Do y'all remember your first western DIY hunt ? The planning, the research and the preparation! What did you hunt and what state and what keeps you coming back ? I cannot see myself not heading west to hunt every year and have even considered moving westward. Can't wait to get back out there.
First Western hunt
- Thread starter Huntkook
- Start date
SFC B
Well-known member
I had 3 "first" western hunts.....First, while stationed at Ft Lewis I hunted for the first time ever. Firearms season for Blacktails. Spent the season watching a clear cut, soaking wet. Saw a bunch of does but not a single buck would come out of the really thick stuff there. Second, my next hunt and first harvest was on a ranch north of Spokane where I shot a small WT buck. Finally, the first REAL one. The fall I got back from AFG, I got invited to the camp I am in. Anticipation was off the scale. The packing and rechecking of equipment, the time at the range and that first drive up to camp. The week was magical. On top of the great experience I harvested a bull AND a cow (back in the OTC with caps days) AND my buddy got a bull. Just great and every year, come the end of summer I become simply useless.
406LIFE
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2016
- Messages
- 3,114
I cant remember my first one. My dad said he started taking me when I was about 4. All I did was sleep in the truck. But when I was 12, I shot my first whitetail on a hill that now has a subdivision in it. It was a little fork horn, 50 yards or so and even though I was aiming for lungs I hit it in the neck. Coolest part was I did with the same 30-30 my dad and grandpa shot their first one with. I know growing up in MT isn't the same as what your saying, but first hunts are special and should be shared.
Eric.MN
Well-known member
My first wasn't so long ago. Many years ago I went bow hunting western ND with my dad and brother but that was on some private land my dads buddy had connections too. First real western DIY I went Antelope hunting with my wife in Wyoming in 2015. The idea was generated from researching and stumbling across this forum. Became a member and applied for tags and went after it. Had such a great time I don't ever want to miss another year of taking a trip out west. Can't wait till my two little boys are old enough to bring them along.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
I moved from Wisconsin to Idaho in 1990 having only hunted Wisconsin whitetail up till then. 1991 was my first year big game hunting in the West, and it was fun and frustrating learning to hunt elk. Three days after elk season closed while deer hunting, 2 nice 6 point bulls walked right by me at less than 20 yards. I was hooked from that day on!
PA deer hunter
Active member
After chasing whitetails and turkeys for 40 years , my best friend took me to Wyoming on an antelope hunt. He went out of his way to ensure a successful adventure, thus the hopeless addiction i now suffer from ... can’t imagine not going every year !
Gut Shot
Well-known member
Yeah, three of us got together and decided we'd go to Alaska and hunt caribou for a week. Hell of a first western hunt.
Your post is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing.
CampRipleyLF
Active member
Big mule deer, that's what dreams are made of and what keeps me coming back. My first trip was a 2nd draw in Colorado, love hunting high country mule deer. Can't beat the view and the deer aren't tiny either.
glass eye
Well-known member
Growing up in the Sierra Nevada I hunted blacktail / mulies in my backyard and was content to hunt only local deer, but in 1991 I was inspired to apply for CA antelope and on my 2nd try I drew a tag in '92. After that I got hooked on the draws in CA and drew a few premium deer tags and even tule elk bull. I've drawn some good tags in AZ and NV too. All of my hunts have been DIY, I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Kiwi
Well-known member
My first western hunt was WY archery elk and pronghorn. The success of that trip means I keep returning to the West yearly (I guess AB counts) and planning my next adventure to try for a CO early season high country mule deer this sept. But planning on returning to WY for sure.
Khunter
Well-known member
huntkook what was your first?
mine was bowhunting family property in SW Colo spot and stalk for mule deer in high school. i was clueless but had a ball.
mine was bowhunting family property in SW Colo spot and stalk for mule deer in high school. i was clueless but had a ball.
My first western hunting adventure was in Wyoming for antelope. That was in 2013. Started applying in 2009 what a learning curve that was. Bought maps, talk to biologists and did alot of research. I took my then 79 year old Dad. Made a plan as where to start the hunt rounded the bend and there was 20 antelope laying on the side of the hill. I ended up shooting a 14" buck hooked at that point. Going out this year hunting two different units taking my 83 year old Dad, my best friend and his nephew and the adventure continues to grow.
duncan5275
New member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
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- 9
Planning the same thing this year. Do you mind telling me what unit you hunted and what you thought about it. I am looking at unit 113, 45, and 7 in Wyoming.
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First western hunt was my first hunt. While living in WY in 2012, a good friend and I decided we were interested in hunting and had been for awhile and we should give it a go. We were clueless, trigger happy and in a state stacked with antelope. We got tags, picked a close unit that we had some intel about and made it happen. We both filled our doe tags in a weekend and from then we've pretty much hunted together every year. Because hunting season is relatively short (and work can make it even shorter), a lot of the fun for me comes from the research and planning phase. Talking to hunting buddies, getting email chains going, seeing what tags others have drawn, etc. Bottom line is you should move westward!
Chad Gus
Well-known member
My first was in 1998, my uncle took me to colorado mule deer hunting. That was his graduation present to me, one of the greatest gifts I've ever recieved. Been going back out west almost every year since and next yearI'm taking my son on his first hunt out west.
