Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 12:12:41 AM
To make the hunt with my schedule I'd need to cancel my bi-annual WY antelope hunt. This year was planning on once again hunting with the wife. This is a darn near 100% success hunt where the elk hunt would not.
I've really come to enjoy the WY antelope hunts a lot. You see a ton of wildlife, the meat is outstanding, and the hunt is rather short keeping my payload upon return rather manageable. Plus I am not a real big fan of hunting stupid elk even though I've tagged a bunch of them. I also don't get much opportunity to take the wife out of state as we find it uncomfortable to leave the business in others hands during some of our busiest months of the year. So what time we do get to spend together out-of-state holds more value than the score of the animals harvested.
But, how often do you get the opportunity to hunt private property out of state, especially Utah, without needing to draw? Then to have a chance at quality animals without breaking the bank on a guide service, even more rare. Sure makes it a tough decision. I've already cancelled a Stone Sheep hunt and turned down an invitation to Africa with the same group of folks. So I'm just not sure how many gift fish I should turn down in one year :chuckle:
Thought I would see what others thought. What would you do?
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 12:16:59 AM
Post by: Todd_ID on April 03, 2015, 12:31:43 AM
Post by: Romulus1297 on April 03, 2015, 12:34:06 AM
Post by: kentrek on April 03, 2015, 12:47:47 AM
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 01:06:17 AM
Unless you don't like the group of people going, or if it's a pressure-to-get-the-video hunt.
You know my view on video Todd, "Why would you want to mess up a perfectly good hunt by shooting video?"
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 01:43:58 AM
both :dunno:
Better chance of doing neither than doing both.
Post by: kentrek on April 03, 2015, 03:06:24 AM
good luck :hello:
Post by: elkaholic123 on April 03, 2015, 04:28:03 AM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 03, 2015, 06:18:00 AM
Post by: Bob33 on April 03, 2015, 06:39:31 AM
Post by: baldopepper on April 03, 2015, 06:42:44 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 03, 2015, 06:44:40 AM
Post by: JPhelps on April 03, 2015, 06:48:06 AM
Rad, you are wondering why you didn't think of that
Post by: LabChamp on April 03, 2015, 06:50:50 AM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 03, 2015, 07:16:53 AM
Post by: bobcat on April 03, 2015, 09:14:12 AM
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 09:59:58 AM
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 10:15:25 AM
Heck, combine it into one trip. Wyoming isn't far from Utah!
Almost a month between the two trips. So again...not possible to do both. Unless someone wants to buy my company for triple it's current worth ;)
Post by: bobcat on April 03, 2015, 10:17:13 AM
Heck, combine it into one trip. Wyoming isn't far from Utah!
Almost a month between the two trips. So again...not possible to do both. Unless someone wants to buy my company for triple it's current worth ;)
You can do a Wyoming antelope hunt pretty much anytime during the months of September and October. Just might have to go to a different unit, and possibly hunt for does instead of bucks.
Post by: BULLBLASTER on April 03, 2015, 10:17:42 AM
Post by: Bigshooter on April 03, 2015, 10:18:25 AM
Post by: Jonathan_S on April 03, 2015, 10:22:58 AM
Can i just be somebody's camera guy?
:yeah: this is definitely a thread about 1st world problems :chuckle: I'd go with elk but I've never been invited to anything :chuckle:
It's kind of like if I visited a G6 Forum and listened to them weigh pros and cons of insurance costs and paying a pilot vs. expensive time shares :dunno: meanwhile I'd have another window up trying to select the best seat on a United Airlines flight.
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 03, 2015, 11:30:44 AM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 03, 2015, 11:31:51 AM
you go hunt I'll come down and work for you.Heck, combine it into one trip. Wyoming isn't far from Utah!
Almost a month between the two trips. So again...not possible to do both. Unless someone wants to buy my company for triple it's current worth ;)
Post by: Jonathan_S on April 03, 2015, 11:59:36 AM
you go hunt I'll come down and work for you.Heck, combine it into one trip. Wyoming isn't far from Utah!
