How many shells are left in your box?

I began  rummaging through my gear to gather my Sprint turkey hunting essentials for the 2018 season opener.  I was searching for my trusty box of Federal Premium turkey shells that had delivered many downed tom turkeys over the years.  The box is so old that it is difficult to read the label that should say 12 gauge #4 shot, but now you can only see wear marks instead.  Turkey loads come 10 shells to a box, but most years, I only use one to shoot my one turkey each Spring.  As I grabbed the box, I noticed it was lighter than expected and could hear shells rattling loose in the bottom.  I opened it up and was shocked to see only two shells remained!  As I thought back to account for where and when I had used these shells, I remembered that I had been living abroad for a while and missed 5 turkey seasons, so counting back the years per missing shells I quickly calculated the purchase date of this box was 2005!

I looked at this old worn box of shells and wondered if one more box of turkey shells will last me for the rest of my turkey seasons?  Said another way, do I have more than 10 years of hunting left in me?  That was a somber thought!  Am I like this old worn out box and my adventurous days numbered?  I'm in my mid-40s now and hope to continue strong well into retirement, but realistically, I probably only have 10 - 15 years left.  I know that sounds dramatic, but I am certain I have fewer hunts ahead of me than I have behind me.  As I let that soak in, I realized that, I have never achieved my life long goal of successfully hunting Western game such as Elk, Antelope, Mule Deer, Moose and Caribou.  One does not just decide to hunt all those species in the west without extensive research and participating in numerous state tag drawings that occur many months in advance of season and you likely need to build up preference points in those draws over many years to even have a chance to draw!  That all takes time.  Have I waited to long?  Am I to late?

That realization has stoked a new fire in me to ensure that I don't let further opportunity slip away.  Since I had that epiphany a few months ago, I've signed up with an outfitter for a Colorado archery Elk hunt and I've put in for tag lotteries in Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.  I'm opportunistically purchasing gear (when it goes on sale) for western hunting and working out like a crazy man so this flat lander living at sea level can breath when I'm at 11,000 feet chasing Elk!  I have already learned a ton of new information as I'm now subscribing to GoHunt.com to learn about the state draw systems and I'm signed up for the "University of Elk Hunting" at Elk101.com.

I'm enjoying the opportunity to expand my base of knowledge beyond whitetails, turkeys and upland birds and this has inspired me to begin writing again.  I plan to write about all that I'm doing and learning in hopes that these future blog posts can help other folks as they decide to make their dreams become realities.

So ask yourself, how many shells do you have left in your box???

Planning Ahead, 2011 is "Year Of The ELK!

I recently had a birthday and I am getting really close to the ages that begin with 4 (I can't even begin to say the word 40's let alone describe myself as being in that demographic).  It is times like these that I become a bit more reflective and think back about what I have done and what I still want to achieve.  Growing up I read about the great adventures of Fred Bear as he went to Alaska, Canada, and Africa to hunt big game and I consumed a steady diet of hunting magazines and other hunting books that told tales of pursuing North Americas big game.  I just knew that I too would be chasing deer, elk, moose, caribou, and bears as soon as I finished school.  Well, life has a way of changing those plans with getting married, having children, going back to grad school, and a job that doesn't locate you near the mountain states or Alaska.  I have been successful at hunting whitetail deer, wing shooting, freshwater fishing, and I learned how to saltwater fish from a kayak, but I still long for wild places chasing really big game.  I made a resolution last year (about this time of year) that I would take each of the major North American big game species with a bow before I am too old to hunt.  I am excluding the varieties of big horn sheep and mountain goats because these animals require serious money to pursue.  So my plan is to take an Elk, Caribou, Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer, and Moose.  This is my bucket list.

