Hunting for Deer in Kamas, Utah

Every year I dream about what I am going to see and do when the hunt comes around. I become very excited and prepare the best I can for what will happen.This year for the hunt, my brothers and I got to hunt on private land in Kamas Utah. Out of the five of us that went, three of us had deer tags. I was one of those that had a deer tag. The private land we hunted on is owned by my brother-in-laws family. In total, there is around 1,700 acres of land to hunt on. This was the third year in a row that I hunted on this property. From past experience, we have learned a general mountainside on which most of the deer reside. Because of this, some may call us spoiled hunters. I like to phrase it more as that we are lucky hunters!

When the time came to finally hunt, we hiked to the top of one of the mountainsides. The moment was finally here. As we sat, sitting and waiting for the sun to come up, I tried to envision what I would see when there was light. When the sun finally showed its face, we looked and looked for the sign of a deer. An hour went by, and we still didn’t see anything. Because of the lack of movement, we decided to split off into three groups. Once separated we were able to see a doe and a fawn darting across the mountain at a fast pace. Over 1,000 yard to the east of us was a group of a few doe’s. These deer were walking farther and farther away, so it did not make sense to chase after them.

Time went on, and my brother and I decided to start hiking to the other side of the mountain top to see if any deer were there. Once there, the oak and brush was so thick we could not see a thing. At this point, it felt as though there was not a single deer on the mountain and that all was lost. We weighed our decisions on what to do next. The best option seemed to be that we should go and meet up with our other brothers. By the time we found them, it was almost noon day. During this whole time, they saw a group of bucks that headed into some thick brush and never came out. The two of them have been sitting and watching them for a few hours. We were currently positioned on a mountainside, while the brush with the deer was on the mountain side in front of us. The deer were 350 yards away.

Thirty minutes after we showed up, a couple of bucks decided to make their entrance. Both of the deer were slightly older two-points. The two of us who were there, who had a tag, both took a shot at one deer. We both missed. The deer slowly walked back into the thick brush.

At this point, we figured they would try to run off, so we hiked down to cut them off. To our surprise, the deer were no where in sight. We decided to hike close to where the deer were originally. Once I came in to view of the spot they were, that same buck was standing 50 yards in front of me broadside. Without thinking and adrenaline rising, I raised my rifle and double lunge shot the deer. At the end of the day, I was the only one of the three to harvest a buck.

When it comes to hunting, there is a lot of strategy that comes into play. There are moments of disappointment, exhilarating adrenaline, and fatigue. Hunting helps me test my limits, and it teaches me patience. No matter how frustrating it may be, some of the best times of my life have come from sitting on the mountain and watching the beauty of nature. That is just one of the reasons that it draws me back every year

Below is a picture of the buck that I shot. The second picture is one of my wife and I the morning after the hunt. Just before that picture, we had been hiking and were listening to a couple elk,a few hundred yards away, bugle and talk to each other. Those are some cool moments.

For those who have any questions about how to hunt and what strategies to use, I would suggest watching the Netflix show called MeatEater. I hunt very similarly to how they hunt on that show. If you liked this hunting story, leave a like below. If you have any fun hunting stories leave a comment below. I am always interest in hearing stories and learning new things.

How To Tie a Fisherman’s Knot

Hey guys, here is a quick video on how to tie a fisherman’s knot. This is one of the most used knots when it comes to fishing. On the rigs that I use for my fishing poles, I usually have to tie this knot at least two times. With having to use this knot so many times, it is important to become an expert with it. With a knot that is not done properly, you risk the possibility of it coming undone when you get a fish. So here is the video of how to do it. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below!

To Fish, or Not to Fish At Deer Creek

See the above picture of me, my dog Scout, and the rainbow trout? This is a picture of the only time of season that I catch any fish from Deer Creek Reservoir. Keep in mind that I do not have a boat, and so I am only a shoreline fisherman. Fishing from a boat may be a lot better experience at Deer Creek. In this blog post, I will talk about Deer Creek Reservoir and why I choose to fish there only during specific times of the year.

Having grown up in 30 minutes away from Deer Creek Reservoir, I have come to this location many times to fish. This all dates back to when I first started fishing as a teenager. At the time, my family and I did not know too much about fishing. My dad never took us growing up, and so we started to try it out on our own. On a few separate occasions we went to Deer Creek to fish. Every single time we went, we did not get a single bite. This was very frustrating to me because I enjoyed being out at the lake. So we did some research, changed how we fished, and tried deer creek one more time. Again, we did not catch a fish. We then decided to go to Strawberry Reservoir for our first time, and tried our new found way of fishing. We had a great time, and all filled out on our limits of trout.

