Hi all,
I am guilty of reading Hunt Talk regularly for self-education purposes, but have never contributed, so I figured it was about time to change that. Thank you all for the awesome conversations and information sharing I have enjoyed over the past year or so.
I am 31 and a new big game hunter living on the front range of CO. I am a BHA member and an experienced outdoorsman through years of biological field work and spending all my free time on rivers, backpacking, or mountaineering, but about a year ago I was largely clueless in terms of big game hunting. During summers from college and after, I lived in Montana, Wyoming, and CO's western slope for several years where I did a bit of turkey, grouse and partridge hunting, but my lack of life stability given my former career as a seasonal bio tech for USFWS never allowed me the opportunity to dive into big game. I am now married and an elementary school teacher which has allowed me to finally invest time and money to make big game hunting a major part of my life. I have spent the past year or so watching every episode of Fresh Tracks and Meateater, all of the web content, reading all the half decent hunting books in my public library, and listening to all the podcast content that seemed helpful on my commutes. It is safe to say I am fully addicted before I have even gone on a big game hunt (excluding some unsuccessful whitetail ventures with my uncle when I was a teenager).
My brother (who has no hunting experience but plenty of translatable skills through his 5 years in the military) and I will be doing a 8 day backpack hunt in unit 7 this October which we are thrilled about. We both have bull tags, and I will also be carrying doe and bear tags. I have gone on a couple backpack scouting trips so far this summer, and spent countless hours on Google Earth and OnX second, third, and fourth guessing myself and my plan for the hunt. I know it is going to be tough to anticipate and adjust to pressure from fellow DIY guys and guided horse hunters, especially given the unit's low density and stunningly thick timber, but we are just approaching it as a tremendous learning experience that we are counting down the days until!
I also have a 3rd season 371 cow tag, which I am excited about as well. I won't be able to take off work for that one (I am really pushing my school's leave policy for the October hunt), but regardless I think it will be an interesting experience to try and deal with the challenges of private land sanctuaries and tougher conditions. It's an area where I have done some backpacking and climbing in the past so I was excited to see it on the leftover list. I have made one scouting trip there so far and I hope to make another just before the hunt.
Anyway, thank you all for enabling my newfound addiction.
PS- I thought you all might enjoy this trail cam photo I got recently.
I am guilty of reading Hunt Talk regularly for self-education purposes, but have never contributed, so I figured it was about time to change that. Thank you all for the awesome conversations and information sharing I have enjoyed over the past year or so.
I am 31 and a new big game hunter living on the front range of CO. I am a BHA member and an experienced outdoorsman through years of biological field work and spending all my free time on rivers, backpacking, or mountaineering, but about a year ago I was largely clueless in terms of big game hunting. During summers from college and after, I lived in Montana, Wyoming, and CO's western slope for several years where I did a bit of turkey, grouse and partridge hunting, but my lack of life stability given my former career as a seasonal bio tech for USFWS never allowed me the opportunity to dive into big game. I am now married and an elementary school teacher which has allowed me to finally invest time and money to make big game hunting a major part of my life. I have spent the past year or so watching every episode of Fresh Tracks and Meateater, all of the web content, reading all the half decent hunting books in my public library, and listening to all the podcast content that seemed helpful on my commutes. It is safe to say I am fully addicted before I have even gone on a big game hunt (excluding some unsuccessful whitetail ventures with my uncle when I was a teenager).
My brother (who has no hunting experience but plenty of translatable skills through his 5 years in the military) and I will be doing a 8 day backpack hunt in unit 7 this October which we are thrilled about. We both have bull tags, and I will also be carrying doe and bear tags. I have gone on a couple backpack scouting trips so far this summer, and spent countless hours on Google Earth and OnX second, third, and fourth guessing myself and my plan for the hunt. I know it is going to be tough to anticipate and adjust to pressure from fellow DIY guys and guided horse hunters, especially given the unit's low density and stunningly thick timber, but we are just approaching it as a tremendous learning experience that we are counting down the days until!
I also have a 3rd season 371 cow tag, which I am excited about as well. I won't be able to take off work for that one (I am really pushing my school's leave policy for the October hunt), but regardless I think it will be an interesting experience to try and deal with the challenges of private land sanctuaries and tougher conditions. It's an area where I have done some backpacking and climbing in the past so I was excited to see it on the leftover list. I have made one scouting trip there so far and I hope to make another just before the hunt.
Anyway, thank you all for enabling my newfound addiction.
PS- I thought you all might enjoy this trail cam photo I got recently.
