AVID Hunting & Outdoors – Utah Edition – September-November 2015 by IBuildMagazines.com

HUNTING | FISHING | GEAR | OUTDOORS | PREPAREDNESS

INSIDE:

Brian Scott Pathfinder Program 4 Lbs That Could Save Your Life Tournament Fishing

Utah Edition september–november 2015 HUNTAVID.com

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Contents Table of

september–november 2015

HUNTING

08 14 18 22 26 30 34

Brian Scott Pathfinder Program The Devil’s Pitchfork Flirtin’ with 200 Inches Lucky Tag RG3: Buck of a Lifetime Freshly Rubbed High Altitude Adrenaline

8 26

FISHING

38 43

he Thrill of Competition T SUBA Schedule

GEAR

adlands Bow and Rifle Carrier B or Badlands Boots? 46 Weigh Safe 48 Review: High End Coolers 52 Cerakote Firearm Coatings

OUTDOORS

54 56

Hammock Camping Cooking Wild Turkey Underground

PREPAREDNESS

58 62 65

44 65

ame On G Clouds on the Mountain our Pounds of Gear F That Can Save Your Life

DEPARTMENTS

66 69 72 74 76 78 80 4

Spot the Hunters Ducks Unlimited Local Trophies Trail Cam Utah 2015 Calendar of Events Business Directory Spotlight: Shay Jolley

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in AVID Hunting & Outdoors Magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance of this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making decisions. Outside of our staff authors, articles written by providers or professionals are invited authors and represent the opinions of that particular individual, business, group or organization. If an article is a paid “advertisement,” or “advertorial,” it will be identified as such. ©Copyright 2015. AVID Hunting & Outdoors

Letter from the Editors Above left to right: Executive Editors Casey Stilson, Justin Walker, Brandon Walker. Not pictured: Associate Editor Jordan Allen.

AVID Hunting and Outdoors magazine was started by people who are passionate about hunting in Southern Utah. You can pick up any hunting magazine and read all about the biggest and the best animals taken in different parts of the world. But what about the rest of us, the DIY hunters, and the hunters that don’t have an endless bank account? Those are the hunters and outdoorsmen we would like to appeal to. The hunters right here in Southern Utah where we have world-class hunting in our own backyard. Hunting used to be about spending time with family and friends and enjoying the outdoors. These days it has turned into a competition and is all about the trophy animals. Not that we don’t all want a trophy animal, but we want to bring the “meat and potatoes” back into hunting. Get people back to simply enjoying the outdoors, and sharing that vision with our family and friends. We want to show our newer generations the excitement of seeing big game in the wild and being outdoors instead of just seeing it on TV. So while you might not see the biggest and the best animals taken in this magazine, you will see local people and families hunting and enjoying the outdoors right here in Southern Utah. We will strive to bring you updated information, rules, regulations and local success stories. If there is a story you would like to see in the Avid Hunter magazine, please submit it to us. Thank you for taking the time to read and look through your local hunting and outdoors magazine. AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Thank You!

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

We would like to say Thank You to our local police departments!

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

Brian Scott

Pathfinder Program By Southern Utah chapter of Safari Club International

hen an individual is faced with overcoming a physical challenge or disability that is capable of blocking their routine way through life (including hunting), he or she must discover previously unexplored regions of self-esteem, selfworth, courage, persistence, and determination. Through trial and error, success and failure, the pathfinder, with a “never-quit” attitude, works hard to discover his or her own way through life. Each year since 2010, the southern Utah chapter of Safari Club International has sought out such a young man or woman to honor them as pathfinders.

once-in-a-lifetime hunts for these young folks. Now we just needed to find some recipients. Our committee started calling every middle and high school from Nephi to St. George. We talked to the school counselors and told them what we were doing and for whom we were looking. Most of them thought it was a hoax. They couldn’t believe that we would take a sick kid hunting for five days with his/her family and pay for the whole thing. Each year, we have been lucky to have found an amazing kid to whom we have given the Pathfinder award. These young folks have battled cerebral palsy, grand mal seizures, ALL,

Pathfinder – “One who discovers a way into or through unexplored regions.” These young hunters have overcome significant odds to just be where they are today. Most of them are between the ages of 1220 and have a life threatening disease or terminal illness that they are battling. We decided as a chapter that we wanted to create an amazing hunting experience for these young Pathfinders so that they could, for five days or so, forget about their personal battle and enjoy the great outdoors hunting with their families. Needless to say, our beginning was pretty humbling. Not only did we not have a lot of funding, but we also didn’t know of any kids that qualified, so to speak, and we didn’t know what hunting resources were available for us to access as well. However, as we got working on it, things started coming together. Each year, our chapter holds an annual banquet the first week of March. Some of the money that we raise from the banquet goes to fund the hunts for our Pathfinders. The support that we have received from our chapter members, sponsors, community, outfitters, and the state of Wyoming, has been amazing. Through their generous donations of time and money, we have been able to start building

liver cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hydrocephalus, and kidney failure. They don’t have the greatest stamina, strength or eyesight, but I have never seen youngsters that were more excited to be on a hunt with their families than these amazing kids. For a few days, they forgot about their personal health battle and put all of their determination and excitement into their hunt. We literally witnessed miracles on these trips. When selecting a young hunter, we only contacted the mother of the hunter. We wanted everything to be a surprise for the hunter and the family, especially the fathers. Therefore, we would coordinate with the moms to make up some excuse as to why the family needed to travel to St. George in March to attend the banquet. The reasons were all quite novel, but in the end, the family would show up to this banquet not knowing what was going on and wondering why they were there. As the banquet started and the presentation began, I always liked to watch the dad’s reactions. Most of the time, they were more excited about the award and hunts than the kids. The moms Continued on Page 10

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

HUNTING Continued from Page 9

were excited, because the cat was finally out of the bag and they could enjoy and share the excitement with their family. Our pathfinder award is called the Brian Scott Pathfinder Award. Brian Scott was from Hurricane, UT. He was a state champion wrestler and the star running back for Hurricane High School that won the state championship in 2012. We selected him as our 2013 pathfinder. Unfortunately, the cancer that he was battling took his life before we could take him on his hunt to Wyoming. We wanted to do something special for him and his family to honor him. With the permission from his mom and dad, we named our pathfinder award after him. This is now our 6th year in doing the pathfinder hunts. We have given eight kids the pathfinder award. Each of them are truly amazing. I have often said that I have the best role in our chapter. After spending time hunting with each of them and their families, you really get to know and love them. Words cannot describe the emotions that go through your heart as you watch them experience these hunts. One girl in particular had a very moving story. My name is Megan Larsen. I was born August 19, 1999 in St. George Utah. I have lived in the same house in Veyo, Utah my entire life. I had a pretty normal infancy until I was about 20 months old. My mom took me to my pediatrician, because she was concerned about

my stomach always feeling tight and protruding abnormally. My mom, Raquel, was pregnant and worried, thinking I might have a stomach virus or some other illness, and wanted to clear it up before the baby came. After seeing the doctor, they sent us directly to the hospital for scans. The only thing the nurse could tell us when the scans were done was the radiologist was looking at them and calling my pediatrician, Dr.Twiggs. He made me an appointment the next morning at 8 am at Primary Children’s Hospital with an oncologist. We met with the oncologist and did the testing and he confirmed that I had cancer. Three days after my first surgery, I had my first round of systemic chemotherapy. I was good during the 1st treatment, no sickness until a few days later when I got sick and ran fevers. After several procedures and a couple more rounds of systemic chemotherapy (and my hair falling out), they found a spot on my lungs. They thought the cancer might have spread making it impossible to do the transplant, which would have changed the plan of treatment. When they did the scan, they found that it was a bacterial infection, so they did surgery and cut a little piece of my lung out so they could let it heal and then do the transplant. On September 26th the Doctors tried to take the tumor out. During the resection surgery, I started to bleed and was given 52 units of blood and plasma. I also had to have my heart restarted. The surgery started at 7 am and they worked on me until about 10:30 pm that night. The doctors came to tell my mom and dad that they had done all they could do, it was up to me now. I was put in intensive care and they were able to come in and see me. After finding out that there might still be cancer in my liver, the decision was made to do a liver transplant. I had a liver transplant on October 1, 2001 at the ripe old age of two. Other than a few bumps along the way, I have only had one stay in the hospital since my transplant. I’ve done very well. My follow up care consists of meds twice daily; blood draws every 3 months, and a visit to Primary Children’s Hospital one time per year to see my doctors. I’m now 15 years old and will be in the 11th grade at Enterprise High School. I will turn 16 in August. On October 1 of this year, I will celebrate 14 years since my transplant. I have not let my cancer or transplant hold me back at all. I love riding horses and I do rodeos. I also participate in the Dixie Junior Livestock Show where, for the last eight years, I have shown and sold hogs that I have raised and cared for. I have also gone to the Transplant Games, which are Olympic style competitions for transplant recipients. I have won medals all four times I have gone. They are held all over the United States. I had the opportunity to speak to a large auditorium of people when I was only five years old while at one of the games, and I have met a lot of great people. I have also participated in the St. George Relay for Life and had the opportunity to speak at the Relay for Life in Cedar City. I was the Veyo Rodeo Princess attendant in 2012 and was the Veyo Rodeo Princess of 2014. I have loved riding in rodeos and the parades. I participate in High School Rodeo, in which I do barrel racing and pole bending. I love to go hunting with family and friends. My sisters and I can usually beat all the boys when we go skeet shooting. I love to go camping with family and friends. At the annual banquet for the southern Utah chapter of SCI I was awarded the Brian Scott pathfinder award. I was given the commissioners tag for the state of Wyoming. The commissioner’s tag included tags for antelope, elk, and mule deer. In April of 2014 I was given a Remington .270 and started practicing shooting to get ready for Continued on Page 12

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

HUNTING Continued from Page 10

the hunt. Later that year, on September 29th, we loaded up and headed for Wyoming to go hunting. On September 30th, after enjoying snow, rain and wind, I shot my antelope at 481 yards. The antelope scored 71 5/8. Then on October 1st, the 13th anniversary of my transplant, we braved more wind and cold weather and I killed my elk with one shot at 130 yards. The elk scored 321. We came home for a couple of weeks then went back up for the deer hunt. On October 25th I killed my deer at 140 yards. What an amazing experience! At the next banquet for the southern Utah chapter of SCI, I was presented with my elk mount. Words cannot express the level of gratitude my family and I feel towards all of those involved with these incredible hunts. My family and I would like to thank the southern Utah chapter of SCI and everyone involved for the great time we had on this hunt. Megan Larsen In addition to these kids being walking miracles, I have to mention the generosity of many who make these hunts possible. The state of Wyoming has a wonderful program that our chapter has been able to utilize for these hunts. They offer commissioner hunting tags to kids who have a life threatening or terminal illness that are sponsored by a non-profit organization. The people that we have worked with at the Wyoming Game and Fish have been nothing short of amazing. We can’t thank them enough for working with us. Furthermore, sometimes we have special situations where kids

