Thanks for letting me vent a bit...kind of like therapy.
CO Muzzleloader Mule Buck, Bear, and Bull. Ate all of the tags. Hunted with my little group we call the club and a friend who used to guide and now is the hunting guy at a popular scope manufacturer. I paired with him the whole time as I'm still new and my main goal is to learn learn learn....killing something is secondary. Passed on 3 small bucks as we were tracking a really large Buck on his little mountain. We saw him at 600yds but he saw us too and dipped out. Couldn't get him in the few days we tried. Shocker.....not even a forky the last 2 days. Bear were in the area but secondary...so no joy. In the group we got 2 does and a cow. My buddy and I worked 3 days to call in a bull that had responded from private land. Last evening my buddy was calling 100yds away from me. Long story short...me hiding in some scrub oak thicket between the bull (on private) and my buddy. We managed to call him in and he came...like a damn ninja. I heard him about 5ft through the scrub oak. Spooked me...I moved too quick (vs just freezing)....which spooked him. He turned and bolted...his antlers exploding through the scrub as he turned. Surprised I didn't get gored. Where many would have been mad....man, it was the coolest thing I'd ever experienced. I did get walked up on by 2 cows the day before...within 15ft behind me...again...ninjas. Although I ate tags, the freezer is full as we split meat. Again, the most important thing is I learned a metric boat load from my friend.....I'll get em next year.
UT General Season Buck. Drew a General tag in Wasatch West. Road hunt central with a ton of tags and not a ton of large Bucks. Got connected with 2 guys through a friend who grew up and live there. Hauled my ATV up for the week. I met up with the guys and had received some OnX points prior to. I'd eScouted a lot and went over some plans with them. Hunted the whole week sun up to sun down solo. I was on the ATV, in the truck, on foot, rain, sleet, snow, blue skies. Saw another monster from 1000yds. Worked his area a few days with no luck. Passed on a few forkies again. I took tons of notes on my phone. I did get within 150yds of some really big bulls a few times....saw some cows...my first 2 Moose....fresh cat prints are spooky when you're solo on foot. Of course, I saw 8,879 does. Almost rolled my truck twice on icy mountainsides and had it in 4low with front and rear lockers engaged a few times. Great shakedown run to see what gear worked, what didn't, and what I need before next season.
I ended up buying a bow because...why not....I need another hobby. Grabbed a Buck tag for the 2023 AZ season the other day and will work on archery through out the winter. Next hunts...hopefully Vancouver Black Bear in Spring and Auodad again in TX....then AZ bow and CO and UT again...woohoo.
Sounds like loser talk, but the experience I gain and knowledge I receive every time I'm out hunting is priceless.....keeping my head up. I had a great year last year, so I can't complain. At 48, I started wayyyyy too late, so now gaining skill is paramount. Sorry for the ramble....out.
CO Muzzleloader Mule Buck, Bear, and Bull. Ate all of the tags. Hunted with my little group we call the club and a friend who used to guide and now is the hunting guy at a popular scope manufacturer. I paired with him the whole time as I'm still new and my main goal is to learn learn learn....killing something is secondary. Passed on 3 small bucks as we were tracking a really large Buck on his little mountain. We saw him at 600yds but he saw us too and dipped out. Couldn't get him in the few days we tried. Shocker.....not even a forky the last 2 days. Bear were in the area but secondary...so no joy. In the group we got 2 does and a cow. My buddy and I worked 3 days to call in a bull that had responded from private land. Last evening my buddy was calling 100yds away from me. Long story short...me hiding in some scrub oak thicket between the bull (on private) and my buddy. We managed to call him in and he came...like a damn ninja. I heard him about 5ft through the scrub oak. Spooked me...I moved too quick (vs just freezing)....which spooked him. He turned and bolted...his antlers exploding through the scrub as he turned. Surprised I didn't get gored. Where many would have been mad....man, it was the coolest thing I'd ever experienced. I did get walked up on by 2 cows the day before...within 15ft behind me...again...ninjas. Although I ate tags, the freezer is full as we split meat. Again, the most important thing is I learned a metric boat load from my friend.....I'll get em next year.
UT General Season Buck. Drew a General tag in Wasatch West. Road hunt central with a ton of tags and not a ton of large Bucks. Got connected with 2 guys through a friend who grew up and live there. Hauled my ATV up for the week. I met up with the guys and had received some OnX points prior to. I'd eScouted a lot and went over some plans with them. Hunted the whole week sun up to sun down solo. I was on the ATV, in the truck, on foot, rain, sleet, snow, blue skies. Saw another monster from 1000yds. Worked his area a few days with no luck. Passed on a few forkies again. I took tons of notes on my phone. I did get within 150yds of some really big bulls a few times....saw some cows...my first 2 Moose....fresh cat prints are spooky when you're solo on foot. Of course, I saw 8,879 does. Almost rolled my truck twice on icy mountainsides and had it in 4low with front and rear lockers engaged a few times. Great shakedown run to see what gear worked, what didn't, and what I need before next season.
I ended up buying a bow because...why not....I need another hobby. Grabbed a Buck tag for the 2023 AZ season the other day and will work on archery through out the winter. Next hunts...hopefully Vancouver Black Bear in Spring and Auodad again in TX....then AZ bow and CO and UT again...woohoo.
Sounds like loser talk, but the experience I gain and knowledge I receive every time I'm out hunting is priceless.....keeping my head up. I had a great year last year, so I can't complain. At 48, I started wayyyyy too late, so now gaining skill is paramount. Sorry for the ramble....out.