Since that time of my life, I have become a much more experienced fisherman. Every once in a while though, we still try to fish Deer Creek because it is so close. We continued to come up empty, until one late November morning. We tried Deer Creek and caught seven fish between the two of us. That day was two years ago. Since then I have fished Deer Creek Reservoir every year as Fall turns to Winter. Every year we are successful in catching an abundant amount of fish.

Now there are many things that could be as to why we did not catch any fish all these years. Location on the lake could be a big reason. Another reason could be we were fishing in the hot sun. Or perhaps all of the boats scared the fish away (Deer Creek is very popular for families to boat at). Either way, I will more than likely only fish at Deer Creek during the Fall/Winter season. Because of fishing at Deer Creek, I went from thinking fishing was the same as catching snipes, to catching a bunch of fish. I still feel the desire to fish there during the summer. This may be to overcome some type of challenge. But until I do go, I am content with finding new and different places to fish here in Utah.

Do you guys agree with my assessment of Deer Creek? Or have I been doing it wrong this whole time? Let me know in the comments below, I would love for Deer Creek to be a great place to fish at all times during the year. In case any of you do not know where Deer Creek is, here is a picture of it’s location.

Top Five Places to Fish

Here it is everyone, my ever changing top five places to fish. I have been to a good amount of places in Utah, but still have many more to visit. This list is full of places that are great fishing, convenient cause they are close, and full of beautiful country that is fun to explore. A few of the places on this list I have made blog posts about. If you are wanting to check out one of these places, look at the corresponding blog posts for more detail. If one of your favorite places is not one this list, give this post a like and a comment to let me know what I am missing out on! So as of right now, this very day, these are my top five places to fish.

5. Coming in at number five on the list is Scofield Reservoir. With Scofield Reservoir, I have found that if you are at a good spot, fishing can be so fast you wont be able to keep up with the fishes biting. If you find yourself in a bad spot, you tend to still catch fish but these fish are known as chubbs. Chubbs are a small oily fish that are illegal to put back in the water. Due to that reason, Scofield is number five.

4. Here at number four is the one and only Price River. If you like adventure and catching some fighting brown trout in the river, then Price River is the place for you. Beautiful mountains along a railroad track through a canyon, it doesn’t get much more exciting fishing on this river.

3. At third place is the always be-utah-ful lakes up the canyon from Fairview Utah. These lakes include Huntington, Cleveland, and Electric Lake. Enjoy great views, beautiful scenery, and good fishing. Here you can catch all kinds of trout, including tiger trout. Any of these lakes is a great one to stop at. The nice thing is that if one lake isn’t working out for ya, head on to the next one because they are all close by.

2. Second place is the gorgeous red rocks of Starvation Reservoir. Starvation is located South, to South West of Strawberry Reservoir. When I am in the mood to catch a larger rainbow trout, this is the place to go. My favorite spot here is on either side of the bridge that goes over the lake. There is not much else to say about Starvation other than good luck catching the big one!

1. Coming in at number one is the great Strawberry Reservoir. I had to debate whether or not I would put Strawberry at number one on this list. I say that because I find I have somewhat of a love and hate relationship with the lake. When I fish from the shore, I would say I have a 50% chance of having some dang good fishing. All the other times I come up skunked. The reason Strawberry gets number one on this list is due to the fact that fishing there on a boat is magical. Between being able to catch rainbows, cutthroat, and kokanee salmon Strawberry can be one of the most fun places to fish.

How to Catch Crawdads

Have you ever been fishing and can’t seem to get a bite for hours? I have the perfect solution to prevent unwanted frustration. This solution is not one that makes it so that you catch fish magically. No, the answer to this problem is the title of this blog post, fishing for crawdads. During the time that fishing is slow, you can turn that boring time into a fun and entertaining time catching crawdads! The great thing about crawdads in Utah, is they are in just about every lake that you can go to here.

Fishing for crawdads is a fun, cheap, and easy thing to do for the whole family. There are a few different ways that you can go about fishing for crawdads. Before you decide any of these ways, I recommend finding a place on the shore of a lake that is a little rocky. Crawdads like to hide in the crevices of the rocks. The first option for craw fishing involves a trap. There are various different kinds of traps that can be bought at a store.

