The best time of the year

[Majja]

Well I have 24 days and a wake up until my Rifle Elk/Muley hunt. I start getting very excited this time of year. It is starting to cool off in the high country at night and there is a bit of crispness in the air.

I have already started getting the gear ready, and switching my trailer form family camping to hunting mode.

I am excited to use the new pack/binos and bino harness I was able to purchase over the summer. I LOVE the bino harness.

It always amazes me how relaxed and refreshed I come back after my 10 days of minimal electronics and distractions.

It will be good to see my friend and family that I only see at this time, and most of all getting to start trying to put the puzzle together of where am I going to find the ghosts of the forest.

Good luck to all and have safe and enjoyable hunts.
Majja.

 

[8andcounting]

My favorite time is now/fall also . My only issue is deciding when to go . I have a deer/cow elk
Trip lined up with my dad and usual suspects nov12-20 in NC montana , however I'm going to try fill the elk tag (gen tag) in a gen unit first maybe opening weekend or so . HDs we deer hunt in we can shoot cows on the gen tag so that's the backup plan . Anyways I'm just itching to go I can hardly stand it

 

[Majja]

Good luck. And I am with you. I would leave tomorrow if I could.

 

[Skeeter 20I]

I'm with you on this one. This morning's temps were about 15° cooler than they have been in a long time. It is finally starting to feel like it's getting close. 20 days in a wall tent has been a long time coming, can't wait.

 

[SFC B]

I am excited once the chill hits the air but I am extra excited this year for the fall. The last 2 years have been rough on me hunting wise. Last year I got a grand total of 3 days in the field due to the job I was working. The year before that I was in the midst of being medically retired from the Army and wasn't allowed to take leave during the season. This year is different. First, I have a new job and a condition of my acceptance was my hunting dates for leave. I am taking 11 days for CO 2nd season ( I get to be the early bird in camp to secure the spot and cut wood) and intend to spend all of that on the mountain barring a total tag-out of all of the usual suspects Then, come December the Hunting Princess has her first real big game hunt. She pulled an RFW tag for a ranch outside of Craig. She is proving to be a really good shot (as evidenced from my post about her latest trip to the range in the Firearms section) and I hope we can get her an opportunity.
In the next week or so I will start going through my checklist to see what last minute purchases and updates I need to do. I will start sorting, packing and staging on my side of the garage (the Hunting Cave) and doing a couple of things to the Jeep. Zero dark thirty on the 18th is my kick off time and I don't really know how I am gonna make it in any decent state of mind I can picture every mile of the trip already. Since I am leaving early I won't be making my usual stop in Wellington to rendezvous with my buddy. I will be taking Hoosier pass over through Breck and Frisco out to the stretch of 70 I cannot avoid until I take the exit at Wolcott. A jaunt up 131 to Toponas for one last stop at the General Store (a must-do tradition....it's where I get my Busch Light for heaven's sake!!) and then off the grid and into my favorite place. Best wishes to all of you HTers on making to the season with your sanity and then being successful!!

 

[LCH]

My favorite time of the year is almost here.

19 days until archery opens here. I'll have a Sunday and 4 evenings to hunt at home to try and kill a doe or 2 for the freezer.

I'm leaving on 10/6 for my Wyoming pronghorn hunt. I also have a whitetail doe tag in case my partner and I tag our pronghorn early.

Back home by 10/15. Indiana whitetails for a month and a half.

Leaving 11/30 for my Arizona Coues hunt.

Back home by 12/10. Another month of Indiana whitetails.

 

[Alpine]

Our plans are coming together. Had a planning meeting with the team, thinking about meals, logistics etc.

We have been going to the same place for 10 years (or is it 11?), so we pretty much have it down by now. Just need to flex each year based on exactly who is coming. This year we have a couple guys with sons in college so and they cannot leave at the same time as the rest of us, so there is a little more planning to do around that.

Heard some elk bugling this weekend. Nice!