Four Convenient Locations to serve you: Tabernacle Branch

River Rd. Branch

Washington Branch

Sunset Branch

294 E. Tabernacle St. George, UT 84770 435-673-9610

710 W. Telegraph Washington, UT 84780 435-656-5515

1224 So. River Rd. St. George, UT 84790 435-627-1100 1091 No. Bluff St. Ste. 200 St. George, UT 84770 435-652-8200

don’t qualify for the Wyoming tags for whom we want to do something. Such was the case a few years ago. I reached out to a mother whose son suffered from seizures and was legally blind. His grandfather, dad and brother all had animals that they had harvested hanging on the wall at home, and this young hunter’s dream was to get a trophy of his own. But, the chance of him being able to harvest an animal was slim to none. Through a generous donation from Royal Pointe Ranch in Marysvale, UT, this young hunter was able to hunt an elk because of the special regulations on the ranch and harvested a great bull elk. He finally got his very own trophy on his wall. This year, we have received a donation from an outfitter in Alaska who is providing a caribou hunt for our 2015 pathfinder hunter and his dad. Other generous donations from local merchants, like Buck’s Ace Hardware in Hurricane, and others include: binoculars, optics, custom-made guns and ammunition, and a beautiful stand made by Mike Hall to mount our pathfinder’s game from Millard elk, deer and antelope. That is not all, we have received cash, food from Pizza Factory and Lin’s, fuel, and time. Each year I think, “There is no way we can top that!” Of course, inevitably, the next year’s Brian Scott Pathfinder award recipient is as amazing as the ones before and their families are amazing too. Each year, we get excited to take another kid out on an awesome hunt. The goal that we set, I think, is being achieved. There are some kids out there whose dream is to go on a hunt of a lifetime, and our southern Utah Chapter of SCI is making their dreams come true.

Cache Valley Bank is a full service bank with friendly customer service to meet all of Southern Utah’s ﬁnancial needs. Commercial Loans ~ SBA Loans ~ Construction Loans ~ Mortgage Loans ~ Agriculture Loans ~ Consumer Loans ~ Business and Personal Checking ~ Savings ~ Certificates of Deposit ~ IRA’s ~ Safe Deposit Boxes ~ Credit Cards ~ Remote Deposit Capture ~ Online Banking ~ Merchant Services.

www.cachevalleybank.com Fast-line 24hrs customer service (888) 418-5333 12

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

The

Devil’s

’m a local boy, born and raised in Saint George, and I currently live in Washington Fields. For the past 12 years I have been putting in for a coveted bull tag on the Southwest Desert. I fell in love with that area because of the number of animals you can see. I’ve had many cool experiences with coyotes, mule deer, bull elk, badgers, and even happened upon a baby calf elk once. It could barely walk. Year after year I waited in anticipation for the draw results only to be let down. Finally, 2014 was my year! We started scouting at the first of July. We scouted the unit high and low all summer.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

Each trip we came across so many animals, and a few nice bulls. I clearly remember taking the 2 hour trip (each way) from St. George. I also would run up there after work trips and spend the night. I got very good at packing for an overnight stay in my truck. When opening day finally came, many of my lifelong friends and I set out to find a bull. On opening morning, we couldn’t close the deal but later that afternoon we located a bull that I thought was awesome. He was with eight cows/calves. We had never seen him during scouting which made it that much more exciting.

My buddy Tyler Bowler and I crawled about 1/4 mile on our hands and knees through a burn (not easy) to get a good position to shoot from. My other friends guided us in by radio. His cows spotted us during the stalk and took off. The bull just stood still and tried to figure out what was going on. The meadow he was in was surrounded by cedar trees so it would only take him a couple of seconds to be gone forever. I picked a cedar tree to get a good rest on and set up. He was just over 350 yards away. After my second shot my spotters Continued on Page 16

HUNTING

Being a local Saint George boy, Nick McDaniel loves to hunt in Southern Utah

Pitchfork By Nick McDaniel

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

‘‘

The bull just stood still and tried to figure out what was going on. The meadow he was in

was

surrounded

by cedar trees so it

Continued from Page 14

(Zent, Trent, Duke) thought I had missed both times. I finally got the THWOP that I was familiar with on the third shot and he went down. He didn’t go very far from my last shot. We found him after dark and realized that I had hit him all three times. It was like the first two shots didn’t even phase him. Talk about a tough freaking animal. It was a hunt of a lifetime, a very cool experience. He is not a record breaker but his right side is really cool. It’s hard to see in the pics but he has a devil’s point along with all the other goofy stuff that gives him 9 pts on the right side. He had 6x9 total points. We think he was an older bull on his downside, rear teeth were loose. I submitted the teeth and info to DWR and look forward to hearing back on his on genetics/lifespan details.

‘‘

would only take him

a couple of seconds to be gone forever.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

I want to give a special thanks to my friends for sharing in on such a great experience that I will remember the rest of my life. Thanks to Tyler Bowler, Trent Bowler (Veyo,Utah), Zeth Gibson, Duke Barnes, and wife Brittney McDaniel. And a very special thanks to my Dad, David McDaniel for teaching me to love and appreciate hunting/fishing and the outdoors. Nick McDaniel is from St. George, Utah. He is the National Sale Manager for Iwata Spray Guns. Iwata specializes in premium automotive paint equipment based out of SLC. He drew the tag on the Southwest Desert with 12 points. His rifle of choice is a Ruger 300 Win Mag. He is married to Brittney McDaniel. They currently reside in Washington Fields.

HUNTING

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

200

Flirtinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with 18

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

This wasn’t my first hunt but it was definitely the most memorable. With the support of my family, I was able to have an experience of a lifetime.

fter two years of unsuccessfully drawing a general season deer tag, or any tag for that matter, my luck changed. I drew my 2014 general season rifle tag. As soon as my oldest brother Clay found out that I had drawn a tag, the game was on to find me a big buck. He promised me from the beginning that he would be the one helping me out. The youth in the state have the option to hunt all three hunts if they draw an Any Weapon Tag, so I chose to stick it out and hunt with my 7mm-08 during the rifle hunt. The scouting started in early August. My dad and brother Clay decided to put up a few trail cameras in a hunting area that has always been their favorite. Through the summer there was nothing promising; just a group of small bucks and a lot of does that were regularly posing for the cameras. However, there was a big track that we kept seeing in the area so we pursued it, giving it all of our attention. After checking our cameras, and still not connecting the buck to the big tracks, my dad followed his gut and moved one of the cameras to see if we could catch him. We had spent so much time scouting and up until the week before the hunt started, we still hadn’t found the big buck. Needless to say, we were discouraged. The Friday morning before the opener, my dad and Clay drove out to another location in hopes of finding a big buck. With no luck that morning, they went to check the cameras one last time. What they found on the camera my dad had repositioned the week before changed everything. We found the one! It was on. Opening morning found us hiking in the dark, for what seemed like 10 miles, before we got to a vantage point. We sat there and waited, and waited, and waited, just hoping we could find him. I honestly don’t know how my brother could sit for that long glassing, but we were determined. Finally, after what seemed like a century, Clay spotted the buck. The only problem was that he was too far for a shot and going up a nasty ridge, making it hard for me to see Continued on Page 20

Inches

What a Way to Start Out By Kelli Christensen AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

He looked massive as he took the lead of the group of deer starting to trail out. He was so big that all I could do was stare. The next thing I remember is Clay grabbing my gun out of my frozen hands and telling me I needed to follow him if I wanted to get a shot. After a rock climb and a quick sprint down and around the ridge, we found the deer single filing their way out and up a hill three hundred yards away. They stopped near the top and turned like most deer do, to see what was going on. That was the biggest mistake that buck would ever make. I was already prone, bipod out, and with the crosshairs right where I wanted them. I knew it was going to be a

him. We had to come up with a risky game plan to see if we could get in front of the big buck and try to get a shot. We dropped down from our vantage point and swung clear down and around to climb up another point to see if we might be able to find the deer bedded. We could see pretty well but the bowl we were looking into was covered with thick cedars and the wind was not helping. It was blowing right down into the area where we thought the deer would be. As soon as we got into position, we were spotting deer left and right under us and knew it would only be a matter of time before they would get spooked because of our scent. I got situated so that I could get a good shot if the big buck stepped out. The suspense was killing me and I was getting anxious with all the deer staring at us. There were several smaller bucks in there and Clay kept telling me, “Don’t even think about shooting one of them! He’s in here somewhere!” Finally after about an hour, one old doe got nervous and that’s was when things started to happen! Everything started happening really fast! As soon as that old doe turned her ears back and took one step, all of the deer scattered! One of them just so happened to be the big buck we were after. 20

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

tough shot because he was quartering away, looking back right at us. At that moment all of the training, practice, and instinct took over as I slowly applied pressure on the trigger, trying to control my breathing, and BOOM! The next thing I remember is hearing my brother say, “Nice shot Kelli, you got him! He’s down!” All I could think about was getting to my deer. I was already on my way before Clay could gather all of our gear. We came around the corner where I hit him, and there he was piled up in a cedar tree. I was so excited. When I grabbed his antlers and pulled his head out, I thought my brother was going to have a heart attack! He was so much bigger than we thought he was. After all the celebrating, high fives, and tons of pictures, It was the feelings of gratitude and Thanksgiving that took me back and reminded me how blessed I was to have the opportunity to hunt and to have taken such a beautiful, magnificent animal. I was really glad my brother was there to share that memory with me that will surely last a lifetime! It was a long haul out. It really was such a rewarding experience for me and a hunt that I will never forget. I am so grateful for my dad and brother and the time that they put into helping me get my first ever big game animal. What a way to start out! This awesome buck unofficially taps out at 194 5/8”. He is a true trophy and will be a tough one for me to beat.

Free One Week Guest Pass Must be Washington County resident. Limit 1 per guest. First time visitors only. All other club policies apply.

Come Check Out Both Locations

1532 East 1973 W Sunset Blvd. 1450 South, STG. Suite. O. STG. 435-628-5000 435-628-2151

435-628-5000 SummitAthleticClub.com Special offer for:

Free Next Level Training Session Must be Washington County resident. Limit 1 per guest. First time visitors only. All other club policies apply.

