Biggest Hunting Accomplishment? So far? Future?

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,338
183
IL
What has been your biggest hunting accomplishment so far? What may become it in the future?



Doesn't have to be just 1 thing... I suppose, so answer however you want...
 

Zim

Very Active Member
Feb 28, 2011
738
67
LaPorte, IN
Hands down, for me, it was playing a key role in stopping AZ HB 2072, the attempted theft of 350 primo public big game tags, and subsequently putting AZSFW out of business forever. From Illinois, I emailed and was granted a TV interview with Phoenix KTVK's Crystal Cruz. She asked me to meet her & her cameraman at AZF&G Headquarters at noon the following day. So I contacted MMer Allen Taylor to hand off the ball to. The bribed legislator was also confronted by Cruz, and he folded like a lawn chair during one of the 3 TV segments. AZSFW criminals pulled their lobbyist from the statehouse the next day. And since then AZ formed a constituent group to prevent further such calamities.

One guy can make a difference. Posting anti-SFW comments on web forums is good for educating newbies, but if you really want to make a difference, email legislators and contact media when you see criminals coming after YOUR public land tags. I enjoyed doing this for all honest, deserving sportsmen, not just myself. I believe in the old school Teddy Roosevelt vision of the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation.

My 350" Nevada archery elk is a distant 2nd.
 
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kesand72

Active Member
May 5, 2013
373
8
Joliet, Il
Mine was doing my first hard core backpacking elk hunt in the New Mexico Pecos Wilderness last year. My buddy n I didn't get an elk, but we hiked, hunted hard, ate meals out of freeze dried pouches, camped in a tent at 11,000 feet, and I found out how hard I could push my 41 year old body and keep going.
I've read about this type of hunt for years, and I know some people do it all the time, but for me I felt like a giant walking the earth in search of game. I did also catch a sweet cut throat trout ( never seen 1 before), which was really awesome!
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
I would have to say a few years back in Idaho. I never fired a shot but I backpacked some awesome country and saw elk, moose, mountain goats, a bear, and a few deer just not any I wanted to put my tag on. It was a very long season and close enough to home that I got to make 1 scouting trip and hunt it 3 different times! Hoping to finally go back for elk this year!
 

Dearhunter3450

Active Member
Feb 13, 2014
245
0
51
Upstate New York
My biggest hunting accomplishment will come this fall in Whyoming. I will see ground and animals I have never seen and will meet people I have never met. Hopefully fire a round or two while I am at it lol.
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
My biggest hunting accomplishment will come this fall in Whyoming. I will see ground and animals I have never seen and will meet people I have never met. Hopefully fire a round or two while I am at it lol.
WYOMING not WHY OMING. HAHA couldnt pass that one up! Good luck on your hunt!
 

arwaterfowler

Active Member
Dec 4, 2011
229
15
Omaha, NE
Fly in on a bush plane. Get dropped of in nowhere Alaska. Stay there 7 days just Pops and I. And the plane picks us back up, moose or not.
 

BucksnBulls

Member
Aug 28, 2013
58
0
South Dakota
I would have to say my 2010 bull. I was 22 and alone on my first ever elk hunt. I missed out on the draw so I bought a leftover NR tag for an area in Wyo that is mostly wilderness, which of course I couldn't legally access. Anyway, long story short, I was able to arrow a beautiful bull at 15 yards. Looking back, I had no idea what I was doing. There's no doubt in my mind the Big Guy was smiling down. It was an incredible experience.

P1110959.jpg
 

6mm Remington

Very Active Member
Mar 27, 2011
977
43
Western Montana
I would have to say my 2010 bull. I was 22 and alone on my first ever elk hunt. I missed out on the draw so I bought a leftover NR tag for an area in Wyo that is mostly wilderness, which of course I couldn't legally access. Anyway, long story short, I was able to arrow a beautiful bull at 15 yards. Looking back, I had no idea what I was doing. There's no doubt in my mind the Big Guy was smiling down. It was an incredible experience.

View attachment 8447
Gorgeous bull you got!!
 

6mm Remington

Very Active Member
Mar 27, 2011
977
43
Western Montana
I took my son when he was 14 and a friend of his who was 15 and had never hunted before elk hunting. My son used his 6mm Remington and Andy the other boy (who unfortunately has a disease that will take his life before he likely turns 30) used my wife's 25-06. They both had drawn cow elk tags for a ranch north of town.

Friday we went out and spent all day from before sunup until about 4:00 PM walking all over this property and did not see an elk. Spotted some at about the last 1/2 hour of light and my boy got in position and shot a cow at 350 yards. One shot with the 90 gr. E-tip and she went about 25 yards and went down. Got her out well after midnight.

