JohnCushman
Well-known member
You can't be hunting in weather that cold and snow up to your knees without warm coffee...it's good for your soul
Wyoming bison hunt
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
You can't be hunting in weather that cold and snow up to your knees without warm coffee...it's good for your soul
JohnCushman
Well-known member
When I was in Iraq I used to pack the instant coffee from our MRE's in my lip like a chew when we were out on patrol for days at a time...lol The guys that weren't coffee drinkers would give me their coffee packets because I was 'Doc' 
Last edited:
putm2sleep
New member
Get em BigFin!!!!
If critter is no the way, it will certainly bring you luck!
What a thrill!!
My native spirit tells me El nino will bring you many bison today.
If critter is no the way, it will certainly bring you luck!
What a thrill!!
My native spirit tells me El nino will bring you many bison today.
bobbydean
Well-known member
I hope you get a shot! It looks like a crap shoot to me.
Do not those Bison, know it is Big Fin hoping to end their life.
Do not those Bison, know it is Big Fin hoping to end their life.
pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
I wish I got that feeling before my first two marriages
What would we do without Cushman
good luck to all
the dog
Well, the bison have won another round. I am not sure I will get a chance to come back down before season ends on the 15th. I could not have hunted any harder the last three days. So much for doctors orders to rest my knee for six weeks. Guess that six weeks starts tomorrow. 
I hiked to the most likely spot they would have crossed the river and onto the refuge, based on where I saw them last night before dark. No luck. An inch of fresh snow revealed no tracks in my headlamp this morning. After a long dark hike, I headed back to the truck and then went to the far east boundary and climbed some ridges that might allow for some sightings. By the time I got there, it was a complete whiteout of snow. I hiked back to the truck and waited it out for a while, only to realize that I was probably out of luck.
I guess I should not be surprised. This has been our most difficult season in the field in the eight years of filming, by a huge margin. In most years of working this hard and abusing our bodies and equipment, we would have filled every tag and done so by taking some true whoppers. Not the case this year. When it could go wrong, it went wrong. When we worked our butts off, opportunities were still scarce. Add in a few camera problems, some schedule issues that forced us to be in some areas at less than optimal times, along with big doses of bad luck and you eventually start to wonder if you were just unusually lucky the prior seven seasons.
Wish it was different, but it's not. There are times I probably could have made a better decision. Times I probably could have pushed us harder. Some events where I could have set us up for a better approach.
After four straight months of hunting this hard and living on the road, your mind does start to wander and you are not at the top of your game. Not an excuse, just a reality. I guess that is the challenge; to keep your mind sharp all 100 days, no matter how much sleep you've missed, how poor your diet, how many work tasks are distracting you, and how much burden you know you have placed on your wife who is handling the load while you are gone.
I had planned to hunt wolves really hard this winter. Right now, I think I will take the rest of the month off and see how I feel about that in February.
I know we started a thread last summer about "How old is too old." Not sure I know that answer, as we all have different conditions imposing their will against us. Having just turned 51, I do wonder how many more 100-day seasons my mind and body are willing to handle. But, if it is like all other seasons, after a few weeks rest, I will again be grinding at the bit to apply for tags and start planning another year of telling the public land hunting story.
Wish I had a bison to show you, but I don't. Thanks for following along.
I hiked to the most likely spot they would have crossed the river and onto the refuge, based on where I saw them last night before dark. No luck. An inch of fresh snow revealed no tracks in my headlamp this morning. After a long dark hike, I headed back to the truck and then went to the far east boundary and climbed some ridges that might allow for some sightings. By the time I got there, it was a complete whiteout of snow. I hiked back to the truck and waited it out for a while, only to realize that I was probably out of luck.
I guess I should not be surprised. This has been our most difficult season in the field in the eight years of filming, by a huge margin. In most years of working this hard and abusing our bodies and equipment, we would have filled every tag and done so by taking some true whoppers. Not the case this year. When it could go wrong, it went wrong. When we worked our butts off, opportunities were still scarce. Add in a few camera problems, some schedule issues that forced us to be in some areas at less than optimal times, along with big doses of bad luck and you eventually start to wonder if you were just unusually lucky the prior seven seasons.