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

By ChyAnn Christensen Jurado

had just finished my hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety, and decided to put in for the Spring Bear Hunt. I had never hunted bear but I knew that it would be a blast. I thought there would be no way I would draw on my first year putting in, I mean, who gets a tag on their first year? Plus, I had never been hunting before. Growing up I heard lots of stories from my Grandpa Bert Staheli and my Uncle David Welch about their hunting trips and how rewarding it was after all of the hard work they would put into it. Continued on Page 24

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 23

One morning I checked my emails and I saw one from the Utah Wildlife. I opened it and it and read, “Dear ChyAnn, Thank you for your recent application for the Black Bear Drawing. Your results are: SUCCESSFUL.” I thought it was a joke how could I have drawn a bear tag already? I ran to my grandparent’s house to tell them my exciting news. After I told him the good news, he started to laugh. I asked, “What is so funny?” He replied, “You’re going to have a few people mad at you. I know guys that have put in for a bear hunt for years and still haven’t drawn out.” I guess I just got lucky. I started preparing to go on the bear hunt because I had a lot to do! I had nothing. No long johns, no hiking boots, nothing. The night before we were going to go, I realized I didn’t even have a gun 24

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

that would take down a bear. My Uncle David was nice enough to lend me a gun that would get the job done. My mom had been a little concerned about the whole thing to begin with. She wasn’t sure she was okay with the idea that I would be pursuing a large black bear. My uncle calmed her down, expressing that I probably wouldn’t even get a bear and if I did shoot one, it definitely would not be on the first day. My mom seemed relieved. The next night my friends and I headed up to Bryce Canyon to stay at Ruby’s Inn. We must have got to bed really late because my friend Tyler woke me up at around 4 in the morning and it seemed to me that I didn’t get an ounce of sleep. But it was showtime! Time for us to go find a bear. We jumped into the truck and headed out. A couple of hours had passed of us driving down roads looking for a track. It was a little on the boring side but I liked being out there in the snow, driving around looking for a non-existent bear. I kept

thinking, ”Wow, I have a few weekends of this?” Out of nowhere Tyler says “Track! We found a track!” We got out of the truck and right there is a freaking bear track in the snow. His dogs started to go crazy! Tyler let loose the dog and they took off following the frozen tracks in the snow. We jumped back in the truck and started chasing the dogs. As we were driving, Tyler started yelling at me to grab my gun and run up this mountain with him. I gave it my best shot but couldn’t keep up. After feeling defeated, we headed back down the mountain and climbed in the truck, while continuing to chase the dogs. For the second time Tyler yelled at me to follow him up the steepest mountain in Southern Utah. This time he said the dogs have him bayed again. I ran my little heart out but didn’t make it in time. Frustrated with myself, I got back in the truck again and started heading in the direction of the dogs. This time we drove ahead of the dogs and started hiking up a hill. As we reached the top we looked over the side and to my surprise, there was the bear! I couldn’t believe it! He was running from the dogs. Every couple of seconds he would turn around, grab a dog and throw it like it was a doll. Tyler then urged, “Hurry ChyAnn get your gun and shoot him, he’s going to kill one of my dogs!” I shot! But the first shot didn’t kill him, the second shot was the one to bring him down. I sat there in amazement. Did that just happen? I was so stoked! Now, I might never draw again but luckily my husband James loves “Chasing Tail” as he would say. We go with our friend Jared Heath every chance we get. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and I want to do it again!

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

RG3 I drew a Dedicated Hunter tag and was anxious for the season to start. August finally rolled around and we had already seen some amazing bucks, but there was one in particular that I had my eye on.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

Buck of a Lifetime By Ryan Yardley

hunted long and hard during the archery hunt. I had seen a handful of good bucks but none that I wanted to hang my tag on. The days were long, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always fun to try and outsmart these amazing animals. The archery hunt came and went without success. I soon found myself preparing for the muzzleloader hunt. My daughter Kailee had drawn a muzzleloader tag. We hunted the same area as the archery with the hopes of running into some of the big bucks we had seen during the summer. We were confident that the bucks were still in the area. Kailee connected on a big buck the evening of opening day. We felt confident that it was hit good. We tracked the buck for miles but had to give up the search as the light faded into darkness. We were back on the track at first light, however, the blood soon disappeared and by the looks of the track we could tell the buck was now moving out into new country with no problem. We were both very discouraged. Continued on Page 28

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 27

The night before the last day of the muzzleloader hunt, I called my buddy Mike Nielson to see if he wanted to make one last run. We were up early and headed to our favorite spot. When we arrived, we noticed something was different. It was a very cool morning and there was a slight breeze. There was a feeling of fall in the air. It had been a very hot summer and the cool air felt great. The weather was making the deer move. Mike said, “The migration of the deer is starting. I can’t believe all the deer we are seeing.” We were seeing lots of does and fawns but no bucks. We stopped and glassed several hillsides and small canyons. The morning sun was starting to rise and we were both getting a little nervous because we had not seen anything. Mike had a feeling that we needed to check one more area that we had not been in. We had seen a big buck on our cameras all summer that we had not seen in awhile. We named him RG3 because of his incredible G3 on his right side. We drove to the area and started to watch and glass. We were talking about how fast things can happen during a hunt and how you need to be ready for anything. I was admiring the beauty of an impressive canyon and how I longed to find something worth taking. Mike suddenly stopped and said, “There’s a buck!” He grabbed his glasses and threw them up. Then he said abruptly, “You need to shoot that buck right now!” I grabbed my muzzleloader and bailed out of the truck. I threw the gun up but could not find the buck. I scanned the hillside for what seemed like eternity, and then finally I spotted him. There he was! I could not tell exactly how big he was, but trusted Mike’s judgment and his reaction. Mike is 28

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

a Mule Deer Guru. I knew he must be worth taking. The buck was quartering away about 90 yards up hill. I knew I had to act quick. I placed the cross hairs on his front shoulder and turned one loose. As smoke filled the air, I watched the buck jump. The memory of the right antler flashing in the sunlight of a crisp October morning is forever etched in my memory. We felt confident the buck was hit but how good, I wasn’t sure. He ran full steam following the shot. Thoughts of Kailee’s big buck, which we were unable to recover, flashed through my mind. Anticipating a follow up shot, I reloaded quickly, and sprinted in the direction the buck was last seen. As I ran up the hill, the adrenaline flowed through my body. The realization of shooting a big buck was surreal. I desperately hoped I had hit him good. I slowed to a walk as I quietly surveyed the pines, looking for blood or any sign of the buck. Without notice, there he was, and he was down for good. His antlers looked good from a distance. I hollered at Mike and said, “He’s down, come up here and let’s see what he is.” The buck had ran about a hundred yards and then expired. Mike quickly made his way up the hill, and we approached the buck together. As we got closer to the buck, our eyes got really big. There was no ground shrinkage. Mike’s eyes got extremely big as he instantly recognized the buck as RG3. I couldn’t believe it. We both hugged and shared “high fives” as we had just experienced something that happens to very few hunters. He was a monster with exceptional mass and tall tines. What an amazing experience to kill a buck like this on public land. I want to thank my buddy Mike Nielson for his help. I’m glad he was there to share in the experience. I would also like to thank Travis Roundy for all of his help and for his amazing skills as a taxidermist. The shoulder mount turned out awesome. I had RG3 officially measured with a gross score of 202 1/8” and 190 2/8” net. After the mandatory drying period, he officially makes Boone and Crockett and Long Hunter record books. He was truly a buck of a lifetime and an experience I will not soon forget. AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Freshly

Rubbed Every year my family and I look forward to hunting in the southwest desert, but this year was going to be my chance to fill my bull tag. 30

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

By Jared Nelson I love hunting in Southern Utah with my dad and uncle. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy hunting in the sagebrush in 90 degree weather? If any of you know what it’s like to follow my dad and uncle around the hills, it’s a lot of work! Especially when we get on the dreaded “death march”, where dad says, “It’s always better over the next ridge!” The evening my elk was taken started out with a five mile backpack trip into where we wanted to hunt. This was the same canyon that my dad and uncle had harvested their bulls the previous year. On the way up the canyon it started to rain so we pulled off the beaten path and found a tree for some shelter. The minute we sat down, we looked below us and spotted two cow elk Continued on Page 32

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 31

feeding. It was amazing that we hadn’t scared them off. As we were sitting there quietly, I looked over at my uncle and he is hunched over with his face as red as can be. He looks at me with tears in his eyes and says, “I have to go!” Just from watching the look of so much pain on his face, we just couldn’t hold it in any longer and busted out laughing. No sooner than we did, he stood up and there was a big six point bull that took off running. He would later be called the “diarrhea bull”. After a few unspoken words and a quick stop behind a tree, we set off again. After some distance we could hear another bull bugling in response to our cow calls. We set off after it and got within about 200 yards. He was coming closer and closer and then he just stopped. So we devised a plan to put the sneak on him. My dad set up and called behind us while my uncle and I moved in on him. We took no more than five steps and heard a bugle. The bull was right in front of me! I could see it, and for some odd reason my dad and uncle just took off running the opposite direction to avoid being busted, which as you can imagine didn’t work out. So a few more choice words later and another good bull botched, I was ready to give up. My dad assured me that we would get another opportunity and suggested that we try the same hill that my dad and uncle harvested their bulls on named Madia Mountain. Upon arrival we heard a very faint but distinct bugle of a bull that we instantly recognized as Growler, a much sought after bull that had put the slip on my uncle the previous year. We set out on another “death march”, got into the same canyon as the bull, and started cow calling. We spotted him on the ridge and he was heading our way. My dad and uncle set up about 50 yards behind me and started calling. We could hear him getting closer and closer and then he was right there. I could see him behind the tree and pulled back, he walked out broadside at 30 yards and I shot. All I could see was my arrow hit him and bounce right back out. I knew I had hit him low. He ran about 30 yards and sounded like he was raking a tree so they kept calling, thinking I might get a second chance but then it just went silent. My dad and uncle came up asking if I got him. I told them I didn’t know because my arrow just bounced out. Talk about a sick feeling! After a little tough love and common sense they convinced me to wait until morning. The only problem was they couldn’t convince themselves. So we devised a plan to follow his tracks to see if I had actually hit him. After a 50 yard sneak with my bow, I found him lying under a tree. Talk about excitement! The rest of the night was filled with a lot of yelling and “high fives”! Not to mention our customary celebration Pepsi®! Three trophy bulls taken within a 1/4 mile of each other with three different family members. It doesn’t get any better than that. I will never forget this hunt and the time I got to spend with my dad and uncle. That’s better than any bull I could imagine! 32

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

A bank for the ages.

No matter how old you are, we’ve got the right account for you—and customer service like you’ve never experienced before!

Discover us!

