We Got Tags

[NEWHunter]

With a little hard work and lots of luck, our group managed to draw tags. The bunch includes my Dad, my twelve year old son, and me. For us, this will be an OIL tag/hunt in every sense.

My Dad’s multiple sclerosis has taken a heavy toll and it will be the last opportunity he has to make this kind of trip. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for three generations to pack the truck and head west on an adventure. The hunt will be an extreme physical challenge for my Dad and a physical and mental grind for me as I try to make everything go smoothly and not let the MS get to us.

The preparation has started and the excitement is building.

 

[perma]

Congrats! What state?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Have a great adventure, good luck.

 

[Bowmannate2000]

Enjoy the time together and take lots of pictures! A regret of mine is not getting more hunting pictures with my dad.

 

[NEWHunter]

Congrats! What state?

Thanks. The one that started charging OIL prices for a tag in the special drawing. Which is OK.

If the price hike doesn’t happen, we probably aren’t going as we were relying on the random draw. The three of us had four points total going in and we needed about 13 total in the special to draw on points. I switched our apps at the last minute from a better unit to this not as good unit, figuring the odds would be better (they were way better). Because tags > no tags.

 

[kansasdad]

I imagine he and you are well aware, heat is a major issue for worsening symptoms for many MS folks.

You may wish to consider getting handicap hunter status, which in some states would then allow for different season dates, access easing, and allowances for true road hunting.

 

[NEWHunter]

I imagine he and you are well aware, heat is a major issue for worsening symptoms for many MS folks.

You may wish to consider getting handicap hunter status, which in some states would then allow for different season dates, access easing, and allowances for true road hunting.

Good points. We have a hunting season extension permit and a shoot from a vehicle permit for him. Applying for my disabled hunter companion permit is on my list of things to get done. Even with all the accommodations it will still be a challenge for him to fill his tag. At least now he’ll have a chance though.

 

[NEWHunter]

I’ll grab the $5 cashier’s check at work tomorrow and then #sendit


Stopped at Fleet Farm over the weekend and grabbed another box of .243 and a new blaze orange cap.

 

[NEWHunter]

Looks like we’ve finally got a statistically significant margin of victory. Kitchen sink it is.

Lots of places I could start this one, and I’m not sure where to start, so I’ll just pick one that seems logical. The foundation for this hunt was first laid back in 2013. That year we lost our hunting land due to a partner that was an absolute jerk. Then in 2014, I drew my second Wisconsin bear tag after a ten year wait. The hunt didn’t go as I’d hoped and I ended up shooting a sow.


With my whitetail and turkey hunting opportunities having taken a massive hit, and now staring down the barrel of another decade wait on a bear tag, I needed to do something. I looked west. I did some research and started buying points with a group of folks that fall. After a few years I encountered that tale as old as time - hunting partners that wouldn’t commit.

In 2018 I learned more and decided I’d try a solo 2nd choice antelope if I could get the tag. I lucked out, pulled the tag, and completed a successful western hunt! Then, in 2019, I decided I’d try and burn my points with my Dad. In a fortuitous twist of fate, my unit choices led us to some more 2nd choice tags. You can find that thread here: https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/tips-for-a-disabled-hunter-in-wy.287618/

 

[NEWHunter]

In 2020 we went back again on 2nd choice tags and brought home more antelope. Then in 2021 we finally burned our points and found a few more antelope. I was hooked on antelope. They’re fun, provide all day action, don’t get CWD, and are accessible - especially with a few regulatory accommodations. Only now, we were out of points. And while I have points in a couple of other states, my Dad doesn’t.

 

[Shawn Rene]

With a little hard work and lots of luck, our group managed to draw tags. The bunch includes my Dad, my twelve year old son, and me. For us, this will be an OIL tag/hunt in every sense.

My Dad’s multiple sclerosis has taken a heavy toll and it will be the last opportunity he has to make this kind of trip. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for three generations to pack the truck and head west on an adventure. The hunt will be an extreme physical challenge for my Dad and a physical and mental grind for me as I try to make everything go smoothly and not let the MS get to us.

The preparation has started and the excitement is building.

What an amazing experience this will be to share with 3 generations. I am going on my first Western hunt this year with my dad. My oldest boy is 3 so I have many more years before a hunt like this can ever happen.

 

[NEWHunter]

Yes, very much looking forward to it.

Good luck on your hunt. Good news is your little guy will be tagging along on hunting activities around home before you know it.

 

[NEWHunter]

There were a few factors that went into our unit selection. Camping, with my Dad’s situation, is out. The unit had to be within about a half hour drive of a decent sized town, so that it had a hotel with accessible rooms. Throw in a lot of easily accessible public land to hunt and odds that weren’t obscene, the possibilities narrowed quickly.

