putting a cougar picture in today. January is one of the best months to chase and photograph cougar. I think this is one of the most beautiful game species in Utah.  You are very lucky if you ever get to see one of these in the wild. They generally feed at night and are very secretive during the day. Thanks to some friends I have had the opportunity of shooting pictures of several cats over the years. The thrill of the chase and finally standing with in feet of one of these magnificent cats is incredible. I have also seen first hand the destruction they can cause in a sheep herd in a few short hours. There have been days while out tracking their track in the snow I find that they have doubled back and tracked me.  When you are by your self ,and back in the mountains a few miles it can make you think.There is always the feeling that some thing may be  watching you. How cool is that ? I have come upon several deer kills and some elk kills. They usually try and hide there kills in the winter. They will drag them into the rocks , under trees, or any where they think they can hide them. Doesn't that just make you want to get out there and hunt them with your camera ?  I was with one of my sons a few years ago in the winter watching some nice bucks. It was right at dusk. My son noticed a bunch of deer running in front of us about 50 yards away. Then just a few seconds after, here came a cougar on the run right behind them. We watched as he ran several hundred yards though the sagebrush hills. It was so cool to witness. The deer seemed to be far enough ahead that he wasn't going to get them this time.
    Well I know this is short today ,but just wanted to remind you that when you are in the mountains you are being watched ! Maybe if you are lucky  you will also be tracked. If you are really lucky you may get to be close enough to see a cougar face to face. I don't think that will happen. If it does I want pictures.
    Get out there and enjoy a Wild Day in Utah . Till Monday, have a great weekend !

                                                            The Bear !!!

January Geese ?

     Good day Utah !
   
     Can you believe this weather ? It's crazy how warm it is in Salt Lake City today. It feels like we should be golfing or hunting. I put on a light T shirt and it is plenty warm. This is going to be hard to handle if we ever get winter.
   I drove up to Salt Lake City today during lunch time to see my wife. After a great lunch I thought I would drive around and see if I could find any thing WILD .

   I drove past this flock of geese sitting on the lawn at some condominiums. Yes I know these are city geese. Alright you country boys don't get your hopes up. They have been taught where the fly boundaries are. I had to pull over and see if I could wake them up. It must be a hard winter for them just laying in the sun. As you can see from the picture there is a group in the water. If you look back at the mountains you can just see a little bit of snow. This is defiantly not the same winter we experienced last year. The photo looks more like September or October.

   The next shots are of the 200 or 300 that were just kicking back on what was once lawn. I think they have pretty well taken care of the grass. I had to walk right through them to get them to get up for a picture. I think they were just annoyed that I woke them up from their long winter day nap. These are Canadian Geese right ? So why don't get their little butts up in the air and fly north ? OK so I'm having a little trouble with city geese.  They are fun to see flying the skies of Salt Lake City. They make for some interesting photo's in January.  Hang in there with me. You never know what might show up in Semi Wild Utah..  Have a great day !
                                                                   The Bear !!!

Shed Antlers

   Good Day Utah !

   I just took a few pictures of some shed antlers for the blog today. These bull elk sheds have all come from Utah. Elk, deer, and moose shed their antlers every year. They grow them back in a few short months. The older bulls can grow over 50 inches of new antler in just over 4 months.
   Getting them out to day is firing me up for some serious shed hunting. Unless you have gone out and tried this for your self , you might think shed hunting is a little out there. If you have ever picked up a nice bull elk shed then you are already hooked. It is amazing to go walk the mountains of Utah with the intent to find sheds and have success. I will have to say that most trips are a ton of miles with out any luck. The phrase ," Looking for a Needle in a Hay Stack", applies here. If you knew how many elk there were in Utah and how many thousands of acres they roam in you might get a feel for the hard work it takes. There are people so dedicated that they don't miss even one day from March until June. I have left my truck an hour before sunrise to get a good early start,only to watch the sun come up, and some one way above me on the mountain. There is a lot of competition to find and have the bragging rights to certain bulls we have watched all winter. Some days there are more people out shed hunting than there are for the elk hunts. I don't go as much as I did a few years ago. I some how have to go every year until I can find a few. Then I'm always reminded how much work and effort it takes to have some success. When you finally pick up one of these bull sheds you will never forget where you found it. There always seems to be a story behind each one.

