What is your single top hunting season goal this year? I expect updates damn it.

[Hammsolo]

I suppose I should report on my goal.....

3rd season, northern CO. It was warm, and dry, except for one day.

Buddy killed a good bull on opening morning. I was right next to him. The bull was broken off on one side, but he would have gone around 320 if not broken off.

I had one opportunity, unfortunately my shooting skills let me down.......

Last morning we were on the way up to hike in, and I rolled my 4runner on a patch of black ice. Then a couple hours later when I called my insurance agent I found I had miscommunicated with them and did not in fact have collision insurance on it. So that was about an $8,000 mistake.

It was one of those trips with some highs and some real lows. It'll make a good story, but it's still a little painful to tell.....

Keep your chin up. There are no mountains without valleys.

 

[Hammsolo]

Thanks! I wish I could could say it was because I’ve honed my skills, but it was more luck. I hunted pretty hard this season but I got this guy because he came striding up on me while I was peeing hahaha.

Hunting hard is a skill.

 

[Hammsolo]

@Hammsolo , finally got my hands on my 1st WT. it was everything I wanted, for my 1st WT. a decent buck I could turn into a euro. Won’t forget this journey anytime soon. I’d dreamed about getting a chance to hunt whitetails for years, previously living in a state that doesn't really have WT hunting. Already looking forward to going after another one next year and trying to find a bigger buck
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Let’s see that euro!

 

[BAKPAKR]

Goal #1 - help my daughter get a whitetail buck in Idaho. Might have to ghost @Mica Man.

Success!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Let’s see that euro!

Taxidermist said 3 months, so I’m guessing February sometime

 

[elkfanatic]

Help my oldest son (14) hopefully harvest an elk on his first elk hunt in third rifle, Colorado. Soon as we get back we leave for a week at deer camp with my second boy(12) going along for the first time

Goal #1 achieved with a cow elk! Goal #2 achieved with a last day deer for my second son's first deer camp trip. He saw deer everyday and had a lot of bucks that he could have shot but had filled his buck tag the Saturday before. Last day we had a button buck run out and stop broadside at 7 yards and he delivered a perfect shot!

 

[trb]

Have a muzzy buck tag in my favorite unit in CO. Goal is to get a good stalk or two on a mature buck.

Outside of that, helping my brother kill a bull after he tore his achilles this winter would be sweet. Also hopefully helping my buddy kill his first CO big game animal on a 4th season buck tag.

Can finally close this one out.
1) Completely f*cked up my first goal, took a 10 yard snap shot at an average 4x4 instead of the target bucks I was there to stalk, hit the high shoulder void and lost my first big game animal. Killed a bull later in the hunt.

2) Check

3) Check

 

[Hammsolo]

Can finally close this one out.
1) Completely f*cked up my first goal, took a 10 yard snap shot at an average 4x4 instead of the target bucks I was there to stalk, hit the high shoulder void and lost my first big game animal. Killed a bull later in the hunt.
View attachment 303368
2) Check
View attachment 303369
3) Check
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Losing animals sucks. All we can do is live and learn.

 

[Derek44]

Can finally close this one out.
1) Completely f*cked up my first goal, took a 10 yard snap shot at an average 4x4 instead of the target bucks I was there to stalk, hit the high shoulder void and lost my first big game animal. Killed a bull later in the hunt.
View attachment 303368

I absolutely love the deep color in those antlers!!

 

[fmnjr]

What’s your top goal? I want you to think about this. Really challenge yourself to pick the 1. I could talk about my knees, killing a mature mule deer buck, harvesting a critter on my new property.

My long term goal has been termed the Hamm Slam. This goal specifically is to harvest mature big game on my land in Montana; elk, whitetail, mule deer, and finally a moose. That last one will take a minute.

The challenge is to narrow it down to the most critical goal for this season, but I’ve got it. I want to kill a bull this year. When I lived back in Montana 20 years ago I killed a bull nearly every year, but life changed that. I moved to Washington, and my goals shifted. I was in a seriously shitty relationship that gradually nearly eliminated all my hobbies. My opportunities and time became limited, so I focused on what I had. That was time and opportunity to hunt deer. I haven‘t killed a bull in 22 years, and I’ve killed 9.

