Elk Hunt Cancelled!!

[Whip]

I'm anxious to hear about your Africa adventures Bill!  

As for my year, I really can't sit here and feel sorry for myself.  I've got an unfilled WI bear tag in my pocket.  And whitetail season opens here on Saturday.  I haven't hunted a WI whitetail opener in years.  A November trip to Kansas takes on even more importance now.  Things are not all bad, and I count my blessings for what I am able to do.  

But I will certainly miss the mountains.  At my age, I am always aware that elk hunting is tough, and gets a little tougher with each passing year.  I hate the idea of missing out on even one.  A season missed can never be recovered.

[pumatrax]

the drought is for real...lot of wallows..ponds...and small creeks have dried up here...hay production is WAY down...the good news is that we got some snow above timberline yesterday...hope it helps....hard to sneak up on anything when it sounds like walking on rice krispies.....the elk are starting to bugle here and there...

[Hopewell Tom]

Big time disappointment, Whip. Sorry to hear it.
Good on you, though for looking ahead to other opportunities.
We've got a sign in our home:
Life isn't about weathering the storm
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Onward...

[wapiti792]

Sorry Joe! Sounds like things there are as bad as here. Good luck finding a cancelation hunt!

[wingnut]

Joe,

Sounds like the right choice.  Not much fun to hunt elk if there are no elk.  Trust me, that was my last Idaho hunt. LOL

Mike

[KentuckyTJ]

Huge disappointment, good call though.

[Matty]

You should still come out next week. Get an OTC license and hunt with me!  Saw a nice bull last night and 5 cows. Got within 50 yards. And you know how the rest of the story goes. I think next weekend will be better too the bulls were pretty quiet but I think by then it should be good. And colder, plus the "orange coats" will be gone by then.  Consider it and give me a call.

[Whip]

Thanks Matt, that would almost be very tempting!  We actually already have the licence.  It never occurred to us that we might cancel, so we bought them online ahead of time so we wouldn't have to deal with it when we got there.  So that money is gone.  

The biggest problem is that all of our gear went out ahead of time with a friend.  My buddy is a wheel shooter, and sent both his main and backup bows out earlier this week.  We can't really think about leaving here until the gear gets back.  In fact, he will have to sit out the WI whitetail opener here without his stuff!  The guys out there now may end up pulling the plug early, but I'm not sure at this point when they are heading for home.

[cacciatore]

Joe,nobody can understand you more than me;I had to leave yesterday for Colorado for my elk camp,but I bad tooth infection has stopped me here for a week,plus I have lost the money spent for the ticket,no refound.Saying next year hurts me since my season are counted now and I leave the whole year for hunting elk and everything I own in archery is specific for elk hunting.        To have killed a boar on Monday isn't an enough big medicine to recover.

[Robhood23]

Sorry to hear that brother! I was worried about the fires in Idaho but it looks like my spot went unscathed! GO get em next year and good luck with that bear tag! I know they can be tough to get over there!

[Hud]

Sorry to hear about the problem, but it is nice of the owner to allow you to apply the deposit toward next year. I understand, the ocean currents have changed and the winter will be different drier in the NW. Maybe that will mean more rain in the midwest and SW. Good luck.

[Dirtybird]

Joe sorry to hear I hope you have better luck in the future and maybe something will come up quick.

[LONGSTYKES]

Sorry to hear about your change from this year to 2013. Probably the best choice. We are so dry, I expect our season to be way off this year. Not seeing the animals like usual. Good luck.

[Whip]

Oh man Felix!  That is really bad news for you.  I'm lucky enough to at least have other hunts lined up for this fall, so my suffering will be relatively minimal.

Did you check with your airlines on their cancellation policy?  We were not able to get a refund of our flight, but by cancelling we did get a credit toward a future flight and will simply have to pay a $75 change fee if we rebook a different trip before next July.  I'm sure I'll find something to do before then  

[BAK]

Consider yourself lucky.  I had the same scenerio happen on my first and only Elk hunt.  We went to New Mexico, and the so called Outfitter never bothered to point out it was the dryest season in years.  We spent the whole week in an area that so dust dry we didn't even see a coyote, let alone a deer or elk.  No water anywhere.  Be glad you can go back during a better time.

[jcar315]

Tough news for sure Whip.

Lets go hog hunting in SC!!!

[bruinman]

Sorry to hear it, sounds like the rancher is a great guy though, so maybe next year will be one for the books.

[beachbowhunter]

What are you doing next year? Join me in NM?  

[Whip]

You know NM is my favorite place on earth Norbert.  But the rancher in CO let us carry our deposit over to 2013, so I guess we are booked for there next year.  I'm hoping for a heavy snowfall to bring things back to normal there next year!!

[Terry Green]

:(     :(    :(    :(    :(