Grew up hunting everything in Montana. Spent the last 11 years going to college and chasing the dream of being one of those guys on the field every Sunday... instead, I was one of the guys on the sidelines in his shorts and tee. At almost 30, I decided I could be doing a lot better things in life than standing on a sideline.
Timed it right so I could hunt the entire month of September in Montana and Idaho last year. And I will be hunting every year from now on!! 2 Idaho elk tags and 1 Montana tag last year... I spent the entire month hunting!! Every day I hunted for at least a couple hours. I am blessed to have a wife that accompanied me on some of the trips and let me hunt alone the rest of the time on national forest and blm land.
I quickly learned how much I had forgotten over the past 11 years after blowing 2 opportunities on big bulls during the first week. I ended up taking my first elk on my 7th day of hunting... a spike in Idaho. To be honest, the most gratifying feeling I've had in a very long time!!
I then stumbled and slipped down a hill and caught myself while hurdling a couple logs then thinking to myself and admiring my obstacles how 'I still got it' only to turn around to a bull looking right at me. He then stayed around long enough for me to knock an arrow, have the arrow fall of the rest, knock a second arrow then drop to my knees to avoid a branch. A Montana bull!!
During the last week of September I went back to Idaho where I shot my spike. I jumped a bull elk....I read that if you jump a lone elk and they take off running, you should run after them because they will eventually slow down and stop... In an instant, I decided to try it. I dropped my pack and chased after the elk through the dark timber. I ran after him for about 300 yards and when we came to a little clearing he actually stopped broadside at 25 yards.... the rest was history! (except for the next 2 hours looking for my pack that I had dropped 300 yards back somewhere in the timber... eventually found it though!)
3 bulls in my first year back!! I'm hooked again and now have the time!!
I'm looking to fine tune my skills of a hunter. I am very raw. Hoping I can pick up a few things while on here!
Timed it right so I could hunt the entire month of September in Montana and Idaho last year. And I will be hunting every year from now on!! 2 Idaho elk tags and 1 Montana tag last year... I spent the entire month hunting!! Every day I hunted for at least a couple hours. I am blessed to have a wife that accompanied me on some of the trips and let me hunt alone the rest of the time on national forest and blm land.
I quickly learned how much I had forgotten over the past 11 years after blowing 2 opportunities on big bulls during the first week. I ended up taking my first elk on my 7th day of hunting... a spike in Idaho. To be honest, the most gratifying feeling I've had in a very long time!!
I then stumbled and slipped down a hill and caught myself while hurdling a couple logs then thinking to myself and admiring my obstacles how 'I still got it' only to turn around to a bull looking right at me. He then stayed around long enough for me to knock an arrow, have the arrow fall of the rest, knock a second arrow then drop to my knees to avoid a branch. A Montana bull!!
During the last week of September I went back to Idaho where I shot my spike. I jumped a bull elk....I read that if you jump a lone elk and they take off running, you should run after them because they will eventually slow down and stop... In an instant, I decided to try it. I dropped my pack and chased after the elk through the dark timber. I ran after him for about 300 yards and when we came to a little clearing he actually stopped broadside at 25 yards.... the rest was history! (except for the next 2 hours looking for my pack that I had dropped 300 yards back somewhere in the timber... eventually found it though!)
3 bulls in my first year back!! I'm hooked again and now have the time!!
I'm looking to fine tune my skills of a hunter. I am very raw. Hoping I can pick up a few things while on here!
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