2007 archery elk

[Slider]

You WON'T need the camera next year!!! Theres no Elk left!!! Just kidding... Congrats to all!!!

[Broken Arrow]

Hey Snapshooter,

On the home computer.....thought I would add a pic of your 07 buck...just to let folks know how lucky you are.....biggest bull this year...biggest buck of the group also!

Broken Arrow

[General Disarray]

Maybe you guys should quit packing into Mt Rainier Nat'l Park....

[Broken Arrow]

lol....I didn't know "northwest trek" was part of the park.....far from that my friend!

[Snap Shooter]

I dont believ in luck, I was a blessed man this year, you guys did most of the scouting and I just capitalized, thanks to all the hunting partners for their hard work. I dont know if we will ever repeat.

[General Disarray]

lol....I didn't know "northwest trek" was part of the park.....far from that my friend!

I know it wasn't Northwest Trek since they don't have animals that small there!

[Broken Arrow]

great point!....good thing were not trophy hunters or we would have gone hungry the past 3 years

[Little Fish]

What a great year! Thanks for the stories.

Questions...How long have you guys been archery hunting? how long did it take to consistently start taking animals every year?

[General Disarray]

great point!....good thing were not trophy hunters or we would have gone hungry the past 3 years

Exactly, given the fact that you guys don't work and just collect unemployment all hunting season!

[addicted]

ahh nice buck snapshooter. and a hoyt man at that.

[Broken Arrow]

Myself and snapshot have been hunting partners for about 16 years. We have archery hunted for 14 years. It took me 3 years of archery hunting to get my first animal. After that, combined, we have only had 1 year where as we have not killed an animal. We both have had off the chart success rates on both elk and deer. My other partner, is my brother in law....he got his first archery elk this year ( 3rd year archery hunting elk), though has smoked us on big bucks, especially Blacktails. My other two partners are Washington transplants, who have both had excellent success on both species, including two Pope and Young deer, through out the midwest and mountain states all with archery gear.

I base our success on the fact that we train exceptionally hard through out the off season.  I personally have the fear of not being able to keep up with several members of our group who are either current members of our militaries Special Forces or ex-members. I can not count the the numerous miles I have put on climbing hills with a full pack 3 to 4 days a week, cross training at the gym during lmy unch hour, and running mile after mile in the evening. We all shoot our bows almost every day, even if for just 20 shots a night. Many of us also attend numerous seminars on calling, hunting techniques, gear etc.

Hunting wilderness hunts is not for the light of heart. It is hard and grueling.....and if your not physically and mentally prepared, the mountains, elements, and fatigue will break even the most well intentioned.

My mind set has always been, I will get 2 to 3 opportunities, per hunt. I need to be prepared to make those work.

Also we set realistic goals, we are not trophy hunters. We have killed many nice animals, some much bigger than these original pictures, however with that said....let a big cow come across me in the back country at 20 yards and I'm eating steak all winter!

[Snap Shooter]

Snap Shooter here, I concur! Preparation is everything. This has been an area of weakness for me the last few years, because I have always been blessed with athletic ability and have relied on that history, but now that I am getting older, I think I am the oldest in our camp at 48, I need to focus even more on off season physical and mental preparation. This year I shot my bow a lot  and purchased a new Hoyt and was feeling very confident out to 80 yrds. In the past 13-14 years of bow hunting, I have never not killed an animal in the field. Willingness to go where others wont go and endure hardship that others wont endure is the key to success. I cant tell you how many times people have come and gone in our camps over the years and those that don't stay are the same ones that just don't commit fully (current group excluded). I remember on many occasions the core group telling people @ 4:30AM on day 5 "get out of bed"! And those timid hunters replying "I am just to tired" I can not tell you how many times the core group telling the timids go across those 3 canyons and push that draw and you will get shots and the timids saying "that's just to far to walk, I will hunt right here near the rig". The willingness to put yourself into situations that the average or timid hunter wont put themselves in results in one thing, meat in the freezer. I have shot some decent animals over the years, but never trophy quality animals, just lots of animals.

[Bearhunter]

Looks like you guys had a great year, do you have any more pics?

[General Disarray]

Myself and snapshot have been hunting partners for about 16 years. We have archery hunted for 14 years. It took me 3 years of archery hunting to get my first animal. After that, combined, we have only had 1 year where as we have not killed an animal. We both have had off the chart success rates on both elk and deer. My other partner, is my brother in law....he got his first archery elk this year ( 3rd year archery hunting elk), though has smoked us on big bucks, especially Blacktails. My other two partners are Washington transplants, who have both had excellent success on both species, including two Pope and Young deer, through out the midwest and mountain states all with archery gear.

I base our success on the fact that we train exceptionally hard through out the off season.  I personally have the fear of not being able to keep up with several members of our group who are either current members of our militaries Special Forces or ex-members. I can not count the the numerous miles I have put on climbing hills with a full pack 3 to 4 days a week, cross training at the gym during lmy unch hour, and running mile after mile in the evening. We all shoot our bows almost every day, even if for just 20 shots a night. Many of us also attend numerous seminars on calling, hunting techniques, gear etc.

Hunting wilderness hunts is not for the light of heart. It is hard and grueling.....and if your not physically and mentally prepared, the mountains, elements, and fatigue will break even the most well intentioned.

My mind set has always been, I will get 2 to 3 opportunities, per hunt. I need to be prepared to make those work.

Also we set realistic goals, we are not trophy hunters. We have killed many nice animals, some much bigger than these original pictures, however with that said....let a big cow come across me in the back country at 20 yards and I'm eating steak all winter!

Did you get rid of that Mathews POS and go back to a real bow yet?

[Broken Arrow]

not yet "JB", its still killing animal!