My preferred way to catch crawdads is with raw chicken drum sticks, and some string. To do this, cut the string to a considerable length. Next, tie the string around the end of the bone on the drum stick. Once you have the specified spot you want to fish at, toss the chicken into the lake and hold on to the string. Leave the chicken there for a few minutes, and then pull it in slowly by the string. As you pull it in, you will have two to three crawdads feasting on the chicken. The trick to catching them is with a net, or by grabbing them from behind with you hands so they do not pinch you. In Utah, there are a few rules you need to know before you catch crawdads. First rule is you cannot transfer crawdads from lake to lake. Second is you need to kill the crawdads on site. Third is to keep them at refrigerator temperature once you have killed them.

If you are like me, the only part of the crawdad that is worth eating is the tail and the claws. To prepare the crawdads to eat, grab the tail and the body, and twist off the tail. Next, find the middle fin on the tail and twist left, and then twist right and pull. This pulls out all of the gross stuff you don’t want to eat.

Now for cooking, I would suggest buying a seasoning specifically for eating crawfish. In the past, I frequently buy Zatarans seasoning. It is a little spicy for those who like some kick in their food. From there, Boil the crawdads in a pot until cooked all the way through. Serve with a bowl of butter to dip in and enjoy. If prepared right, in my opinion crawdads have the potential to taste like crab.

What do you think about about craw fishing? Are there any different ways that you prefer to craw fish and cook them? Let me know in the comments below.

Currant Creek Reservoir

Fall fishing is one of the best times of the year to get out and fish. Although. it is not for those who do not like the cold. This last week I decided to do some fall fishing at a place I have never been before. When my brother and I go to Strawberry Reservoir, we have always seen the sign that says “Currant Creek” on it. We finally decided to investigate the place online, and then we decided to finally go there.  Currant Creek Reservoir is northeast of Strawberry Reservoir.

To get to this reservoir, there is a long and slow road through a small canyon. For those who love beautiful scenery, I would suggest to go here for the ride alone. On the right-hand side of the road, is beautiful red mountains. On the left-hand side of the road is a creek with a mountain that has a lush forest all over it. Halfway to Currant Creek, the road turns from paved, to a somewhat red dirt road. Throughout this ride, my brother Curtis and I kept our eye out for any type of wildlife that we could see. We only saw one deer on the way up, but the area looks like a perfect habitat for elk, deer, moose, and bear.

The reservoir was calm as the blue sky reflected from the surface. Other than a slight wind to make it cold, it was a perfect day for fall fishing. For those of you who have seen my previous posts, I am the type of person to fish from the bottom of the lake rather than the top. From this spot we fished at, you either needed to cast 10 feet out from the shore, or 30 feet out from the shore. In-between that area is a bed of seaweed that will get your line stuck every time.

We originally started fishing about 100 yards to the right of the above photo. At that location there was not much action, except for one beautiful rainbow trout pictured below. I mean take a look at that picture, I have never seen a rainbow trout with such vibrant pink color. After that spot died down, we moved to the location of the above picture. At this spot, we had a lot more action.

From there on out we only landed one other tiny fish. The main problem we ran into happened to be the bed of seaweed in front of us. We found that we would get bites, but the fish would either get the line stuck in the seaweed, or that the hook would somehow break free in that area. Due to the lack of fish being caught, my brother decided to take this opportunity to look for some ducks. As we hiked along the shore, we saw about fifteen to twenty ducks on the lake. We found two that were just out of shooting range, and they flew away as soon as they saw us.

Overall, I would recommend trying this place out. Once the ice freezes off in the spring/summer, I want to head up to this place again and try my luck. Have any of you been to Currant Creek Reservoir before? If so, how has the fishing for you been? Let me know if there is any place you guys want me to go next.

My Three Favorite Ways to Cook a Fish

There are many different ways to prepare and cook a fish. I am a pretty simple and easy going guy, so I like it to be simple and easy when it comes to cooking fish. Here is a list of my three favorite ways to cook a fish. As always feel free to like, comment, or share this post to others. If you have any suggestions to improve the way I cook, or have any different ways to cook that you know, let me know! I am always open to trying a new way to cook the fish.

