western hunting mascot

[VAspeedgoat]

I was curious as to which animal you guys thought best represents western hunting or western game animals. I decided to give several choices for the poll that I thought would be the most popular. I personally feel like it should be the antelope or mule deer because these are both only found in the west. Elk and bison both deserve a mention as well but were historically in other places in the country. I left off moose because they are more synonimous with canada or northern hunting. Tell me what you think but I'm betting elk will win. Here in Va if you mention you are heading west people automatically figure its for elk.

I decided to go mule deer because they best represent the many different habitats found throughout the west.

 

[Gunner46]

Elk are being re-introduced into Eastern states and are at huntable levels, Too many couldn't tell the difference between a mule deer, blacktail, and a whitetail, but the Proghorn is so unique it simply screams western hunting.

 

[JohnCushman]

I picked antelope because they are unique to the west. Like Gunner said, elk are back east now, so they are not truly a 'western' animal anymore. I would have picked mule deer, but I can't seem to draw a tag in the past 7 years, so I'm a little butt hurt over that. But, I can kill the heck out of antelope. Many people's first trips out west are antelope hunts due to the easier to get tags and population of animals, so that is another reason I chose antelope. Yes, There are OTC elk tags to be had...but those are simply money makers are the over crowding can be ridiculous and intimidating for a first time western hunter, in my humble opinion. Antelope are abundant and relatively easy to hunt for the most part, so success rates are higher. Plus, they are bad ass looking creatures!!!

 

[James Riley]

I chose "other" for Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.

 

[spook12]

I chose "other" for Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.

:hump:

 

[glass eye]

I chose Mule Deer because they inhabit so much of the west, from the hot desert to alpine peaks where the air is thin.

 

[HalfAce]

If the question was, which animal best represents the west, I would have picked antelope as they are truely an icon of the west and for reasons most here don't need to have explained to them. But since the question is what animal best represents western hunting, I have to say that hunting the west is not easy. Hunting for antelope is actually pretty easy and that does not correctly represent how difficult hunting the west can be. So i picked mule deer, which only edge out elk by a little bit. This site seems to have an abnormally large amount of elknuts on it, so I think I already know what the results of this post will be

 

[Djfan]

My personal favorite is Pronghorn (they are not antelope), but Elk is more iconic.

 

[LopeHunter]

Elk. Screaming bulls. Aspens turning. Mountain basins. Wall tents. Pack horses.

They may have elk east of the Mississippi though they do not have the "western" approach to hunting. Much of the east is hunted by driving up and parking your vehicle, walking 20 minutes or so to your stand or lining up with some buddies to push into some brush and as the sun sets you head home to watch television and sleep in your own bed.

To each his own and for me the "eastern" approach is less of an adventure to just get to where the hunting can begin. I like a nice adventure.

 

[buckykm1]

Yes, there are Elk in some Eastern States now.
But it does not even come close to comparing to a Elk hunting out west.
here in Michigan, the Elk hunts are more like going out and shooting Cattle. there just isn't the wide open space for them to roam. JMHO

Personally I won't even apply for a Elk license here, to me it would be like hunting them in a high fence area.

Kevin

 

[mixedbag]

I chose mule deer,but antelope would have been my 2nd choice.They seem to be spreading elk all over the east now.I agree with the above post about eastern elk hunting though and is the reason I have never put in for a pa tag.And almost all bulls killed here hit the 400" mark.I'd rather be camping in the rockies and shoot a raghorn though.I love to elk hunt,but muleys just are a sign that I've made it out west when I go.I'm hoping to finally draw a good muley tag in wy this year

 

[DaveHawk]

I chose Sika, after all it is the smallest of the Elk family