Season - 2021

[Elkhntr08]

A lot of new gear going to Wyoming this year. New SO Cimerron & stove, new rifle if my Weathermark doesn’t make it back from the factory, new quilt.
The tipi/stove goes up quick and easy. Rifle shoots good, just not sure about a removable clip. Probably get an extra. Quilt and sack, hope I don’t freeze to death.

 

[jpage1003]

Very green elk hunter up in Montana. 2020 was definitely a learning experience on the challenges of hunting elk for a Midwestern whitetail kid!

 

[jayden_m20]

Heading to Colorado in September. Hoping to fulfill a tag!

 

[Phishintrip007]

Heading to Montana in Sept. Hoping to learn something at the worst, kill something other than myself at best. Not a ton of expectations since I'm a newb.

 

[jayden_m20]

Hopefully Colorado produces this year. Had a great year last year buddy shot a giant, never found him. It was devastating.

 

[Still Hunter]

Can’t believe how fast this season has got here! Hunting first weekend versus always hunting the last weekend will be interesting. I think finding elk will be a much greater challenge

 

[Wapiti1]

T minus 5 days and I'm on the road to CO. Couple of days to scout, 9 days to get it done with a smokepole.

Going solo this year. A nice change of pace from previous years and back to my old style of hunting.

Good luck to all.

Jeremy

 

[sodaksooner]

Nothing going this year. We whiffed on our draw tag and our old fallback OTC unit is now a draw unit. Have a bunch of deer points but decided to add one more year(hoping we would draw elk which didn't happen) Most likely just rifle hunting in OK. Really bad tendonitis in my elbows, so I guess it kinda worked out. That said I have been sad all week...lol. Ordering a new rifle today so hopefully that'll take the sting out of it.

Good luck this year. I'll be living vicariously through all of you.

 

[Buckhunter1955]

I burnt 24 NR points on a 2nd rifle season tag in Colorado unit 61.

 

[quistat]

2021 will be my first year hunting elk! I am super excited to backpack in and maybe haul out.

 

[houghton_hunter]

2021 produced in CO, but it wasn't easy. Didn't draw a MT Combo tag, so had to head to CO for OTC. Zoolorado lived up to its name. We got to the trail head a day before the season started. Hiked down a 2000 ft decent into a valley and had 40 elk spotted on a mountain, waited and watched to see what they would do, big mistake. The mountain had 5 hunters running around using cow calls, walking with the wind, later that day. Needless to say the mountain cleared out, and those 40 elk moved on. Another 5 people came into the valley the next day. Feeling like we were failing an IQ test staying, we packed out, passed another 8 people coming down the trail. Back at the rig, there were 15 trucks parked and 4 more trucks pulled in while we packed up. Brutal.

Being dedicated back country hunters, it was odd heading out to do front country hunting, but we kept it mobile, hit different areas looking for fresh sign. Found a wallow that was being hit, not 700 hundred yards from a major road. I had to drive my buddy to Denver so he could fly home, turned around and got back into the spot. Proceeded to sit there for 7 hours, all of a sudden a decent (not huge, but decent) bull came in, and I was able to capitalize on a 40 yard shot and filled my tag. Avoid the crowds, stay mobile, check out overlooked areas, stay on the fresh sign.

 

[208-believer]

2021 first year bowhunting. West Central Idaho, been a blast so far when I can get out there between family and work!

 

[shadow24]

My experience was fairly similar to houghton above, minus the happy ending. I couldn’t make it to my original planned area because of a blockade on the road that wasn’t evident on e-scouting. So I backed out and parked in the first vacant spot I could find. I ended up basically on the border of two units, and my best guess was that most of the other hunters were probably going to hunt downhill, which was the most convenient direction for the most woods. So, I humped it uphill to the adjacent peak and hunted the whole area around it. Seemed to work out pretty good. Found a ton of rubs from this year, and saw a pretty decent bull at 33 yards, but didn’t get a shot before he moved on down the timber. I had read from many of you on here that they stop responding to calls this time of year. I cow-called a little, and bugled once during my time up there. After that, I left the tube in my pack at camp. I also heard other hunters bugling from time to time with no responses back. All in all, I had a great time and learned a lot, including what I need to learn more about before doing it again. I felt like seeing a decent bull on day 2 was doin’ ok for a first-timer. And I tried hard not to add to the OTC madness by keeping my presence as unnoticed as much as I could. Water was a challenge. There was none where I stayed so I was limited to 2-3 days in the area before packing back down to resupply. Had a few muleys within 15 yards on different occasions. I was a little bummed that no meat came back home with me, but I keep reminding myself what I considered a successful trip BEFORE I left, and I definitely met that. Thanks to everyone on here that give so many tips and advice to noobs like me. I know the increasing FNGs/OTC hordes are a sore subject and I completely understand that, but it works both ways state-to-state. I keep throwing money in my own state’s lottery for years, just to watch a bunch of people and celebrity hunters be “drawn” multiple times. Anyway, this trip meant a lot to me and I’m glad I did it by myself. Wasn’t a bad way to celebrate my first 40 years on this rock. Y’all take care and good luck with the rest of the seasons.

 

[les welch]

Awesome you guys. It’s been a crazy summer for me. Finally getting truck packed to head west for first hunt of the fall.


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[les welch]

Toed the line for my ninth Iron Man start this past Sunday, in Wisconsin. Had an amazing day racing.


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[les welch]

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[les welch]

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[les welch]

Slowly getting healed up.


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[les welch]

Starting to pack.


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[twall13]

Looking forward to seeing those hats on the dash Les, good luck!

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