Must choose one

[Bullshot]

I love the opportunities out there and choices we get to make each year. Yet, indecisiveness is my constant companion. At least for the time being, I can only choose one western trip per year and at this pace, can’t ever hope to get all my hunts in! My current “bird in the hand, two in the bush” problem stems from my preference for elk hunting above all but my burgeoning points for deer/antelope which (good problem to have) serves a bit as a distraction. So what would you do for 2022?

 

[RobertD]

I'm an antelope guy so I'd go with that. Haha!

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

CO antelope. But I don't archery hunt and I live in WY.

 

[BoulderBulls]

I'm an antelope guy so I'd go with that. Haha!

Likewise!

 

[Trial153]

I would ideal try to squeeze the lope in and the Gen tag… I only picked the Gen tag over the OTC so I would burn the points and get back into the game quicker. You can hunt the OTC tag next year…well maybe, well hopefully

 

[ccc23454]

Go for the lope tag and then when your done after first day pick up whatever otc elk tag is in season and spend rest of week chasing them for fun (assuming you have a week) meats already in cooler, no pressure just a great adventure. But if you want to see some uniquely beautiful country and a metric butt ton of deer there is the black hills....

 

[Redman]

You and I are in the same boat with the one hunting trip a year. I do like my options and have points in multiple states for multiple species. I try to hunt new areas every year. I try to plan 2 years in advance so I don't have such a hard time deciding because as soon as hunting season is over application season starts. This year's plan of antelope hunting got smashed out of the gate. So I am thinking plan B mule deer.

 

[Shortbowshot]

I'd go for a LE tag for any species over OTC. Plus antelope hunting is addictive.
Wyoming general elk is good but new ground is a challenge and would burn extra days to learn. Colorado OTC elk has awesome scenery with a lot of work to be successful. Don't know about black hills. Good luck!!

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Elk, ALWAYS ELK!

 

[Bullshot]

Every year I say I’ll do the antelope
hunt (can draw the pick of the litter unit) and every year I do something else. I have loved the antelope hunts I’ve done but keeping that hunt in my hip pocket hasn’t bothered me so far. Now, NOT being successful at bagging a 6pt bull is starting to bother me. I’m 46, not getting any younger, and am essentially all by my lonesome planning out my elk endeavors. I am starting to feel the shelf life getting shorter on my ability to pull these off, at least the way I have done them so far, mainly due to the long drive, followed by altitude. Antelope would seem to be far easier for far longer so waiting isn’t totally stupid, but I am worried about drought, population declines, NR tag allocations, etc as the great unknown.

It is more or less impossible to pull a LQ elk tag every year and certainly I am not pulling a top tier tag like I have for the antelope (24pts), at least not for a few more years. So maybe I should just get that goat off my plate so I can really focus on elk for the following few years and maybe fill in a second hunt for deer sometime if the wife and work allow.

But Wyoming…….

But those elk I left bugling on the CO mountain in Sept……

Dang, here I go again!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I’d rather hunt Unit 23 WY than 2/201 CO for pronghorn soooo lol

WY elk

 

[BradA]

I’m a deer guy so i would go with that!

 

[rwc101]

General elk is just so convenient.

 

[Bullshot]

Go for the lope tag and then when your done after first day pick up whatever otc elk tag is in season and spend rest of week chasing them for fun (assuming you have a week) meats already in cooler, no pressure just a great adventure. But if you want to see some uniquely beautiful country and a metric butt ton of deer there is the black hills....

this has been a thought as well. I don’t want to rush the pronghorn, but if it all came together, I do have some options to transition to another hunt on the same trip if I can get it done in the first few days.

And there is always fishing too, another set of trips I just never seem able to prioritize, given that hunting comes first.

 

[LCH]

I’m a deer guy so i would go with that!

Me too. I prefer elk on the table. But deer are a lot more fun to hunt IMO.

 

[Bullshot]

Me too. I prefer elk on the table. But deer are a lot more fun to hunt IMO.

I also don't rank elk hunting as the most FUN, per se..... it's actually the most serious, the hardest and most painful, and can be even worse when successful. There is just something about it that makes it an all-encompassing endeavor, you know, a closer-to-the-bone, bona fide immersive adventure.

Antelope hunting is definitely the most FUN.

 

[cedahm]

I’d rather hunt Unit 23 WY than 2/201 CO for pronghorn soooo lol

WY elk

 

[Zootownelk]

I'd prob go to your proven ground in CO and hunt elk. Probably fewer years left to do that than any of the others.

 

[duckhunt]

Ive always dreamed of hunting the black hills.

 

[Bullshot]

I'd prob go to your proven ground in CO and hunt elk. Probably fewer years left to do that than any of the others.

you are likely right about that. the trajectory of OTC is not good and it will be missed tremendously once it’s gone.

I am pretty confident I’d get a shot at a bull there if I have a week.