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This year's hunting trips

2K views 29 replies 17 participants last post by  AL Bundy's Dodge 
#1 ·
Been a member of GT for over 10 years, but never really posted in here. Let's hear about you all have planned for the year.

I have a October antelope hunt in Wyoming, a November Kansas deer hunt, a December elk hunt in northern New Mexico and a December pheasant hunt in South Dakota. The pheasant hunt is a hunt I have done for over 10 years now, we always go the same weekend. I would guess the average temperature over the years has been near 10 degrees and some years in the minus 10 to 15 range.
 
#2 ·
Waiting on November. Pretty much it.
 
#3 ·
Wow 2bgop, can you adopt me?

I am kinda sorta planning on maybe trying out some crossbow hunting this fall. It may be in some woods just a few hundred yards from my house. It is not suburbs, but houses are within view in much of the woods. It might be interesting.

My friend with a cabin in Vermont has cut back on hunting from that cabin :(, but I will try to feel him out about it this fall.

I have some friends who have a rather raucous opening day deer season at a hunting cabin which I have missed. I may see about going - this is the type of weekend that stories come from! And sometimes they actually get out to hunt!
 
#4 ·
Archery elk opens last Saturday in August. Cant wait. Wife got a mule deer tag same season. She's also doing muzzleloader elk. I'm first rifle season cow only and we'll round it out with a 4th season elk tag for her. Sprinkling of black near tags in there as well.
 
#5 ·
Archery elk opens last Saturday in August. Cant wait. Wife got a mule deer tag same season. She's also doing muzzleloader elk. I'm first rifle season cow only and we'll round it out with a 4th season elk tag for her. Sprinkling of black near tags in there as well.
I am cow only also on the elk hunt. I had already booked the Kansas deer hunt and couldn't make the bull hunt work out. This will be my first time in northern New Mexico, I am going to be right on the border, just south of Alamosa, near Chama. I normally hunt in the area around Cloudcroft.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Only tag in my pocket at this minute ... I drew a Maine moose tag after 12-15 years of applications. Wyoming deer and antelope results are out Tuesday. I have enough points to be pretty confident of drawing good WY deer tag, unless there is extreme point creep, and a longshot for a good antelope tag on my second choice.

No elk tag, so I'll probably have to get an OTC elk tag somewhere. Still some AZ applications out, but it would be like winning a state lottery if I draw one of them. Of course, there are still archery deer OTC hunts in AZ.

Edit: WY results out ... got the deer tag but DND antelope.
 
#10 ·
Several of us are doing a hunt camp on the edge of a wilderness area in Wyoming, I put in for resident general any elk (guaranteed draw) cow elk and deer in the same area and an any antelope and 2 doe antelope (virtually a guaranteed draw).

I have a black bear tag but with 150% normal snow pack I couldn't get to either of my registered bait sites before season ended this spring, hope to sit over a gut pile this fall.
 
#11 ·
I'll start off in early Sept helping a buddy on a black bear hunt.

After that it's the youth deer hunt with my 12 y/o Son. After looking over options he likes the 'Classic Compact' Model 70 Winchester in 243.

Then it's off to CO for my 1st sorta serious elk hunt. Since it's my 1st I'll just have my 'cow tag'. I'll let the other guys shoot the 6x6' Bulls. Of course I'll help pack them out. I'll take a 300WSM and one of my H&K handguns.

Then it's time in Nov for the IL deer hunt. I'll use my Knight Elite M-L in 45 cal for that.

In between these hunts maybe some time in the grouse woods.
 
#14 ·
I'll probably do my elk in the hayfields with a handgun, pop a cow. Unless I can find a good bull then there goes the easy hunt/easy to retrieve out the window.

Thanksgiving week I will try the whitetail rut also here locally, but with rifle.
 
#15 ·
Terrestrial animal Liver Fur Tail Snout
Back from the bear hunt. I was just an assistant, not hunting myself. It took all hands to get this #460 lb bear out of the woods though. Will bring a come-along next time.

A relative bagged the above bear. My buddy got one just under #200 lbs. The gun used was a 30-06 for both, no tracking required with carefully placed shots. Next is the youth deer hunt.
 
#16 ·
I'll probably do my elk in the hayfields with a handgun, pop a cow. Unless I can find a good bull then there goes the easy hunt/easy to retrieve out the window.

Thanksgiving week I will try the whitetail rut also here locally, but with rifle.
Handgun and elk don't usually go together. If you don't mind me asking, what type of handgun and why on earth a handgun?
 
#18 ·
I've cleanly killed a few elk with both a .454 Cassull and a .44 magnum revolver. A heavy, slow moving handgun slug can be a very surprising penetrator. I've only found one of my slugs and that was on a near lengthwise shot. All the rest on broadside heart/lung shots go clean through. The .454 shoots a 325 gr LBT lead slug at 1200 fps. My 6" .44 mag shoots a 280 gr Keith slug at 1400 fps.

