Focus
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2017
- Messages
- 290
Hi Hunt Talkers,
I found this site back in the fall when I was researching information on antelope. Though I had shot deer in the past it had been quite awhile (17 years..quite a dry spell) since I'd gutted a critter so Randy's videos on the gutless method were invaluable to me when me and my son got our antelope in WY back in Oct. The two of us also got to participate in the processing of these critters with a buddy of mine who happens to be a meat cutter and walked us through the process.
I live in Idaho but grew up in the Midwest hunting deer. Back there you shoot it, gut it, throw it in the back of the truck (after a short drag) and take it to the processor. Living out here and experiencing mountains, long distance hikes, etc put the damper on my enthusiasm for the hunt, so I used other pursuits (mostly competitive shooting and youth sports) to pull me away from hunting. The logistical side of getting a critter out of the backcountry (and even a mile from the truck out here would be considered backcountry to a flatlander like me) totally blew my mind and I was never comfortable with the idea of shooting one without the knowledge, skills and fitness level required to get one out.
Recently my desire for going out and killing a critter in the mountains (and providing clean lean meat for my family) has returned, and Hunt Talk forum (and by extension, all of you) have been very instrumental in getting my mind right for the task at hand. I've dropped close to 30 pounds since the end of rifle deer season last fall and I'm going on several hikes a week in the foothills with weighed pack each week, not to mention regular trips to the gym.
My goals for this season are to spend a considerable amount of time in the mountains, behind the glass, starting with spring bear come April. I have a notebook full of notes I've made from studying regs from ID, WY and MT and a return trip to WY for antelope is definitely on the list, with a possibility of a MT deer trip too. Obviously Idaho is a great state to live in if you are a hunter so I hope to fill at least one tag (deer, bear, maybe elk?) here as well.
Thanks again to you Hunt Talkers who have provided so much knowledge on this forum, and to my friend Leonard who de-mystified the process of quartering and deboning so that now I know what to do after the tag is tied on.
Focus
(my user name is symbolic of my desire to focus on hunting this year and block out life's other distractions in order to create a successful season)
I found this site back in the fall when I was researching information on antelope. Though I had shot deer in the past it had been quite awhile (17 years..quite a dry spell) since I'd gutted a critter so Randy's videos on the gutless method were invaluable to me when me and my son got our antelope in WY back in Oct. The two of us also got to participate in the processing of these critters with a buddy of mine who happens to be a meat cutter and walked us through the process.
I live in Idaho but grew up in the Midwest hunting deer. Back there you shoot it, gut it, throw it in the back of the truck (after a short drag) and take it to the processor. Living out here and experiencing mountains, long distance hikes, etc put the damper on my enthusiasm for the hunt, so I used other pursuits (mostly competitive shooting and youth sports) to pull me away from hunting. The logistical side of getting a critter out of the backcountry (and even a mile from the truck out here would be considered backcountry to a flatlander like me) totally blew my mind and I was never comfortable with the idea of shooting one without the knowledge, skills and fitness level required to get one out.
Recently my desire for going out and killing a critter in the mountains (and providing clean lean meat for my family) has returned, and Hunt Talk forum (and by extension, all of you) have been very instrumental in getting my mind right for the task at hand. I've dropped close to 30 pounds since the end of rifle deer season last fall and I'm going on several hikes a week in the foothills with weighed pack each week, not to mention regular trips to the gym.
My goals for this season are to spend a considerable amount of time in the mountains, behind the glass, starting with spring bear come April. I have a notebook full of notes I've made from studying regs from ID, WY and MT and a return trip to WY for antelope is definitely on the list, with a possibility of a MT deer trip too. Obviously Idaho is a great state to live in if you are a hunter so I hope to fill at least one tag (deer, bear, maybe elk?) here as well.
Thanks again to you Hunt Talkers who have provided so much knowledge on this forum, and to my friend Leonard who de-mystified the process of quartering and deboning so that now I know what to do after the tag is tied on.
Focus
(my user name is symbolic of my desire to focus on hunting this year and block out life's other distractions in order to create a successful season)