405 East St. George Boulevard | St. George, UT 84770 | (435) 673-1150 | tcbankutah.com AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

HUNTING

By Shane Jones

t was finally the day I had been waiting for. I had drawn the spring bear tag and couldn’t wait to get out and find my bear. I started preparing by making a call to my long time friend, Wiley. He had just recently moved to the area that my tag was drawn for. I let him know that we were going to be hunting for a big Bruin and asked him if he knew someone who could help us get one. Wiley already had someone in mind that he was sure wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to help and of course, it was an excuse to get out with the dogs and chase a big bear. As spring came closer, with Wiley scouting and trying to locate bear, we decided on a specific weekend I would be able to come up and start my official hunt. I arrived on a Friday and met up with Wiley and my new found friend and bear hunting expert, Robbie. He let me know that with his work schedule and family life, Sunday would be the only day he could go but still assured me that we would find a bear. He told me I would need to scout some areas that Wiley had been looking in and find a sign, as he would need fresh tracks for his dogs to run. So I set up basecamp at Wiley’s cabin and got on the wheelers to start the search for a big Bruin. On that first day there was not much of a sign, just a lot of beautiful country. However, on the way back to the cabin we saw what looked like fresh scat on the road so we decided to investigate. While walking around the area, separated by maybe only 20 yards, Wiley shouted with a loud voice while holding his arms high. I scurried to see what was going on and sure enough, we had a bear down the hill. Having only my .40 clipped to my side, I hurried up the hill to grab my .06 but I wasn’t fast enough. The bear had

High Altitude

Adren 34

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

OUTDOORS

ran off. As it started getting dark, we headed back to the cabin with the rush and excitement of seeing our first bear on the first day. We couldn’t wait to get started the next morning and hoped we’d find another day two scat. We woke up early and with another good friend wanting to join me on the search. He had just recently returned from an LDS mission and was ready to help. It was a beautiful day. We covered a lot of country and saw a lot of nice elk and deer but we weren’t having much luck finding any fresh sign. I started to get discouraged. As night was falling quickly and it was getting more difficult to see, we decided to head back to the cabin. While we were sitting around and not sure what to do, the crew showed up with the dogs. We discussed our day and not having a definite idea on where to go we decided to start with the dogs at the location that Wiley and I had our first encounter. We had a plan to wake up before first light and head to the trail where the bear scat was. I laid in bed wide awake, already packed and ready for everyone else to wake up. Finally, we had the dogs and gear loaded and we were ready to head out. As we came upon the spot that we had decided to start, my hopes weren’t as high as they had been the last few days. Robbie unloaded his lead dog and began walking him around, trying to find a fresh scent. He decided to let him loose and his lead dog caught a scent. Off

naline Continued on Page 36

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 35

the hounds went running! The fresh, quiet morning turned into a mountain of howling and barking. My adrenaline was now pumping as I could hear the dogs going crazy. They were a long ways away but all of a sudden they get louder and closer as they were chasing something towards us. I started to get ready, thinking any moment I will have a bear in my sites coming at me. Then through the break in the trees, we saw a few of the dogs chasing a deer. As Robbie looks on his GPS, he said, “I think they might have a small cub treed because the dogs are acting weird.” Half of the dogs went one direction and the other two were moving slowly around the corner. We decided to move up the trail slowly towards the corner the dogs were going to. We walked along, waiting to see what was really going on. As I sat talking with the crew, a few of the guys headed up the trail. The rest of us were tying up young hounds. I started walking up the trail to catch up and I heard Robbie yell, “Get up here with the gun! Hurry! Hurry!” I began rushing up the trail. About 100 yards ahead I saw them looking up. With my heart pumping the adrenaline and high altitude I look up the hill. They are pointing about 400 yards in a small opening and on some rocks there was a huge chocolate Bruin. While fighting off the dogs they say, “Hurry! He’s going to get away!” I drop to my knee and fire off a shot. Not knowing what happened, the guys began cheering and saying, “You got him! You got him!” Everyone starts high-fiving me. I was speechless. There was so much excitement and screaming with joy. We headed up to see my kill but he was not there but there’s blood everywhere. He had ran off with the hounds chasing him. With the GPS showing the dogs about 2500 yards down the hill, we started our long hike down the steep terrain. As we weaved our way down through the trees and sharp rocks, we were on his blood trail and with so much blood we felt it wouldn’t be long before we saw him. The hounds were still going crazy. We saw him still alive and fighting with the hounds. I wanted to try and put another shot in him but I didn’t want to miss and hit a hound. I waited patiently, waited for an opening and BANG! I hit him again, rolling him but just like the last shot, he got to his feet and took off. I started to reload. I’m on him again as he is stomping one of the hounds. Robbie ran in yelling, screaming and charging at the bear to save his hound. The big Bruin ran off so we chased him down. Taking a close shot, I hit a rock. He continued to run with the hounds close behind him. I had another opening with him running away so I put another one into him, rolling him once more. As we all gathered our composure, I noticed my pack with ammo is still up at the top of trail. I pulled my .40 just in case and as we got into the thick trees, there he was, still alive with dogs around him. I got as close as my comfort allowed me to put another in him. He went down for a second but that relentless bear got back up! I shot another 36

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

HUNTING

and then another. I had 10 shots in him and he still wouldn’t stay down. As I gave up one last shot he finally went down for good. I finally got the monster Bruin that I had been waiting for. With all of my energy about gone and everyone laughing with nervous excitement over this amazing hunt, we called in for some help to bring us a sled. Everyone was dying to know the size of this amazing animal so we went to weigh him. After several hours of dragging, we finally had the beast loaded. Not believing what had just happened and how lucky we were, we headed into town to weigh him. We were greeted with several townspeople that had already heard about the big Bruin that was just taken. As I got to share the story over and over with those people and new friends that I had just made, I couldn’t help but to feel overwhelming gratitude for the amazing people that helped me connect on such a wonderful animal and create a memory of a lifetime. I’m especially grateful for the beautiful outdoors that God has created for our enjoyment.

Do you have a new home in your sights? You Need A Lender

You Can Trust Ben McAffee

Loan Officer | NMLS# 275625 BenM@FirstColonyMortgage.com

435.313.2494

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

The Thrill of

Competi

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

ition

FISHING

By Backlash Beau

ne of the great things about bass fishing as a hobby is there are always different ways to test your skills. Whether it’s a tough day on the lake, spending hours trying to figure out your prey or deciding to take your skills to the water and putting them up against other anglers. I grew up watching the pros compete on TV and always wondered what that added to the sport. My first time competing was in a trout derby held on Minersville Reservoir. I don’t remember how old I was, but I couldn’t have been much older than 10 or 11. The Utah chub population in Minersville Reservoir was beginning to be a problem so the Division of Wildlife Resources was going to poison the reservoir. They decided to hold a trout derby and give prizes for the most weight caught and the overall biggest fish. My younger brother and I fished in this derby with my dad and his friend from Las Vegas. We had a great time and did really well and got a stringer full of nice sized trout. Unfortunately, at one point when we decided to try a different part of the lake, we left the stringer hanging over the side of the boat and took off. Most of the fish came off of the stringer. Although we were able to salvage a few of the fish that were floating, we lost most of our catch. We continued to fish and then proceeded to the weigh-in. I remember standing in line with our bag full of fish, ready to have them weighed in. I had feelings of anticipating victory or dreading the agony of defeat. I ran across an old Continued on Page 40

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 39

photo of me standing in line for this weigh-in. I was wearing a hat with a Smallmouth bass embroidered on it and it said, “I cast for Bass”. Hanging from the side of my hat was a bright orange lucky rabbit’s foot. This was back in the day when I believed luck was a main component of being a successful fisherman. I remember just being excited that I was part of the derby. Surrounded by people that enjoyed the sport as much as I did was inspiring. Needless to say we did not fair too well on that derby, but it did give me a glimpse into competitive fishing. Many years later I found myself competing against the local bass fishing clubs for time on the water. It seemed like every Saturday that I decided to go to the lake, there was a bunch of bass boats taking up all the good parts of the lake. One day in particular, while my friend and I were fishing on Quail Creek Reservoir out of my 14-foot fiberglass row boat, that had a 9.5 HP Johnson outboard, there was a tournament going on. We were sitting back off the bank, fishing fairly deep, and watching some of the bass boats fishing around us. One of the guys from the bass boats asked how we were doing and we told him that it was pretty tough bite. We talked back and forth for a little while and then he said, “You should fish with us in the next tournament,” and gave us their website to look up. That was the day my friend and I decided that if we can’t beat them, we should join them. For the next tournament they held, we both called in as non-boaters and drew a boater to fish with. That was it. I was hooked. It was awesome to compete against my peers and to team up with someone I had never fished with before. I learned more about fishing while I fished as a non-boater than I did all those years watching fishing on TV. It was a great experience for my first year. I did pretty well and met a lot of great people. It didn’t take me long to want to advance in the bass fishing club.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

I even spent a couple of years serving as the secretary of the club. When I first started fishing with the club, they would participate in a year end fish-off held at Lake Havasu in Arizona. The club would send the top three non-boaters and boaters to represent them at this tournament. We would fish as individual teams and also as a club, using the three teams combined weight. I really wanted to be one of the non-boaters that fished in that event and represent the club. So that year, I fished every tournament. It was not my best year fishing, but I was consistent enough to land the third non-boater spot on the roster. It was an incredible event. We were up against clubs from California, Arizona, and Nevada. There were 15 clubs and 43 teams that competed. This was by far the biggest event I have ever fished. We spent two days pre-fishing and scoping out the lake. Lake Havasu is a very diverse fishery where you can fish the currents in the Colorado River for Smallmouth bass or you can fish the deep drop offs and brush in the main lake for Largemouth bass. I still remember

FISHING

the first day blast off, the smell of the water, and the sound of twostroke motors idling, waiting to take off. We had a tough first day. We fished the Colorado river for a little while and then we hit some coves off of the main lake. We struggled; we ended up only bringing in two fish with a total weight of 2.13 lbs. We ended the day in 29th place on the individual team results and we were sitting at 9th place as a club. We had some catching up to do on the second day. The last spot we fished before the first day weigh-in was an island that had a man-made structure on one side of it. We saw a lot of fish cruising around the island, but we could not get a bite. This spot was not too far from where they held the blast off so the next day we decided to start fishing there first thing. The mood was a lot different on the boat that day. We started out so far back that any fish we brought in would be a step forward, therefore we seemed a little more relaxed and just tried to catch some fish. This ended up working out for us. First thing in the morning we were able to put some nice fish in the boat. One of the Smallmouth bass we brought in we later found out weighed almost 4 lbs. We caught a limit and spent the last portion of the tournament trying to cull some of our smaller fish. It was time to weigh-in. I had the honor of taking the bag of fish up to the scales. I couldn’t help but think of that day I took the bag of trout up to the scale on Minersville those many years ago. I anxiously watched as team after team weighed in their catch. It didn’t hit me until I was about to approach the scale that we had a pretty decent bag of fish compared to what I had seen. We ended up with five fish and a weight of 14.41 lbs. for the day, which was good enough for first place! It was awesome that we came in on top for that day. It also put a little money in our pockets. Overall, we ended up in 3rd place for the individual teams and as a club we were able to climb our way up to 4th place. Not too bad for some nice guys from

Southern Utah. So far that is the highlight of my bass fishing career. I look forward to fishing in another event like that. The Bassmaster Elite Series fished Lake Havasu this year as part of their western tour. It was fun to watch the live weigh-in online. Aaron Martens ended up winning the event by fishing up the Colorado River. It was awesome to watch some of the country’s best fishermen compete on a lake that I have experience fishing on. The weights they were bringing in were impressive. I think this fishery is actually better now than when I fished it. Tournament fishing is a lot of fun and it adds a different dynamic to the sport fishing. The friendships that are developed and the knowledge that is passed down to other anglers is priceless. I really enjoy the sport of fishing, but doing it competitively increases the rush when you are able to catch a big fish. On the flip side, it also crushes you when you miss a fish or have a fish come off at the boat because you never know if that was the one you needed to win the tournament. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the guys that own boats and are willing to take on non-boaters in tournaments, particularly the ones that I fished with. I really learned a lot about fishing and sportsmanship from these guys. It takes a lot to own and maintain a boat and I appreciate their willingness to let a non-boater fish with them and share in there experiences. Whether it be for fun or in a tournament, get out and wet a line!

