What's your hunting outlook/plan/philosophy?
08-31-2010, 06:47 PM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
What's your hunting outlook/plan/philosophy?
Do you have a hunting philosophy might be a better question?
ie, do you hunt your home state for everything and then apply to other (western) states for quality tags?
are you looking to draw premo tags for everything?
do you focus on 1 specie, such as wanting to hunt elk everywhere?
What do you do once you reach your goals? for instance once you complete the turkey slam, then what? stop hunting turkeys? just hunt turkeys in your home state? complete a 2nd slam?
Do you take 1 hunt/trip per fall, kinda a special hunt? more than 1? 1 every 5 years?
Maybe some of you out there have hunted everything you've wanted to just about, and now you hunt what you prefer to, in that case, what do you prefer to hunt instead of something else?
ie you've taken 1 caribou, and countless deer/elk, but don't care to hunt caribou anymore, but love to continue to hunt deer/elk, anyone out there like this?
ie, do you hunt your home state for everything and then apply to other (western) states for quality tags?
are you looking to draw premo tags for everything?
do you focus on 1 specie, such as wanting to hunt elk everywhere?
What do you do once you reach your goals? for instance once you complete the turkey slam, then what? stop hunting turkeys? just hunt turkeys in your home state? complete a 2nd slam?
Do you take 1 hunt/trip per fall, kinda a special hunt? more than 1? 1 every 5 years?
Maybe some of you out there have hunted everything you've wanted to just about, and now you hunt what you prefer to, in that case, what do you prefer to hunt instead of something else?
ie you've taken 1 caribou, and countless deer/elk, but don't care to hunt caribou anymore, but love to continue to hunt deer/elk, anyone out there like this?
Last edited by salukipv1; 08-31-2010 at 07:08 PM.
08-31-2010, 06:59 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
I'm working on completing the turkey slam. 1 down, the eastern, plan to take a merriam's this spring, least that's the plan. Would like to take a new sub-specie ever 3 or 4 years, behind on that plan though, so gotta get with it!
Currently try to make 1 trip out west each year/fall, more would be nice.
I try to draw some top notch units, but until I do, I'm starting to think hunting an area over and over and learning it would be the way to go to be more successful than trying new areas all the time and winging it.
I do enjoy hunting antelope, they're such a unique beautiful animal, make a great mount.
I can see becoming an elk addict, but heck hunting as a whole is a good time.
I feel like I've exp'd quite a bit of hunting already, but know there's so much more left out there.
to answer my own question, I've taken 2 nice black bears in my life, and actually do have plans to try to get one with the bow sometime in the near future, but taking another black bear, especially once I take one with the bow, is low on my priority hunt list.
Currently try to make 1 trip out west each year/fall, more would be nice.
I try to draw some top notch units, but until I do, I'm starting to think hunting an area over and over and learning it would be the way to go to be more successful than trying new areas all the time and winging it.
I do enjoy hunting antelope, they're such a unique beautiful animal, make a great mount.
I can see becoming an elk addict, but heck hunting as a whole is a good time.
I feel like I've exp'd quite a bit of hunting already, but know there's so much more left out there.
to answer my own question, I've taken 2 nice black bears in my life, and actually do have plans to try to get one with the bow sometime in the near future, but taking another black bear, especially once I take one with the bow, is low on my priority hunt list.
Last edited by salukipv1; 08-31-2010 at 07:03 PM.
09-01-2010, 02:18 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 291
I'll make 2 weekends in Colorado. Plan is to glass a bunch and watch water holes....less strain on the ancient bod!!!LOL If I go, it's enjoyable...if I kill, it's a bonus! I just enjoy hunting!
Dan
Dan
Last edited by longknife12; 09-02-2010 at 04:38 PM.
09-01-2010, 08:20 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 588
Hunting trophy horns are nice and I can totally understand why some focus on that but it's not why I hunt. If I can get a tag, I'm happy. I just love being out in the mountains, hunting (Elk and Deer, more elk) I try to get a muzzleloader tag (happy with bull or cow) and a cow tag for 2nd rifle. I have a 5x5 bull that I did a European mount with. The hunt doesn't stop for me when the season ends. I think about the hunt every time I have a meal from our harvest.
I subscribe to the idea that any elk harvested is a trophy.
I subscribe to the idea that any elk harvested is a trophy.
09-01-2010, 06:53 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
I would LOVE to shoot a 340" bull elk. I'll probably continue to hunt elk every year in at least 1 western state until that happens. If I ever accomplish that I will probably continue to hunt elk with my friends in Wyoming every year or two.
