sn.outdoors
WKR
We had a great morning on Winnebago. Now I have to hit the road for a 24hr drive home. I'll post more Monday.
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Average Joe Hunting Adventures with Dan and CJ
- Thread starter Lostinthewoods
- Start date
OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
I'm really jacked up right now, big time!
I ran out to my Florida honey hole to check a camera and who is bedded 25 yards away from my camera?
The giant buck I was chasing in there last year.... AHHHHH
I got about 35 yards away from my camera because I saw his rack behind my tree. I froze and he never even heard or saw me....
After watching for a few seconds I slowly backed out.
I'm suppose to be focused on elk right now, but after seeing how massy he is going to be this year once the velvet comes off got me so fired up!
32 days until NM elk...... so much for sleeping the next month.
I ran out to my Florida honey hole to check a camera and who is bedded 25 yards away from my camera?
The giant buck I was chasing in there last year.... AHHHHH
I got about 35 yards away from my camera because I saw his rack behind my tree. I froze and he never even heard or saw me....
After watching for a few seconds I slowly backed out.
I'm suppose to be focused on elk right now, but after seeing how massy he is going to be this year once the velvet comes off got me so fired up!
32 days until NM elk...... so much for sleeping the next month.
OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
This is him
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OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
With elk season less than 26 days away I've been including broadheads in my daily shoot to make sure they are flying well and that I'm truly shooting well.
First shot is always a cold bore broadhead shot and then I'll group a few to make sure they are all meeting up.
They've been flying like darts and they are dead on! I'm so dang excited for this hunt and all the others.
First shot is always a cold bore broadhead shot and then I'll group a few to make sure they are all meeting up.
They've been flying like darts and they are dead on! I'm so dang excited for this hunt and all the others.
OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
Thank you!
Did you get your TX apps in already? I didn't draw any of the antelope tags....
RyanG505
FNG
whats up guys...just checking in here. il make my random appearances on Rokslide every now and then haha
sn.outdoors
WKR
Dan and I are both currently operating near max capacity. It's been an extremely busy few weeks for us. Tonight I'll actually sit down and fill you all in on what's been happening in my life. I owe all of you several stories and many pics.
OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
sn.outdoors
WKR
The last two weeks have been a blast! As I mentioned, my trip home to WI was the first time I'd been home in the summer since before I moved away 8 years ago, and it was a LONG overdue trip. I'd forgotten how nice the summers are up there, especially compared to NM and SW ID. Its tough to complain about high temps in the low 80's after spending almost 6 years in the desert. The timing also worked out very well to visit with the majority of my family without any scheduling conflicts, which is always the most difficult part of going back home. I haven't posted anything too in depth because I've really been thinking over how I want to say it. Yes catching fish and killing animals is exciting and fun, but I'm a more of a why type person. I want to convey why things were important enough for me and Dan to have this thread going. It's a lot more than us just posting pics of things we do.
I don't think my daughter realized the magnitude of this event for me. In that moment, as I watched her bring her first fish up out of the water, I couldn't help but think of how my father felt when he helped me catch my first fish, and how my grandfather felt helping my father. I've since reflected on my mental picture of this moment quite a lot, and I can't help but think of all of our ancestors who needed to pass on their hunting and fishing knowledge and skills to each generation in order to ensure the survival of our species. I wonder what our ancestors thoughts were when their children successfully harvested their first meal? Did they jump up and down, high five, and count the points? Did they sit in a somber silence and give thanks to the animal? I'm sure they felt the same or similar emotions that we feel today.
Today we hunt and fish for many reasons; the thrill, excitement, and challenge to name a few. But hunting isn't necessarily a requirement to survive anymore. Thanks to modern ag and farming practices, the majority of people in this country are so far removed from where their food comes from they couldn't even tell you where a loin is on a pig. Heck, 7% of people actually think chocolate milk comes from brown cows... It's bad out there folks.
After thinking on it, I've concluded that if nothing else, I want to teach my children where stuff comes from. They don't have to hunt and fish (once they move out of my house of course. ) I can't force them to have the same passions as me, and that's fine.
----------
"What are you doing?" "Stopping to take roses to smell the time." It's crazy to think how much these two little people have helped me gain a better understanding on life. They are not concerned about the stock market, the political situation, or whether or not the bills are paid. They notice things that I'm often too busy or preoccupied to recognize. And they learn a lot faster than I do.