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Innovation…It’s What We Do Structural Engineering Services:   Constructability Analysis  Seismic Analysis  Force Protection Blast Analysis &  Design  Alternative Designs for Construction   Cost and Time Saving  Structural Analysis, Design,  Specifications and Construction  Documentation   Field Observation & Construction Management   Steel , Masonry & Timber Design   Crane Design & Analysis

Reinforced, Precast Tilt Up & Prestressed Concrete Precast Concrete Production, Transport & Erection Post Tension Concrete Design Construction Products & Materials Development Structural Investigation & Reports Structural Damage & Failure Analysis Repair, Re-strengthening & Retrofitting of Structure HUD Permanent Foundation Analysis Fire & Disaster Investigation & Analysis

Providing Structural Engineering Solutions for Over 30 Years

Salt Lake City – 801-255-7700 Logan – 435-227-2218 St. George – 435-632-7660

www.mcneilengineering.com 42

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

FISHING

SUBA Schedule September 19th Quail Creek State Park October 10th Quail Creek State Park November 14th Sand Hollow Finale Contact Info: Tyson Lynn: 435-610-0344 Kolby Ence: 435-669-0540 kolbyence@gmail.com We are a club for fishermen of varying fishing experience to have fun and compete in Southern Utah Region bass fishing tournaments. Join today and fish with us in the next tournament. Southern Utah Bass Anglers is the perfect option for those looking to improve their skills, make friends, and catch some big bass!

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

GEAR

Badlands Bow and Rifle Carrier or Badlands Boots? By AVID Crew Member

Badlands is making the task

of transporting a bow and rifle easier than ever. Here are two

new products that Badlands has come out with this year.

or those of you that own the very popular Superday Pack by Bandlands, you know that it comes with its own little carrier boot. While the stock boot is adjustable, the problem is that some rifle’s stocks will not fit in it properly, making it easy for the rifle to fall off the pack. The same thing will happen to the bow if it’s not properly attached. Badlands has solved these issues with the new rifle and bow carriers. They’ve used the same convenient design of the pack while adding more protection to your bow and rifle. The bow carrier is very easy to attach with just two snaps of the buckles. When strapping the bow on whichever pack you own (in our case the Superday and Stealth), the carrier gave our bow some real added protection around the bottom cam and limbs. We loved the fact that it held the bow very tight, with no way of wiggling out. The only issue we found was that Badlands has updated their buckles over time. On two of our older Superdays one of them had the newer style buckles and one didn’t. All our newer packs were fine. But either way, one phone call to Badlands will solve the issue. They have buckles on hand for anybody that needs them, and Badland’s customer service is the best you will find. They stand behind their products 100%. The bow and rifle boot will fit any of the badlands packs with the correct buckles. For more information about these and other great products visit bandlandspacks.com The boots are fairly cheap, and can be purchased at Badlands web site for $19.95. If you have purchased a badlands pack, these boots can be a great added feature to help stabilize your most expensive pieces of equipment.

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

GEAR

WEIGH SAFE:

THE HITCH THAT SAVES LIVES

ll of us that tow something on a regular basis have played the “hitch game”; trying to figure out how much drop or lift we need with a particular trailer or boat. While there are a variety of choices out there that will get the job done, there are not a lot of hitches that boast safety. Weigh Safe, however, is a very safe option. The Weigh Safe Drop Hitch takes the guesswork out of hooking up a trailer by using a tongue weight scale that’s built right into the hitch. It’s located in the portion of the hitch shank that holds the stainless steel ball. Weigh Safe measures the downforce on the hitches ball. That force is then displayed on the dial gauge that conveniently shows what is considered a “safe” or “dangerous” weight. Tongue weight is the downward force that the tongue of the- trailer applies to the hitch of the tow vehicle. Most experts agree that an acceptable tongue weight for any trailer is somewhere between 9 and 15 percent of the gross trailer weight (GTW). Therefore, if

Your hitch has been trying to tell you something. We gave it a voice. Learn more about the hitch that saves lives: www.weigh-safe.com

you’re towing a 5000lb trailer, the tongue weight should be measured at approximately 500lbs. It all comes down to being safe while pulling a trailer. If the tongue of the trailer does not have enough weight to apply downward force on the tow vehicle’s hitch ball, the trailer’s tongue weight is too light and a dangerous condition called “trailer sway” could be the result. On the other hand, if there is too much weight on the trailer’s tongue, this can cause vehicle sag and problems with your vehicle’s steering abilities, visibility of the driver, and the effectiveness of the vehicle’s brakes. Weigh Safe hitches come in two different shaft sizes: 2” and 2 1/2”. It also comes with your choice of a 4” drop hitch and ranges up to a 10” drop hitch. It includes a 2” ball and a 2 5/6” ball. We tested the 2” shaft Weigh Safe hitch with the 6” drop. The quality is superior; the fit and finish of these hitches are built perfect. The machine works in these hitches are the best I have seen. There is no slop in the hitches, which both of my other popular adjustable hitches have and it can be very annoying. I have never used a more convenient or better-designed drop shank hitch setup. The Weigh-Safe Hitch gives you piece of mind knowing that you are towing a trailer in compliance with the vehicle and hitch manufacturer’s safety guidelines. So how do you know if you have too much or too little tongue weight? The answer is simple: buy a Weigh Safe hitch. For more information, please visit: www.weigh-safe.com.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

REVI EW

High End Coolers

By AVID Crew Member

Are high end coolers worth the money? I decided to do a thorough review on some of the top cooler brands to see if they were as good as they seemed.

’m sure some of you reading this have gone through dozens of coolers in your lifetime. I know I have! I probably buy a cheap new cooler every other year. I don’t know where they all end up, but someone out there is getting a lot of my free coolers. I have a problem keeping them, but half of that problem is that I just don’t care enough about them. I have always purchased the most inexpensive cooler the store had to offer. Two years ago while hunting with a friend, I couldn’t help but notice the cooler that he had brought with him. It was a YETI™ cooler. We started talking about it and he told me that when they went to Lake Powell, the ice lasted 4 days in over 100 degree heat while the cooler was sitting in the sun on the beach. My first thought was, “Yeah right. Prove it.” As time went on I started to learn more about these coolers and the claims that these big cooler companies were making about them. I also thought about how nice it would be if they were true. How would it be to go camping for over a week and still have ice in the cooler? One of my biggest pet peeves is warm drinks. Not only have I wasted my money on coolers, but I’ve also wasted time, gas, and money driving into town to buy more ice. Fast forward a couple of years and I now know a lot more about these coolers and the benefits of owning one. Some of the coolers, being high end and very reliable, can be a bit pricey. If you are thinking about buying one, and need to convince a partner or spouse (like I did), I will give you some good ammo to justify spending the money. There are many brands to choose from, but the ones you see most around here are the Pelican™ and YETI™. The YETI™ was the more expensive out of the two, and after days of research I never could come up with a straightforward answer as to why that was. Was it because they had a better name, warranty, there ice retention was better, or because they are grizzly proof? When searching reviews and reading other people’s opinions, they both seemed to have a great name and were reputable companies. Continued on Page 51

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

GEAR

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Testing the coolers: A: Cooler setup. B: Ice after 11 hours. C: Ice after 20 hours. D: Ice after 26 hours. E: Ice after 35 hours.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

GEAR

Continued from Page 48

The warranty on the YETI™ coolers gives a 5-Year Limited Warranty against defects in material and workmanship. For the Pelican™ coolers they are guaranteed for LIFE. So you have to give it to Pelican on the better warranty. Also, I did want to mention that both coolers are made in the U.S.A, but the YETI™ does get some of its parts from their facility located in the Philippines. Another thing to keep in mind is the weight. The YETI™ Tundra 65 weighs 29 lbs while the Pelican™ 65qt Elite comes in at 48lbs, so if weight is an issue, the YETI’s are much lighter. A far as being bear proof, they both are Certified Bear Resistant. Now, for which has the better ice retention. Pelican claims they have a 10 day ice retention in 90 degree heat properly loaded to capacity. YETI™ does not claim a number of days on how long they will hold ice. I decided to do my own ice retention test to see which one performed the best. The three coolers I tried out were the Igloo™ Polar, YETI™ Tundra, and Pelican™ Elite. I got three blocks of ice and placed them in each cooler. The coolers were all the same temperature when I started. I started at noon, just before the hottest part of the day. All three coolers were in direct sunlight and the temperature that day was around 105 degrees. The first time I checked the ice in the coolers, it was 11 hours later. All three blocks of ice were pretty close to the same. The Igloo’s block was the smallest but not by a lot. I decided to check back at 20 hours, and at that point, the Igloo’s block had completely melted. The other two cooler’s ice blocks were still neck and neck. At 26 hours, the remaining two blocks of ice in the YETI™ and Pelican™ were getting smaller but still pretty close in size. At 35 hours the Pelican’s ice block was gone. The YETI’s ice block was very small also but it did have more size to it than the Pelican’s ice. Based on my experiment, the YETI™ seemed to have the best ice retention. The Pelican™ was not far behind, and for a while I thought the test was going to be dead even. Obviously there are a lot of factors that can contribute to better ice retention, and each of these cooler companies have tips for packing a cooler on their websites. So which is the better cooler? That is going to be different for every person. Some people may not need really good ice retention as they only need ice for a day or two. On the other hand some people going on a week long camping trip may need the best possible ice retention money can buy. I always consider a company’s warranty. If they guarantee their products, it makes it very hard for me to pass them up. **We are not endorsed by any of these companies, and have no obligation to any of them. We just want to give an honest review for the average person that does not want to do all the research themselves.

