Sorry: I do not know how to post a proper " Poll"

When it comes to hunting Big game, What are your priorities?

1. Harvesting a " Trophy"

2. Filling your tag...simply being successful, bringing home the meat.

3. Comraderie.

4. Just being out in creation and soaking it all in.

5. Other/Any combination of the above.

..and why?, if you don' t mind.

Just curious,

Beans

Being out in creation and soaking it all in. No cell phones, semi' s, slot machines. Just me and the animals and the open country, can' t get any better than that.

Right On, CB!

I' d have to say a combination of it all.

Being out there by myself soaking it all in. Being able to see millions of stars at night; smelling the cool, crisp, pine scented mountain air; hearing the elk bugeling and smelling them when they walk by up wind of you but you still don' t see them; the aspen leaves turning vibrant gold, orange and red.

The comraderie. Coming back to camp at night t tell the same hunting stories that you have told every year and remembering the successes and failures. Sitting around the camp fire with your chest and legs burning up and your back and neck cold as ever just staring at it like it was some mystical ghost. Wanting to strangle my father and another hunting buddy of ours because they always fall asleep before I do and keep me up with their excessive snoring.

Of course filling my tags so that I can enjoy the delicious meat that that elk provided me and if it is a " trophy" it just makes it that much sweeter.

Pronounced like a TRUE (and experienced) Colorado Elk Hunter, BB.

I' ll go with #5 then reverse the order you have and thats what I look for. And maybe I like to throw in to actually see game after that the kill is secondary.

Good question! I' ll enjoy reading everyone' s answer.

For me, it would have to be primarily just soaking it all in, and secondarily bringing home the meat. None of my friends around here really hunt, so I' m going it alone usually, so comraderie is out (unfortunately). Not interested in trophies - I' ve met too many folks that get so hopped up on horns that they go to any illegal means necessary to get them. Since I absolutely will not do that, I figure that the playing field isn' t level, so I don' t even bother.

There is simply nothing quite as fulfilling as a crisp fall morning in the woods.

4,3,2,1.

It would be hard to improve on bigbulls narrative, including the snoring (well written). Others touched on most the little details that make elk hunting special. I would just add watching my boys grow up elk hunting has been very rewarding, especially the day 75 elk stampeded through their stands.

EKM

I like the mornins' . Gettin' up 2 hours afor the sun, drinkin' boiled, gritty coffee from a cold tin cup, eatin' so much grease you gotta go squirt the bushes 3 times a day, saddlin' horses by flashlight with froze fingers, changin' horse pickets with froze ropes, packin' meat. On second thort, why is it we do this?

I have to say as I get older the love of being outside,walking the hills,feeling the crisp cold clean air in my lungs and freezing my ears.I love the thrill of the hunt taking on natures elite by my own self and reaching my goals.