We love hearing about stories past, and most people have concrete plans for the coming season.
But what stirs your imagination? What are the options you've mulled over? Dreamed about? Halfway planned out, yet haven't dropped the string on? :rolleyes:
These are the ones within your means, that sound crazy and fun, but you really don't know if you are up to the challenge.
I'll start. I want to take a mule deer buck here in Montana. A big one (think 24-26" wide, and tall. No little guys need worry on this hunt). I want to do it from a spike camp, high altitude, way back. The numbers in the area I'm considering are low. The area is huge, and the weather can break you like a twig.
:bigsmyl:
The only thing holding me back is the last year of school that needs finishing.
Think big here. Outside the box. Keep it reasonable on the funds (or don't). Just throw the ideas out there. You just might inspire someone!
:campfire:
Mountain lion. Since I spend some winter months in Arizona, I am thinking about a lion hunt there. Still have to be in shape to chase dogs around the desert, but I wouldn't have to wade through butt deep snow. Sounding more appealing by the day.
This mat not sound like a big one, but for me it would be dream to hunt where big whitetails live during those cold nov mornings in ohio. Thw deer dont get big where i live here in michigan and to be able to hunt where theres a chance at a bruiser makes my heart rate sky rocket i am a whitetail freak lol
I'd love to take a backcountry hunt into goat country and get a mountain goat. I have health problems that make me wish I'd tried it when I was younger, and this hunt is probably just a dream. But it's a nice dream!
It's Sika Deer for me . I have been working hard finding places to hunt . Going down this coming week end to meet some people and look over some marsh . I hope to spend time in Maryland at least once a month from now on . I will turkey hunt there opining week and see how that goes . I bought my first new bow in over 25 years (A&H) , and hope to arrow a turkey be for I get a Sika or whitetail .
May the simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures
I want to take a bull elk with recurve or longbow, as well as big whitetail buck up north.
Spike camp, no guide, public land.
My entire hunting career has been guided by my father. He's hunted here since the seventies, and through his experience have come a few "honey holes". I've seen some impressive deer in those spots, but I'm in my mid 20s now and I'm trying to do things my own way. I'm trying to forget about all the spots I've traditionally hunted and find my own "honey holes". My goal this year is to take at least a P&Y buck from one of my own spots. It may be hard to stay away from the traditional spots when November comes, but then again, I think we all get satisfaction from making things more difficult, and succeeding. I only hunt public land, BTW.
I would also like to hunt out west, and Canada. I would also like to make it to Alaska someday. I really want to take a bear with a bow. Maybe someday when time and money allow...
Moose last year in Newfoundland
Also booking a muskox hunt in 2016 - really looking forward to that one!!
I think a cariboo hunt would be great.
As too your muley hunt go for it but up the sights to a 30 in plus buck to make it real interesting. Then shoot one of them little guys if you have too. :archer:
God bless, Steve
I can't say I've done a lot of "out of the ordinary" hunts but I've been blessed in my hunting career for sure. I've done the "basics" ... whitetails, moose, turkeys and bears. I've just never had a big hanker'in to do much else. Don't know why, just never have.
Whitetails were the bread and butter.
The moose – very exciting. Not much can compare to a bull coming in hard to a cow call.
Turkeys are fun – a diversion and a reason to be out there in the early spring after a long winter.
Looking back at close to 4 decades of bowhunting, other than the times spent hunting with my kids, my best memories and favorite animals hunted have been the bears. I love watching them, the bear camp experience (relaxed), the places and people where I've hunted them and of course nothing beats being within that trad bow hunting zone with a mature bear.
Future plans, Lord willing, will always include involvement in spring bear hunting, one way or the other.
I would just like to share a camp with a bunch of tradgang guys.
Any elk with my bow would make my decade.
QuoteOriginally posted by Sixby:
I think a cariboo hunt would be great.
As too your muley hunt go for it but up the sights to a 30 in plus buck to make it real interesting. Then shoot one of them little guys if you have too. :archer:
God bless, Steve
30" would be stretch now a days. In 20yrs of doing taxidermy in Montana, I've only seen a handful of honest 30" bucks.
I'm going bear hunting in Ontario with a good buddy from church who is going to try it with trad gear this year as well...... The big bonus is that we are both taking our boys with us to see if they like it enough to want to join us in 2 years when they are old enough to hunt there as well! It should be a hoot and I can't wait to see my son's face should a bear come in! :eek:
Rodd
Moving back to California next year and since the deer hunting is terrible there I'm planning a trip to Oregon for an elk hunt. My wife and I are also considering moving to Alaska for a few years just to experience it and so that we can hunt mainly sheep but also the other great opportunities that state provides.
I've had an Alberta Moose hunt planned since January, 2013. The hunt was supposed to be this past early October (2013). My buddy got cancer. Thank God he was cured even if only a week before our hunt.
The hunt was postponed until this coming late Sept/early October, 2014.
This is the one that is about to happen after 45 years of wondering if I would ever do it.
My "possibly doable" hunt for the near future is hogs and/or javies in Texas. Trying to put something together with a co-worker/buddy here in OK and a buddy that lives near Dallas. I just think it'd be cool! And it might just be possible in the next year or 2.....
Two I've had in mind for fall 2014 are:
1) "Backcountry"/backpack whitetail hunt in my local state forest. I know it doesn't sound too exotic, but it is very doable and will also help me gain experience for doing a real backcountry trip someday for elk. I got this idea from an elk thread I read on TradGang. Gil Verway was the gentleman's name who posted the thread and one of the things he wrote that stuck with me was that you don't have to go to Alaska or the Rocky Mountains to have an adventure.