I got my 180" mule deer last year but that didn't stop me on that side of the fence. Maybe there is a 200"er in my future? I'm hunting easy mule deer in eastern New Mexico though, not the super difficult high country mule deer.
I would like to shoot an 80" antelope and then I would probably be done with antelope. Not much meat on an antelope and really they are relatively easy to hunt in most states, just not so easy to get an 80"er.
I've thought about Moose and Caribou, but I'm not sold on whether I will ever go on a guided hunt for either of those.
Maybe an unguided Oryx hunt in New Mexico sometime. Maybe an Audad sheep if I could find somewhere to hunt them without too high of a tresspass fee.
Of course I'll be hunting whitetail in my home state every year no matter what.
I got my 180" mule deer last year but that didn't stop me on that side of the fence. Maybe there is a 200"er in my future? I'm hunting easy mule deer in eastern New Mexico though, not the super difficult high country mule deer.
I would like to shoot an 80" antelope and then I would probably be done with antelope. Not much meat on an antelope and really they are relatively easy to hunt in most states, just not so easy to get an 80"er.
I've thought about Moose and Caribou, but I'm not sold on whether I will ever go on a guided hunt for either of those.
Maybe an unguided Oryx hunt in New Mexico sometime. Maybe an Audad sheep if I could find somewhere to hunt them without too high of a tresspass fee.
Of course I'll be hunting whitetail in my home state every year no matter what.
09-01-2010, 09:16 PM
#6
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: reno nv.
Posts: 62
i love to hunt anything!!!
i live in nevada and hunt at least one other western state every year.i love to hunt elk and mule deer and will not pass up a shot at a cow or doe if i have a either sex bow tag.i cant eat horns and an unfilled tag does not make a very good samich.but what i look forward to most is the one week a year i spend sitting in a tree stand at my uncles house in west virginia. something about whitetails that get my blood pounding.i never get tired of that.
i try and go on a BIG hunt every couple of years.it takes a long time to save up for one but i hunted so.africa and would love to do that again.this year i'm going to newfoundland for caribou and eastern moose.and plan to go to new zealand in 2012.as long as i can make it work out . i would like to keep doing this till i die. there are so many wild places and different critters in the world and i want to see and shoot them all.
i live in nevada and hunt at least one other western state every year.i love to hunt elk and mule deer and will not pass up a shot at a cow or doe if i have a either sex bow tag.i cant eat horns and an unfilled tag does not make a very good samich.but what i look forward to most is the one week a year i spend sitting in a tree stand at my uncles house in west virginia. something about whitetails that get my blood pounding.i never get tired of that.
i try and go on a BIG hunt every couple of years.it takes a long time to save up for one but i hunted so.africa and would love to do that again.this year i'm going to newfoundland for caribou and eastern moose.and plan to go to new zealand in 2012.as long as i can make it work out . i would like to keep doing this till i die. there are so many wild places and different critters in the world and i want to see and shoot them all.
09-02-2010, 07:29 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,320
I never have hunted outside my home state...just haven't had the opportunity. With that I have hunted here in CO for all we have to offer. Both trophy and meat hunts.
With all the diversity and the fact that almost all of my hunting is on private proeperty I wouldn't have to go anywhere else.
With all the diversity and the fact that almost all of my hunting is on private proeperty I wouldn't have to go anywhere else.
09-02-2010, 10:41 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wide open Nevada
Posts: 515
Id love to go someplace 1 year for a month or 2 where you can earn a buck or get the oppertuity to take several deer per year . Living here the lottery draw is nerve wracking enough before you ever get to hunt. Then we've all the big game except moose so why bother driving a couple thousand miles to do what you do 20 miles from home.
09-02-2010, 11:34 AM
#9
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
I live in VT and hunted here all my life. I wouldn't miss the season here because of my family camp and am fortunate to be able to hunt elsewhere between the Vt seasons. I started to hunt big game by hunting 3 years in a row in Newfoundland for woodland caribou. I scored on stags (bulls) all 3 years and then decided to try western hunts for elk. I have gone out there the past 4 years and scored on 4 elk.... 2 bulls and 2 cows. I love to eat game and hunt for the meat rather than holding out for a trophy. I love the west and have gone out 2 years in a row during the summer to scout and enjoy the fine mountain living. Headed back again this year just after the 4th of July. I have hunted several years in NY, NH, Maine, Pa, MI, and Ohio in addition to local hunts. I hunt turkey here only and really enjoy it.