    The shed antlers on the top picture I found In Utah county. I had watched this bull for several days up in some ledges. Finally one morning I was glassing where he had been and could see he had shed his antlers. He was in a very difficult place to climb. There were ledges several feet high where he had been wintering. There was still a lot of snow up in that area. It took me about 3 hours of walking strait up the mountain to get to the ledges. I stopped before trying to figure out how to get up there and glasses the area. I happened to see one of the antlers in the middle of the ledges. I couldn't wait to get to that area to get it. There was no one else any where close to me, but I got that feeling that some one would beat me to it. I  finally reached the spot where it was. So cool to pick one up. I knew the other side had to be close. After another hour of hiking ,covering every few feet I finally found the other side. In all it took me about 6 1/2 hours of hard walking to pick these up. Some times I have to ask my self why would some one do such a crazy thing. I know for myself It all stems from a love of the mountains.

     I think if you ask my wife she would not be real happy with all the antlers. Thank you Honey for letting them be in the front room of our house. I couldn't stand to have them hiding some where. I have taken my wife on a few shed hunting trips.She puts up with it but has not caught the fever yet ! 

      Thanks for checking in. Hope you will get out and enjoy a Wild Day in Utah !

                       The Bear

Summer in January

    This unbelievable weather is driving me crazy. 46 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. It gives me the fever to go find the bulls. We should be experiencing getting up in the morning and shoveling snow. Maybe it will come soon. Now I'm spoiled and ready for spring.
     Today I had to pull out some elk pictures and get pumped up for the coming seasons. Just a few short months and the deer and elk will shed their antlers. We are lucky to have the quality of animals we have in this state. There are good bulls all over the state. Finding one of these shed antlers will get in your blood. Tomorrow I am going to post some pictures of elk sheds I have found. They are not all monsters ,but do represent hundreds of miles searching the mountains. So please come by and check the blog Wednesday.
     In the fall some of these great Utah bulls will come out and give us the chance to photograph them. I always feel like I have a close connection to the bull when I get a good picture. If you have ever tried to do this you know that things don't always go as planned. I have walked for miles ,and sat for hours only to catch a small glimpse as they sneak away. These are not the best pictures today , but am hoping they will get you feeling what I feel today. If the weather doesn't change soon I will be in the mountains.
     Get out and enjoy this weather while you can.  
                                        Have a great day !             The Bear !!

  P.S.  The bug was checking out my tripod !  He deserved a shot !

Ice Fishing At It's Best

   Wake up time 5:30 A.M. Cant wait to get theses poles in the water. Yes the much anticipated trip to Scofield Reservoir. I think this had to rank as one of the best fishing trips ever.

    We made several turkey and cranberry sandwiches. We had lots of drinks, snacks  and every thing to munch on needed. The night crawlers and wax worms in the fridge were excited to. Here we go in the dark to make the drive. Preston and I were going to meet my other boys and there children to enjoy New Years Eve Day ! We had five of my grandchildren there ranging from 11 down to 5 years old. Can you just imagine trying to keep that crew warm, tummies full and lines in the water ? It had the potential To be a long and interesting day. Thanks to more preparation from my sons, it was an incredible day. They brought so much stuff that we had to make several trips out with the sleigh to get it all there. You can see from the pictures we had a pretty good trek out to our chosen spot. As you can see we were going out that far to drill  nine holes in the 2,800 acre lake. What are the chances that we will find any thing in a lake that size with nine little 8 inch holes ?

     Thank goodness for modern technology. Ice tents, gas augers, heaters all made this task easy. Every one was so excited to start fishing. First though we had to get all the tents set up. It was exceptionally cold . The wind was blowing and we need to keep the fisher men and girls warm. I'm not sure what the temperature was ,but with out the tents it would have been a short trip. I remember taking out a big metal bar and chipping out a hole. That was not so bad unless the ice was three feet thick. Then came the hand augers. They would get so dull that three grown men would have to help hold down and turn the drill to get it to penetrate the ice. Some times we were so tired that we didn't even care about fishing any more. That has all changed with the new gas auger.
      Well I hope you can see from the pictures and video that things have changed. We had a blast. We all caught fish. It was slow at times, but the master chief would cook hot dogs to keep us all happy. Funny that no one wanted the turkey sandwiches while those hot dogs were cooking away. The kids would venture out of the tent and pull each other on the ice. I think my oldest grand daughter Carlee pulled all the kids half way around the lake. They would get cold, and back they came to fish and warm up.  I think we caught close to 30 fish. Most of the fish made it back into the water. We caught mainly Native cutthroat trout. There are three main species in the lake, Cutthroat, Rainbow, and Tiger trout. We did venture out and drill a few other places but would soon end up back at the tents. We all had a great time . Lots of food , fish, and laughter. It was a blast to watch the little ones catch there fish and get so excited. What a great day. It was one of those days you just hate to see end ,as a fisherman, dad, and grandfather. Thank you to my boys. Don't miss the chance to get out and enjoy a Wild Day in Utah !   
  
 Happy new year to all. Keep the camera rolling !  Thanks for following . If you could share this site with your friends. Thanks                
                                                   The Bear !!