Almost a month between the two trips. So again...not possible to do both. Unless someone wants to buy my company for triple it's current worth ;)
He'd come back to a Hoyt dealership :yike:
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 12:33:42 PM
you go hunt I'll come down and work for you.
That could work! How good are you at doing taxes? :chuckle:
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 06:51:57 PM
Post by: Fowlweather25 on April 03, 2015, 07:03:38 PM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 03, 2015, 07:23:39 PM
Well, I offered up the elk tag to Del. He is booked on a ranch in Oregon so he is seeing how much it will cost for him to cancel this late. Surprisingly, with all the animals he has taken from all corners of the globe he has not tagged an elk. So he hasn't learned how dumb they are yet ;) Guess I will wait on making a decision until after he has decided.how is del doing
Post by: RadSav on April 03, 2015, 08:04:41 PM
how is del doing
Big Pain in my Arse...as usual :chuckle:
I just finished working on a spring bear bow for him. Doing something I have been thinking about myself. Going up in speed rating and down in poundage. He has been getting a bit of target panic lately so I took a 50# Arena 30 and made it 55# while fine tuning his draw length down from 28.5" to 27.75". Creep tuning with that new Bear cam is crazy! Of course with the limb stop I can not tune much longer as it freakin stops solid at the wall. But I creep it well over an inch and it still punches dead center holes. That's one heck of a cam!!
Took a little doing to get him to abandon the He-Man super testosterone high poundage stud finder bow and too long draw length. But he's been trickling down over the past few years. Last year he shot 62# out of the Venue and he shot it well. So this year we got the 50# limbs and bumped the stress to 55#. Flippin' screamer with the Blue Streak 250's!! I even shot a few Pile Driver Pass-Through Extremes and they seemed to be zippy :tup:
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 03, 2015, 08:49:04 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 02:34:37 PM
I dont understand what we are debating here answer seems so simple.
So what you are telling me is I should definitely chose the antelope hunt, right :tup:
Post by: Bob33 on April 04, 2015, 02:58:48 PM
Post by: trophyhunt on April 04, 2015, 03:29:13 PM
Utah elk on a landowner tag is the only choice for my way of thinking. Unless you don't like the group of people going, or if it's a pressure-to-get-the-video hunt. That could be a OIL chance.:yeah: for me it would be a no brainer!! Go get a big bull, and mabey the will invite you back?!
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 03:32:48 PM
They both sound like wonderful hunt opportunities. With antelope you can kill 5. They are an absolute hoot to hunt. I don't believe there is any better red meat than antelope. Plus you can always kill a monster bull during general seasons in Washington, right?
Where I hunt in WY you are only allowed one buck, no does. I think there are doe tags available, but the land owner manages the ranch for long term hunting success. And with all the winter kill the past few years harvesting does would be counter productive.
I agree on the meat. Way better than elk!! If I could tag five I would never even begin to think about Utah elk. That would be a no brainer decision in favor of the antelope!!
Any time I've decided to get serious about hunting WA...yes, good general season bulls have been tagged. I just don't get too excited about WA elk hunting very often. It's more of a take the friends and wife hunting and sleep in the truck thing most of the time. Well at least after I do the opening day bull hunt, anyway. Elk and whitetails are usually on the bottom of my "favorite hunt" priority list. I tend to gravitate toward smarter more unpredictable creatures if I get a say in the quarry choice. Not that antelope are any smarter or less predictable...just higher on my cool scale.