My son is very different from my daughter, he's more patient, quiet, and is very observant... He gets all of those traits from his mother. One trait he gets from me though, is knowing how things work. It didn't take him long to figure out when the bobber bounced or went down there was a fish on it. There were a few times where I was distracted by something else, and he made sure to let me know a fish was biting. We sat like this and fished for around an hour, and any time I'd get a fish on the hook he'd giggle, laugh, oooh and aaaah. Though I got eaten alive by mosquitos, I wouldn't trade this moment for anything.
Just before we called it quits fishing, a flock of turkeys roosted not far from us. When I was young there weren't any turkeys in this part of the state, but now they're very common, almost nuisances in some places.
We picked a lot of berries, and they were all delicious. I made the mistake of letting my daughter carry the container back... She claimed she left plenty for everyone else.
I'm slowly beginning to understand the joys of parenting. Its something that cannot be adequately described, it must be experienced to be understood; much like hunting...
I don't think my daughter realized the magnitude of this event for me. In that moment, as I watched her bring her first fish up out of the water, I couldn't help but think of how my father felt when he helped me catch my first fish, and how my grandfather felt helping my father. I've since reflected on my mental picture of this moment quite a lot, and I can't help but think of all of our ancestors who needed to pass on their hunting and fishing knowledge and skills to each generation in order to ensure the survival of our species. I wonder what our ancestors thoughts were when their children successfully harvested their first meal? Did they jump up and down, high five, and count the points? Did they sit in a somber silence and give thanks to the animal? I'm sure they felt the same or similar emotions that we feel today.
Today we hunt and fish for many reasons; the thrill, excitement, and challenge to name a few. But hunting isn't necessarily a requirement to survive anymore. Thanks to modern ag and farming practices, the majority of people in this country are so far removed from where their food comes from they couldn't even tell you where a loin is on a pig. Heck, 7% of people actually think chocolate milk comes from brown cows... It's bad out there folks.
After thinking on it, I've concluded that if nothing else, I want to teach my children where stuff comes from. They don't have to hunt and fish (once they move out of my house of course. ) I can't force them to have the same passions as me, and that's fine.
----------
"What are you doing?" "Stopping to take roses to smell the time." It's crazy to think how much these two little people have helped me gain a better understanding on life. They are not concerned about the stock market, the political situation, or whether or not the bills are paid. They notice things that I'm often too busy or preoccupied to recognize. And they learn a lot faster than I do.
My son is very different from my daughter, he's more patient, quiet, and is very observant... He gets all of those traits from his mother. One trait he gets from me though, is knowing how things work. It didn't take him long to figure out when the bobber bounced or went down there was a fish on it. There were a few times where I was distracted by something else, and he made sure to let me know a fish was biting. We sat like this and fished for around an hour, and any time I'd get a fish on the hook he'd giggle, laugh, oooh and aaaah. Though I got eaten alive by mosquitos, I wouldn't trade this moment for anything.
Just before we called it quits fishing, a flock of turkeys roosted not far from us. When I was young there weren't any turkeys in this part of the state, but now they're very common, almost nuisances in some places.
We picked a lot of berries, and they were all delicious. I made the mistake of letting my daughter carry the container back... She claimed she left plenty for everyone else.
I'm slowly beginning to understand the joys of parenting. Its something that cannot be adequately described, it must be experienced to be understood; much like hunting...
Last edited:
sn.outdoors
WKR
Before I joined the military and moved away, fishing pretty much consumed my life. I started fishing before my memory began recording in my brain, and as soon as I was old enough to bike to the closest lakes and rivers I was constantly fishing; almost everyday in the summer. This started when I was around 10 years old. I would always leave a note on the kitchen table that said where I planned to fish, when I left, the route I'd take and when I'd be back. I also remember the first and only time I deviated from that plan... My dad was PISSED!!! But I learned a very valuable life lesson...
Sadly, due to work, life, and focusing almost entirely on hunting, I had only gone fishing about 10 times since I joined. It's one of those things that makes me a little sad when I think about it. The majority of my "fishing" time was actually at work (yes, I went fishing for work) while I'm NE Washington, but I don't really count those hundreds of brook trout toward actual fishing time; I was "working."