1. Fried fish – By far, my number one way to eat a trout caught in Utah is by frying them. To do this, follow a few easy steps. The first step is to clean and fillet the fish. Be sure to remove the skin from the fillet. Second is to prepare a fryer with peanut oil at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I use a single burner fish fryer that I got from Sportsman’s warehouse for $40.00. Third is to create a batter with flour, water, milk, baking soda, and salt. There are many different kinds of batter to use, but I prefer a more simple kind for taste. Lastly, dip the fillet in the flour and then put in the fillet in the fryer. Depending on the size of the fillet will depend on how long you cook it for. I usually keep an eye on it and flip it over when the bottom is a crispy gold color. Once the fish is done, before I eat it I like to squeeze lemon juice on top and then dip it in tarter sauce. There are easy recipes to make your own tarter sauce, but I prefer to just get store bought.
2. Fillet Grilled – A tasty and easy way to eat fish is by cleaning the fish, filleting the fish, and cooking it on the grill. I usually cook the fish at 400 degrees Fahrenheit so that it cooks fast and all the way through. When cooking a fish this way, there are many different seasonings you may put on the fillet. My personal favorite is lemon pepper with a slice of lemon on top. It also does not hurt to cut a slice of butter to put on top of the fish while it is cooking. This will make sure the fish stays moist and does not dry up.
3. Wrapped in Tinfoil – When I am camping, this is an easy way to cook a fish while being preoccupied with other things. When cooking a fish this way, always start by cleaning the fish. Second, grab a sheet of tin foil and put olive oil on top of the sheet. This is done to prevent the foil from sticking to the fish. Place the fish on the foil and add your preferred seasonings. Double wrap the fish in foil to prevent the fish from burning. Next, either place the fish in the hot coals or cook on a stick over the fire. After some time has gone by, lift the foil off the fish and enjoy.

A Day at Price River

Price River is for those who love a little bit of adventure, action, and excitement. My brother Curtis is one of those kind of people. Curtis heard from a friend that there are a bunch of Brown Trout in Price River that put up a good fight. Upon hearing this he was surprised; he had always seen Price River to be full of Chubbs (an invasive dirty fish) and so never thought to venture up the river from Scofield Reservoir. On a warm summer day, he invited me to tag along and find out if the tip he heard was true.

A lot of people who fish Price River do so from its entry into Scofield Reservoir. Curtis and I decided to drive a few miles past Scofield, which led us on a road through the mountains to the river. The road we took is one that only an SUV or a truck should traverse on. When we arrived at the river, we saw that train tracks went along side it the whole way. As you can see from the picture below, leading to the river from the tracks was a somewhat steep bank filled with a few rocks.

When we arrived, we setup our fishing poles with a Jakes Lure. Our goal was to hike along the river, and do a few casts into places that looked like there would be fish. Before we left to Price River, we made sure to research the area to know what we should wear. Because of the environment, we made sure to wear hiking boots and pants. This area is a great location for Rattlesnakes to be, and we wanted to be protected.

As we began to hike along the river, we looked for areas the we called “honey holes”. These honey holes were deep spots where water was not so rapid. We cast up-spring, and would reel in as the lure floated down stream. This provided a more natural motion for the lure to travel. In the first half hour of fishing, we had each caught a Brown Trout. This was my first time catching a Brown Trout, and they put up a fight! At first the fight these Brown Trouts had surprised me because of how used I am to catching Rainbow Trout. These fish are a ton of fun to catch.

The fishing continued at the same pace for the next hour as we hiked along the river. As we hiked along, we would glance up on the mountains to see if we could find any deer. To our surprise, we saw a family of five red foxes staring at us from about 50 yards away! To me, this was a rare site. Having been in Utah my whole life, I had never seen a fox in the wild. After looking at the foxes for awhile, we made our way on down the river until we found the jackpot of all honey holes.

We came to a bend in the river that we could tell was pretty deep. The river was about 30 feet to the other side, and it had a tall tree that provided shade from the hot sun. The water was calm, almost seemed to me that it was at a stand still. I brought my pole back, whipped it forward, and began to reel in. Almost instantly I got a Brown Trout to bite. I reeled the fish in, unhooked it, and released it back into the water. My brother was now right beside me, and he also started to fish this spot. To our amazement, every cast we would catch a Brown Trout. I don’t think I have had as much fun fishing while in Utah my entire life.

A couple months after this experience, we decided to go again. This time we went to the mouth of the river as it entered Scofield Reservoir. At this location we caught a few Chubbs, and a few Brown Trouts. Although we did not have as much success as the first time, it was still a lot of fun.