Why a handgun? I've killed a mess of elk with various rifles from a .257 Roberts to .375 H&H. It's not very tough. I handgun hunt as if I'm bow hunting. Limit shots to 40 yds or so and only take clean, broadside shots. Plus it's time consuming and allows me more time out in the country I love.

FN in MT
 
#17 ·
My opening day deer hunt in Vermont is on! Looking forward to it. This isn't at my friend's crazy opening day weekend, but will be a "normal" weekend hunt. Will be with my son, hope he gets one... that would be awesome.
 
#20 ·
I did kill a raghorn bull a dozen yrs back with a bow. I do enjoy bowhunting. Fewer hunters, warm weather a great time of the year out here. Since then, My rt shoulder has gotten so bad I can't pull my 65# recurve back anymore. So no more bow...picked up the pistol instead. Plus I'm a handgun guy anyway.

I'm blessed to hunt 6 miles from my house. An area full of elk. We have a six week season....so NO rush. Why rifle is fairly easy.
 
#21 ·
Can you use a crossbow in your state? Connecticut allows it now, with same regulations as regular bow season. Also, Vermont allows crossbow for hunters 50 years old or older... which, for better or worse, includes me! The reason for allowing older hunters is partly due to shoulder problems that bow hunters sometimes develop....
 
#25 ·
Okay! Just got back from my friend's cabin in Vermont. Gorgeous weather, a little cool Saturday morning - 27ish degrees when we set out in the morning. And....

Got nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing.

Not even as many hunters in past years.

My friend said he saw plenty of sign, actually more than last year, but he didn't see any deer this weekend. He did find some fresh scrapes -- he thinks with the beautiful full moon on Friday night and Saturday night, the bucks probably were "active" all night and then just rested during the day.

So, now a relatively long story about this past weekend:

I did see and hear some hunters, though. After I got setup (just sitting on the ground) in the morning, shortly afterwards I heard some rustling about 50 - 60 feet away. Then I heard the rustling again, and .... BOOM! a rifle shot from that direction, sounded very close. I just froze, not wanting to attract attention from the shooter possibly looking for a followup shot (I was wearing blaze orange vest and blaze orange hat, I was very visible). I didn't hear any animal running, falling, or sounds of dying. Hmm... About 15 minutes later, I heard a guy's voice, coming directly from where I heard the rustling, talking very loudly on what must have been a cell phone. He didn't say anything about getting a kill. The only thing I can figure is that he had been setup in that brush that I heard rustling, and had an "accidental" discharge with his rifle. I never heard the guy get up to look for any kill.

After I heard him talking, then I packed up and moved up and diagonally away from him.

Then... about 2 hours later, I heard a guy moving loudly, wearing a blaze orange vest, downhill to my north about 75 yards away. He didn't seem to be making much effort to move quietly (which was VERY difficult to say the least anyways, with the amount of extremely dry leaf cover). He didn't see me, and I didn't think he was carrying a gun. Oh well.

About 45 minutes later, the same guy comes crashing up hill to my south, again sounding like a bull in a china shop. When he was about 50 yards away, he saw me, stopped for a second, then just kept on moving up hill very loudly. Again, I didn't see that he was carrying a gun.

At this point, I decide to return to the cabin for an early lunch and coffee. I meet up with my friend, and tell him my odd encounters. He did not see any other hunters, and also my son did not see any other hunters.

Next day... My friend goes up the road a little ways near where I was the previous morning. Finds a car parked on the side of the road, with various bumper stickers that most hunters would probably not have on their own vehicle.

We now think I saw an "anti-hunter"! Very exciting for me! They are not allowed, by law, to "harass" hunters, but... they can walk through the woods. They way that guy had been very noisily crashing through the woods makes us think he was an "anti".

I wish I had gotten a picture!

So, no venison to bring back, but as usual with every hunt I've been on it was interesting!
 
#28 ·
The harvest in Illinois is down 7,400 deer this year vs last. It's becoming a trend.

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/IDNR-DeerFirearmHarvestDec2016.pdf

My season was very tough, i have 2 archery tags and 2 firearm tags. I filled none of them. The weather was bizarre, but the patterns seemed strangely different this year.

I had a buck 20 yards behind me on the first day out of two that i spent archery hunting, but wasn't able to get a shot.

The first day of gun season, i shot at a decent buck. I estimated 60 yards, but walked it off and came up with 80 yards. The deer bucked and there was no blood to be found. I shot underneath it.

The second day i saw a buck briefly, in the darkness at 20 yards but didn't take the shot. After the botched shot the previous day, I wasn't comfortable doing so. I only like to shoot at a clear target.

The second gun season was a debacle. I took my wife and young kids with me. Thats all i care to say about that.

Thankfully, my amish homies donated some ground venison and sausage to me. I think they felt sorry for me and openly stated they admired me for putting family first even though it all but killed my chances.

Honestly, I'm so disgusted with my season, I'm glad its over. Busy season at work is upon me. About an hour ago, i started getting the itch though, I'm sitting on four tags. Maybe I'll try and get out one more time....
 
#29 ·
It can only get better. Where you were hunting? I grew up in Wheaton, I see no deer were taken in DuPage Co.
 
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