I am hunting Washington archery elk, and all seasons in Montana. The dream would be to kill a bull with my bow, but I’ll be stoked to harvest any bull at all this year. My actions will be to get out every moment I can and hunt hard. I’ll also be learning a ton. Currently I’m shooting at least every other day, and 3D shooting a minimum of 3 times a week at Spokane Valley Archery. I am also listening to loads of podcasts and calling my brains out in my truck.

I’ll try to keep you guys updated, and look forward to you doing the same!

Damnit. I fixed it.

 

[The Hedgehog]

A last ditch effort for a big public land MT bull elk. 2023.

 

[MaddH]

Well mission accomplished.

 

[noharleyyet]

I absolutely love the deep color in those antlers!!

Looks like nicely aged fine walnut..beautiful.

 

[noharleyyet]

Success!

View attachment 303225View attachment 303226

Good to see your regressive left handed dna coil skip a generation.

 

[noharleyyet]

@Little Big Man MT Chris ...you really need to stop photobombing your beautiful wife's photos.

 

[hank4elk]

Screwed my last chance...LOL
Just have a cow for my WI buddy left here.
Eyes are 20/15 and I feel great.
2 loads of split juniper ordered and 1st load due next week.
Ford goes in to get door untweeked next Tues.
My go to mechanic is calling back later tonight, rebuild Tacoma.

I have plenty of meat in the freezer and getting ahead on wood for winter.

I'm still here.

 

[Dave N]

Goal has changed. Bunny tracks in the snow and shells in my grandfather's Model 12. I plan to make a boom soon.

 

[Nameless Range]

This is my last year to hunt before my son will be able to next year. After that, I plan on it all being about him for as long as it can be. I feel like I need to push myself a little more than previous years and am prepared to because of that fact.

My dad is 74, and I will hunt deer with him as much as possible. I plan on sharing with him the River bottom I enjoyed so much last year.

I’ve had a few good years of elk or multiple elk every year for the last few. I love the meat but don’t feel driven much beyond that and hiking enchanting geographies, and feel like I simultaneously need to speed up and slow down. One thing I honestly want to do this fall is fish more. I’m always hunting instead.

Ok so I didn’t pick just 1.

Hope you all have fantastic seasons.

Here’s yer update.

I hunted more than any year in the previous decade.

I hunted with my dad a fair amount, and he shot a buck on a fine morning.


I hunted the River bottom with my shotgun. Never found a buck I could get a good shot at, but did harvest a doe.



I spent many days afield with family, hunting and attempting trapping with my wife and kids.





I found a cow, and walked, involuntarily swam, and exerted myself in the sacred geographies I love so much.






Fished a little but not much. As always, a chunk of life for which to be grateful.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Lab Ellie came up lame goose hunting this year and initial diagnosis was torn cranial crucial ligament (ACL in humans). I arranged for her to see an orthopedic vet in Great Falls 1st of November. By then she seemed almost normal. He said no surgery at this time. Give her more time off and see how she does. So, with Ellie the rooster killer out of action, sole hunting duty has fallen to twelve year-old cancer survivor Fr Brittany "Puppy." She is AMAZING. Hunting as hard as a dog half her age. She set me up twice today with show-stopping points and I made them count. First day hunting last week we got one rooster but I worked her way too hard. She was unwell for almost two days and gave me quite a scare. I was afraid cancer was back. She's kicking arse again now. I am limiting her to half day hunts only. We are both getting old.
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Lab Ellie had crucial ligament surgery today. Puppy was inactive for the last week of big game season so I gave her a workout today while Ellie is overnight at vet's. She set me up several times for the third rooster but I missed. Shooting the wrong gun today. LOP is too short. These could very well be Puppy's last birds. Conditions were perfect. Memorable day.

 

[Treeshark]

Have a fun Wyoming mule deer hunt with my dad, Godfather and best hunting buddy.

It’s his first trip out west- he doesn’t have a tag, just coming along. My main goal besides shooting a nice buck is that he has a good time.

Update: Did not find a big one to hang my tag on. We had a ton of fun, saw lots of cool stuff, and caught a bunch of fish (a lot of my hunting trips get sidetracked by fish but I don’t fight it).

I even got to taste whiskey for the first time. Cool trip.