Measuring sucsess!!

[super-7]

Well I have 4 days left in the season, and me and my hunting partners have done fairly well. I have come up a little short on a few goals, but had great exprienses trying to accomplish them. My Dad only was able to hunt the very first 4 days of the season, and unless his work plans change he will not make it back before the season ends. I really had my sights set on finding him a world class 180+ muley buck as all his life he has been more or less a meat hunte., But with tags in these trophy zones available only every 4 years or so, I am not sure if he'll be up to the task the next time around I can only hope he will be.

As for myself I have not been able to find the droptine buck from last year, no trail cam pics, and no sightings from any farmers in the area he may have simply moved on , or never made the winter. With my sights set on bettering my buck from last year I have passed on several that 2-3 years ago I would not have even thought twice about dropping ., I am content to hang my tag on the tree unless I can get a hog in that 170 or more range . So far the high light has been hunting with my nephew passing down the hunting bug, getting him thinking about things like shot placement, conservation , deer patterns.

So far thru out the year I have had does, wt and mule within bow range feeding, I have had 3 big bull moose parade in front of me showing off there wears, I had a cow elk that I stalked into 30 yrds with no camera(doh). I have had by all rights a sucssesfull season, it's almost done for another year. I would hope the rest of you had sucsess in your own way wether it be with game in the frezzer or not. S7

 

[DrMike]

Super-7,

Best of luck as you wrap up the season. I would agree that you have a good season. I was able to get out almost weekly, and though the freezer is full and I managed to put meat in my daughter's freezer and in the freezer of a couple of single mom's, I saw quite a bit of game. I had intended on being out this morning to put the stalk on a big muley buck I've eyed all fall, but it wasn't meant to be. Tomorrow is out, so that means I may get one final stab on Wednesday. After that, I need to steal time to put the talk on some wolves. I'm not disappointed.

 

[longwinters]

I think as we get older some of the things that we thought we just had to have, to be successful, have become not so important.

Kind of like when I was in highschool...now I look back and at some things and just shake my head. That pattern seems to continue in life.

Hunting is just one of many aspects of growing and maturing. I am glad I'm getting older.

Long

 

[SJB358]

I got a front seat to see my son take his first deer and hunt the mountains for wapit with two of the best guys around. I've had a good year. Scotty

 

[6mm Remington]

I drew a Mountain Goat tag after applying for 33 years straight and I finally drew a permit! I hunted my rear off and had a great time. I logged 129 miles with all of it on foot except for a whole whopping 18 miles on a horse. I got heated out in 90 degree plus weather, rained on, snowed on, then rained on again. I spent lots of nights in a small tent by myself with it raining and blowing. I carried a pack weighing 36 pounds every day hunting, which includes my rifle in the pack and yes I weighed it just the other day when it was all set to go with water, gear, etc., just so I "knew" how much that sucker weighed. I saw one goat for sure and one maybe/probably was a goat. Never got a shot and never saw any other goats. Heck I never even saw any elk, deer, moose, bears, or wolves. Most of my time was on my own also. I had a great time and got to see some wonderful country and even though I didn't get to share enough of this time with friends and family on the hunt since it was so special, I am grateful for the time I had with company. I had a fabulous time and if I can get my issue with photobucket figured out so I can save pictures again, I'll try and post a picture essay. It was a wonderful year and my son got a nice fat cow elk! I'm a happy camper and I loved it!
David

 

[DrMike]

Longwinters is correct; as I age, I've discovered that I don't need to pull the trigger to have success. To see what is over the next mountain or what is situated down in the next valley can make my day. Moving into territory that I've never seen before, or going into a valley that likely hasn't seen another human for several years makes the time afield worthwhile. Time shared with good friends and witnessing animals in their natural state when they are unaware of my presence keeps me somewhat balanced.

 

[cloverleaf]

This year, my efforts for an antelope tag with Dad fell through (more accurately ran out of funds) and my Minnesota "deer season" was a day and a half. To top it off I took a pretty good fall the first morning of the hunt, in the parking lot of the motel. Hurt like ##### but got my pride going so.... Not enough to keep me from hunting but it still hurts consistiently. The deer I saw was a fawn from this year, She used my car as a back stop and walked toward me from about 200 yards til' she was within about 30 yards. Then she swapped ends, ran straight back at my car and across the road.
And yet, the weather was good. For me that means during the day it made 40-50 degrees so the frost comes out of my bones, the sun was out most of the time and the wind blew 25-40 mph. Beautiful day on the prairie in November!
About mid afternoon I get a text message from my daughter (who's in college) that says "Dad, can I come out for a little while....?" Well, of Course, if ya got the gas money I says. So she drives the 2 hours from school to sit with her old man..... After sundown we go into town and the "guys" buy her supper. She leaves for school again, and I go up to the hotel room where my shoulder has an appointment with an ice pack.... Sore but content and VERY happy with the moment. Nuff Said..... A buck would have been nice but nothing compared to that time spent with the kid. I am a lucky man. CL

 

[Oldtrader3]

I guess that the way I look at it is hunting time and outdoor time are always some of the best time spent. I haven't hunted larger game much for the last couple years because of health but I was just thinking about my last guided trip for trophy mule deer in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming.

I spent 10 days on a guided trophy deer hunt in the Big Horns to try and possibly shoot a 175+ mule deer buck. The hunt started on the 15th of October with a foot of snow (at 9500 feet) that day and temperatures dropping from the 30's to below zero. It snowed and blew hard for three days and stayed below 5*F for (7) days.

I spent 4 days on horse back in the snow and wind and 5-1/2 days on foot in three feet of snow with snowshoes and only saw two small (2-1/2 years old) bucks. The deer started migrating and I worked the parallel to the trails down but they were moving at night with a full moon. However everyday, I saw bachelor herds of large bull elk, many of which I could have shot if I had a tag. I also had a large Shiras Bull Moose come up and smell my boot, while sitting in a snow bank, off a deer trail.

I had a great time, saw hundreds of migrating elk and a few nice bull moose, (2) deer and a lot of other stuff. It just was not to be for success hunting but I will remember the experience forever.

 

[russ808]

Last friday I was sitting in one of our stands over a bait pile (Pig hunting). Out came six little ones. The two biggest were about 20lbs and the two smallest were under 10lbs but more that 5lbs. with two in the middle. It was funny to watch them feed with their tails wagging in the air. Well one of the smallest ones attempted to muscle in on one of the bigger ones and he gave the little guy a head shake and the little one flew into the air and landed upside down. It was so funny :grin:. And of course being a pig, the little guy got up and went back into the pile and continued eating as nothing had happened. Just seeing things like that makes hunting enjotable and sucsessful.
Russ