Wish it was different, but it's not. There are times I probably could have made a better decision. Times I probably could have pushed us harder. Some events where I could have set us up for a better approach.
After four straight months of hunting this hard and living on the road, your mind does start to wander and you are not at the top of your game. Not an excuse, just a reality. I guess that is the challenge; to keep your mind sharp all 100 days, no matter how much sleep you've missed, how poor your diet, how many work tasks are distracting you, and how much burden you know you have placed on your wife who is handling the load while you are gone.
I had planned to hunt wolves really hard this winter. Right now, I think I will take the rest of the month off and see how I feel about that in February.
I know we started a thread last summer about "How old is too old." Not sure I know that answer, as we all have different conditions imposing their will against us. Having just turned 51, I do wonder how many more 100-day seasons my mind and body are willing to handle. But, if it is like all other seasons, after a few weeks rest, I will again be grinding at the bit to apply for tags and start planning another year of telling the public land hunting story.
Wish I had a bison to show you, but I don't. Thanks for following along.
El Jason
Well-known member
Bummer Randy.
7mm08mo
Well-known member
That's why they call it hunting and not killing. If anybody can do the hundred day seasons IMHO it would be you. Wish you had got one kinda wanted to see pics. Better luck next year. Sometimes rest is a good thing.
Randy, i think you just showed a lot of us that our great plan to "just hunt" all fall/winter is more work than we can imagine. Thanks for taking us all the cool places I won't get to go, and sharing the good and bad times. Next year however, I'm getting after it.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
I feel your pain. Literally as well as figuratively.
elkrchr
Well-known member
That is why Fresh Tracks is such a great show, it focuses on the hunt, not the harvest! Valiant effort on your part, but the bison won. Time to start looking forward to application season.
ashersdad
Well-known member
Always refreshing reading/watching your hunting experiences because they're real life and you show the good, the bad, and the ugly. My guess is you'll be chomping at the bit in a week or so... Thanks for taking us along.
JM77
Well-known member
No BS here, you are hunting reality Randy and I truly appreciate it!
Hunting Wife
Well-known member
Valiant effort, and that's all you can do. If it was a slam dunk every time, the success wouldn't mean as much.
LCH
Well-known member
You mean you didn't just haze the bison over to the refuge with the helicopter?
Your show does a good job of focusing on the land, the people, the wildlife, etc. that make up a hunt. I'd much rather watch a hunt with no kill than a kill with no hunt.
Your show does a good job of focusing on the land, the people, the wildlife, etc. that make up a hunt. I'd much rather watch a hunt with no kill than a kill with no hunt.
LopeHunter
Well-known member
Rest the knee. Rest the mind. You might get a second wind on this hunt then return for a day or two. If not, no reason to not hang your head high. Looking forward to seeing the shows and hearing over the next few months what tags you get for this year. Good luck on the draws.
Don K
Active member
Just remember when it isn't "fun" anymore the game changes. Take a break, a breather, and refresh the mind and body.
BBwheelgunner
Member
What Don K said...
I always question myself after the fact; should I have done this, maybe I should have done that, maybe I should have gone further, higher, etc. etc. etc.... I think it is only natural, and helps us get better at what we do. Don't beat yourself up, you went at it hard and gave it a good shot!
been watching your shows on carbonTV, and like the others have said, it is very refreshing to see the transparency in what you do... it is pretty inspiring for the rest of us!
rest that knee, there will be more hills to climb
I always question myself after the fact; should I have done this, maybe I should have done that, maybe I should have gone further, higher, etc. etc. etc.... I think it is only natural, and helps us get better at what we do. Don't beat yourself up, you went at it hard and gave it a good shot!
been watching your shows on carbonTV, and like the others have said, it is very refreshing to see the transparency in what you do... it is pretty inspiring for the rest of us!
rest that knee, there will be more hills to climb