I have done some initial research and decided that I begin this journey by pursuing Elk.  So why did I make that choice you ask.  Well there are reasons.  First, to go on a good Mule Deer hunt, you need to draw a tag in a high quality area of one of the mountain states.  This requires preference points and that takes multiple years of drawing.  So cross Mule Deer off the list for this year, but put in for preference points, check.   Caribou hunting is a major expense as you have to go all the way to Canada.  I will likely make this one my second to last animal to take off the list due to the expense and time required, so cross Caribou off the list and start saving, check.  Moose is in the really expensive category as well, but there are also tags that can be drawn in some closer states.  I will begin to put in for those as well once I research them more thoroughly, but this will probably be the last animal on my list, so cross moose off the list for this year.  Now pronghorn was a tough decision.  I can afford this hunt, the season is at the right time of year, and the success rates for hunting over water holes is really good.  All the stars are aligned, but it came down to this.  I really want a true wilderness hunt in the mountains chasing Elk.  Cross off Antelope this time, because it is the YEAR OF THE ELK!

With the species selected. now I need to choose a state.  I looked at New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho.  Not all the states had archery season dates that would fit my small window of opportunity due to work restrictions, distance is a consideration as I will be driving, and then there is the issue of drawing tags.  After reviewing all the information, I chose Colorado because it has the largest herd, I can buy and over the counter (OTC) tag and it is relatively close to where I live compared to the other states.  More to come on the actual area I have chosen to hunt.

Next decision is guide, no guide, or drop camp.  I have never hunted with a guide before so I don't know what it would really be like, but have always been a solo bowhunter and prefer being in the woods by myself.  I would like some assistance with packing deep into the woods and some help getting an elk out, so I have decided that a drop camp is the ticket for me.

My chances will be slim (probably about a 10-15% chance of success) and the conditions will be tough.  I am being packed into a wilderness area where vehicles and ATVs are not allowed.  I will be at significantly higher elevations so I will be out of breath and tired much quicker than I normally would.  I will need to be in the best shape of my life and then I might be almost ready for the challenge that lies ahead of me.

So, some, but not all of my future posts will be about my preparation for this trip.  Just off hand I can think of several things I need to do that I will likely write about as well, such as:

1.  Determining the optimum arrow weight and broad head selection for Elk
2.  Selecting the appropriate camping gear (back pack stove, sleeping bag, bivy shelter, etc.
3.  Selecting the food for the trip (I am leaning toward freeze dried backpack food)
4.  Testing the gear and food selections on a camping trip
5.  Researching Elk hunting strategies
6.  Learning to effectively call Elk
7.  Learning how to navigate in the mountains with a map and GPS and compass
8.  Chronicling my struggle to get into tip top shape for Elk hunting

I am sure this is not a complete list, but I am so stoked just thinking about it.  Now that the decision has been made, I must start with getting into shape.  I have been stuck behind a desk for the last two months and then there was the deep freeze of winter weather we have all been trapped in.  Yesterday was the perfect day to begin my journey to a more fit me with warm south winds blowing, it got up to 70 degrees and I had an afternoon hall pass.  I planned to go mountain biking, but after checking the web site for the trails I learned that they were closed due to muddy trails.  I opted for hiking instead.

North Shore Trail Link

My hiking trail of choice for a quick trip is Lake Grapevine on the North shore.  I took the west loop trail because it is has more rough terrain, rocks, and hills.  It isn't elk country, but it the closest I can muster up in North Central Texas.  I took the camera to take some pics of the more challenging rocks that mountain bikers make it over.

I am not an expert mountain biker and have to walk up some of these, but I can make it down most all of them.  It is a great work out and a lot of fun.


Although this is just outside many people's back yards, there are signs of wildlife.

So after I made two miles into the trail, I decided I should turn back.  After I had traveled the third mile, my knee began to hurt as I traveled down some of the more steep hills.  Later this soreness became real pain.  I had to just grunt through the last mile until I made it back to my truck.  I had bitten off more than I could chew by taking a four mile hike from a state of being completely out of shape.  This is a wake-up call.  Now I need to heal up and then get in shape.  As I write this post tonight, I have gone from limping around the house yesterday, to walking like frankenstein this morning, to looking more like a rapper with a limp in his gait.  I think by tomorrow I will be fine, but I will be more careful next time.  Now I will work up the miles more slowly so I don't repeat this event.  It really sucks getting old.