Anyone else excited?

I'm trying to get excited about the muzzleloader deer hunt. My son and I drew out this year. There are three problems:

1. I don't own any muzzleloaders. I was an NRA-certified Muzzleloading rifle instructor until they changed the program last year and it'll give me an excuse to buy a couple. So that's not really a problem.
2. It's the same weekend as my 25th wedding anniversary. If I go, my wife may use one of the newly-purchased muzzleloaders on me. I'm still negotiating that possibility.
3. I might be having surgery for insertional achilles tendinitis. If that happens, I doubt I'll be up to hunting by that time. I won't know for a couple of weeks. If that happens, we'll probably turn in our tags and get the points.

We really didn't think we'd draw out for anything and I just selected the muzzleloader hunt on a whim.

Matt

I hope you know somebody with land. There is almost no public land in 105. The old saying about 105 is have a place to hunt before you draw a tag.

However there is the Jumping Cow SWA. Look it up, you have to put in for a drawing to get a permit to hunt it. The good news is that it's very low pressure. The bad news is it doesn't have a lot of deer on it.

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At the moment, I don't. My gun club is in 105, I'm going to talk to the caretaker and see if he has any suggestions. Jumping Cow is also in the plan. And there's a landowner I want to talk to.

It's very frustrating to me, I live in Colorado and have no clue where to hunt, or anyone to go with. Anyplace I go has to work for a 60y.o. solo hunter, overweight with a bad back and 2 bad knees. No 4wd, atv's, horses, etc. And too broke to hire guides/outfitters or join any clubs/leases.

Kinda sucks! All I want is some meat for the freezer, no interest in trophies.

Can in inquire which GC? I shoot over by Idaho Springs.
Dan

Www.blgc.org Ain't nothing like it!

Thanks, wasn't a big deal. I am a long term member of Clear Creek County Sportsman's Club over at Idaho Springs...haven't had the pleasure of BL.
Dan

BL is a loooong ways from Idaho Springs, but I've never seen anyplace better! I live in Parker, and it's still nearly an hour one way. Kind of a drag when I forget something like magazines, ammo, targets, stapler, earmuffs, etc.

H&Hhunter said:

https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/licenses_fees.html

Bobson,

Better take a look at Washington States non resident fees. Not so cheap either.

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Hunting anywhere has gotten to be a big money sport, especially when hunting for Trophy Animals or traveling out of state. Just too many folks wanting to hunt them and not enough animals to go around. This is why many folks need to apply and go thru a lottery system or a point system for the opportunity. That or pay to hunt High Fence ranches where no permit is needed.

The old using dad's old 30/30, some left over shells and a $5 tag to put venison in the freezer, which was the norm for many of us old farts growing up, for the most part, is long gone for the majority of us. If we want to hunt something big and lusted after by many others, we have to pay for it.

I'm starting to get the fever. My mind always goes to muzzleloader season first and foremost, as it is what I look forward to most. I start thinking about the leather projects I want to get done beforehand. Several that were started and need finishing.

Very excited.
Just moved to NM last year, drew Unit 52 for muzzleloader hunt, during the rut!
My wife is completing cancer treatment, and is on the tag with a buddy from work and me, her first elk hunt.
Great odds in a beautiful unit full of elk, getting to hunt with my best friend who is healthy again!

Doesn't look like I'll even buy an elk tag this year unless I get home for a week or so and can pick up a late season or dispersal tag. Have to check on some non res whitetail tags I guess.

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Looking forward to this years Antelope season. Our soninlaw and grandson used our landowner license allotment, and while I sure wouldn't pay 289$ to shoot one of the things, they both are going after their first antelope. I was able to draw a license in the regular draw, so hunting with those two will be a hoot. Also an old friend from another state was able to talk his nephew into applying for antelope with him, and they will be here the second week of the season.

Arkansas Paul said:

Best of luck to you Robert. I don't elk hunt being in Arkansas (though I do need to start applying for the tags). It is very difficult to draw one here.

I am looking forward to September 24th though when archery deer season opens up.

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You are right about the tags being hard to get. I have applied for any elk tag every year but four since they started the drawings. Have never drawn and only know two people who have. A friend and I helped skin and quarter a nice bull several years back. The lucky hunter wasn't well versed in field dressing or skinning and told us to take what we wanted. We cut out both back straps and went home.

david58 said:

Very excited.
Just moved to NM last year, drew Unit 52 for muzzleloader hunt, during the rut!
My wife is completing cancer treatment, and is on the tag with a buddy from work and me, her first elk hunt.
Great odds in a beautiful unit full of elk, getting to hunt with my best friend who is healthy again!

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52 has plenty of elk but not that many big Bulls. I've hunted it many times for elk and deer during archery season but ML is usually the best time for the rut.

Its August now and I'm excited, but for white tail. I'm overseas but I'll be back about 2 weeks before season starts- I have a Ruger American predator in 308 I bought and got acquainted with last time I was home, and I think its excited too. Hope my 700 243 doesn't get jealous.....

Robert;

Have you ever given the idea of a monocular a thought? You can get some pretty good optics for a reasonable amount of money, Vortex comes to mind first. Consider that a spotting scope is a single tube and so is your rifle scope. They're generally easier to pack, lighter weight, and less money. The idea that you just have to have binocular vision is mostly just bullfeathers.

900F

Our roe buck season starts on the 16th August and for me thats the start of the hunting season. Two hunting stands to put up this weekend.
Last week of September back to England to hunt with a mate of mine. We are going to try and shoot five of the six deer species in the UK including two days red stag stalking in Scotland.
End of November of to Hungary for driven boar and deer then back home for two days then off to Portugal for driven Boar. Portugal again for a couple of weeks at the end of febuary for boar again.
The first day on the ducks is on 9th September and about 15 days during the winter working my Spaniels on the pheasants.
Not forgeting sitting out for boar here at home. Oh, and moose hunting in October.
Life is good.