Contributors to this thread:
Do you have any fitness or hunting goals for the new year?
I'm already registered for some insane running and triathlon events that's going to keep my fitness in check all year. Included is a half Ironman in June and a 100 mile trail race in October.
For hunting, the goal is to kill my first mule deer, spot and stalk in Colorado and a solid 130"+ public land whitetail at home.
After a "learning" year in Wyoming using all doe/cow tags, we are looking forward to 2020 when we are officially residents.
Goals: - Find an elk :-) - Mulie buck - Get back into fishing - Continue to have fun !
Less time on bowsite and the leatherwall, more time shooting, scouting, hiking, etc.
Fitness wise I plan to lose 30 pounds (and keep it off this time) and am strongly considering trying to do our half marathon here in September if I'm not elk hunting.
My hunting goals for this year are to finally get my buddy his first archery bull elk, get my son his first bow kill, and to kill my first animal with trad gear. If I get a little luck in the draw maybe kill an elk for myself. Otherwise I'll just stack up the turkeys, deer, and antelope here at home.
I am pulling back in 2020. Going to stay in my home state. Have some buddies coming out elk hunting and will pour my season into that.
One very easy to accomplish goal- not miss the seek phase.
I’m going to see what this moose hunting hype is all about. Trying to make an antelope hunt happen also. I can also always be in better shape, probably slacked off a little more than usual this past year.
Shooting- get back to basics, but also make more arrows land exactly where they are supposed to (it's a "fine line").
Bowhunting- just want to keep my freezer filled...looking forward to the annual elk hunt with KHNC. Need to find another place to harvest some pigs...
A goal of mine for years is to kill a Colorado Bull elk with my recurve bow. Almost did that two years ago but lost the bull to a misplaced shot. I still remember that loss, and that makes me pick up the compound bow but then, maybe not this season or next. ........................my best, Paul
Good post. I hope you all stay accountable throughout the year and do what you need to do, starting today, to make them happen.
My goal above all else is to keep my kids opportunity as priority number one. They stacked em up last year. Lots of fun hunts ahead with them. I have a third boy with tags this coming year. You only have so much time with them so I want to make sure I'm helping and spending as much time as possible together in the woods. There is nothing better. Watching them drop the string and pull the trigger does more for me than if I were the one doing it. Pretty fun to watch the progression and hear my older ones tell me they want to do their own stalks and sits this year without me over their shoulder:) We're gonna make that happen.
Personally.....I made the switch to a long bow last season. Was able to kill a bear with it but I missed two bulls and took feathers off two turkeys. Passed too many deer, shoulda killed one..but was being too picky. A wise man told me one time "You need to become a killer first. Then we will worry about size. Go kill some Critters!" I need to get back in kill mode and outta my own way. Gonna keep at it. I'm filling all of my tags this year.
I'm with Paul on this one. Going to give the recurve another go on elk. Blew it on two bulls last year. Going to work on getting into better shape for both hunting and trying to get hired on in a FD in Colorado. That's my main goal for 2020.
My goal for 2020 is to be in the best shape I can be in by September. Hope to take my first elk and as always my goal is to have fun on every hunt!
1000 pound 3-lift combo (bench, dead, squat) ... for fitness.
For hunting ... TBA. I do want/need to improve my shooting -- rifle, and archery -- and so that's a good start of a goal, but it needs to be more specific. 2019 was a year of "not-so-much" in hunting, or at least in bringing things home. Lots of planning to do here.
Finally started elk hunting last year (not just having a tag in my pocket) and this year I want to kill one! Be nice to draw a Dall sheep tag once or a bison but I really suck at draws and raffles.
Help my two buddies get a couple of CO Mulies and maybe chase a few elk around while I am there.
I guess if anything try to not get fat again. Or I could just say eat shitty tasting food. Stick to the gym, been a regular for 8 months.
My goals, have a good time in the out doors. Have Canada fishing, Kansas deer, New Mex elk Kansas pheasants, and several others hunts planned.
Taking my state retirement but gonna keep working. Save a ton of money and draw Iowa and take a month to kill a giant. Buy a nice big 5th wheel and hunt incomfort for whitetails in several states and enjoy my grand kids!! At 55 I want to start enjoying life more! Shawn
Scooby- I like your goals! Sounds like fun. Way to go on retiring at 55. Thats pretty cool. Lots of fun ahead.
1) Kill a big black bear 2) Kill a big brown bear 3) Kill a big whitetail buck at home 4) Kill a big whitetail buck in Iowa 5) Kill a coyote
Hopefully finish all 5 species of deer. Had a goal in 2019 to kill all 5 in a calendar year, and failed on the 5th right before Thanksgiving. Very disappointed in myself for not succeeding. Had every opportunity to be successful and mucked it up more than once.
Also hopefully draw a cool tag in CO or MT.
Hopefully get my kids both a deer with a crossbow if they are into it still. They've gone a few times with it so far and just couldn't get the stars to align. And before I get ridiculed for the kids and a crossbow, they are 6 and can't pull the legal pounds back.
And need to keep in shape, had some foot issues that I think I've got resolved so should be good to go there
Retire end of May. Then hunt and fish like everyday is Saturday
NV Mtn Lions and Spring Brown Bears over bait will be next up. Haven’t mapped out fall 2020 yet but it will be sure to include Mtn Goats, Dall Sheep, Sitka Blacktails, Whitetails, hopefully Antelope, and Moose.
I’ll be building a cabin at bear camp this spring so that is the main goal for the first half of 2020. Other than that my goals are mainly to improve my physical health and keep on keepin on!
Kudos to all the guys taking kids hunting. Thanks for passing it on!
^^^^ Jealous...… Good for you Brad!
