# You saw a what?



## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

So after growing up in the wilderness of Central Idaho, and hundreds of days afield ever since, I've seen and heard creatures in the forests that few others have ever seen. I've been face to face with antlered critters, and critters with claws, fins and feathers. But I never thought I'd ever see what I saw in the Uintas near the East Fork of the Bear River a couple of weeks ago. 

My son has been working at the Scout camp up there all summer. On the weekends, he rides a bus home so he can do laundry, get a home cooked meal, and go to church. Then Sunday nights, I've been driving him back to camp. Its been great Dad-boy time - always a good thing. So a couple of weeks ago - on July 3, we were a little bit late getting away and heading up to camp. It was dark by the time we turned up the Mirror Lake Highway out of Evingston. ;-) After leaving the glow of all the aerial fireworks in the rear view mirror, we got to the turn-off for the scout camp after crossing the Forest Boundary. 

A couple of miles in, and we were heading towards Camp Tomahawk. We came around the corner in my little Toyota Corolla and right there in the road, was a creature. A creature like none other I'd ever seen. And I've seen plenty. If I had not seen it, I'm not sure I would believe it. 

Standing there in the road was the creature. All black. Large hump thing on its back. Longer fur around its belly and legs. And a large, curved horn coming out each side of its head. Overall, this 4-legged creature was about the same height as my car. So there I was, staring into the eyes of ..... a yak. A black yak. Right there in the middle of the road. So I looked at him, and he looked right back. And around his neck was a collar of some kind, and a leash or lead rope or something hanging from the collar. 

So as we sat there in the car, I turned to my son and said "There is a yak, with a leash, in the road, in the dark." He said "yup." And I said "Sounds like a campfire song waiting to be written. "

So there it is. True story. So anybody know about a yak in the Uintas? My guess is it clearly belongs to someone, and maybe the use it for a "pack yak"? who knows. Thoughts? Ideas?


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

Sounds like something out a of a Dr. Seuss Book. A "yak"! Awesome!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Bull or cow yak?





Probably a Moreno Sheep Ram. Belongs to a sheepherder from Evanston. Did it have a bell on it's neck?


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

I know the one I dealt with was an ornery SOB.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

I believe you may have seen a blue ox. It belongs to the Goob, he calls it 'Babe'.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

-_O-


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

:lol: 

Geeze Goob...you gotta keep that thing on a leash!


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

When I get home I will post a pic of the creature you saw. Sounds like a story that is hard to believe, but, my wife and daughter saw it in the parking lot at the trail head just above the scout camp. They took pictures of it. There were some guys with horses there also. I believe it belonged to them. We were up there over the 24th also but did not see it this time.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Love to see the pic Reb. I didn't have my camera with me, and it was too dark to use the cell phone camera.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

Here is the mystical creature. The Uintah monster.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Whoa, I'll be ****. It's a Tibetan Yak Cow. I don't think any of the cattleman on the North Slope have them, but I'll ask. 

They are a pack animal.

Is that the East Fork trailhead?


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

Yes it is the East Fork trailhead right above the scout camp.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I've never seen a Yak Cow around here. I see a few on the Colorado Front, like around Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. 

That's just cool. Thanks for posting the pic.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

I totally thought this was going in another direction after reading the first part of GF's post. I figured we'd hear claims of a dwarf sasquatch with horns.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

So far no one over here knows about Yak Cows. They think I'm crazy. geeze


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

That is it! That is the Yak we saw! Thanks for the picture. I love it!


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

Great picture! What do you think she/he scores? Never mind, it wouldn't be fair chase anyway!


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

Thers a few YAKS around Heber that are indeed used as a pack yak


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

pheaz said:


> Thers a few YAKS around Heber that are indeed used as a pack yak


And if they don't have withers, we'll have to balance the load with some kind of rack and we'll end up with a black rack pack yak!


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

elkfromabove said:


> pheaz said:
> 
> 
> > Thers a few YAKS around Heber that are indeed used as a pack yak
> ...


Holy shizz EFA say that fast 5 times -black rack pack yak :lol: :lol:


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

pheaz said:


> elkfromabove said:
> 
> 
> > pheaz said:
> ...


Like I said at the beginning, straight out of a Dr. Suess book! :lol:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

The yaks have numbered ear tags:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TPSXvWp ... re=related

Yaks have been around America for along time. In the 60s they even wrote a song about them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHB3Rbz ... re=related

*GaryFish* told *NHS* he wanted this song played at his funeral.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Actually, Yakety SAX is my ringtone on my phone! Geeze Goob, Get it freaking right!

BTW Goob - stopped in Evingston last night for a refill of mountain dew, beef jerky and some funnyons, and thought of you while I destroyed the urinal cake at the Maverick.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

GaryFish said:


> ............................................
> 
> BTW Goob - stopped in Evingston last night for a refill of mountain dew, beef jerky and some funnyons, and thought of you while I destroyed the urinal cake at the Maverick.


Ah, ha, ha, he, he.....everyone says that!


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