So I'm more of a lurker than poster on here as I tend to keep with myself, but I'll add my perspective to this post as well. This first one will probably be pretty lengthy to get up to speed on time now.
In all honesty this was all hatched 5 years ago. I had lived and worked in Alaska for 4.5 years (15 years ago), hunting and fishing there. I would get sent to Colorado Springs a lot for work and met a gentleman there that took me out ice fishing and such. We hatched a plan where I would buy points and antelope hunt together in Wyoming. Fast forward to when I left Alaska, and he back filled my job. Hasn't been to the lower 48 since, so no antelope hunt with him and I had ~3 points. I spoke with ATHiker and Buzzed Breath because I could see they had been there done that on antelope from this forum. Got one of my buddy's to put in antelope and we drew 2nd choice in WY.
Fast forward to the next year, and ATHiker posts on here that his original partner couldn't go on a mule deer hunt if anyone wanted to put in for tags and go with. Long story short my wife and I talked, and I told him I'd tag along against her better judgement. (Who drives across country on a backpacking hunt with someone they've never met? What happens if he's a serial killer or ya'll don't get along?) I'm sure his wife had similar questions as well. Turns out neither one of us are serial killers and I'm laid back enough you have to be a complete pain in the rear for me to not get along with you (ATHiker, you're nowhere near that for information purposes
) I must not have been too bad of a Green Horn on the trip either since ATHiker and I still speak and try to plan hunts together.
That hunt got me started playing the points game in several states and learning the draw process in them. ATHiker and I usually try to plan a hunt together if we can, and then I shoot for the moon everywhere else just building points for when I can actually draw the tag(s). I also do it this way due to current life situations. I would rather have 1 awesome tag every 5 - 10 years than fight the orange army for a yearly opportunity.
That catches us up to this year. I have a 5 yo son and a 2 yo daughter and over the years since he was born the kind of the agreement with my wife was I got out of my south Alabama deer lease and go on a hunt trip out west instead. I haven't drawn any tags the last 2 years and my friends in Alaska called me in April. The guys that usually come up and hunt with us bailed due to COVID, do you want to come up and sit the baits with us? Heck yes.
I had been home from that trip for I think about 3 days and back to the real world. Went to work, picked up the kids from daycare, and had 10 minutes to get to T-ball practice. Happened to check the mail on the way in. On the top was an envelope from WY F&G that I could tell was a tag, but it was too early for antelope draw.
What is this?, so I pop it open. NR Elk and Fishing. Crap I screwed up and bought a fishing license when I applied for an elk tag, but it has a unit listed on it??? Go check my points and they're set to 0. Holy Cow I drew a NR elk tag. I didn't even remember applying, or what I applied for in January. I knew it had to be something good though. Text ATHiker and run out the door for Tball with the kids on cloud 9. As I do more research it sinks in what I have in my possession. I'll just say it takes more than 12 points to draw this unit, there are less than 3 random tags, less than 1% draw odds, and I only had 3 points.
Also, the enormity hits me at this time too. I've never elk hunted before, but have hunted everything else under the sun since I was 12 for big game. Time to e-scout and research. I paid the money for ElkNut, Elk101, and Treeline Pursuits for E-scouting and strategy, buy calls and whatever else gear I haven't accumulated over the years, and start shooting the bow and rifle as much as possible.
On top of all of that its time to get my fat butt in shape. I played college football as an o-lineman and graduated at 315 lbs. Lost 80 pounds after graduation and kept it off for about 5 years. Since then I yo yo between 240 and 280 and I was closer to the 280 end when I drew this tag. Lost about ~20 - 25 lbs since June for this tag.
Initial plan was to bow hunt the pre-rut Sept. 3rd - 12th with a bow and then go back with a rifle in October if I wasn't successful. Well as the original post states, we drew MT antelope tags and momma says you ain't doing 3 trips. (That sounds bad, but kudos to my supportive wife in my hunting addiction) Now we're leaving soon and heading back early October hopefully with cooler full of elk and a taxidermy bill.
To be honest I'm a little stressed about the hunt right now since it's my first "glory" tag. I even looked into a guide for this trip, but decided against for a few reasons. ATHiker said he could tag along and help out, success rates are high with a rifle, and I've met a local contact in the unit from one of my grandfather's college buddies (Small world)
Do I call to the elk or not call?
Aggressive and try to seal the deal with a bow before the orange army shows up or slow play and be ready for rifle?
I know what I've read, but what do elk actually do?
I've been told by some folks out west to not shoot an elk under 320 on this tag. What's a 320" elk look like in the heat of the moment with bow drawn or in the crosshairs? (Yes I know it's my tag and to shoot what will make me happy. I'm sure the standards will begin decreasing time as well)
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