JT’s 2020 Season Review
General Topic
Contributors to this thread:
JTreeman's Link
So I usually do a season recap about this time of year, so figured I better get busy with it. I have attached a link to 2019, and in that thread is a link to 2018. Not quite as busy at 2018, but plenty of good stuff in the last 12 months or so. I’ll probably keep the captions short and sweet and more pic focused.
—Jim
So it started kinda rough. Had an AZ mule deer hunt rescheduled to 2021 (more on that later) due to partners job changes. Then booked a TX hunt to fill the time and it got canceled due to bad luck. So I ran around home (OK) and tried to kill a pig or two and scout some new spots.
—Jim
Scouting with the house wolf.
—Jim
In Feb I headed back to FL with a couple buddies to chases som iguanas and catch some fish.
—jim
Looking forward to it, buddy!
Hopefully, from the pics, we’ll be able see how the mullet progressed through the year as well;-)
Lots to do in FL in the winter!
—Jim
Big peacock! 6-7 if I remember right. On a top water, no shiners for this guy ;)
—Jim
In March I had a free range Aoudad hunt in West Texas. I got the sheep bug in 2019, and this hunt is the real deal. Especially with a bow!
—Jim
Got luck (really lucky) the first evening, but didn’t recover till next day after quite a rodeo. They are tough suckers. How we found him.
—Jim
After the Aoudad we chased Javis for a bit. The hero pics don’t get a whole lot better than this one.
—Jim
Then I ran all the way across the Lone Star State to hang out and hunt some pigs with my buddy Kyle. I shot a couple poorly and he killed on, fun 2-3 days even with my poor shooting.
—Jim
Our Buddy Alan called while I was at Kyle’s and invited us to south TX to hunt the turkey opener with him. Kyle couldn’t go, but I jumped in the truck and headed back west.
—Jim
No turkeys, but clipped another Javelina at Alan’s place.
—Jim
T-toy, I would prefer you refer to it by its official name “The Mullet of Death”, Thanks.
—Jim
This was about the time that the a corona was really getting going and I was glad I didn’t have a whole lot (and no Canada) planned for the next few months.
—Jim
While things were “shut down” I did get some turkey hunting in around home. Fast start, but passed some young birds early in the year, and only ended up with one Tom, but he was a good one.
—jim
Oklahoma bird. Nice trophy pic.
—Jim
All the different color phases of the iguanas, is that normal? I'm assuming you hunted them from the boat?
Next headed to MO for a quick turkey hunt with my good friend Bake. We had a rough go with the birds, but a lot of fun regardless.
—Jim
And of course I’m a better fisherman than him, a real trophy drum!
—Jim
Tried to chase some summer pigs in Ok, but they were smarter than me again. My spots are pretty low density, making it kinda tough.
—Jim
Some summer training hikes.
—Jim
And of course some shooting.
—Jim
Sitting at a party on the 4th of July I get a call from my buddy Tim. “Hey Treeman, let’s go to the King, pack your shit”. Of course I ask when. He says “the 11th, I say like next week the 11th”. So what is a guy gonna do, I packed my stuff and went ;)
The King Ranch is a fun place, and Nilgai are an awesome hunt. Especially with the bow.
—Jim
Finally was able to connect with a nice bull nilgai after several trips and missed opportunities. Had a chance another nice bull, but decided to save my trophy fee for the fall hunts.
—Jim
Next was August Dall Sheep in Alaska. dream hunt for a lot of guys, including me.
—Jim
Sheep loins on the mountain.
—Jim
After the sheep hunt I borrowed my guides truck and headed up the Haul Road. Had one of the other guides (who’s client had tagged our) along and met up with some BS guys up there too.
—Jim
Awesome! Congrats on some great animals so far!
BTW....the MoD is coming along nicely as well!
Caribou were pretty scarce, so I took what the tundra was offering on a short hunt.
—Jim
I decided to try to kill an OK bear this year. I worked hard finding places, baiting, setting stands, etc. but came up short. The acorns were everywhere and the bears quit my bait right as the season started. So no hero shots...
First week of Sept I spend chasing elk in NM.
—Jim
The elk action was slow, but I was able to clip this guy at a water tank.
—Jim
Had been seeing a bunch of turkeys and I had never shot a Merriams, so i bought a tag while i was waiting out my bear tag (cant buy and hunt bears in NM without waiting).
He was just a 2 year old, but good enough for me.
—Jim
Was able to fill that NM bear tag too. NM was good to me this year.
—Jim
I also drew a WY elk tag this year. It didn’t end so well. Had the most incredible 3 days of elk hunting I’ve ever had to start the week with no shots. Then finally stuck a nice 6x6 on the 6th day. Hit a bit high and back. Got a follow up the next day at 55 and flat missed. He was gone for good after that. Actually quite a heat breaker. Still sick about it.
—Jim
Not a lot of WY pics this year.
—Jim
Spent the next couple week feeding the bears, but nothing to show but trail cam pics.
—Jim
Everything kinda hit at once after that in my personal life, work, bough a new house, selling a couple houses, moving, remodeling. Just got hectic. I did not even hunt whitetails this year. Not a single sit. I think the season sacrificed will pay off though.
I’ll throw in some random pics with no order.
—Jim
A lifetime of adventure in one season! Hell of a year Jim!
Got a new little buddy from buddy Kyle a few weeks before Christmas. He is gonna be a little ass kicker! His name is Ace after his Grandpappy Hudgins.
