RE: ELK, How Big is BIG to you?
I had a great permit here last year and it was my first time elk hunting as well--I passed up some spikes and four pts (which would have been chip shots)--I was going to hold out for at least a nice 5x5 or 6x6. I did not get a shot, but thanks to the generosity of some of my partners (i.e. barebackjack) I got a little meat instead of tag soup. I have a feeling that still as a novice elk hunter I'll try to take something decent--5x or 6x or better next year with my bow and then if I do not connect-I'll try to keep the same standards thru early rifle season--then as the end gets closer--I'm sure my standards will deteriorate. I'm really going to try to devote a lot of time next year (NEXT YEAR IS THEEEEEE YEAR) and hope that at the end I'll have an elk of some sort.
hb