PEAX Equipment

From IL whitetails to SW MT

Levajo

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2018
Messages
57
Location
Columbia, MO
New to this forum but have looked for info and tips off of it for 2 years now. I grew up deer and duck hunting in the midwest. I have lived in southern MN and southern WI and central IL but just recently moved to Bozeman to go to MSU for a masters in fish and wildlife management. After working an internship with the IL fisheries biologsts and having bass fished for ISU I fished tournaments at kentucky lake, table rock, lake of the ozarks and the missippi and i egan to drive hours just to explore IL public land when i had over 100 acres of private right across the road from my house i could hunt and had taken some nice bucks off of, it was more about the adventure than the kill for me then I wanted to explore the west. When i began looking for schools for my degree I looked into Washington state and the university of Idaho and Iowa state. When pulling up the land around each college for public hunting land I was most impressed with MSU also before right before one of our diver duck hunts to Kentucky I got very sick and was bed ridden for about a week. This gave me time to watch basically every episode possible that Randy Newberg had on youtube. In his videos he recommended "If you love the outdoors and love to hunt come to Montana." After downloading the onx maps on my phone I had decided to apply at MSU and was stoked when I received the acceptance letter. I have killed nearly 60 whitetails and over half were with my bow. Ive duck hunted in MI, ND, MN, WI and Green bay for divers, MO, IL, and KY. Was fortunate enough to hunt with some very wise duck hunters. One by the name of Pat Gregory who is a nationally known decoy carver. However the deer and ducks after my first 2 years of college pursuing a business degree just started to become not as exciting as I kept looking into doing an elk hunt and I really wanted to explore the west. My friends and family told me my heart condition known as ARVD is too severe along with my defibrillator in my chest, to be chasing elk around the mountains. Never the less here I am and shot my first elk this year during the shoulder season in 311 as the only tag fwp was able to give me by the time i moved out here was the left over nonresident cow tag. Still am learning the vast different regulations of this state and was very intimidated when I started reading the handbook, but I feel i definitely have a better handle on it now after watching more of Randys videos and talking with fwp. I also was privileged to sit next to Tom Sather on the plane ride here from one of my heart appointments at mayos and we talked the entire plane ride about hunting and sharing story's and swapping pictures. I will be applying for every tag possible this year because i have a limited time my health will allow me to hunt. My doctor was pretty upset with me when i blacked out last Sept i had hiked solo about 3 miles in and had got on some elk and my heart took off on me. Come to find out later my fiance had left a caffeinated drink in my hydration pack. Hunting around here will definitely bring the day of a heart transplant closer. My father is on the transplant list currently and he has always dreamed of hunting for elk in the mountains but he waited too long and his heart condition worsened before he was able to. I hope i will be able to get him on an elk after his transplant.
 
Welcome from central Illinois! Where did you live when you were here?
 
Lived in a small town called Carlock. Just NW of Bloomington i would hunt along the makinaw river and did trips down to clinton lake and hunt the canoe access areas by paddling in and then hiking with my climber stand during archery season.
 
Welcome to the forum and you will love Bozeman. I have a similar but not as severe form of Tachycardia and a few other not so good things going on. Glad to hear you are hunting and enjoying life, best of luck this season!
 
Man, it seems on so many flights in / out of Kalispell, Missoula, etc - there is always a conversation that sparks up between squished elbows! :) Always good when one can be revved to chat away. The areas and observations learned. Then there are those seasoned / sage gents that share a rich history that is really enjoyable to hear.

Major congrats on getting your first elk under those conditions! Hat tip to you for that. Welcome aboard - look forward to your stories and pics in the future.
 
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