Based on these criteria and the four points between the three of us, we needed to get lucky in the random draw. A 1+ point average wasn’t going to get us the unit we needed on points. As you guys know, I stepped up to the plate on the special draw in hopes of upping our random odds. On my first pass, I put our group application in for the unit we burned our points on a couple years back.

I went over tag levels and historical draw odds for several units. The more I studied the odds, the less I liked our chances on my initial choice. This is where that little bit of hard work and a lot of luck I opened with came in to play.

After a lot of deliberation, I logged in on 5/31 and switched our 1st choice. The accommodations and hunting wouldn’t be as good; however, the timing of the opener was a bit better for us and my gut told me the odds would be better.

Obviously, the switch worked out and we pulled our tags. My hunch was right, as the draw results showed our odds were 10x better in my plan B unit.

 

[WyoDoug]

My buddy and I will be out in speedgoat country starting the 18th. Two scouting days but we will have archery licenses and crossbows incase we see what we want early. Both of us are looking for a nice buck first two days then any good meat goat after that.

 

[NEWHunter]

The disabled hunter companion permit from game & fish showed up today along with the stop rot from McKenzie. Still waiting on an Amazon order with some game bags, a cut proof glove for my son, some 50v peroxide, fix a flat, and some food grade storage bags big enough for an antelope shoulder. Not trying to jinx it, but I feel like we need to be prepared.

The companion permit is now safely stowed in the MR with all the other tags and permits.


Decided my son and I are going to buy archery tags too and bring the “crossgun” just in case. First shot at 62 yards - one excuse eliminated.

 

[KipCarson]

You won’t jinx a thing by being over prepared, as the saying goes “better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it”
Good job on the stop rot planning, your taxidermist will thank you.

 

[NEWHunter]

I put my call in to the warden a couple of days ago. I’m looking to clarify some information around access and see if he’s willing to share any other information that might be useful. Hopefully we can chat sometime next week.

Went to the range with my brother in law today. I got a bit nervous when a group of five showed up with some “cool looking guns.” It was pretty obvious that three of the five hadn’t ever shot before. Seemed like they were more concerned about looking cool than hitting the target. The gun owner didn’t seem too concerned though.

My BIL said we needed to leave when the one guy started throwing dirt 40 yards out on a 100 yard range. Thankfully we were wrapping up. Seriously, how does a guy driving an SUV with Indiana plates end up two benches over from me emptying 12 rounds clips into the dirt in Shiocton, WI!?!?? Non-residents! WTF!

Other than that, things seemed to go OK. My son and my Dad will likely be using my brother’s Sako A7 in .243. My Dad’s gun is a Browning A-bolt in .338 win mag., but that’s overkill for this hunt. Plus, I think it’s likely getting to be too much gun for my Dad.

I’ll be using my BAR in 7mm mag. with a standard 3-9x Leupold vx-2.

We’ll be taking my other brother Daryl’s BAR in .300 win mag. as a back up. My brother had remounted the scope but kinda failed to articulate that. Took a while to figure things out and get it on paper. But after 16 rounds, the last three looked OK.

I would like to have zeroed close to 2 inches high at 100, but with only four rounds left, I decided that would have to be good enough for a backup gun.

I don’t shoot a lot, and when I do, it’s with a BAR. I say this because as I was driving home, I realized that might be my best group ever.

 

[NEWHunter]

We interrupt this special programming to bring you our regularly scheduled bow opener.



Where nothing is likely to happen because it’s 80 degrees and I’m literally melting.

 

[NEWHunter]

Doing prep work right now. Getting these frozen so they’re ready to go on Saturday morning. Need to stop and get extra batteries for headlamps and the rangefinder and some trout lures. After that we should be all set as far as supplies go for the trip. Something went wrong with my Amazon order so I’ll have to reorder some peroxide, but that’s not a big deal.

Hit the first snag of the trip though. My Dad was visiting with friends from Rochester, MN over the weekend and left the charger and extra battery for his power chair in their back seat. The good news is that Rochester is on the way out west from here. The bad news is his buddy won’t be home so we’ll have to make a 45+ minute detour for a porch pickup. Hooray!

Still waiting to hear back from the warden . . .

For the next few days it’s going to be busy. Being out a week there’s lots to get done at the office and then there’s all the packing and organizing for the hunt to do at home. I also have to make sure my son dots all of his I’s and crosses his T’s with his teachers and coaches. If he ever wants to take time off of school to go hunting again, he has to stay on track with his studies. And finally, I have to pack for my Dad.

 

[NEWHunter]

Dad got here around 3pm today. So grandpa and grandson worked on attaching a spare tire bracket.


Turns out the bracket wouldn’t allow the tire to ride high enough. So they had to pull it off and the spare will ride in the bed.

And got this in the mail. As Lloyd Christmas once said, “so you’re tellin me there’s a chance”


Ideally we’ll get out of here around 8 am tomorrow and hit Fleet Farm one last time on the way out.