2) Sika deer hunt. The Chesapeake Bay is close enough to make this a very doable long weekend hunt. I don't know the first thing about hunting Sika deer, so the learning process will be half the fun.
David
p.s. Great idea for a thread, Malachi! I feel like these plans are a little more official now that I've written them down.
Great idea NittanyRider,
I have always wanted to take a whitetail in the mountains near our cabin in central pa. I hunted there as a child and never as much as seen a deer. You are right you don't have to go out of state or spend a bunch of money to have an adventure!
mine is kind of simple, after years of military and moving I just don't have any hunting partners that shoot trad. I would love to get connected with a few trad shooters and start planning and taking some hjunting adventures - I don't care of it guided, DIY or getting a lease..... at this stage in life looking for some brothers in arms to share some hunts together. The part of Texas I live in does not lead itself to much hunting as it is all private and hard to find a good lease.
Camp and hunt in a desert. Whatever regarding quarry.
ive got a couple.
1) is a trad gear axis deer hunt down in texas or a sika trad gear hunt in MA. both have been appealing to me for quite some time, although the axis is more what i would love to do in the near future.
2) is an elk/deer/whatever hunt in colorado or arizona with my dad; on this equipment doesn't really matter. its been years since ive been able to hunt with my dad and i long to go with him again.
Eternally optimistic about getting drawn for Elk, Moose, or Sheep. I have hunted in Colorado four times but no luck yet.
Maybe bear again but that is down the list always. Minnesota is awfully proud of their bear licenses especially when hunting on my own land.
Elk, I am going to try to draw a tag again. They have eluded me without taking a shot. I have called in a few. My hunting partner shot a nice one that came to my mouth call. I practice all the time. I am going to try to go until physically I am unable. Backpacking 60lbs 5-8 miles is for younger guys.
I always wanted to go moose hunting and bear hunting the fall is so relaxing.
My dream hunt is to finally get drawn for a Maine moose tag and do a back country float trip using my 20' Grand Laker canoe left to me by my dad.
I cant think of a better way to spend a week than calling moose from a canoe not to mention it is a great way to pack it out.
I want to go moose hunting in 2015, just started the research process.
Hoping to do a backpack hunting trip for whitetail in the western North Carolina mountains this fall. A generous tradganger has offered to show me some possibilities this spring. Beautiful country that I'm looking forward to explore and hunt.
Would love to chase those huge whitetails in NW Canada one day...just once..
Would love to chase those huge whitetails up In NW Alberta just once..
ttt
I've got three, one realistic, one less realistic, and one flat-out dream.
Realistic:
I mainly hunt whitetails in Wisconsin. I've really been dreaming a lot lately about simply taking a buck off the ground while stillhunting/stalking on public land. The times I have got out of the tree and stillhunted- even though I've never had success with it- have been so invigorating, I just want to do more...I want to load up a pack, check the wind, and just take the whole day. I might even take two days and camp out one night. I figure this might give me a little taste of what my second option might look like...
Less Realistic:
A DIY solo elk hunt. I've been reading Mike Mitten's book on solo bowhunting and it has got me STIRRED UP! I know the reality of solo hunting in the mountains is much tougher than my current romanticized view, but I'd still love to do it.
Dream:
A big ol' moose in the Yukon. Just those words together- "moose" and "Yukon" fire me up!
Can I add: anything that requires me to canoe to where I'll be hunting.
QuoteOriginally posted by TubbsTru:
Can I add: anything that requires me to canoe to where I'll be hunting.
I'll add that one too
This is hard for me because I already filled many of my dreams. But there are still a few....
Mountain lion - the beauty of those creatures captivate me. But that is a very demanding hunt physically and I'm not getting any younger.
Moose - I've been a couple of times but still can only dream about walking up to a bull I have shot. I do still have high hopes of making this happen if I could ever get over my addiction to elk hunting. It's hard to do both in the same year.
Mountain goat - This would take some incredible luck of the draw. But stranger things have happened. Again, age might catch up to me before I ever get a chance.
I've been fortunate to do a few the last 15 years or so
Hunted black bears in Canada and Alaska. Took a 170 # by spot and stalk in Alaska at 8 yds. Took a 410# in Canada 2 years ago.
Took a mountain lion in Co. Couple of caribou in northern Quebec. Mule deer in CO. Hogs and javelina in Texas
Going back to CO this fall for mule deer and maybe elk. Been a bunch of times but can't shake the jinx on elk
Have a moose hunt booked for Newfoundland in 2015
QuoteOriginally posted by dnovo:
Have a moose hunt booked for Newfoundland in 2015
If you don't mind me asking, what outfitter are you using?
My dream is to hunt with good friends. I lost Dad too long ago.
I've got some real good friends I'm going to hunt with this September. I pray every day that we get to see some elk up close and personal.
Whip, you picked out one that I've got an itch to chase. You know who treed this one in Utah. It was catch and release. I have to admit that if I had to live out my years hunting "catch and release", I'd be okay. It's the adventure and company that makes it worthwhile.
homebru
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/homebru/Tradgang%20Lion%20Pics/100_0347_0015-1.jpg)
Nathan, it sure would be a dream hunt to chase cats with Tom. He talked about how his favorite way to hunt is to saddle up the mules and just ride with the dogs until a track is cut. That would be cool!
Good stuff guys! Another " want to do, should do, haven't done yet" is to spot and stalk a big spring black bear here in Montana. Or even a fall bear at that...I saw a big bear last fall while deer hunting. Maybe I will try to find him this spring.