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Cerakote Firearm Coatings “When it comes to durability, nothing can beat a Cerakote finish.”

hese days it seems most folks in Southern Utah and surrounding communities own at least one gun, especially the tactical style firearms. What was once a limited number of friends having an AR or pistol, now it seems we all share in the pleasure of ownership with most of our friends. Gone are the days of being the only guy on the block with one. Need something new to be unique? Have you heard of Cerakote Firearm Coatings? In the quest for something to set one gun apart from the next, there are many options of coatings out there. Duracoat, Hydrodipping, and Gunkote, to name a few, but one that outperforms all of the current available options out there is Cerakote. Sure, you can apply a Duracoat finish to your rifle or get your gun stock dipped with hydrographics, but will it last? Probably not for long, especially if the firearm is used in the field. That’s where Outlaw Custom Guns & Coatings steps in and offers a Cerakote Firearm Finish to customers in our area who are after the best and push their gear to the limits, whether in the field or on the range. So, what is Cerakote exactly? To put it simply, Cerakote is a ceramic based finish that can be applied to metals, plastics, polymers and wood. The unique formulation used for Cerakote enhances a number of physical performance properties including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

and hardness. Not only does this state-of-the-art technology outperform any competitive coating in the laboratory, but in real world applications as well. When it comes to durability, nothing can beat a Cerakote finish. Cerakote finishes are more durable than any other type of firearm finish that can be sprayed, chemically adhered and plated. Although Nickel and Hard Chrome are some of the toughest finishes available, color choice is pretty limited to chrome and nickel. As far as wear goes, Cerakote is not a “cure-all” solution as it is natural for an item to wear due to heat and friction, but will last if it is properly taken care of like anything else. One awesome advantage to Cerakote is that it can be 100% custom and unique. If you are the type of person looking for something unique, themed or “way out there,” Cerakote is definitely for you. If something simple is desired, that result can be achieved as well. Many people who have standard hunting rifles or shotguns choose to go with a single matte color to better camouflage their firearms in the field without going overboard, all while protecting them from the elements and giving them that “custom” look. Rust is a major enemy for hunting rifles, especially those who use their rifles in pursuit of game. It seems like almost everybody who spends any time in the field has been caught in a rain or snow

GEAR

storm and put their guns away in a case to keep them out of the weather while they were still wet, telling themselves that they will get it cleaned up when they get home. Life tends to get the best of us and we forget about that rifle in the case for a couple days. It doesn’t take long for rust to get its grips on that weak blued finish and cosmetically destroy a gun and then we are left with figuring out how to get it cleaned up without further damaging the finish. Cerakote is the solution! That rifle can be refinished in the same blued color, but with an extremely strong coating that will let you keep that gun in harsher elements longer without fear of rust ever again. Another advantage of Cerakote instead of others, are the limits that you can push your equipment. For the hunter or shooter who gives a beating to their gear, you can be sure that a Cerakote finish will be there to protect your gear from the harsh punishment seen

in the field. In our own tests, an AR and Glock pistol with custom coatings were able to handle road rash, acetone baths, being soaked in gasoline, fire/heat, and many more tests to create the harshest punishments we could give. Cerakote isn’t just for guns as anything can be coated. Bows, optics, auto, ATV, etc. They can all be coated by Outlaw Custom Guns & Coatings in our facility in Cedar City, UT. Everything for the basic refinish to the extreme airbrushed AR-15 to an entire car or motorcycle. When choosing a coating for your hunting equipment or shooting gear, go with the best finish possible – Cerakote done by Outlaw Custom Guns & Coatings and backed by our Lifetime Warranty! For more information or to get a quote, visit us at: www.OutlawActionSports.com

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

By Zak Johnson

Camping

I recently relocated back to southern Utah after 10 years away. I’m a native of St. George but never really appreciated the incredible natural landscapes that had been, literally, in my backyard. Now older and more reflective, I am determined to explore the abundant natural scenery. In that pursuit, I started looking at picking up some decent camping gear. As I browsed the camping section of my local sporting goods store a small bundle of bright fabric, no bigger than a few slices of bread, caught my eye. It was a hammock, and boy was it tiny. Intrigued, I took to the internet for more information. A simple google search plunged me to a world I had not yet known, hammock camping. “Wait, you sleep there? like... at night?” I found myself answering this question more than a few times during a recent family reunion held in the mountains just off Utah’s scenic highway 89. “Yes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way” was my typical response. Even my 54

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

wife, despite her displeasure at now sleeping alone in the tent... with our two kids, enjoyed seeing the reactions of our distant relatives as she introduced me as her husband ‘who sleeps in that hammock over there.’ I know my extended family thinks I’m nuts, the hammock thing was just further confirmation, but I don’t care because I sleep great! I love sleeping in a hammock, even more than sleeping in my own bed. I wake up without a hint of grogginess or back pain, completely refreshed and just plain happier. Some claim that hammocks are superior to beds for several reasons, but all I know is that I sleep much better and wish I slept in it more. Aside from helping me sleep better, my hammock is also easier to setup and take down, more versatile, lighter, and smaller than a tent. Now, hammocks aren’t all kitten whiskers and puppy noses, they have drawbacks, but not many. After a thorough and completely unbiased analysis, here is a brief list of the pros and cons of hammock camping:

OUTDOORS

on each end, making them look flat and more ‘bed like’. They are terrible, don’t use that variety and you won’t fall out of your hammock. Q: Can you sleep on your side? A: Yes, and I sometimes do! I’m a side sleeper in my regular bed, but sleeping on my back in a hammock is so comfortable that I don’t usually feel the need to move on my side. Q: What about insects and animals? A: Nearly all nocturnal insects and animals travel on the ground, I personally haven’t encountered any insects or animals yet, and most hammocks have a bug net option if you want it. Q: That hammock looks curved. Isn’t it bad for your back to sleep like that? A: Your hammock should be curved, but your body should be positioned diagonally across the hammock, making you lie nearly flat (Google it for illustrations). My back has never felt better after sleeping this way.

Pros • Size. Hammocks are lighter, easier to pack, setup, and take down than most tents. • Cheap. A good hammock will cost no more than $100 with straps. You can add features like a rain fly and bug net at a total cost of $200. • Comfortable. No more rocks or roots in your back. Need I say more? • Versatile. Hammocks aren’t just for camping, you can set it up in the backyard, at the park, even indoors. Cons • Privacy. Though you can rig a hammock setup for some privacy, tents do offer more in this category. • Location. Like tents, hammocks need certain conditions (anchors) to be usable.

If you are interested in giving this a try, be warned that you might not ever look back. If you do make the leap, here are a few pointers to get you started: 1. Get a double hammock. It’s wider than the ‘single’ variety and you will be glad for the extra space, despite the small increase in size, weight, and price it’s worth it. 2. Use webbing to strap your hammock to trees, rocks, vehicles, poles, whatever. Webbing stretches a little, but it will spread the weight of a loaded hammock and prevent damage to the objects you are anchored to. 3. Bring a small tarp or rain fly with some paracord and a few tent stakes. This is not only useful to keep you dry, but it provides great shade during the day. Siesta! 4. Set up your new hammock before you take it into the wild. You’ll want some time to figure out this new sleeping system before you need to use it. Happy trails!

I racked my brain for more cons to make it feel more balanced, but these are the only two for me. Honest! Now, I know you have some questions, so here are a few of the most common ones I’ve been asked (and have asked myself ): Q: Don’t you get cold? A: No, with an underquilt or sleeping pad below and a good sleeping bag and liner on top, I am very warm even on cold, windy nights. Q: Aren’t you afraid you will fall out? A: N o, good hammocks envelop you and prevent you from falling out. The only hammocks that you fall out of have a spreader bar AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Cooking Wild Turkey Underground

It is amazingly more tender and moist than anything you can buy.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

any people think that wild turkey is a terrible tasting animal because of the different food that the birds consume. I have heard that they taste like sage or had a gamey flavor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wild turkey can taste better than regular store bought turkey any day of the week. It is amazingly more tender and moist than anything you can buy. It just has to be prepared properly. I like to flay the breast off a wild turkey which takes no time at all. Pluck the feathers off the chest and tear open skin. Some people like to leave the skin on but I find it gets in the way and adds an additional unusual taste to the meat. You can use a tenderizer if you like but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it needs it as long as you can keep it underground for at least 10 hours. The best time to eat the turkey is immediately after cutting it off the breast, if this is not possible make sure you cool the meat properly. Place the meat into a bowl of tin foil and then add any seasonings desired. Turkey is probably one of the most plain tasting meats out there so I like to add some very flavorful dry seasonings. Put in at least a half of cube of butter or margarine to help with flavor as well. Wrap the meat with at least 3 layers of tin foil. Dig a hole two feet under the ground and make sure you fill it roughly six inches full with piping hot coals. Place the tin foil meat package in the ground and cover the meat with another six inches of coals. Cover the rest of the hole with dirt and wait for at least ten hours. Many of the skeptics that read this wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that a wild turkey could taste very good but in my opinion it is better than turkey dinner at Thanksgiving. The meat is delicious.

OUTDOORS

For all of your Custom Cabinet and Woodworking needs!

Call Today for a FREE Quote! 435.669.7460 www.PRWoodworks.com AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

By The Gun Barrel Team

Over the last 10 years, mainstream America has begun to understand what hunters and outdoorsman have long known – game meat is delicious, healthy and offers a wide variety of ways to prepare. Elk, venison, buffalo, boar and a variety of large and small game have been popping up on restaurant menus in a variety of forms. From steaks to burgers, deep-fried bites to brats, both restaurant and at home chefs are finding new and innovative ways to prepare game meat. The health benefits of consuming game meat are a significant driver of the dishes rise in popularity. Game meat is significantly leaner, and therefore contains less fat, than other forms of red meat. Availability is also a huge factor. Commercial elk farms have cropped up around the globe, providing a steady source of high quality meat. As the public’s demand for game meat grows, so do the

opportunities to prepare the dish in innovative – and delicious – ways. The Gun Barrel Steak & Game House in St. George, Utah has been developing and testing game recipes for more than two decades, perfecting the preparation, seasoning, sauces and accompaniments to bring out games’ best flavor. The first Gun Barrel Steak & Game House originated in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 1993 in what had formerly been the Wyoming Wildlife Museum and Taxidermy. The St. George location opened in the summer of 2005 and is widely known for their collection of wall mounts, western memorabilia and rustic lodge atmosphere. Over the years, the Gun Barrel has separated itself from the pack with expertly prepared and deliciously seasoned game fare. The restaurant serves up a wide variety of game meat including buffalo prime rib, buffalo sirloin, mesquite grilled elk steak, buffalo ribs, elk

Southern Utah Restaurant Serves Up Tasty Tips for Preparing Elk & Game Dishes

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

PREPAREDNESS

medallions and buffalo bratwurst. They source high quality, farm raised game to ensure a balanced flavor, garnering the restaurant the distinction one of the Top Ten Best Game Restaurants in America (DailyMeal). The Gun Barrel General Manager Julie Morgan and Executive Chef Michael Caraman and his team are sharing their tips on best practices as well as recipes for preparing game with AVID readers.

and more milder in flavor. Tenderizing the meat is also critical. For best results, place your cuts of meat in the freezer for about thirty minutes – so it’s cold, but not frozen. Place on a cutting board and pound using the pointy side of a meat mallet. Pounding with a mallet breaks down the fibers of tough cuts, making it much easier to chew. Other tips to help tenderize game meat include aging and searing the meat at high temperatures. To cook many of their game steaks, the Gun Barrel uses their open mesquite wood grill. The mesquite wood creates a flavorful and distinctive taste. Using wood fired grills works great for game meat, according to Chef Caraman, providing a perfect compliment to elk, buffalo and venison in particular. Using game meat for brats has also become increasingly popular. The Gun Barrel utilizes less tender parts of game animals to make buffalo and venison brats. For smoking, the Gun Barrel utilizes smoke from their mesquite wood and smokes for approximately 45 minutes.