If it were just me choosing a hunt for myself the answer would be a simple one...Wyoming! The guys I would be sharing a camp with in Utah are the sole reason I'm considering it. Elk number 31 or 32 doesn't really hold as high of value as does time spent with good people I've never hunted with before. Potential for my best elk does hold a small value, but again not as much as value as it does for many. I don't ever plan on entering a bull in the record books unless it is top ten or better. And the chances of that happening are extremely slim if not all together impossible. Species to species the trophy quality is expected to be the same on each of the hunts - six of one half dozen of the other. A 90+ antelope would be much more valuable to me than a 400 bull. Guess that makes me weird around these parts :dunno:
Post by: trophyhunt on April 04, 2015, 03:44:25 PM
Post by: Bob33 on April 04, 2015, 03:44:51 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 03:51:15 PM
Post by: Bob33 on April 04, 2015, 03:52:53 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 03:58:19 PM
I do have 30 elk that have spent time in the freezer. A few big, a few small and most in-between. I have one Oregon antelope and three WY antelope. I have laid plans to get serious about Washington this year. That should mean a 280-300 bull rather easily with an upper limit around 350 I expect. We do not have enough freezer space left for two bulls let alone three so meat really is not a factor even though I'm sure we could donate some.
Timing of Utah should allow me to guide the wife enough in WA for her to tag out. And possibly enough time to make sure CL tags out as well. It does interfere with the best bear hunting times. That is a BIG disadvantage as the wife and I both were really looking forward to getting back into the high country for some boar slaying. I was even planning to go after "Melon Head" who could be top ten or better in the state. Utah would definitely ruin our chances at hunting elk with our bows during Muzzy season which is something we have been discussing.
Antelope hunting happens weeks before WA archery season opens. So that does not effect anything but early bear hunting opportunities. And honestly those early bear hunts aren't all that good. WY is a hard one day drive. Utah probably going to be a two day drive and might even work into a two plus if I decide to tow the trailer over. Than means even more time away from work. Paid vacation is a different thing to the self employed. Means we pay double to take a vacation and then we pay again when we get back and have to fix all the crap done wrong while we were gone. Rarely does it work out to be worth it.
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 04:01:48 PM
Would that prevent you from hunting other property near there?
This unit has VERY little public land to hunt. And most of that boarders coal mines. Between poor feed, very little water and routine explosions there is little reason for antelope to spend time on that land. You might get lucky, but it really isn't worth the time you would spend hoping for a miracle.
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 04:06:54 PM
Yes that makes you weird!!! :chuckle: please pass my name on if you don't go on the elk hunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How much money do you have? I hear there is one more tag available!! :tup: I think I heard that tag is going for $9,000. I believe that's about $5,000 less than the going price in the area.
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 04, 2015, 06:04:56 PM
right. :DOH:I dont understand what we are debating here answer seems so simple.
So what you are telling me is I should definitely chose the antelope hunt, right :tup:
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 04, 2015, 06:17:25 PM
Post by: JODakota on April 04, 2015, 07:27:13 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 08:44:28 PM
Then again she may just think, with my health, the altitude and hard hunting just might kill me. Between selling the business and cashing in the life insurance she'd be set big time!! I'm getting a little more nervous every day! :chuckle:
Could also be "Melon Head". I don't think she wants me to tag him. My family gives me crud all the time for being second fiddle when it comes to monster bear. She likes it when they say, "So when are you going to kill a bear as big as your wife's? Aren't you suppose to be the big bad bear guide? - hehe giggle giggle" Bast***s!!
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 04, 2015, 08:48:43 PM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 04, 2015, 08:52:18 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 08:58:36 PM
You need a caller for your elk hunt? I'm no Jason phelps or joel turner behind a bugle but I can probably call you in a trophy spike.
So you are thinking the wife would let you go? Sounds like you might be needing to worry about boyfriends too :chuckle:
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 04, 2015, 09:15:47 PM
Post by: dreamingbig on April 04, 2015, 10:11:56 PM
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: RadSav on April 04, 2015, 10:17:52 PM
Poor little antelope. No wonder tags are so easy to get. They get no respect :chuckle:
Post by: MLBowhunting on April 04, 2015, 10:41:03 PM
Post by: Whitpirate on April 04, 2015, 10:49:11 PM
Post by: trophyhunt on April 04, 2015, 11:34:40 PM
😳those tags are that much and you could hunt it for free? In the words of Kramer from Seinfeld- "I'm out"!Yes that makes you weird!!! :chuckle: please pass my name on if you don't go on the elk hunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How much money do you have? I hear there is one more tag available!! :tup: I think I heard that tag is going for $9,000. I believe that's about $5,000 less than the going price in the area.
