October 13, 2021

The youth program in Utah is amazing. Alyssa has been drawn 3 years in a row for Utah. She got drawn for the Zion unit again. We decided to do the early hunt this year which starts on October 13th. The area is really popular with hunters but with the early hunt it is a little less crowded the only problem with the early hunt is the deer may not be moving into that area yet. We headed out the first day bright and early. It was a cold drive but we were excited to be out exploring Utah and all it’s beauty. The first day we found so many tracks but only saw a few deer. The morning became afternoon and the day became night. The first day we took away the images of the red mountains and beautiful sandstones.

The next day we talked with a successful hunter that was packing up. He had passed on his spots hoping he would help Alyssa achieve success. From that point we had a plan. We ended up in the spot he shared and spotted a beautiful buck. The chase was on. Don and Alyssa put a stock on the deer but the deer was skittish and took off into the tall sage brush. The next couple days we hit the area hard only getting one other chance with that deer but he had other plans than being our main course for dinner. We walked away from Zion without a deer but we did come away with lasting memories.

I have found that there is no reason to walk away from an unsuccessful hunt deflated. Of course you want to harvest that animal but at the end of the day you were out there. If you are hunting with friends or family you are bonding and creating memories with them. You are unplugged from the world and tuned into nature and each other. If you are hunting alone you are alone with your thoughts becoming one with your surroundings. So even after our unsuccessful hunts we always go home with a smile on our face and lots of wonderful memories in our minds.