Next year

[Kingpuck]

So I ate tag soup this year but still feel good about it because all the money went to conservation. Every night though has been spent dreaming about next year and arrowing the biggest deer imaginable. So hard to wait for September 1, 2013.

What are your plans for 2013?

[RadSav]

Unless the squaw or I get drawn for a Washington OIL hunt 2013 is going to be sort of boring for us.  Only out of state hunt in the planning is to take Battleready on a WY pronghorn hunt.  Haven't decided if I will hunt on that trip or just chauffeur.  Our biggest plans are to get back in good health.  I have been feeling quite bad the whole year and struggling to hike even moderate hills.  The angry squaw still has one eye left to fix.  Bad news last week was that there were floating cells back in the eye so we are at least two months out under the best scenario.

If the business sells this next week I might take a trip to Alberta for big mulies.  But I am doubting that is going to happen.  A couple companies are wanting it.  A few are willing to pay what we want for it.  But I have made it a condition that I will not sell the broadhead equipment and will not sign more than a one year noncompete clause on new peep sight developments conceived after the sale.  I expect that will be a deal breaker for most that have the money we want.

Things in the state of Washington that I am dreaming about is finding a new bear hunting spot in the high country.  Our spot is still loaded with bear, but has grown up so much it's nearly impossible to hunt.  Would like to find a new muledeer hunting spot.  Last year it seemed as though half the hunters in the state had found ours.  I'd like to find a spot that not only has a fair number of bucks, but that I can spend a week there and never see another bowhunter.  And finally the wife really wants to get a thick furred winter bobcat for a special mount.  Not too hard in a normal year, but nothing seems to be easy these days when a cripple is guiding a cyclopes

My biggest challenge in 2013 is going to be to finally find a lightweight backpack that works.  If I can't find one I hope to have an elightened moment and design the perfect one that I will build myself.  Who knows, perhaps I'll end up this time next year thinking about selling three companies to avoid further anal probing of the Obama taxes instead of thinking about selling just the one.

I sure hope your 2013 turns out to be everything you are dreaming and hoping it will be.

[coachcw]

Survive the mental anguish of my sixteen year old daughter having a boyfriend and a car . I need to get my commercial property refinanced (urrrrrr ) hopefully a qaulity bull tag and or a moose permit to sweetin the year up will be comming my way .

[ICEMAN]

My plans for 2013 are to get my legs back under me since my bilateral hip replacement, lose some more weight, build up some muscle and endurance....start returning to my favorite things, a few hikes, some clam digs, some turkey, grouse, bear, deer, elk with the family..... 

Also, to check HW and find pics of Kingpuck with his first deer!!!!

2013 is going to be an awesome year for me!

[Russ McDonald]

Yup tag soup here for me in WA but I enjoyed the season.  Filled my tag in MN with my first ever bow harvest of a deer.  So I would say a succesfull year.  Next year nothing but bow hunting.  More scouting, get into better shape and push for the first ever elk. 

[DoubleJ]

REALLY want to shoot an elk next year.  Without jinxing myself (hopefully) I think I have the deer thing figured out but, elk are still getting me.

[buck man]

Can't wait also! Gonna go up in the high country in Oregon and chase wapiti in sept. going to try a first and stick an early season whitetail. He is gonna have to be 150" or bigger though for me to give up my late season  Maybe this year I will stick one of the bears that's always around the place in sept. Don't get real excited about bruins though.

 Have enough points to draw Utah big bull tag but think I will just buy another point and put it off another year. Hope to draw my moose tag . Got 14 points....we will see. 

[raydog]

Yup tag soup here for me in WA but I enjoyed the season.  Filled my tag in MN with my first ever bow harvest of a deer.  So I would say a succesfull year.  Next year nothing but bow hunting.  More scouting, get into better shape and push for the first ever elk.

same boat as you, minus the MN deer

[Wildsau]

Yep!!, Tag Soup for me, as well.  Tried for bear, deer and elk, now I have a lot of tags to make a very healthy soup with.

I am not down, I was in my elements and relaxing.  Learned a lot and will be back on them again this fall. 