Post by: RadSav on April 05, 2015, 12:32:51 AM
In return I'll give the wife first crack at Melon Head. Man, that ones going to hurt >:( >:(
Post by: RadSav on April 06, 2015, 03:34:41 PM
Just found out camp is going to be at just over 9,800'. Wholly thin air lung busters. That's more than two thousand feet higher than where I hunt Mountain Goats in BC.!! Wife very well could be trying to collect that life insurance :tung:
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 06, 2015, 04:44:08 PM
Post by: dreamingbig on April 06, 2015, 09:14:06 PM
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: RadSav on April 06, 2015, 09:46:09 PM
Sounds awesome! I meant antelope are almost available every year OTC. This elk oppty sounded much less a certainty every year. ;)
Utah tags for sure! Been about 30 years since I hunted Utah. Never have hunted it for elk. Funny, I found out from the ridge if this property I will be able to see the ranch I hunted back then. Some 4,000' down :o
Post by: kentrek on April 06, 2015, 10:07:58 PM
Post by: dreamingbig on April 06, 2015, 10:27:13 PM
Post by: RadSav on April 06, 2015, 11:06:14 PM
So is this going to cancel your goal of a 280+ bull in western wa ? I was really excited to see what you could come up with
It may very well ruin the Washington elk hunting plan. Since WA is expected to run 12-26th that puts our season dang near on top of Utah's season which is 13-30th. Del still has the opportunity to take this Utah tag since I offered it up to him first. Wouldn't break my heart to see him get it. But I do know his Oregon hunt was scheduled during the same time also.
In years that I kill bulls in WA I usually fill that tag on the first or second day. Or back when we could hunt bulls in the late season I'd target the last week of late since all the cow hunters were gone then. Big difference now is that I have a wife who is going to be dang upset if I leave before she has tagged out. And we no longer get to hunt bulls in the late season. So I will probably only get opening day and then I best put the time in with the angry squaw. I'm sure she will tag the first mature bull she has in range!
If I could have four days I think my chances are still pretty good. If the wife can bust a bull opening day I could potentially stay four days here before needing to head out. A lot also depends on whether I drive or fly to Utah. I'd prefer to drive, but that might not be an option if I leave the trailer here for the wife.
The folks in Utah are encouraging me to be there on the 12th. Get the bulls before they might get pushed off the mountain for whatever reason. One more reason I really did not think I was going to choose Utah elk. Now I not only sacrifice antelope with the wife, but also sacrifice elk season with the wife too. Double the guilt for 30" of antlers, maybe!!! Wish I had been able to take more time deciding. I hate having to make quick decisions. Seems the only time I'm ever good at those quick answers is when animals are in front of me.
Life was so much more simple when I was single and selling fishing gear for a living :chuckle:
Another reason I try to tell young men who want to get their wives and girlfriends into hunting, "Be careful what you wish for!" :o
Post by: RadSav on April 06, 2015, 11:27:43 PM
Who butters the bread and will your wife be welcome to attend the hunt in Utah?
It's very much a Polish fire drill around the bread in this household :chuckle:
I offered to buy the second Utah tag for the wife. She's too cheap. That would be way too much pressure for her to succeed. I've even thought she could be the tag holder and I'd just go along to be the range finder and camp cook! I know Karen Jacobsen will be there the opening week at least. Would be cool to have two kick arse ladies whacking monster bulls!!
Maybe even the best scenario would be to have Del and Lorraine go together and I'll stay home and whack my 280-300 WA bull without the nose bleed elevation :IBCOOL:
Post by: Dan-o on April 06, 2015, 11:37:30 PM
OPTION 2: Shoot a goat.
Let me think about it and I'll get back to you.......
Post by: RadSav on April 06, 2015, 11:48:17 PM
OPTION 2: Shoot a goat. August season with the wife, dang near 100% success, miss out on no other season, better eating, only one week away from business and quarterly taxes are still a month away.
