Realistic goals

-A 150" buck in PA
-ANY animal with trad gear first, then
-P&Y with trad gear
Kill the following with a bow(compound or trad)
-Elk
-Bear
-Turkey (without a blind)
-Pronghorn


Longer range/more difficult goals/dreams

Shoot a P&Y every year
100 big game bowkills
Kill a moose
Take an elk & bear with trad gear
-To hunt at a high level for as long as I can (high level meaning no physical limitations)

I haven't really thought about it. There are some things I would like to do. Kill a big bull elk, and caribou.
The one thing that would bring me the most joy would be hunting with my son. He is living in MIch. w/ his mom and he wants to go sooooo bad. He is in school at that time of year. I tried to get him at thanksgiving so we could hunt for 2 days. His mother put an end to that!
Given the choice between killing a 200" deer or hunting w/ my son even just 1 time, I would easily choose to hunt w/ my son.

Don't give up on that Magic! It still could happen. Good luck with that.

- Grizz
- Sheep (Any I am fortunate to draw will do)
- Mountain Goat

I suppose I'm fortunate that I live in a state where I can hunt whitetail,mulies, elk, and bear annually without needing to draw a tag. If I draw I'll also be able to hunt moose, sheep, and mountain goats here in Washington.

Of course there are other species I'd love to hunt here in North America, but those will simply be an added bonus.

Too help as many deer hunters get their first kill.
As this took me way too long by myself.

I'd like to get a booner whitetail and a non-typical. Maybe both with the same deer!

Since we're kinda talking about "goals" in the abstract - Teddy Roosevelt comes to mind.

I'd like to do my part to change the hunting culture as we know it.

We should be placing more emphasis on conservation and opening new areas to the public.We need to seekincentives (public and private)to landowners who allow open access to their land.

I'd like to do my part to raise awareness about quality management, and see the number of hunters stabilize at a level where there is plenty of great hunting to go around. I think we're misguided right now in this whole "recruit as many new hunters as possible" mindset. It just compounds our problems.

I'd just like to see "hunting" as we know it to take a step away from being a multi-million-dollar cash-grabbing industry - and turn back into a hobby that is affordable and successfulfor the select few people who do it. I'd enjoy seeing the image of the American hunter morph back into a true gentlemen of nature: esteemed, brave, intelligentand ethical in all regards. People shouldn't think "trailer trash" when they hear the word "deer hunter." That bothers me to the core. We all need to start taking out the trash. No man should ever hang his head or be embarrassed to tell people that he loves hunting. That's not an indictment. But we've turned it into one... We've gotta do our part toturn the tide.

We all just need to recognize that huntable land is a finite and dwindling resource. As outdoorsmen, we should be doing a whole lot more to protect what we have. People need to recognize the common thread that unites a kayaker on the Gauley River, a bird watcher peering through his spotting scope in Yellowstone, an animal activist outside a kill-shelter, a tree-hugger wearing a tie-dyed shirt chainedto apiece of pole timbersomewhere, a mountain biker on an abandoned snowmobile trail in the Allegheny National Forest, an old man sitting at home reading National Geographic, a downhill skier in Lake Tahoe, and a hunter perched over a cornfield edge- an undying devotion to animals, wildlife, and the outdoors. If that's what's important to all of us - I'd like to see all of us stop wasting millions of dollars fighting against each other - and funnel those efforts and resources into what REALLY matters to all of us. Protecting what we've got.

I just wish people could see the common ground.

Well put quickie, here is a email I got today for a Wi DNR Update and its a start:

A new stewardship access rule is the subject of three public input sessions scheduled for early April. Hosted by the Natural Resources Board Stewardship subcommittee and the Department of Natural Resources, the meetings will be held April 1 in Waukesha, April 3 in Eau Claire and April 8 in Green Bay.
The passage of the state budget last fall included the reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund. “Governor Jim Doyle made a commitment to future generations in his successful drive to increase the amount of the Stewardship Fund from $60 million to $86 million each year for ten years beginning in 2011,” DNR Secretary Matt Frank said.
The Stewardship reauthorization includes a provision requiring that lands purchased with Stewardship funds be open to five nature-based outdoor activities: hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, cross-country skiing, and any other nature-based outdoor activity as designated by rule by the DNR. The legislature provided for limited exceptions if the Natural Resources Board determines it is necessary to prohibit one or more of the activities to protect public safety, to protect a unique animal or plant community, or to accommodate other usership patterns. This requirement does not apply to state park properties.
The Department will work with the public and a citizen advisory group to help identify criteria to determine under what circumstances these five primary nature-based outdoor activities may be restricted or prohibited, and to define “usership” patterns.
“We want this process to be thoughtful and thorough,” said Frank “We look forward to working with the public to help us formulate a rule to provide opportunities for a full range of recreational activities.”
Since its inception in 1990, the Stewardship Fund has been used by the Department to acquire 447,000 acres, and an additional 58,000 acres was acquired using Stewardship Grants by local governments and conservation organizations. More than 92 percent of this land is open to hunting and more than 98 percent is open to fishing, ensuring that future generations in Wisconsin will have a place to hunt and fish as well as hike, ski, view nature and camp.

First of all-family comes 1st & I have been blessed with a GREAT Bowhunting/Archery journey. This is the start of my 52nd year of Bowhunting only biggame. I have never purchased a gun biggame tag but there is nothing wrong with those who choose to do so. I have experienced what MANY dream of & done almost all I have dreamed of in Bowhunting. I started when "compound" had not been thought of & took 36 Bigame animals with wood, forgwood & fiberglass arrows & recurves from 45# to 63# over those early years. I was also very active in the State & National assns., wrote a Archery column, gave talks to various groups on Archery & Bowhunting & owned 2 Archery shops & Lanes back when it was just getting started. I went from a instictive shooter of a recurve & fingers to a sight & release made of a wood dowel, slightly bent finishing nail & a nylon cord (real mouth buster). I saw the ground floor of plastic vanes & the NEW ideas for releases & the change of traditional to compounds-I know-I had about 100 recurves that started collecting dust & WISH I had them today-the $70 recurve in those days would bring a pretty penny today. I remember gluing injector blades to Broadheads for MORE sharpness AND killed a couple Deer with them. I have given back to a sport that has been good to me. I now bowhunt Whitetail & Hogs plus maybe something else thrown in on occassion. I have taken Whitetail, Mule Deer, Black Bears, Caribou, Elk, Buffalo, wild Hogs , Sheep & a few others along the way. I have been fortunate to have taken my oldest son on several trips & see him take Caribou & Deer.
I now have 2 girls getting into the sport & hope they do well this year. I have done nearly all I have ever wanted to do in Bowhuntiong & IF most of you have just half the fun I have-your in for a great ride. I have several animals that would qualify for P&Y but that IS NOT why I Bowhunt. When I draw my bow, it may just be a big fat Doe BUT "MY HEART" will be racing. That's a rush ONLY A BOWHUNTER understands. Good Luck in your trtavels as a Bowhunter. Yes, I have made MANY friends & unfortunaly, some have gone to the Bowhunting ground in the sky. I take them all with me when I go to the woods. Enjoy, it passes quickly. Family 1st though....

The places I hunt are not known for producing P&Y whitetails. It's possible but highly unlikely. Hopefully with a few more years of antler restrictions in PA I'll get a poke at one. That is what I hope to accomplish first and foremost. Second, I've been out west but I've never hunted out there. I'd love to elk hunt. Good question!