Anyways... I'd been looking forward to walleye fishing with my stepdad for years, but having not been home in the summer since I joined the military, we never had the opportunity to do it. This trip was long overdue. We were both a little nervous about the trip, but for different reasons. I didn't want to look like a fool after not fishing much for almost a decade, and my stepdad had established a reputation for being a very successful walleye fisherman, and he really wanted to get us on fish. Another factor adding to the pressure was the short time window we had. I needed to leave WI after we were done fishing to drive the 24hrs back to Idaho to make it to work on Monday.
Regardless of the circumstances, we were bound to have a good time. There are not many summer activities better than watching the sun rise over a calm Wisconsin horizon, feeling to cool, humid chill of morning in your bones, and the fresh smell of the lake water all around you. It made me miss my childhood dearly.
The conditions were not ideal, and the fishing started slow. After the first hour we only had 3-4 perch in the boat. We were getting hits, but we (as in me) had a hard time getting a feel for setting the hook. I struggled to feel the jig hitting the bottom and couldn't tell the difference between a strike and pulling through rocks. My stepdad did his best at explaining what the feel was, but as we all know, some things you just need to experience for yourself to grasp the concepts.
My stepdad pulled in the first and biggest walleye of the day at about an hour and half, and caught another one shortly after. The perch bite kicked in hard around that time too, and it was quite a challenge working a jig in one hand and tending to the straight line off the back of the boat. As soon as I thought I was getting the feel for jigging I'd have a perch or sheepshead toying with my second line.
I finally hooked up with my first walleye of the day almost 2 1/2 hours into the morning. I caught it more by chance than any sort of technique or anything on my part, but it was a start.
My stepdad switched to a different color jig and brought 2 more fish in the boat before I decided to make a change. I asked him which color he never uses and went with that. I figured whatever, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I used a sightly heavier jig head so I could feel the bottom a little better as well.
After just 2 casts I hooked up with my second walleye, and this time I thought I actually felt it. 3 casts later over the same spot I had fish number 3 in the boat, and now I knew. I knew what to feel for, and all those years and thousands upon thousands of casts from my childhood came back to me. I had the touch. I remembered what I was doing. And it felt fantastic.
Over the next hour I caught the remainder of our walleye limit and my stepdad (who has dabbled heavily in tournament fishing on his off time) invited me to come fishing with him any time I wanted.
We didn't catch any big fish, but compared to the last time I fished the same lake for walleye 9 years ago, these were great. The fishery has come a long way since I left, and it was great to see it first hand.
We quickly filleted all of the fish and got them on ice for my long drive home. And they made it to my freezer without any issues. Gotta love when nature provides.
Like I said earlier, this trip was long overdue. My stepdad and my mom got together a little over 5 years ago, and I'm extremely happy they found each other. They're both very happy, and (more importantly
) I have lifelong fishing buddy.
As many of you know, it's hard to have a fully satisfying vacation. My trip back to Wisconsin was a trip full of nostalgia. It was one of the most refreshing vacations I've done in my life. Being able to see almost all of my family, watching my children enjoy the same places and activities from my youth, and fishing with my stepdad was everything I'd hoped for, and I couldn't be more thankful.
Sadly, due to work, life, and focusing almost entirely on hunting, I had only gone fishing about 10 times since I joined. It's one of those things that makes me a little sad when I think about it. The majority of my "fishing" time was actually at work (yes, I went fishing for work) while I'm NE Washington, but I don't really count those hundreds of brook trout toward actual fishing time; I was "working."
Anyways... I'd been looking forward to walleye fishing with my stepdad for years, but having not been home in the summer since I joined the military, we never had the opportunity to do it. This trip was long overdue. We were both a little nervous about the trip, but for different reasons. I didn't want to look like a fool after not fishing much for almost a decade, and my stepdad had established a reputation for being a very successful walleye fisherman, and he really wanted to get us on fish. Another factor adding to the pressure was the short time window we had. I needed to leave WI after we were done fishing to drive the 24hrs back to Idaho to make it to work on Monday.
Regardless of the circumstances, we were bound to have a good time. There are not many summer activities better than watching the sun rise over a calm Wisconsin horizon, feeling to cool, humid chill of morning in your bones, and the fresh smell of the lake water all around you. It made me miss my childhood dearly.