Let me think about it and I'll get back to you....... There is some food for thought. Though either Del, Lorraine or myself are committed to the Utah hunt now. :tung:
Post by: Dan-o on April 07, 2015, 12:30:49 AM
OPTION 1: Unbelievable limited entry Utah trophy bull elk hunt. No wife, almost no WA elk season, two weeks or more away from business and you'll likely leave home tired, hunt tired and come home even more tired with a pile of screw ups and quarterly taxes to fix.
OPTION 2: Shoot a goat. August season with the wife, dang near 100% success, miss out on no other season, better eating, only one week away from business and quarterly taxes are still a month away.
Let me think about it and I'll get back to you....... There is some food for thought. Though either Del, Lorraine or myself are committed to the Utah hunt now. :tung:
I hear ya.
But some of those Utah bulls are huge....... and hard to kill.
I wouldn't go with anything less than a 375 H&H AI. :yike:
Post by: RadSav on April 07, 2015, 01:20:43 AM
I hear ya.
But some of those Utah bulls are huge....... and hard to kill.
I wouldn't go with anything less than a 375 H&H AI. :yike:
My experience has been - The bigger the horns the smaller the heart. Those spikes are the ones you need the 375 AI for :tung:
Post by: Bigshooter on April 07, 2015, 02:43:35 AM
I knew asking this question on H-W would lead to a large number of "Choose Utah" responses. Though I am surprised out how many chose to leave the wife in the dust for an animal I could shoot any year here in Washington. Is an extra 30" of antler growth really that much more appealing than spending time with the wife hunting an animal we do not have in Washington? Granted it is one we tag every other year, but still we can't hunt in our back yard.
I do have 30 elk that have spent time in the freezer. A few big, a few small and most in-between. I have one Oregon antelope and three WY antelope. I have laid plans to get serious about Washington this year. That should mean a 280-300 bull rather easily with an upper limit around 350 I expect. We do not have enough freezer space left for two bulls let alone three so meat really is not a factor even though I'm sure we could donate some.
Timing of Utah should allow me to guide the wife enough in WA for her to tag out. And possibly enough time to make sure CL tags out as well. It does interfere with the best bear hunting times. That is a BIG disadvantage as the wife and I both were really looking forward to getting back into the high country for some boar slaying. I was even planning to go after "Melon Head" who could be top ten or better in the state. Utah would definitely ruin our chances at hunting elk with our bows during Muzzy season which is something we have been discussing.
Antelope hunting happens weeks before WA archery season opens. So that does not effect anything but early bear hunting opportunities. And honestly those early bear hunts aren't all that good. WY is a hard one day drive. Utah probably going to be a two day drive and might even work into a two plus if I decide to tow the trailer over. Than means even more time away from work. Paid vacation is a different thing to the self employed. Means we pay double to take a vacation and then we pay again when we get back and have to fix all the crap done wrong while we were gone. Rarely does it work out to be worth it.
If you think you can "easily" kill a 280-300 bull in WA with a chance at one as big as 350 then you need to pass on UT.
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 07, 2015, 05:02:29 AM
Post by: coachcw on April 07, 2015, 05:54:46 AM
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 07, 2015, 06:15:38 AM
Post by: RadSav on April 07, 2015, 07:04:46 AM
Now in a few years when both daughters of mine start hunting my time in the field for myself will be cut short I'm sure but i'll be okay with it.
Get married. Have kids. It will make your life complete!
Somehow they forgot to tell you the rest of the sentence - "Complete" what? :chuckle:
Post by: RadSav on April 07, 2015, 07:37:51 AM
Did you have to ask us just to tease ? as Drock said in page one that's not even a question .
I honestly did not expect to take the Utah tag. Still not exactly sure why I said yes. Other than the wife told me to. And when she tells me to go kill something good things usually happen! I really am not the elk nut most on H-W are.
