Best outdoors memory from 2022?

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Nov 7, 2012
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S. UTAH
What is the one thing from your time spent in the outdoors in 2022 that sticks out in your memory the most? Something accomplished, something you were a part of, or maybe just a sight that you wont forget.
 

Steve O

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Feb 29, 2012
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Michigan
My buddy, my son and I drew NR deer tags in Iowa this fall. We spent a ton of time scouting in the spring in a completely opposite end of the state from what we are familiar with for the last week of Oct and first week of November we had planned to hunt. My son played D2 college football and has been dealing with injury repair since getting done with that so he has basically missed out on 6 hunting seasons from the end of high school until now.

He was taking a couple classes this fall to complete the pre reqs for an accelerated nursing program at the University of Michigan that starts next week and needed to take a test at the local library in the closest town to us for reliable internet. My buddy and I were an hour away trying another spot. He slipped out after his test to a small public spot that was a long way from camp but close to town and killed his first buck. He has been listening and learning all these years after all 😊

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Made my season for sure.
 
Joined
May 17, 2016
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Watching my stepson push through mental barriers and exhibit a no-quit, get the job done attitude during his Bighorn hunt. It was his first backpack hunt—4 days in brutal country followed by a 10 mile packout. Kind of indescribable seeing a 15 year old kid suffer without complaining.
 
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Salt Lake City
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My buddy drew an LE archery tag, we both started hunting a few years ago so relatively new to the game. Spent the summer scouting and were seeing elk in every spot we checked. Once the hunt started the bulls went silent, heard one chuckle in the first three weeks of the hunt. Took some time off work the last week, finally started to hear some bugles but couldn’t get them to come in. 2nd to last day we were heading up a drainage where we heard a bull the night before, get to a meadow, bugle, get an immediate response and hear a bunch of branches breaking figured we had him coming in. Got set up 40 yards behind my buddy to call and he waves me over, The bull bugled to gather his cows and headed up over the ridge, we made the steep climb up and around then, started still hunting working down the ridge. Had 3 cows pass us at ten yards and slowly walk off, we keep moving. My buddy is probably 30-40 yards in front of me, I see him step behind a tree and figured elk were coming so I crumbled to the ground. A cow walks by him at 15, I look over and see the bull coming, walks in front of him at 15 yards and he drilled him. Died within 100 yards. Didn’t think he was going to get a herd bull but persistence paid off! Packed out the rear quarters 1.5 miles and 1200ft down to the truck and we’re able to drive above the bull the next morning and shorten the second trip to .5 mile and 400 feet of elevation gain. Awesome and painful experience all around.
 

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Did my first Archery elk hunt, solo. I'm green as can be and just wasn't where I wanted to be with my calling, but managed to get into elk several days in a row, the highlight for me was getting a bull to come in to raking to within 80 yards. Totally didn't know what I was doing and never had a shot, but getting him to respond and come in was something I'll never forget.
 

Azone

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Apr 21, 2018
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Northern Nevada
Trying to stop shivering after getting caught in a freak rainstorm with no rain gear while getting setup for a shot on a buck I tagged in CA.
Then sitting up on a rim above a river on my hunt In CO reflecting on life and the absolute chaos of a what else could go wrong mule deer hunt that happened that morning.
Just wouldn’t be a good hunt without some type two fun.
 

Extrapale

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Aug 29, 2012
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The view through the spotter when I knew for a fact my buck was down, and there wouldn't be any ground shrinkage. Day 7 packed in solo and missed a better buck on day 5.
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Joined
Jul 20, 2014
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Kirtland, NM
Taking my 11 yr old son on his first very own big game hunt for Antelope. I let him make the decisions on where we should go with a little bit of encouragement but the final decision was always his since it was his hunt. We got into antelope every time we went out with 3 amazing stalks but he missed with the muzzleloader and stalk number 3. He was pumped and so was I! We had a blast and it was mostly due to just spending time together and not getting overly concerned about shooting a buck.
 

DanimalW

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Feb 9, 2020
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100% hiking through RMNP with my kids. Runners up are: 1) Turkey hunting with my daughter before school 2) Teaching her to shoot a bow 3) shooting a whitetail with a pistol - my first handgun kill.
 

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oregon coast
What is the one thing from your time spent in the outdoors in 2022 that sticks out in your memory the most? Something accomplished, something you were a part of, or maybe just a sight that you wont forget.
This was my favorite moment, she missed this buck last year, and there was quite the story of this deer coming together, it was just a really cool moment. I get stressed out when my wife is the one shooting, I like seeing her do well
 

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