A 12 year old, a youth tag, and the outdoor theater that hooks you for life.
Utah is by far my favorite state for providing hunting opportunities for everyone, whether you’re a youth, an adult wanting to mentor your tag, a rifle hunter, archery hunter or muzzleloader hunter, disabled or with physical limitations, or in tip-top shape looking for an extreme challenge. Utah has a hunting opportunity, season or program for you.
This hunt is one of my favorites because it’s strictly geared towards getting our youth outdoors at a prime hunting season. Fall colors, smells, sounds, opportunity and success rates are high. It’s not too cold or too hot, making it a perfect opportunity to hook the youth into hunting.
The outdoor theater
A rutting bull elk is an outdoor theater performance that rivals the best theaters on earth, only it’s not a rehearsed performance. Battling satellite bulls screaming in the distance as the stronger, older and wiser bulls battle it out for dominance, control and breeding rights of the harem. Smashing antlers that sound like branches being ripped off trees as they fall to the ground. Unlucky young trees stripped of their vegetation as the bulls polish their antlers. Bulls covered in urine-smelling mud as they wallow like big fat pigs.
Then right before your eyes 6″ diameter antlers snap as two massive animals go head to head, as you watch the cool morning condensation exit their nostrils. Then, in an instant, a lead cow — who is really responsible for the herd’s safety — catches something that doesn’t feel right. Whether she caught your smell, heard a sound, noticed a shadow, a small movement or her intuition, she barks looking in your direction and everything stops as she slowly steps towards you for further investigation. Then in an instant she barks again, exits the theater, taking everyone with her, crashing through the forest. And once again, silence, before the moment as you take everything in, hooking you for life.
Phen’s first elk
Phen was one of the lucky ones and drew a youth rifle elk tag, allowing him to hunt any general season unit during the rut for bull elk. This year, at 12, that tag became his first elk hunt.
Phen practicing
Phen and his dad with the bull
Below is his letter, in his own words, the story as told through a 12 year old’s eyes.
His letter
Typed for easy reading
At the age of four, I got my first ever BB gun. I practiced for hours until a year later, I received a .22 LR rifle. Years later, at the age of nine, I went on my first hunt for whitetail deer in Texas. Then, this year, at the age of 12, my dad surprised me with an elk hunt. To prepare for this hunt, I would hike up Lambs Canyon weekly. When the hunt finally came, on day one, we instantly heard elk bugling nearby, then one walked up just behind us. At the end of the day, we saw another elk quite close to us. On day 2 in the morning we saw a spike pass in front of us, but did not shoot it. Today we went out to the same area that we were in last night. After about two hours, a small bull passed through, but passed on the shot. About fifteen minutes later, a huge bull passed through, and I shot it 2 times. We then loaded it into the side-by-side and took it back to camp. Me and my dad quartered it and then ate lunch.
My appreciations go to my dad, and Aaron, my hunting guide.
Why we hold a few ranches for these kids
Every year we receive several phone calls from parents whose son or daughter drew one of these awesome tags. For this reason alone we set aside a few of our ranches for these kids, and at a discount.
If your son or daughter drew one of these youth tags and you want private ground, call Justin Richins or Chris at R&K Hunting Company. We’ll tell you straight whether we have a ranch that fits the tag, the dates, and the kid.