Tips for Cooking Game Meat According to Morgan, the biggest mistake people make when preparing any game meat is overcooking it. Cooking game meat to its ideal temperature is critical. Morgan recommends cooking game meat ‘rare’ to ‘medium rare’ to ensure the best flavor and tenderness. “People have a tendency to overcook game meat, which makes it very tough and chewy,” Morgan said. “Because of how lean game meat is, it’s going to be its most tender and flavorful cooked medium rare.” Ensuring the meat is as tender as possible is also an important aspect of preparing game meat. Many factors contribute to how Continued on Page 61 tender the meat will be – diet of the animal being chief among them. Restaurant game dishes are mainly made from farm raised animals, who are fed grain, oats and dry hay. In comparison to wild game whose diet is forged in the woods and on the range, their meat is more tender In search of aw Elk dish com inning recipe for you r elk? The G bines tende un B rp sauce. They start with te an-seared elk medallio arrel’s signature Velve t n ns with a rich and coat in der elk med a special ru demi-glace b. The rub co allions (about 2 inches white pepp in diameter) nta er, cup nutme 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup g ins 1 cup of dry musta g, 1/4 cup g rd, 1/2 cup round clove o round ging er and 1/4 cu s, 1/4 cup cinnamon, 1 f The chef pa /8 p of basil. n sears the medallions degrees un on both sid til medium es rare. He the sundried to n sautés mu in olive oil at about 35 matoes and 0 shro flames off in with our de mi-glace sa red wine. H oms, green onions and uce and ad e combines Caraman b ds tw the ring minutes. Po s the whole mixture to o tablespoons of butt vegetables er. Chef ur over the a b o il and le elk medallio ns and dinn ts simmer for about tw Is your mou er is served th watering o . yet?

Velvet Elk Recipe

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

PREPAREDNESS Continued from Page 59

Cooking Elk Elk has quickly become one of the most popular game meats in the country. The taste of elk is very similar to beef, except elk tends to be a bit more flavorful. Elk is a an incredibly lean meat, with 22% fat as compared to 33% for beef and 35-47% fat for lamb. Elk meat is not only tasty, but is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than traditional red meats. And its consumption in the United States is on the rise. While many restaurants use high quality, farm raised elk that is mild enough in flavor and tender enough in quality not to require a marinade, wild elk meat is perfect for a light marinade. The marinade can not only enhance the flavor and take away the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;game-yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; taste, but keeps the meat moist. Since elk is very low in fat it is tremendously important not to overcook. Elk tends to cook quicker and, if overdone, will dry out quickly and become tough. When cooking an elk steak or burger, be sure to leave some pink in the middle. It is recommended that elk not be cooked to more than 130-140 degrees. At 150 degrees, the meat begins to dry out. Once prepared, be sure to let elk meat rest in its juices before cutting. Use tongs when turning or picking up the meat. A fork will pierce the meat and cause some of the flavorful juices to escape during cooking. Game on!

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Clou on the

Mounta By Glen Webb

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

PREPAREDNESS

uds

tain

t was the October deer hunt and we were chomping at the bit to go. Two teenagers and one semi-responsible young adult - me, my nephew and my older brother. We were set to hunt a rugged bench on the west slope of Boulder Mountain. This was a traditional hunting area for my family. It has a diverse terrain with cliffs, debris covered slopes, creeks, small lakes, boulder fields, brushy meadows and stands of pine and aspen. We got a late start the day before the hunt. We hit the base of the mountain in the dark and found it blanketed in a foot of snow. The dirt road up the mountain was a slushy mess. Our run up the mountain was executed with “down on the farm” physics. Keep your momentum, ride on the bumper when you need more traction, jump off the bumper and push through the muddy, slushy bogs, slide the bends like you’re wearing church shoes on ice - and don’t stop no matter what. We reached our campsite - a small meadow next to a creek full of stunted trout. Soaked with sweat, mud and melted slush we hastily set up camp. Then, filled with hot chocolate, junk food and the anticipation of the next day’s hunt we crashed into our sleeping bags. We woke early to fresh snow. Buck fever hit before we stepped out of the tent. Deer tracks were everywhere - some within feet of our tent. Conditions were perfect for hunting. The snow had the deer on the move and it was so fresh we could hunt with deadly silence. The low, dark clouds would blanket us with another layer of silence and allow us to move in low light throughout the day. Continued on Page 64

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 63

After downing a hasty breakfast of more junk food, we were off. We followed tracks southwest and down the mountain. We stillhunted through the morning and into the early afternoon. Does and fawns, does and fawns, and more does and fawns. Slowly we realized the bucks were still up the mountain in the safety of craggy cliffs and lodgepole pine blow-downs. Time to regroup, rethink and make a new plan. Buck fever had narrowed our focus to only deer. As the fever eased we took stock of our surroundings and noticed the clouds again. Those clouds. Those low, dark clouds ominously swallowing the pines from the top down. The grey mist just above our heads was so thick we couldn’t see the tops of the trees. An instinctive feeling emanated from what scientists sometimes refer to as the reptilian brain. Not a thought comprised of words - just a feeling. We weren’t safe. We needed to go. We needed to go now. We crafted a five-word plan. “Let’s go back to camp.” However, my brother wasn’t with us. He had just crossed a point only 100 yards away. My nephew and I split up. I took off to catch my brother and my nephew turned to hunt his way back to camp. A quick 100 yards and I hadn’t picked up my brother’s trail. I assumed I had crossed the point below his tracks. Angling uphill and bearing northeast would have me catching his track in no time. But it didn’t. Now the clouds were so low that I was sure I could reach up and touch them. Clouds head high and no brother or nephew in sight had me in a slight panic. I kicked it up a notch determined to catch my brother’s track and find him. I was twenty minutes into a steady march with clouds still just above my head when it happened. I stumbled out of the trees at the top of a shear cliff. The mountain broke away at my feet and the whole western valley lay before me. It was a magnificent sight that left me scared and bewildered. Exhausted I dropped to my knees. “Where am I?” I had been moving uphill the whole time. What I

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

was seeing just couldn’t be. Logic returned and brought with it the realization that I was wrong and likely lost. I hadn’t been moving uphill. I had been moving slightly downhill on a long bench until it came to an abrupt end. With that I realized the creek that ran next to camp was my lifeline. We crossed to the south side of the creek when we left camp. I was still south of the creek. Keep the western valley on my left and head north until I reach the creek. Follow the creek upstream to camp. Ten minutes later I found the creek. Heading upstream and actually climbing up the mountain, the clouds swallowed me up. I hugged my lifeline as I hiked up through the grey mist. The trees gave way to a small meadow and there was my nephew standing next to the creek. Naturally I asked if he had seen any bucks. A simple shake of his head told me “no”. Without mentioning my plight I asked if he knew the way back to camp. He said he did. I said, “Me too, let’s just follow the creek”. Yet we just stood next to the creek as if the grey mist made it too hard to move.

Had we spent the night lost on the mountain we would likely have died. At the very best, frostbite would have claimed its due. Minutes passed and then in the corner of my eye I caught movement up the hill to my right. It was my brother. I called out to him and he turned with a start, clearly surprised. Long strides had him coasting down the slope with an ear-to-ear grin. He too asked if we had seen any bucks. Ignoring his question I said, “you were lost weren’t you”? His ear-to-ear grin vanished. Without saying a word he pulled handfuls of tinder out of his pockets. He sighed and told us he was lost and he was trying to figure out how to start a fire. He told us of firing three shots in the air - the hunter’s SOS signal. He tried this several times. Neither my nephew nor I had heard a sound. No food, no water, no matches, no pack, no compass - the “no list” goes on and on. We followed the creek back to camp without saying a word. Just the “no-list” repeating itself over and over in my head. That night another foot of snow fell. Had we spent the night lost on the mountain we would likely have died. At the very best, frostbite would have claimed its due. The risk of loss of life or limb is all too real. The “no-list” I learned on that hunting trip has turned into a “go-kit” that moves from my hunting pack, to my fishing bag and so forth. When I’m not out hiking, hunting or fishing my go-kit is stored in a larger, more comprehensive go-bag (aka 72 hour kit, bugout bag, disaster kit, etc). The following is a list of items in my go-kit.

PREPAREDNESS

Four Pounds Of Gear That Can Save Your Life

he old saying “a bad day of hunting is better than a good day working” is true. But when a hunting trip goes wrong - it can go wrong big and fast. A little preparation can turn a “trip gone wrong” into a good story rather than a life threatening disaster. Here’s a lightweight kit that can go from your hunting pack to your bugout bag: • Dry Bag - either 5L or 10L - 2.5/3.3oz: Works both ways - keep your gear dry or use it as a water pail. You can even fill it full of air and use it as a float to get safely through deep water. • Mora Swedish FireKnife - 3.90oz: Gut an elk then popout the striker and make a fire. • MultiTool with Pliers - 4.8oz: Remove a fish hook from your finger, fix your gear, the list goes on and on. • Ceramic Pocket Sharpener - .6oz: Keep your blades and hooks sharp. • Compass - .5oz: Know which way is which when your dead reckoning fails you. • Stormproof Matches - 1.4oz: They’re windproof, waterproof and they burn extra hot. Lighters are great until they don’t work. Carry stormproof matches. • Pocket Chainsaw - 6oz: Cut through a three inch branch in 15 seconds. Split an elk rib cage and cut the pelvic bone, cut poles and pine boughs for an emergency shelter or make quick work of logs for a campfire. • Lifestraw Water Filter - 2oz: Pop the caps and drink safely from a lake, stream or desert pothole. • Light Stick - .9oz: Hang it in the latrine or use it as a nighttime location marker when you need rescue. • First Aid Kit - 2.8oz: Crap happens - be ready. • Quikclot Sponge - 1.1oz: Stop a life-threatening flow of blood fast. • Mylar Emergency Sleeping Bag - 3.4oz: Make a bed of the driest, fluffiest debris you can find. Spread out your mylar sleeping bag. Cover it with a mount of more debris. Slide into the mylar sleeping bag. You’ll survive a subzero night and you might even be a little bit comfortable. • Tablet Stove and Fuel Tablets - 9oz: Cook food and boil water for hot beverages, safe drinking water, or first aid. • LED Headlamp - 2.7oz: See where you are going and what you are doing all while keeping your hands free. • Whistle - .3oz: Annoy your hunting buddies, scare off game or signal for help in a tough situation. • Ez Towels - 1.5oz: Make yourself presentable, clean a wound or clean your gear. • Stainless Steel Sierra Cup - 4oz: Boil water in it, drink out of it, use it as a makeshift shovel or even better - fry a medallion of venison backstrap in it. • 550 paracord 100 ft - 7.4oz: Whip together an emergency shelter, tie down gear, make a snare, use the inner strands for fishing line, make a tourniquet - the list for this one is endless • Energy Bars with Long-Term Storage Life - 9oz: Eat and be happy. These survival supplies can be purchased at Your Family Still Matters, www.fullbellyinsurance.com.

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Spot The

Hunters Find the three hidden hunters.

(Locations shown on page 68) Camouflage used: Predator Brown Deception, Kings Desert Shadow, Realtree

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

DUCKS UNLIMITED

n July 18, 2015, the Overton Ducks Unlimited Chapter held their annual banquet in Mesquite, Nevada. The Overton Chapter is an amazing group of individuals that are truly dedicated to helping conserve the waterfowl habitat and animals in their immediate area. Many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that there are ducks in the desert but the birds continue to fill up local ponds, rivers, and water canals every fall. Southern Utah and Southern Nevada can be great areas to hunt waterfowl if you know where to look. Ducks Unlimited is one of the most generous non-profit conservation groups out there. They truly give back to local conservation efforts. The AVID Hunting & Outdoorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; team is proud to be a part of such a wonderful group. To date, Ducks Continued on Page 70

Left to Right: James Oscarson, Gerald Swanson, Congressman Cresent Hardy.