The conditions were not ideal, and the fishing started slow. After the first hour we only had 3-4 perch in the boat. We were getting hits, but we (as in me) had a hard time getting a feel for setting the hook. I struggled to feel the jig hitting the bottom and couldn't tell the difference between a strike and pulling through rocks. My stepdad did his best at explaining what the feel was, but as we all know, some things you just need to experience for yourself to grasp the concepts.
My stepdad pulled in the first and biggest walleye of the day at about an hour and half, and caught another one shortly after. The perch bite kicked in hard around that time too, and it was quite a challenge working a jig in one hand and tending to the straight line off the back of the boat. As soon as I thought I was getting the feel for jigging I'd have a perch or sheepshead toying with my second line.
I finally hooked up with my first walleye of the day almost 2 1/2 hours into the morning. I caught it more by chance than any sort of technique or anything on my part, but it was a start.
My stepdad switched to a different color jig and brought 2 more fish in the boat before I decided to make a change. I asked him which color he never uses and went with that. I figured whatever, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I used a sightly heavier jig head so I could feel the bottom a little better as well.
After just 2 casts I hooked up with my second walleye, and this time I thought I actually felt it. 3 casts later over the same spot I had fish number 3 in the boat, and now I knew. I knew what to feel for, and all those years and thousands upon thousands of casts from my childhood came back to me. I had the touch. I remembered what I was doing. And it felt fantastic.
Over the next hour I caught the remainder of our walleye limit and my stepdad (who has dabbled heavily in tournament fishing on his off time) invited me to come fishing with him any time I wanted.
We didn't catch any big fish, but compared to the last time I fished the same lake for walleye 9 years ago, these were great. The fishery has come a long way since I left, and it was great to see it first hand.
We quickly filleted all of the fish and got them on ice for my long drive home. And they made it to my freezer without any issues. Gotta love when nature provides.
Like I said earlier, this trip was long overdue. My stepdad and my mom got together a little over 5 years ago, and I'm extremely happy they found each other. They're both very happy, and (more importantly
) I have lifelong fishing buddy. As many of you know, it's hard to have a fully satisfying vacation. My trip back to Wisconsin was a trip full of nostalgia. It was one of the most refreshing vacations I've done in my life. Being able to see almost all of my family, watching my children enjoy the same places and activities from my youth, and fishing with my stepdad was everything I'd hoped for, and I couldn't be more thankful.
sn.outdoors
WKR
Last weekend I blitzed down to NM to pick up my elk and deer mounts from last season. It was a season that'll be tough to surpass. I might kill bigger animals in the, and maybe more big animals in one season in the future, but it'll be hard to beat killing 5 big game animals in 6 days of hunting. I also had a ton of fun with friends I may never get to hunt with again, in places I may never return to. Last year I tried my best to make an extra effort appreciate each day in the field, and soak in each place I hunted.
A fact of life for military personnel is moving; it's both a blessing and a frustration. An obvious advantage is the ability to experience a lot of different areas, but the downside of that is not being able to get to know a area intimately. You meet at ton of people from all walks of life, but you also have to say goodbye to more people as well.
I say all of this because it makes these trophies even more special than just their beauty, age, and score.
I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
A fact of life for military personnel is moving; it's both a blessing and a frustration. An obvious advantage is the ability to experience a lot of different areas, but the downside of that is not being able to get to know a area intimately. You meet at ton of people from all walks of life, but you also have to say goodbye to more people as well.
I say all of this because it makes these trophies even more special than just their beauty, age, and score.
I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
sn.outdoors
WKR
sn.outdoors
WKR
Each of these animals is more than just an animal on the wall that I killed; they're memories that I cherish.
Got my apps in! Stuck out on the antelope tag this year. Lot of apps in that category!!
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OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
Good luck in the rest of your draws!
I want to get something, but I honestly don't NEED anything else.
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OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
Just about three weeks left until NM elk.....
I've been going through old game cam pictures and looking at bulls that should still be in the area....HOPEFULLY!
No bull is safe starting Sept 1!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've been going through old game cam pictures and looking at bulls that should still be in the area....HOPEFULLY!
No bull is safe starting Sept 1!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
sn.outdoors
WKR
Yesterday I took my daughter out scouting for some "anti-whoap." I was pretty confident we'd find some, since every other time I've been down to this particular spot I've seen antelope.