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 07, 2015, 08:29:08 AM
I'm an elk nut i think if i only had one season to hunt it'd be elk season hands down no questions. My second choice would be bear hunting believe it or not.Did you have to ask us just to tease ? as Drock said in page one that's not even a question .
I honestly did not expect to take the Utah tag. Still not exactly sure why I said yes. Other than the wife told me to. And when she tells me to go kill something good things usually happen! I really am not the elk nut most on H-W are.
Post by: RadSav on April 08, 2015, 12:10:19 AM
I'm an elk nut i think if i only had one season to hunt it'd be elk season hands down no questions. My second choice would be bear hunting believe it or not.
Big mule deer top my list of the OTC WA critters. Then bear, blacktail, elk and whitetail. When I started bowhunting elk was much higher on my list. The thought I could poke such a larger critter with a stick and watch him do the "Timber!!" was truly thrilling.
I remember my big 7X7 Oregon bull like it happened yesterday instead of 31 years ago. Watching his hair open up as the arrow seemed to just get swallowed by his chest. The way he just stood there after the shot as if he was too big, too bad, and too ornery to run away. The way the right front leg buckled three times before the others followed suit. The way the weight of his antlers seemed to pull him over in a spectacular event much like the falling of an old growth fir tree. My amazement as I noticed my broadhead sticking in the tree behind where he stood and the arrow dripping of blood as if it had a fatal wound of it's own. The difficulty I had in closing those few short yards due to the uncontrollable spasms in my leg muscles - the ultimate side effect of the moments emotional magnitude. Yes! There was a time when I felt there could be nothing more thrilling than bowhunting elk.
But over the years, with the exception of one opening day nemesis, elk have sort of lost their attraction. Somewhere along the line the thrill of antler and body size gave way to the thrill of the challenge. For me the wariness of a big mule deer, the difficulty of the stalk in high mountain huckleberry bear, and the elusiveness of the coastal blacktail all add a challenge the bullish elk no longer holds. Make no mistake - I still enjoy hunting them! Just like I enjoy almost all hunting of big and small game. But as I age the work after the kill seems awful disproportionate to the thrill of the elk hunt itself. And, they really aren't very smart creatures. :o
Post by: RadSav on April 08, 2015, 01:03:39 AM
That also means that 2015 will be 35 years since I tagged my first big game critter with a bow. I always seem to get mixed up on how long it has really been. 99% sure it was the day after setting the clocks forward for standard time in 1980. School bus driver dropped me off at the gate after school! Had to wait until I had my drivers license before I could get into the elk woods and get that first one.
So maybe this Utah trip will be a good one to celebrate 35 years of successful bowhunting. Dell called today and told me he had accepted an invitation for caribou so he could not use the tag. That means I'm definitely going. Will be weird knowing the wife is hunting elk so far away by herself. She will probably whack a monster and I'll come home empty handed. Further proving that my usefulness around here no longer exists :chuckle:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91lJhEzMaH4#ws)
Post by: RadSav on April 08, 2015, 01:40:27 AM
So is this going to cancel your goal of a 280+ bull in western wa ? I was really excited to see what you could come up with
Long talk with the wife yesterday. She told me to go for the entire Utah season or a big bull, which ever ends first. I tried to get her to come along - No! Tried to talk her into hunting the Muzzy season - No! So it looks like she is going to hunt elk on her own or with one of our friends during early archery. That leaves cows only in the late season if we want to hunt together.
If we draw multi-season elk of course all that changes. After the draw we will talk some more and weigh the choices once more. I will probably put in for "Points Only" for elk. I'm good at that since even applying for hunts the past 18 years has only been a point option for me :chuckle: So maybe I will wait until I return from Utah to make my decision if not drawn for multi-elk. If I get back early or the business is not a complete mess I may pick up a muzzy tag and still have a chance at hunting those bigger bulls. I'm sure they will still be there and I'm not too worried about others finding my spots and pushing them out. There is a reason those big boys are where they are!
Post by: D-Rock425 on April 08, 2015, 08:54:06 AM