utahbigbull
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LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-11 AT 08:15PM (MST)[p]Me and the family had went down on the manti with a muzzy deer tag and cow tag in hand. I tried focusing on deer the first couple of days but found myself doing more elk watching than anything. It was pretty obvious the deer herd down there is far from the high number of does and dink bucks it once held. I religiously hunt this mountain every year however my 2010 Dutton tag kept me off of this hill since the 2009 deer hunt. It was good to see the elk are doing great. I seen a lot of smaller class bulls but two cought my attention. This is the smaller of the two. He is suffering on the back but lordy his thirds have me hooked, thinking "If I had a tag in hand!!". I caught this bull in the exact spot on a grass ridge line two morings in a row at 100 yards durring first light. It was an experience I will never forget!! I had my 11 year old son out with me hiking in hearing this bull. We knew we were getting close and immediatly sat at the first opening that allowed us glassing time in the drainage he was in. My boy was more excited than I have ever seen him. As the first morning rays started trickling through the aspen, I could faintly see a dark brown spot on the opposing ridge line a 100 yards across. I threw up my binos just in time to hear his scream ringing through the timber and immediatly looked at my son with his eyes as big as dollar bills. He looked at me and all he could muster was "WOW". We watched this bull for a half hour screaming his head off and watching my boy glass him with sheer excitment made the whole hunt worth it. He is still talking about that moment and will be with him for the rest of his life. I never got close pics of him untill I seen him again, mid day after the second close encounter (Spotted him from the main canyon road). I set up my spotter and after letting my 4 year old son watch him and seeing how excited my youngest hunting patner was getting over him, I realized I should get some pics of him for my boys to remember. Sorry they are not the best pics due to the distance but you can still barely make out his thirds
The second bull that got me excited was in every way the best bull I had ever seen with my own eyes on any mountain. He was an absolute hog and made the above bull look like a little rag horn. I regretfully did not have my spotter and camera with. Me and my family were going to head home and decided to take my little Jaxon man who is my 4 year old out for one last ride. I decided to try a spot where I had seen some big bucks in years past. This place also held a respectible bull I seen in '09. As we came to the lookout, we seen a doe and fawn jump out followed by a large herd of cows. Deciding that it was time to put the cow tag to use and fill the freezer, I had my youngest son watching as I harvested our cow. After i had shot the cow, a bull came out from the pine timber that took my breath away. He had huge mass, tine length, width and dark pine antlers. He was truly a bull of a lifetime and once again making a memmory for my youngest son watching him slowly making his way across the open hillside. As the bull made his way into the timber, I looked back at the cow in time to see her go rolling down the hillside. My next thought was "I have my four year old with and a downed cow in the bottom of a hole" what am I to do. I made record time burning back to camp, loaded the family and the pack and made our way back to let the work begin. I was lucky enough to have the help of my stud of a 11 year old son eager to help with the pack out. Me and my son made the long treck down and with his help was able to quarter and prepare for the packout. My trooper of a son took out the backstraps and tenderloins as I managed the hind quarters in two trips. With the hind quarters out, I only had time for one more pack as light was running out and my wife and kids waiting pantiently at the truck on top of the ridge so I made the decision to throw both fronts and the head on the Eberlystock and I can tell you two days after, I am still feeling it but I made it!!
All I can tell you is that 2012? Well, my wife will be drawing the tag as she just got her hunters saftey completed and starting the whole points game so she will be a sure draw in 2012. She is one of the luckiest people I know. If not, my oldest will be able to start the process in 2016 and he is allready making his plans for an early draw and finding one of the two big boys. I made some awesome memories for my two sons and daughter and was more suscessful in that regard then I ever could have hoped for even without a buck to show for it all.
Here is a pic of a smaller bull I had spotted but love the pictures.
The second bull that got me excited was in every way the best bull I had ever seen with my own eyes on any mountain. He was an absolute hog and made the above bull look like a little rag horn. I regretfully did not have my spotter and camera with. Me and my family were going to head home and decided to take my little Jaxon man who is my 4 year old out for one last ride. I decided to try a spot where I had seen some big bucks in years past. This place also held a respectible bull I seen in '09. As we came to the lookout, we seen a doe and fawn jump out followed by a large herd of cows. Deciding that it was time to put the cow tag to use and fill the freezer, I had my youngest son watching as I harvested our cow. After i had shot the cow, a bull came out from the pine timber that took my breath away. He had huge mass, tine length, width and dark pine antlers. He was truly a bull of a lifetime and once again making a memmory for my youngest son watching him slowly making his way across the open hillside. As the bull made his way into the timber, I looked back at the cow in time to see her go rolling down the hillside. My next thought was "I have my four year old with and a downed cow in the bottom of a hole" what am I to do. I made record time burning back to camp, loaded the family and the pack and made our way back to let the work begin. I was lucky enough to have the help of my stud of a 11 year old son eager to help with the pack out. Me and my son made the long treck down and with his help was able to quarter and prepare for the packout. My trooper of a son took out the backstraps and tenderloins as I managed the hind quarters in two trips. With the hind quarters out, I only had time for one more pack as light was running out and my wife and kids waiting pantiently at the truck on top of the ridge so I made the decision to throw both fronts and the head on the Eberlystock and I can tell you two days after, I am still feeling it but I made it!!
All I can tell you is that 2012? Well, my wife will be drawing the tag as she just got her hunters saftey completed and starting the whole points game so she will be a sure draw in 2012. She is one of the luckiest people I know. If not, my oldest will be able to start the process in 2016 and he is allready making his plans for an early draw and finding one of the two big boys. I made some awesome memories for my two sons and daughter and was more suscessful in that regard then I ever could have hoped for even without a buck to show for it all.
Here is a pic of a smaller bull I had spotted but love the pictures.
And i would not be surprised to watch your wife draw a tag with 0 points seems like that is the thing to do now days. 
