Deer Camp Fall 2026 - Bookcliffs
The Tag:
Dad finally drew a tag for a mule deer for the Bookcliffs hunting unit, a highly sought after tag in the high dessert of eastern UT. After years of seeing deer out there, multiple yearly winter camps and a few scouting trips we finally had the chance to actually get out there and hunt for real.
Camp Set Up:
We got an early start on this one and the 3 of us boys (Dad, Mckay and Caleb) took off to the mountain Friday afternoon to get a start on the camp setup hoping for a fully rested start to opening day and a long weekend of hunting. Of course we swung by for a nerd shake on the way through Roosevelt. We got to the mountain, dropped our gear and headed out for one last scout/eveing drive in the Tremor's Bookcliffs maiden voyage. We saw a nice 4 pointer and a hoard of other hunters and camps which I went back and forth on all day between it being cool to have so many people out there and me being impatient with dealing with them all.
We got the camper set up, wheels dug in and the new canvas tent set up and got all of camp set up ready for the long haul. The tent was great and felt like a hotel. It was going to be a cold night so I set up my bed and it turned out to be a perfect night of sleep. All day there were talks about the buck we were after... How tall, wide or heavy the antlers on a 4 point would have to be to shoot day 1, 3 or 4.5 and so on. Would it be a no brainer to shoot a buck opening morning if he had any stickers, drop tines or any extra antler? which bucks from years past would be considered diamond or not etc... Something else that was talked about a lot during the evening drive and throughout the whole trip was just how good it felt to be out there, in blaze orange and camo, with a gun and the chance to get an animal. Some of the hunting community can be more concerned with the size and official score of the antlers but we all talked about the experience and the story being far more important. We also had Mike, Jill and Jospeh join us that night and for the next morning as well. Before tucking into bed and after some careful deliberation we hatched a plan to head out to Indian Ridge into Sweetwater and McCook Ridge Rd, Dad was feeling it, I dreamt of it the night before and we'd seen so many nice deer out that way that it had to be our first spot.
Opening Morning:
Opening day was here. Much like a kid on christmas, I was up, probably along with Caleb and Dad about an hour or so earlier than we needed laying in bed and waiting, no less than giddy for the day. Turns out we had all planned our outfits the night before and had them lined up and ready. Not to mention, the jam busters didnt know what was in store for them. We started the truck, let it warm up while we geared up and ate donuts and grabbed a drink for the road. On a serious note Grandpa Jensen taught me a lot by example, on a less serious note, he passed on the undoubted truth that Wild Cherry Pepsi was made for the bookcliffs so I threw a couple in the truck for the road and we were on our way, bino harnesses on and eyes peeled. We were on the road before first light but in this case it is always better to be early than late so we just poked along and hit Indian Ridge right at the right time. Generally the hunters we were in with were pretty respectful and adhered to the unwritten hunters etiquette. The first few hours went by and we saw so many deer, a couple bucks but nothing we considered a day one shooter. The last few miles of the road we were on winds down a steep canyon and we didn't see any deer so once we got to the bottom we decided to turn around, giv'er back up the canyon to the sage flats and start looking for deer again. We did just that, cruised up the canyon with the other truck following right up to the prime deer country as we call it.
With a hunt you've been looking forward to for years and for dad over a decade, you create situations or expectations of how its all going to go down and in hunting, what actually happens is rarely what you expect and that adds such a fun aspect to the chase. The road we spotted the buck on was a piece of dirt road we have driven dozens of times in the last few years and we knew deer were thick. We came over a small hill and I spotted him instantly and the other 2 did before I could even point him out. Right away you could tell he was a mature buck, he was alone, had a huge body and neck and of course, had a massive rack easy to spot with the naked eye. I wrongly thought this was a big 2 point we saw just an hour earlier in a similar spot but as soon as I brought my binoculars up I knew he was bigger than that. Dad never even brought his binos out but threw his glassed on the floor, jammed the bolt of his gun closed and got in shooting position on the open window of the truck. Caleb was in the back and had his binos on him too then reached for the camera to film but dad was far too quick on the draw. I had my binoculars up the whole time and I was just thinking out loud while watching him, I noticed he had an eye-guard that dropped and another extra tine towards the back, I calmly said while glassing, "He's a shooter, he's got some extras...." It wasn't a millisecond after I finished my sentence and dad already squeezed off a shot. At about 150 yards the shot found its mark and the buck dropped instantly, got both lungs and we think it nicked the spinal cord as well. It was over fast and everyone was full of excitement. The first thing dad said was, "well, I think the hunt is over," while the deer was taking his last breaths. He had the deer in the dirt less than a minute after he was initially spotted. Post Hunt:
This happened so fast that Mike and Jill hadn't even made it over the same small hill we just passed by the time all 3 of us were out of the truck. The hunt was indeed over, though all very exited we were surprised it was over so quickly. We all walked up to the old buck and gawked at it for a half hour before finishing the photos and gutting of him. It was the kind of buck that the closer you got to him, the more unique the rack got and honestly this deer is one of the coolest, most character filled and still biggest deer I have ever seen on the hoof, a true one of a kind. From there it was swapping stories, recounting the last hour a handful or more times and talking about how cool of a buck it really was.
In todays day and age I think we are all getting more stressed, tired and overworked by the day. Finding time to do what we really love seems to come around less and less. Its hard to find moments of true and pure excitement or happiness. Walking up to that buck on the ground was one of the funnest things I've done in a while and I was genuinely so happy for dad and just overall elated to be a part of a great experience. The unfolding of the shot, the incredible scenery, the sun just cresting the horizon, and a few other factors combined to create an experience and feeling I can only describe as-without the slightest exaggeration-euphoric.
We still spent all day on Saturday which was opening day out on the mountain, mostly talking about the hunt but we also ate plenty of junk and pickled food, drank a pile of pop and just hung out around camp. We did an evening drive as well as a drive the next morning too. We saw some more nice bucks, some other camps that had their deer on display and I got to drive my truck around the mountain.
Bonus Hunt:
After dad got his deer we took it back to camp and hung out but still wanted to do an evening drive. We saw a lot more deer and some nice bucks but the best part about that drive is that I finally bagged my bunny. I have been after cottontails and jackrabbits for years and finally had a good chance and could have probably bagged 3 this trip. At the bottom of the creek I saw one move from a bush into another one, I grabbed dad's .22 pistol and tracked him down and smoked him. He tried to hide and almost got away with it. I do these small hunts absolutely for fun but we also used my rabbit in a stew that night and I took the hide home to learn and practice with.
Comments