—Jim
Finished off the season with a mule deer hunt in the desert of southern Arizona with my buddy Aaron. It was a tough spot and stalk hunt. Had some stalks but I never really got close killing one. Aaron had a bit better luck.
—Jim
Aarons first Javelina.
—Jim
Lots of desert glass time.
The Mullet of Death is flowing in full force in the desert!
—Jim
That’s it fellas, all I got. January to January. Finish it off with a nice AZ sunset.
Don’t have a ton planned this coming year, but I’m sure I’ll get into some adventures here and there. Thanks for making it to the end.
—Jim
Looks like a fun year! I'd guess my wife and daughter would have prefered I grew a mullet to the ineffable handlebar mustache I have grown!
Congrats a great year Jim, thanks for sharing!
Wow, more action in one year than many get in ten. Very cool.
Awesome season thanks for posting. How many arrows and broad heads did you recover from your hunts. Your living the dream!
Been waiting for this annual Treat thanks for sharing
Awesome! You hit the trifecta in New Mexico!
Awesome, Jim....thanks for the recap and pics! Looking forward to sharing in one of your adventures this year.
Looks like a great 2020, sure to be followed by many more, no doubt....I want to be a JT when I grow up...congrats on a great year
Heck of a year! Thanks for taking us along!
Mullet of death strikes again! Cheers to an even better 2021 buddy!
What kind of dog is that Jim?
Shiloh, which one? The big white one (Gizmo) at the top is a mutt, some kind of Great Pyrenees/lab mix I suspect. Ace is the puppy at the end. He is a Jack Russell Terrier.
—Jim
Fantastic season! Most impressive may be the NM Aoudad. Killing one with a bow is those mountains is no joke....I know you killed him 1st day hunting, but how would you compare probability of success on the Barbary compared to Dall or Stone sheep?
Thanks again for sharing !!
The puppy is what I was wondering about. We have a teddy roosevelt terrier and they look similar. Just curious. Great year!!
Ki-ki—I got way lucky on the aoudad, no doubt. But it’s certainly doable. It was only a 5 day hunt, which I think it awfully short for most bow hunts and especially for a spot stalk sheep hunt!
The outfitter I used had great properties, but I would still consider it a lower percent hunt overall. Hard to compare to the Stone and Dall, but I would say significantly higher. Mainly due to number of animals. Lots more opportunities. And generally good stalking terrain. And obviously way less money, but still a fair chunk, and seems to be climbing rapidly.
—Jim
My hero!! Solid work Jim! Thanks for posting ! Hunt
Congratulations! Heck of a year.
Another great year JT! Here’s to ‘21...
Congrats on a great year and thanks for sharing.
Awesome year as always Jim!
Awesome stuff! Living the dream and making the most of it!!!
Enjoyed your report...thanks and congrats on a fantastic year!
What a great year! Thanks for sharing the pics and recap!
Another year packed with adventure! And maybe the most extraordinary part is that it was a year that was "slowed down" by the Covid Capers.
Jim, you're an inspiration in spontaneity and devil-may-care, living in the moment! I might have an Aoudad if I could be more like you.
Congrats... Your selfie game is ON POINT.... LMAO
Unreal! The Mullet of Death is clearly not a name chosen, but a title earned!
Unreal dude, you’re a machine! Gorgeous places, thanks for sharing
Heckuva season Jim! Thanks for taking the time to post.
Awesome year JT! Can't wait to see what '21 has in store. Way to live life to the fullest!
Geez, Treeman, no wonder it seems like there are more hunters. You and Zackman are as ubiquitous as the Bernie memes! Congrats on an awesome season, and hopefully makes up for last year!
Thanks for sharing! You're living the dream.
A free range aoudad with a bow is quite an accomplishment. Congrats.
Heck of a year, again. Well done, congrats.
Dang, what a year! Thanks for sharing.
JT, Given the numerous out-of-state adventures that you had, I was wondering if you had any quarantine -related challenges....and if so, was wondering if you could share the experiences, outcome, and any suggestions that you might have. Between Florida, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas, and Alaska (plus others that I may have missed). For example, on your Dall sheep hunt.....did you and the guide share a tent, or did you have separate tents?
JT, Given the numerous out-of-state adventures that you had, I was wondering if you had any quarantine -related challenges....and if so, was wondering if you could share the experiences, outcome, and any suggestions that you might have. Between Florida, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas, and Alaska (plus others that I may have missed). For example, on your Dall sheep hunt.....did you and the guide share a tent, or did you have separate tents?
Nice Jim! You got to pack a whole lot of adventure into a year when most just sat it out or was restricted in one way or another. Congrats on all the critters and mostly on all the fun you had. Mullet... don't even know what to say. (mullet of death, sorry)
Awesome year, congrats! Thanks for sharing!
Outstanding year, congratulations. Ed F
Wow! Nice work. Cool photos and cool adventures! Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on an awesome year Jim! Awesome experiences in awesome places! Way to go man!
Thanks for all the nice comments/pm’s/texts guys. 2021 may not be as busy hunting for me but I have a few things in the works, so we will see. Hope everyone gets out as much as they can, and have fun!
—Jim
Jim, I am real sorry you didn't get to do too much hunting this past year :)
Congrats bud, fantastic memories made and it was nice to see you for a bit.
Wow just saw this… Whirlwind year In the future drop me a note when your doing a year like this … I’ll buy some stock in Easton
In the future drop me a note when your doing a year like this … I’ll buy some stock in Easton
Mark, the next time Treeman does something like this will be 2022...and 2023...and 2024...