Hello from Michigan

[1stGenOutdoorsman]

Hello all,
As the user name would suggest I’m a set taught first gen adult onset hunter, angler, and hiker. I’ve been fishing for a few years now and have done some small game hunting but no big game hunting. Most of my fishing has been done from a kayak though I’ve more recently started to shore fish the rivers by the house to keep my 22 month old daughter entertained and foster a love of the outdoors in her. I’ve wanted to do a western hunt for quite awhile but never really worked towards that goal so this year I got my first whitetail tags for here in Michigan. I’ll just be rifle and muzzloader hunting this year but already thinking I’ll be getting a bow soon for next season. I’m hoping to get out west for antelope in the next year or two and then see where things progress.

 

[Fisherkid1]

If you havnt, buy a WY antelope preference point. Its like 30 bucks. Points period ends the 3rd of Nov i believe.
Go get em!

 

[1stGenOutdoorsman]

Thanks for the tip! I had assumed that I had missed that chance for this year already.

 

[AZ_hunter117]

Me too. My parents were city kids but lucky for me they moved to rural IL and i got the chance to explore the great outdoors. I worked for a farmer that had a "back 40" the he let me hunt. My first whitetail buck was taken with a freebie bow. My next two were taken with a mossberg 12ga. I wouldn't push yourself too hard to get out west too fast. There is a lot to unpack/learn while hunting and the hunting out west is vastly different than back east. It's a totally different skill set and gear list. The gear is expensive. In IL you can kill a trophy with a $300 shotgun/scope and that's about it. In Arizona not so much. If i were you i'd enjoy the journey and slowly accumulate the gear for big western hunts. I've been here for 5 years now and i'm still buying into the gear. This year it's gonna be legit pack.

I have two young kids and its tough finding the time. Thankfully hunting is something i plan on doing the rest of my life. Good luck!

 

[1stGenOutdoorsman]

Yeah, there is a lot to be said for being content with the local opportunities especially with the time constraints of small kids. There are no shortage of outdoor experiences around me and I plan to take full advantage of them. The gear list for the west is intimidating, luckily I have just about everything to do a simple truck based camping spot and stalk for antelope. A good pair of bino’s and perhaps a spotting scope are all I’m missing for that. It’ll be a longer journey towards a backpacking hunt but I also don’t want to let a lack of gear hold me back, plenty of game was killed by spear before bows were ever invented and the pursuit is more what I’m after than the meat. Best of luck to you this season!

 

[zacattack]

Hello all,
As the user name would suggest I’m a set taught first gen adult onset hunter, angler, and hiker. I’ve been fishing for a few years now and have done some small game hunting but no big game hunting. Most of my fishing has been done from a kayak though I’ve more recently started to shore fish the rivers by the house to keep my 22 month old daughter entertained and foster a love of the outdoors in her. I’ve wanted to do a western hunt for quite awhile but never really worked towards that goal so this year I got my first whitetail tags for here in Michigan. I’ll just be rifle and muzzloader hunting this year but already thinking I’ll be getting a bow soon for next season. I’m hoping to get out west for antelope in the next year or two and then see where things progress.

Go green! I did my first western hunt last year, drove from East Lansing to Casper WY, I got doe tags cause they are cheap and you don’t need points, something to think about. Like others said start buying points this year. My last bit is to just go, I can’t even begin to describe what it’s like out there if you’ve never been. It’s every bit as fun as you think it will be.

 

[1stGenOutdoorsman]

I’ve been to Wyoming once, it is great scenery. We don’t have it too shabby here in Michigan but it’s nice to have time on the plains or in the mountains. I do think when I make it out I’ll try for a buck and see if I can fill a couple doe tags to bring home more meat. I’ve never killed a deer but I have butchered a pair that jumped off a bridge running away from a car. I was fishing at the time and they landed so close I looked up half expecting to see a third using me to break it’s fall. It was my favorite meat and helped motivate me to actually start big game hunting.

 

[Wmmichael20]

Welcome from Stanton Michigan