Slept in the next day and went out about 2:00 PM. Spotted some elk and made a great sneak and got within about 250 yards of roughly 75 head that we could see. Got Andy in position laying in the show for about 15 minutes before a cow gave us a shot without any right behind her. He finally made a great shot using a bipod and shot his cow. She ran about 40 yards and went down. It was about midnight again when we got back to the truck. Both boys had great smiles on their face.

Mountain Goat Hunt.
A couple years ago after applying for 33 years in a row I finally drew a Mountain Goat tag. Bad part is the population of goats in the area where I drew had really dropped in about a two year time span. I was able to start scouting in July when the snow finally melted enough I could access back in the wilderness area. I made many trips scouting and looking. During all my scouting trips I saw one MAYBE mountain goat. Never got the spotting scope out as I had about 10 more miles to go before I made camp.

Hunted hard during the season with a three day hunt to a week hunt every week until season closed and only saw one more goat. A FOR SURE goat I bumped in the timber going up a ridge. I never saw another mountain goat in all of my travels and I put on more than 100 miles on foot. All but one trip was by myself.

I had a great time and saw some beautiful country. I had a tag and got to pursue a Mountain Goat finally. It was all I could have ever hoped for. I would do it again tomorrow.
 

d.kerri

Active Member
Sep 17, 2013
167
0
Minneapolis, MN
It isn't so much an "accomplishment," but one of my highlights of my short 15 years hunting was on my first trip to Colordo chasing mule deer. We had worked our tails off for six days deep in the back country, and on our last day, in the final minutes of hunting, I glassed up a deer for my hunting partner to take, and he finished the job. I had filled my tag earlier in the week and he worked is ass off to help me do so. Being able to repay the favor, in a small way, was a very fulfilling moment.
 

kesand72

Active Member
May 5, 2013
373
8
Joliet, Il
I took my son when he was 14 and a friend of his who was 15 and had never hunted before elk hunting. My son used his 6mm Remington and Andy the other boy (who unfortunately has a disease that will take his life before he likely turns 30) used my wife's 25-06. They both had drawn cow elk tags for a ranch north of town.

Friday we went out and spent all day from before sunup until about 4:00 PM walking all over this property and did not see an elk. Spotted some at about the last 1/2 hour of light and my boy got in position and shot a cow at 350 yards. One shot with the 90 gr. E-tip and she went about 25 yards and went down. Got her out well after midnight.

Slept in the next day and went out about 2:00 PM. Spotted some elk and made a great sneak and got within about 250 yards of roughly 75 head that we could see. Got Andy in position laying in the show for about 15 minutes before a cow gave us a shot without any right behind her. He finally made a great shot using a bipod and shot his cow. She ran about 40 yards and went down. It was about midnight again when we got back to the truck. Both boys had great smiles on their face.

Mountain Goat Hunt.
A couple years ago after applying for 33 years in a row I finally drew a Mountain Goat tag. Bad part is the population of goats in the area where I drew had really dropped in about a two year time span. I was able to start scouting in July when the snow finally melted enough I could access back in the wilderness area. I made many trips scouting and looking. During all my scouting trips I saw one MAYBE mountain goat. Never got the spotting scope out as I had about 10 more miles to go before I made camp.

Hunted hard during the season with a three day hunt to a week hunt every week until season closed and only saw one more goat. A FOR SURE goat I bumped in the timber going up a ridge. I never saw another mountain goat in all of my travels and I put on more than 100 miles on foot. All but one trip was by myself.

I had a great time and saw some beautiful country. I had a tag and got to pursue a Mountain Goat finally. It was all I could have ever hoped for. I would do it again tomorrow.
Awesome story! Its great when the kids have a good hunt. My daughter took 2 whitetails and a fair amount of small game before she decided she had become " a lady" and wasnt gonna hunt anymore. What can you do......she still talks about those hunts though years later!!
 

Colorado T

Active Member
Aug 28, 2011
455
114
Littleton, CO
My first would be watching my boys take their first big game animals the last couple years.

My second would be taking my first big game animal at 13 years old with my parents at my side- Barren Ground Caribou in Alaska because I wasn't old enough to hunt in Colorado. Just missed B&C by 5 points.
 

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,338
183
IL
So far...? not sure? to be updated!


Future? who knows? but I really want to work towards the NA10 in perhaps the next 10years or so, and after that see how close I can get to the NA29.


I'd also like to take a B&C Antelope but I have a pretty nice one already IMO, not a booner, but a DIY WY goat, which in some ways may be my biggest hunting accomplishment so far.