My friend has presented me with a hard choice...what would you do?

[Tick]

Use his tag as an opportunity to see some new country. May give you an advantage if you draw the tag in the future.

I personally have as much fun tagging along without a tag as I do being the shooter.

 

[sndmn11]

I would scout an OTC unit in SW CO and maybe you can do both.

 

[Southforkguy]

I would help out on the elk hunt, probably do some scouting for deer and enjoy the Arizona mountains.

 

[Dapper]

I would go on the Arizona antelope hunt with him. Its fun just to accompany a good hunting buddy. My son and I always apply separately and have an agreement that if we both draw, we go where statistics show we'll have more chance at success. I drew elk in New Mexico in 2014, so that's where we went. I volunteered to pay for all the gas, he always drives, has the best truck. Last year he drew a Colorado unit, so that's where we went. He picked up the gas (1200 miles) because I did in '14. This year we'll most likely be headed to Wyo. for antelope (unless one of us draws an elk tag) since he plays the preference points game, I'm to old to. But I have a great time being along, helping/glassing etc. We always have a OTC area in mind and the non-hunting person always brings his gear, in case the hunter fills early enough. The hunter also knows that he should feel no pressure to shoot a smaller than intended animal to make the second hunt happen.

 

[Muley_Julie]

It is a tough one but I think you should go with your friend and enjoy the experience. It's going to be an amazing trip, and you don't want to have a guilty conscience if you were to go on your solo hunt instead of joining him. I always try to keep my hunting karma in mind when making decisions. You will eventually be blessed with an amazing tag and hunt of your own.

 

[cocky84]

Tuff choice. Id 100% go to AZ, but ive also killed elk before.

 

[CX5Ranch]

The only thing he will have that you dont afterwards is some antlers on the wall. I would help him in a heartbeat. What a blast.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Rob5589]

Only one question to ask yourself; would he do the same for me? That's your answer.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Follow me on this one, it's a bit of a story. So I'm still pretty new to elk hunting. Been to Colorado twice for 3rd rifle and 1st rifle, and I've found elk both times, but they've either been right over the fence on private land or the wrong sex for my tag. My buddy has been wanting to come with me, so this year we were planning going out to Colorado for archery season where I went last year for his first elk hunt. We both have also starting building some points in some states, and he has this infatuation with Arizona. But instead of just buying the points, he applied for hunts.

Now my buddy is the luckiest SOB I know. By some stroke of black magic, on his first attempt with 0 points, he drew an AZ antelope tag. It was something like a .1% chance of drawing. So we changed our plans that half way through our elk hunt, he would leave and drive down to AZ for his antelope hunt, and I'd continue bowhunting in Colorado. Then the seemingly statistically impossible happens...he also drew a unit 4A archery elk tag on a leftover draw. Now he realizes that he is going to need help on these hunts, as he has never hunted elk before and his only back country experience has been a back country fly fishing trip in the summer, and wants me to come with him and forgo my own hunt, but he did offer to split the meat 50/50.

So herein lies my dilemma. Do I wish my friend good luck even though he bit off more than he could chew and go pursue my own goal of also killing my first elk? After coming close for two years, my determination to shoot one is as high as it ever was, and I also bought a brand new Hoyt Helix specifically to go after rutting elk this year. I'm dying to pull the trigger on one and finally cross that hurdle. ... Or do I put my pride and my own goals aside, realize that this is a rare opportunity to go hunt AZ and probably wouldn't draw that tag for a long long time like most people, and go assist my buddy and call for him? The chances of success seem to say that we have a better chance of coming home with half an elk each than me going by myself in Northern CO and getting one myself. He is also new to archery as he just got a new Hoyt as well this year...shot a crossbow for deer here in Ohio since I've known him, but he's learned to shoot pretty good already.

A couple things to consider: I can't go on the antelope hunt with him. I have a wedding I am in right in the middle of it (non hunting friends don't get it), so I'd have to fly out the day after the wedding right when the archery elk season starts. This would also be my only western hunt of the year. So far I've only been able to do 1 western trip a year, so I won't even be able to take my new bow with me out west until next year.

What would you all do?

I’m assuming you guys started planning together because you both figured he’d never draw?

If that’s the case, go with him. Hunting is more than pulling the trigger. As far as offeringn1.2 the meat, is that not the normal hunting protocol? In Alaska, we always split our meat equally.

 

[Btaylor]

I would go in a heartbeat and take a camera to record the trip.

 

[KurtR]

i would be going to AZ

 

[Thess87]

Yeah if he’s your true hunting partner. No brainer. A lot of people never get to experience LE Arizona so that will be an experience in itself.

 

[ChrisAU]

If it was one of my core group, I'd be getting ready for AZ and be excited as hell about it. 99% of the western hunting experience for me is the hunt itself, in ways if you take the harvest pressure off of me then I like it even better. Sounds like you'd still get a lot of the meat, only thing you'll be missing is the pull of a trigger.

 

[apkleinschmidt]

Any chance for you to hunt a different species (OTC, small game, etc.) while hunting with your buddy in AZ? I don't know off the top of my head but it'd be worth looking into.

And Facetime into the wedding. Real friends don't get married during hunting season.

 

[renagde]

I'm planning my first OTC Colorado hunt this year. Never been, but I've been planning it for 2 years and I'm stoked. Last year my wife and I vacationed in Arizona and by god is that nice country. If i had the chance to help out a buddy on a elk hunt in Arizona, there isn't much that would keep me from doing that, especially if all I'm giving up is a OTC tag that will still be waiting for me next year.

 

[trophyhill]

I'd wish my buddy luck, and go try and kill what will be a hard earned OTC elk. I have a couple great hunting buddy's that are friends. They'd never ask me to forgo my hunt, to help them.

Rather it goes something like this; if I kill early, I'll come help you, and vise versa and wish each other luck. And guess what? We're still friends

 

[Sasman]

AZ for sure!

 

[woodson]

Use his tag as an opportunity to see some new country. May give you an advantage if you draw the tag in the future.

I personally have as much fun tagging along without a tag as I do being the shooter.

You can learn so much by scouting a new, hard to draw unit in a coveted state. if your buddy is successful and you are an integral part, what better way to experience a new area. You can hunt Colorado any year OTC. I would be headed to AZ.

 

[Mike 338]

Splitting the meat is a given. I'd be totally negotiating the cost as well. This is pretty much his hunt and not discussed in advance. I get how a guy would want to get off on his own and do his own thing. Truth is however, when you get just a little bit older, you find helping another to be far more rewarding than taking the shot yourself. Just like seeing a kid right next to you catching a foul ball instead of you grabbing it. It's a personal decision and there is no wrong answer. Your friend shouldn't be applying for all these things and just hoping somebody else would drop everything they're doing to hold his hand, even though he could probably use it. I suspect he'll know better next time. Sounds like something I'd do.

 

[Bowhunter619]

I’d do the Arizona hunt as well. I went as a tag along/helper in a LE deer hunt with my buddy last December. Being the guy without the tag gives you an opportunity to focus on the learning aspects without the pressure of filling the tag. I gained a ton of experience from that hunt and got to watch my buddy put on some cool stalks.