Just a Poor Colorado kid!

[Dinkshooter]

It not often for me to remember the one thing that made me want to go someplace, hunt something, buy something etc. But I can clearly remember the one thing I read 38 years ago that made me want to bow hunt elk in Arizona. I’d beg borrow and steal to get this new magazine into the cart when grocery shopping every quarter. And one issue had this.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I’d never even shot a compound bow yet, but I knew one day I’d go there. I actually wore the cover off that mag reading about that hunt. I was hooked!

 

[TheTone]

 

[Dinkshooter]

The next winter they ran a story about the guy that won. I stared a hole into that hero shot. Down right creepy obsession actually.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Everyone knows the difference between a dream and a goal. Unfortunately, it was only a dream for a long time as I was too disorganized and too poor to apply out of state until 2000. But then I even flew to to AZ to take the Hunter Safety class for the extra point. Certainly, I’d draw in no time and most likely get to hunt there a couple times in my life. Ha!

 

[Dinkshooter]

Then the waiting began……

 

[Big Fin]

I'm hoping there is a 20+ year story to this thread.

 

[noharleyyet]

In…

 

[Dave N]

I'm hoping there is a 20+ year story to this thread.

It's not going to take that long, is it?

 

[Mica Man]

Following

 

[Gerald Martin]

Does this story include someone sitting on a bull with a cigarette in his mouth? If not, points will be deducted.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

In!

 

[Southern Elk]

Does this story include someone sitting on a bull with a cigarette in his mouth? If not, points will be deducted.

It at least needs to be shown as part of the backstory.

 

[utah400elk]

AZ elk hunting sucks!

I wanted a unit 1 tag when they only gave out 150 archery tags. When the state decide to add hundreds more tags, I did the only sensible thing I could think of and I switched to unit 9 archery. I waited 17 years for a unit 9 archery elk hunt. I went on the hunt and had 16 300 plus bulls in easy archery range over the course of the hunt. Best hunt on my life. Then AZ went and changed the rules. I thought I was one and done…I am now back up to 10 points (one loyalty and one Hunters ed).

That state will spoil you. Careful when you decide to apply. There are some awesome hunts but the wait between is killing me. I have draw three deer hunts in AZ and they have been great as well

 

[Gellar]

It’s been 24 minutes! Let’s go!

 

[Dinkshooter]

Along the way I tried and tried to get a solid bigger type archery bull under my belt. I spent weeks in Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and even Colorado. It just just never happened for me.

This little fact started to get me concerned, as I really wanted to go on the perfect hunt with zero pressure and expectations. I even started applying for the AZ gun hunts at times just putting it off, hoping to not go into this hunt a big bull virgin.

At one point I even had enough money saved to possibly go guided on this hunt. I talked briefly to a few outfitters and was seriously considering it. I didn't want to pull a Munson on this. Its silly in hindsight, because the longer I waited, it certainly didn't help the pressure part.

In 2022 I had decided I was going throw down and apply. First and only one choice, early archery bull. I had a new job with a good vacation and time off policy.

Then a friend mentioned he heard on a podcast that there was going to be a huge calendar shift for the 2023 AZ hunt calendar. Sure enough, in 2023 the early archery season was to start 6 days later than 2022.

That was enough to make me wait another year.........I applied for an early rifle hunt and punted.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Kolorado dumped the wuffs today. Hard to type with all the texts!

 

[Four22]

Gotta be good

 

[fishing4sanity]

Type faster!

 

[Schaaf]

Does this story include someone sitting on a bull with a cigarette in his mouth? If not, points will be deducted.

If it's not a Marlboro Red or an American Spirit he's losing cred points from me.