We spotted this younger buck from the truck and the wind and terrain were perfect for a stalk, so I asked my daughter if she wanted to walk over there and take a closer look. "I don't know daddy. It's kind of far, and what if he attacks us?" "Ah.... I don't think that'll happen, but if it does i'll make sure to get it on film, and he's right over there. So let's go"
This was the first time we'd actually tried to sneak up on an animal together, so she was't familiar with all of the rules, i.e. NOT TALKING. We weren't exactly the most quite, but the wind was pretty steady and covered our sound well. I was fully expecting to get to the top of the small ridge and find the goat high-tailing it out of there, but he was exactly where we last saw him.... and only 45 yards away!
I could have gotten at least 10 yards closer if I were alone, but at this point I tried, unsuccessfully, to get a selfie with my daughter the antelope and me in the same pic. Once he noticed us, I was surprised he didn't take off. He waited about a minute before he ran and stood 100 yards away from us.
Later in the day we crossed paths with a couple of goats, and one of them was pretty decent.
To be honest, NM ruined me for antelope. Antelope this size don't get too many people excited in NM, but I'd be pumped to kill one like this in ID.
We relocated a few hundred yards from a water hole and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the sunset. I saw one really nice mule deer buck, but wasn't fast enough with the camera to get a pic. We watched 4 muley does come to water with 6 fawns, and that was it for the rest of the night.
I know my daughter had fun because she stayed awake the entire ride home telling me how excited she was to tell her mom about the anti-whoap and to show her the pictures. I can't wait to get out there in less than a month and see if I can't get close again. I have a feeling it won't be so easy when the season comes, but I sure hope it is.
We spotted this younger buck from the truck and the wind and terrain were perfect for a stalk, so I asked my daughter if she wanted to walk over there and take a closer look. "I don't know daddy. It's kind of far, and what if he attacks us?" "Ah.... I don't think that'll happen, but if it does i'll make sure to get it on film, and he's right over there. So let's go"
This was the first time we'd actually tried to sneak up on an animal together, so she was't familiar with all of the rules, i.e. NOT TALKING. We weren't exactly the most quite, but the wind was pretty steady and covered our sound well. I was fully expecting to get to the top of the small ridge and find the goat high-tailing it out of there, but he was exactly where we last saw him.... and only 45 yards away!
I could have gotten at least 10 yards closer if I were alone, but at this point I tried, unsuccessfully, to get a selfie with my daughter the antelope and me in the same pic. Once he noticed us, I was surprised he didn't take off. He waited about a minute before he ran and stood 100 yards away from us.
Later in the day we crossed paths with a couple of goats, and one of them was pretty decent.
To be honest, NM ruined me for antelope. Antelope this size don't get too many people excited in NM, but I'd be pumped to kill one like this in ID.
We relocated a few hundred yards from a water hole and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the sunset. I saw one really nice mule deer buck, but wasn't fast enough with the camera to get a pic. We watched 4 muley does come to water with 6 fawns, and that was it for the rest of the night.
I know my daughter had fun because she stayed awake the entire ride home telling me how excited she was to tell her mom about the anti-whoap and to show her the pictures. I can't wait to get out there in less than a month and see if I can't get close again. I have a feeling it won't be so easy when the season comes, but I sure hope it is.
OP
OP
Lostinthewoods
WKR
Today I caught up on some of the non standard, but very important preseason prep items..... vehicle upkeep and maintenance.
I replaced the RV batter
Did an oil change and ran the generators with some new gas for an hour
Replaced my transmission filters/fluid and replaced my old pan with a deep pan.
Replaced my foam on my RV bed... you know, really roughing it on my hunts
Then many other odds and ends.
I needed to get this all knocked out quick because I leave the country for a week and when I get back I'll be less than a week from leaving for NEW MEXICO!!!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I replaced the RV batter
Did an oil change and ran the generators with some new gas for an hour
Replaced my transmission filters/fluid and replaced my old pan with a deep pan.
Replaced my foam on my RV bed... you know, really roughing it on my hunts
Then many other odds and ends.
I needed to get this all knocked out quick because I leave the country for a week and when I get back I'll be less than a week from leaving for NEW MEXICO!!!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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