Pre-hunt Shenanigans

 To be clear, I write this blog for my own personal satisfaction. Scrolling through the stories years after the memory was created brings back a flood of memories and I cherish it. I wasn't really sure anybody else really took a peek into my outdoor life through this site, but I've been surprised to hear from several people that they've been missing the blog updates, and truthfully I've been missing jotting them down. I'm not a real social media person although I might be considered a "stalker" as I don't share any of my stories or photos on social media; however, I do enjoy looking at other folks outdoor successes....many of the people I don't even know Ha! But according to Instagram I have like 1000 "friends". Boy do I feel loved.

It's now the end of September, I have an elk tag in my pocket but I've been gone from the home long enough out hunting (and it's really wet outside) that this morning I'm gonna sip coffee and punch keys.

We are all still alive and kicking in the Cody Burrell house. Hunter has branched out and is living with friends here in Cody building trusses full-time with another odd-end job here or there. He has a girlfriend Gwynn who seems to be his sweetheart. Roo spent the summer with my sister "nannying" for their two daughters in SLC. I think she enjoyed her time but is happy to be back in small town Cody going to college and working hard. Laynee is growing up loving gymnastics but volleyball seems to be taking over. She is a persistent lil bugger and so much fun to have around. Emily is working at the school, going back to school and exploring getting into the nursing program. Em and Roo go to school together , which they enjoy.  Emily is an awesome mother and even better wife.

Alright, that last paragraph looks like one of those cheezy Christmas letters you get after Christmas from a distant friend, I'm sorry. With no further explanation, besides some captions maybe, here were some pre-hunt outside adventures we shared this year.

I'm learning how to really hammer these splake and lakers in the winter. Amazing eaters.

Made a quick trip to Montana for pike and walleye. I had never run tip-ups nor caught northern pike. Wow, what an experience! We hooked dozens of pike.

Always fun day on the slopes with these snow bunnies

Looking at and feeling the energy from these ancient pictoglyphs we found while on a hike

The old golden boy brought some luck this day!

I had a pretty good shed antler season. I found a couple dozen elk sheds and about that many deer.

Not sure but I think red hair must conduct more heat...

I have to add this picture since i spend most the summer and spring with this coyote dog

To my credit I saw it first, barely. Haha

An amazing morning with a fresh blanket

I made a trip to Lake Powell with some friends. The fishing was lights-out. We caught 11 species and around 150 fish/day. If you guess all 11 species, you win a prize....If you're wrong, you owe me 500$ to replace the snagged jigheads I lost on the trip

Laynee likes shooting "Allie",the .243 Ackley, and does a fine job. Here she is at 500.

One of my favorite people

This one somehow escaped the early crowds

with my mom at Yellowstone watching an eagle nest

Fields of wild onions up on a camp-out in the bighorns.

Laynee received some awards from the county fair photo contest with these macro shots

Talk about an awesome triple catch

400 yard practice in Marysvale

A special trip every year with my brother. Hunter couldn't make the whole trip this year but spent the first day with us. Laynee joined us and did awesome. We hiked the Bighorns and the hopper fishing was incredible!

Made a summer scouting trip and saw some pretty decent bucks. I'll add two specific buck videos as a foreshadow...stay tuned!

Made another pack in trip into the Bighorns with friend Marty. Small hoppers were the ticket and fooled dozens of good-sized browns, cutts, and rainbows

Hunter worked as a raft guide on the Shoshone river this summer

And that's a wrap. Hunting stories coming right up...