[elkoholicmike]

Plan is for next season, HUNT and not work. I spent the whole season working in Japan this last season. Have never done that before and I do regret it.
I did get a short trip to North Dakota for some spot and stock whitetail. That was a trip and I will be doing it again.
Good luck to you all and trust me it don't pay to work through a hunting season.

[TriggerHappy]

2013 is looking better My wife has has kicked breast cancers as$ and we are getting our feet back under us from all the medical bills. My wife just ordered her first bow and is ready to start practicing. It looks like i should have money to hunt with this year fingers crossed, and since i was able to put an elk and deer on the ground this year with little money to spend that puts my standards and my hopes of bigger animals in sight.

[TeacherMan]

2013 is going to be a year full of challenges for me. My wife of 10 years said shes done and there is no changing her mind. She's felt the way she's felt most our marriage  She was with me just because i was secure, I'm s good man and father but not for her. I have learned I'm only in control of myself and plan to get back up into the NE corner again, hopefully around Colville. I'll miss AK but this states deer and elk are not ready for me to be back! I've learned to HUNT living in AK. Nothing is easy. I figure if I put the same effort into it down here I'll pull a monster. My goal is a 150+ whitetail and to just arrow an elk and bear. I love my wife still very much but I'm not going to lay down and die I'm too young to not pull up my big kid shorts and move forward. With that said all my heart, hopes and prayers go to my two little girls. No one deserves to go through this, wish I could make sense of it.

[JLS]

2013 is going to be a year full of challenges for me. My wife of 10 years said shes done and there is no changing her mind. She's felt the way she's felt most our marriage  She was with me just because i was secure, I'm s good man and father but not for her. I have learned I'm only in control of myself and plan to get back up into the NE corner again, hopefully around Colville. I'll miss AK but this states deer and elk are not ready for me to be back! I've learned to HUNT living in AK. Nothing is easy. I figure if I put the same effort into it down here I'll pull a monster. My goal is a 150+ whitetail and to just arrow an elk and bear. I love my wife still very much but I'm not going to lay down and die I'm too young to not pull up my big kid shorts and move forward. With that said all my heart, hopes and prayers go to my two little girls. No one deserves to go through this, wish I could make sense of it.

Wow, prayers to you man.  Be strong for your girls, what a tough situation.

[jackmaster]

damn teacherman, sorry to hear that sir....sounds like ya got your head on right though, still sucks, well hopefully your little girls will spend as much time with their daddy huntn and stuff like that, try to keep your spirits up and i am sure there has to be some single huntresses on this site for when your ready to jump back into the dating thing.... good luck to ya sir

[Stick em]

I'll be watching this small herd that is on private property. These Doe's seem to have "The Glow", so I'm hoping to see some nice little bucks in the next few years. I was able to go on an Elk hunt this year and found some tactics that I'll use next season. Going for Elk in Eastern Washington because of the long late season. So I'm hoping to get onto some private property. I ran into a big black bear this season so next year will be the first year I go for a bear with my bow. Good luck to you all & I can't wait to see the trail cam pics

[Kingpuck]

All I can say is that when not at work I have been at the gym. You know your doing it right when breathing hurts the next day. Learned the lesson last year, getting in shape is a must for a hunter. Going to scout hard this year and have been saving up my vacation time to take a good amount of time off to really get into the field. Also looking to pickup a pistol and become very proficient in it ahead of the season.

Biggest lesson I learned this year is that if there is a road to it there won't be good hunting. You should be good and sweaty before you get into your hunting spot. Maps are your friends too. 2013 is going to involve buying a house and a nice big freezer.

[ellensburgpo]

My biggest priority this year will be to get a bear. I've never made it a priority and just treated it more like if it happens it happens. Already laying the ground work to do the high hunt this year. And just like last year I will be attempting to rehab injuries to make all of this possible. Concentrating on my bull tag last year gave me something to be positive about while laid up and this year I will direct that same mentality towards the high hunt. Luckily I was able to get the surgery out of the way yesterday so I should have time to get my body back to where it needs to be. 2012 was my best year of big game hunting ever, but I plan on giving it a run for its money in 2013.

Plus for once my brother in law won't be deployed in the fall so he will get to see that hunting here is just a little different then Alabama. Taking him on his first elk hunt and open country whitetail hunt should be pretty rewarding.