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Continued from Page 69

Unlimited has conserved over 60,000 acres in Nevada, and spent over $13 million to protect or restore wetlands across Nevada. These type of groups and organizations are more than necessary for local habitat. Especially for local hunters that don’t have an endless bank account to go on private lands. These groups are specifically built for us locals and that is why it is important for us to volunteer on our local committees. If we want our younger generations to hunt and be able to enjoy the “Wild West”, it is very important to attend these banquets every year. Nic Nelson, the Director of Development for Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Southern California stated, “The Overton event showcases a tremendous commitment by the community in support of conservation. I am always humbled by the effort given by the committee to put on these events and the generosity of the donors toward the mission of Ducks Unlimited.” At the event, Gerald Swanson, committee chairman, made a life sponsor pledge to the Ducks in the Desert Initiative. Gerald made a pledge stating, “I want to teach my grandchildren about hunting and fishing and be stewards of the land; so they can pass it on to their children and hopefully their grandchildren. This donation teaches that it’s possible to give back to the things we love most.” To date, Ducks Unlimited has conserved over 60,000 acres in Nevada, and spent over $13 million to protect or restore wetlands across Nevada. For more information or to give to Ducks Unlimited contact: Nic Nelson at 208.596.0395 or nnelson@ducks.org. Ducks in the Desert is an initiative of the Rescue our Wetlands Campaign, aiming to raise over two billion dollars for habitat conservation (http://www.ducks.org/news-media/ducksunlimiteds-rescue-our-wetlands-campaign-launched?poe=rss) If you are interested in attending the Overton Ducks Unlimited Banquet next year please feel free to reach out to the AVID team. 435-574-9763. For more information or to give to Ducks Unlimited contact: Nic Nelson at 208.596.0395 or nnelson@ducks.org.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

“By midlife as we make our way in the world, we come to understand that we can be what we have been given and what we can create. Toward the end of life, we must understand that we must give to others, so that when we leave this world, we are what we have been given, have created and have passed on.” Gerald Swanson – Overton DU Chairman

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Local

Trophies B

C A A B C D E

Bernie Walker Robin Gubler Beau Schmid

F Bryan Beckstead G Tony Accordino H Blaine Gubler

Shandon Young Ridge Heath and James Jurado

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

J K

N O

I Cody Ingram J Jack Sparling K Regan Warner L McKaylee Crosby M Kevin Heath

N Kevin Chamberlain O Matthew Gubler P McKinlee Stilson Q Norm Nielson

Q P

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

L I A R T M A C

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; U TA H 2 0 1 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Tuesday, July 21

Remaining antlerless permits available

Monday, August 10

Fall limited-entry black bear hunts begin

Saturday, August 15

CWMU archery buck deer and bull elk season begins extended archery elk (either sex) in the Wasatch Front extended area season begins General archery any bull elk season begins General archery buck deer season begins General archery spike elk season begins Limited-entry buck deer archery hunts begin Limited-entry bull elk archery hunts begin Limited-entry pronghorn archery hunts begin Premium limited-entry buck deer archery hunts begin

Tuesday, September 1

Friday, June 5

Spring limited-entry black bear hunts end

Saturday, June 6

Summer limited-entry black bear hunts begin

Monday, June 15

Prairie dog hunt closure begins

Thursday, June 18

Antlerless application period ends

Thursday, July 2

Summer limited-entry black bear hunts end

Thursday, July 9

Antlerless drawing results available

Tuesday, July 14

General-season bull elk permits available Remaining limited-entry big game permits available

Thursday, July 16

Remaining general-season buck deer permits available (any legal weapon, archery and muzzleloader) Youth archery deer permits available 76

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

CWMU any legal weapon (rifle) buck deer and bull elk season begins CWMU buck pronghorn season begins CWMU bull moose season begins CWMU muzzleloader buck deer season begins CWMU muzzleloader bull elk season begins

Friday, September 4

General archery spike elk season ends

Saturday, September 5

Once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat hunts begin

Friday, September 11

General archery any bull elk season ends General archery buck deer season ends Limited-entry bull elk archery hunts end Limited-entry pronghorn archery hunts end Premium limited-entry buck deer archery hunts end

Saturday, September 12

Extended archery deer (either sex) in the Ogden, Uintah Basin, Wasatch Front and West Cache extended areas season begins Extended archery elk (either sex) in the Uintah Basin extended area season begins Limited-entry bull elk any legal weapon (rifle) hunts begin Limited-entry pronghorn any legal weapon (rifle) hunts begin Once-in-a-lifetime bull moose hunts begin Once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunts begin Youth general (rifle) any bull elk season begins

Tuesday, September 15

Once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunts begin

Sunday, September 20

Limited-entry pronghorn any legal weapon (rifle) hunts end

Sunday, October 25

General any legal weapon (rifle) deer hunt ends Premium limited-entry buck deer any legal weapon (rifle) hunts end

Monday, October 26

Henry Mtns. management buck deer (any legal weapon) hunt begins

Wednesday, October 28

Sportsman permit application period begins General muzzleloader elk season begins Paunsaugunt management buck deer (any legal weapon) hunt begins

Friday, October 30 Monday, September 21

Limited-entry bull elk muzzleloader hunts begin Youth general (rifle) any bull elk season ends

Wednesday, September 23

General muzzleloader deer hunt begins Limited-entry buck deer muzzleloader hunts begin Limited-entry pronghorn muzzleloader hunts begin Premium limited-entry buck deer muzzleloader hunts begin

Thursday, October 1

General muzzleloader deer hunt ends Limited-entry pronghorn muzzleloader hunts end Premium limited-entry buck deer muzzleloader hunts end

Saturday, October 3

General any legal weapon (rifle) spike and any bull elk season begins Limited-entry buck deer any legal weapon (rifle) hunts begin

Thursday, October 15

General any legal weapon (rifle) spike and any bull elk season ends Once-in-a-lifetime bull moose hunts end

Saturday, October 17

General any legal weapon (rifle) deer hunt begins Premium limited-entry buck deer any legal weapon (rifle) hunts begin

Harvest-objective black bear hunts end Henry Mtns. management buck deer (any legal weapon) hunt ends

Saturday, October 31

CWMU any legal weapon (rifle) buck deer and bull elk season ends CWMU archery buck deer and bull elk season ends CWMU buck pronghorn season ends CWMU bull moose season ends CWMU muzzleloader buck deer season ends Once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts begin

Sunday, November 1

Paunsaugunt management buck deer (any legal weapon) hunt ends

Thursday, November 5

CWMU muzzleloader bull elk season ends General muzzleloader elk season ends Limited-entry bull elk muzzleloader hunts end

Friday, November 13

Limited-entry buck deer archery hunts end

Wednesday, November 18

Sportsman permit application period ends

Thursday, November 19

Fall limited-entry black bear hunts end Spot-and-stalk limited-entry black bear hunts end

Sunday, November 22

Limited-entry buck deer any legal weapon (rifle) hunts end

Saturday, November 28

Youth late-season (rifle) any bull elk season begins

Monday, November 30

Extended archery deer (either sex) in the Ogden, Uintah Basin, Wasatch Front and West Cache extended areas season ends Once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat hunts end

Thursday, December 3

Limited-entry buck deer muzzleloader hunts end

Sunday, December 6

Once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunts end

Tuesday, December 15

Extended archery elk (either sex) in the Uintah Basin extended area season ends Extended archery elk (either sex) in the Wasatch Front extended area season ends

Friday, December 25

Once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep hunts end www.wildlife.utah.gov

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

BUSINESS

DIRECTORY BIOLIFE

1. 8 16 N 2860 East St George, UT (435) 627-9102 2. 6 71 N Dixie Dr St George, UT (435) 656-0055

BT Pearson Tires

204 N Bluff St, St George, UT 84770 (435) 628-0431

Cache Valley Bank

1. S t. George – Washington Branch 710 West Telegraph Washington, UT 84780 (435) 656-5515 2. S t. George – Tabernacle Branch 294 East Tabernacle St. George, UT 84770 (435) 673-9610 3. S t. George – River Road Branch 1224 South River Road St. George, UT 84790 (435) 627-1100 4. S t. George – Sunset Branch 1091 North Bluff Street St. George, UT 84770 (435) 652-8200

Concrete Specialties Incorporated (435) 590-0199

Desert Rat

468 W St George Blvd, St George, UT 84770 (435) 628-7277

Dixie Gun & Fish

1094 E Tabernacle St, St George, UT 84770 (435) 674-4008

First Colony Mortgage 1224 S River Rd B206 St. George, UT (435) 673-6006

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

Gun Barrel

1091 N Bluff St #1400 St. George, UT 84770 (435) 652-0550

Kustom Containers 3730 S 1700 E, St George, UT 84790 (435) 680-4509

McNeil Engineering 315 Hilton Dr # 3, St George, UT 84770 (435) 673-5127

PK Real Estate

21 N Main St, St George, UT 84770 (435) 251-8092

Prestige Woodworks 538 N 1300 E St. George, UT 84770 (435) 669-7460

St George Auto Gallery 1081 E 700 S St. George, UT 84790 (435) 628-4242

St George Shuttle

1275 East Red Hills Parkway St. George, UT 84770 (435) 628-8320 (800) 933-8320 Fax: (435) 628-9779

Stilson Bros Construction 2309 So Southgate Hills Dr St George UT, 84770 (435) 229-2102

Summit Athletic Club 1. 1 532 1450 S St St George, UT (435) 628-5000 2. Suite B1 446 S Mall Dr, St George, UT (435) 251-8800 3. 1973 W Sunset Blvd St George, UT (435) 628-2151

Stotz Equipment

997 N 1100 W St. George, UT 84770 (435) 673-4685

SureCrete

1173 S 250 W Ste 209. St. George, UT 84770 (435) 674-2309

Town & Country Bank 405 E St George Blvd, St George, UT 84770 (435) 673-1150

Weigh Safe

1290 W 1170 N Orem, UT 84057 (855) 492-6444

Your Family Still Matters 175 W 900 S, St George, UT 84770 (435) 628-7042

WHAT’S

STOPPING YOU?

THAT’S RIGHT, NOT A THING. AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

Shay

Jolley W

hen I was a kid all I wanted to be when I grew up was a wildlife photographer. Life happened and I never got the opportunity to pursue my dream. Many years later, my girlfriend Tina (who is now my wife) and I were talking one night about childhood dreams and what we wanted to be when we grew up. I told her about my dream of being a Wildlife Photographer. She encouraged me to try it as a hobby. I bought my first camera which was a Canon 35mm film camera. I have spent many hours since then improving my skills and upgrading my camera. Now with a wife and two children (Talon and Lexi), who love to tag along, our wildlife adventures have created some of our most favorite family memories.

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015

www.huntavid.com | Utah Edition

AVId Hunting & outdoors September-November 2015