Strawberry Reservoir Shore Fishing

Strawberry Reservoir is a large lake south of Heber Utah. Strawberry provides an abundant area for fishing, camping, and beaches for the kids. There are three main types of fish caught at Strawberry. They are Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Kokanee Salmon. The first two types can be caught from the shore while Kokanee is best caught using a boat. Throughout Utah, Strawberry is looked at as a great place to fish so long as you use a boat. If you are like me, you do not have a boat and are too cheap to rent one out for the day. For this post, I am going to talk about the type of area to look for when shore fishing from Strawberry.

As I mentioned before, Strawberry Reservoir is a large lake with an abundant amount of areas to fish. Many areas, however, do not provide great conditions in order to catch a fish. The first thing to look for in an area is how deep the water goes from the shore. The ideal depth to catch trout is twenty feet or so. Many areas around the lake gradually descend in depth. These areas are usually very muddy and shallow to the point you cannot cast far enough to get deep enough. Therefore, look for places that will increase in depth closer to the shore. As you can see from the above picture, I only had to cast out twenty feet or so to reach a depth of twenty feet.

The next thing to look for in an area depends on the way that you like to fish. Because I like to fish from the bottom instead of the top, it is important to know what is at the bottom of where you are fishing. Most areas at Strawberry are easy to tell when they are infested with a bunch of seaweed. These areas are not ideal because the bait becomes hidden in the tall seaweed, and the weight attached to the line may get stuck in the weeds. Another area to look out for is if it is too rocky on the bottom. This danger can be harder to tell from the seaweed. The problem with this is, more often than not, the line will get stuck in between a few rocks. These areas make me have to break the line and redo the setup over and over again.

My two favorite places at Strawberry Reservoir that provide the best opportunity to catch a fish are the red ledges, and anywhere close to the soldier creek dam. These places are great to go, but I would suggest that you explore Strawberry and find your favorite places there. Strawberry Reservoir is a large lake with a great amount of fishing area. This place deserves to be explored and discovered. If you have any tips for me, or find any places at Strawberry that you love, let me know. I am always open to new suggestions. Also, if you have any questions about this post, or past ones, feel free to contact me.

The Five Keys to Effective Power Bait Fishing

Here are my five keys to power bait fishing from the shore. These steps are guidelines on what I have learned through years of experience. Below is a video that gives more of a visual on how I like to setup my fishing rig. While I do not use the exact sinkers and hooks he does, the concept is the same. Please feel free to ask any questions or comment any tips that you have found useful.

1. Type of Bait – When it comes to power bait, there are many different kinds to choose from. From years of trying different kinds of bait, I have found two that have become my favorites. Those two are Yellow Corn, and Glitter Rainbow Garlic Scent. These two types of bait have been consistent at getting fish no matter where I go.
2. Set-up – Before you begin to set-up, you need to decide if you will fish from the top of the water with a bobber, of from the bottom of the lake with weights. I prefer to fish from the bottom of the lake. For this set-up, first attach a weight to the fishing line. After the weight, use a fisherman’s knot to tie on a swivel. Next, get two to three feet of fishing line and use the same knot to tie it on the other end of the swivel. After that, use that knot to tie on a treble hook at the end. At this point you are free to apply the power bait and cast.
3. The cast – When fishing from the bottom of the lake, the cast is possibly the most important part with catching a fish. The ideal depth to catching good rainbow trout is 20 feet below the surface. By casting too shallow, you may have a harder time getting a fish. Another obstacle with fishing from the bottom, is to make sure that the bottom is free from seaweed or debris such as rocks. At times this may be hard to determine, but sometimes you can see through the water and know. Once you find a good spot, cast but don’t close the reel immediately. When the bait hits the water, continue to fee the fishing line so that the bait can fall freely down to the bottom. Then close the reel and reel in some of the slack from the line.
4. Pay Attention, Be Patient, and Re-Cast – Once you have cast the bait, place the fishing pole securely on the ground in a 45 degree upright position. The key at this point is to pay attention to the fishing line from your pole. If you do not get a fish in the first ten minutes, force yourself to wait another ten. If you still do not have a fish, reel in the bait high and fast so it does not get caught, then apply new bait and re-cast.
5. Reeling in the Fish – When the line becomes tight and you have a fish, do not immediately pull back the pull. Steadily pick up your pull having the tip face downward. The line will then be a little slack, but the fish will pull it tight again. At this point pull up and back with the fishing pole, this sets the hook in the fish’s mouth. Now start to reel in the fish, but make sure not to yank it in. It is important to keep the tension tight, but not yank because the hook could be set free. Then continue to reel in the fish and ease it on to the shore.