Try to repeat 2019. An incredible year in so many ways. Also hoping to get a job transfer, but that's out of my hands. I too really want to focus on fitness this year. Maybe I should hire Nick as a fitness coach;) 100 mile trail run is nusto!
My goal is to not have a year like Embryoklahoma did! Haha had to Rick!
Drew all the cool tags last couple years. Looking forward to hunting the “normal” elk and deer this year
Going to get back into sheep shape by July.
Like many, depends upon the draws... but since I did not hunt a day in 2019, I plan on making the best out of 2020.
It would be nice to harvest some things on the weekends or throughout the year. My top 3 targets are Brown Bear, Dall Ram, and Sitka Blacktail. But I’ll definitely have tags for other animals while I’m hunting those.
A mature buck with my stickbow.
Since I joined an archery club in 1956 I've pretty much met all my goals. 2020 I hope to shoot our state field & target championships. Midwest outdoor field sectionals. NFAA target Nationals in Yankton, S.D. & our indoor state championships. Hunting, working on setting up an Antelope bowhunt with son & a couple others. Maybe a out of state Deer hunt + Shoot 3-Ds for fun with my son & his buddies & my G-kids that shoot too. home state Deer. Maybe arrow a Hog & a Deer with my Longbow.
I need to lose some weight and get in shape.
My every year goal is to kill a whitetail over 150”.
Kill a P&Y elk
Have Africa booked, I really want a bushbuck with a bow. Maybe a Nyala. Maybe another kudu. :)
Have a fun shed season with my daughter’s dog that we had trained for sheds. Hoping he can find some sheds and my daughter and I can have fun with him this spring.
Bake
I'll do my normal WY stuff. I might cash in my IA points. Also lots of Flyfishing since I just started this past year. I'd really like to draw a buffalo tag.
Save money, move to a smaller house, for my wife Lana to kill another great buck, for Hess to sink his boat and Nick to keep his damn shirt on. And for everyone that touches K114 this year comes out with some great memories and some meat for your freezers!
Pretty much keep the Steady flow I have going to continue and spend more time on the mountain with the grand daughter when she is in town.
Do a couple more of my Photo Scouting trips for fellow bowsiters that draw a tag out here in our Rocky Mnt. states.
Good luck, Robb
To kill a bigger bull than last year.
Other than that I just want to pay off my 21 Saskatchewan bear hunt and 22 Alaska moose/caribou hunt.
Oh and I need to find a new spot to hunt whitetails. I’m looking at SE Kentucky. Pa sucks!
It's been a long year for me but I've managed to stay in halfway decent shape. I've got nothing planned yet, but I'm really wanting to do some more trail runs this year. This is the last weekend of our deer season, so I'll be able to start concentrating on a fitness routine.
We moved halfway across the state this summer so I've got alot of new land to explore. I would like to be able to kill a mature buck with my bow this fall. I'm not sure if I'm going to head west this year to hunt, or just concentrate on learning as much as I can around home. We'll see what I feel like doing as the draws approach.
2020 fitness wise im going to row 1,500,000 meters on my rower and hike a bunch of places, as for hunting, 2020 is going to be hard to beat after my 2019 season, But Addax, is high on list, and looking forward to an awesome, Hawaiian hunting trip
Is that a Concept II, Zebra? Killer goal on the 1,500,000 meters! A group of us did a partner marathon row a while back. Grueling!
Continue to run and exercise daily. Have reason to feel optimistic each day I go into the woods that something great will happen today. Can’t ask for more than that. It’s about the anticipation
I have the same two goals this year as every other year: draw an elk tag, and don't miss!
Goal number one is to accomplish all my goals! Its going to be hard to top this year, 5 different species with a couple making pope and young but I am going to try like hell to top it!
Got a couple of hunts booked for 2020 with Bowsiters - nilgai in Texas and Columbia blacktails In Oregon.
Will be the first time for hunting either of them and, if I get a Columbia blacktail, it will complete my NA deer slam with a longbow.
Will have to see what else pops up on the draws this year. Going into lots of draws with lots of points so will probably pull at least one or two good tags.
Would really like to get a bear in Colorado (my nemesis) and hopefully pull a sheep tag somewhere!
I've already failed at my first goal, to not gain my usual winter 5#s. I really would like to lose 10. Would make my spring/summer 3 mile runs much easier. Haven't really set any hunting goals yet. Depends a lot on whether I get drawn for IA. If I don't, I will be hunting SD again. Would like to get a P&Y whitetail this year somewhere.
My goal is to somehow get rid of a going on 4year cough that has plague me. If I don't the rest will not matter.
Less tv, more constructive home improvement, more hands on craft work and art (drawing), and building my HHB Selfbow. MORE scripture reading and study, and more constructive work around home so come bow season, I will be less constrained and guilt ridden when I DO go hunting. Work now, play later, is the best policy.
Started running and watching my diet last year and lost 20 lbs. I've still got about 15 more I'd like to see go in 2020. Did a few 10K's last year and have my first half marathon coming up at the end of March. Can't believe I'm saying it but running is awesome. I decided last year that 25 to 35 years old should be the prime of my life and being 30 lbs heavier than I need to be and a little out of shape just isn't necessary.
March will mark my 57th birthday and one year retired. Most of the major projects are complete so it's time to put down some tracks in places I've never been. It may be on horseback or on foot. Either way it's great to explore and see new country! I may also pick up a recurve and see how proficient and confident I can get. Lastly, I hope to tag along with my daughter in Montana on one of her deer, elk or lion hunts for some precious father/daughter time!
To actually have one of my adopted fathers buy me a sheep hunt. They have been very “absent” as guardians
For God's sake, Feedjake, don't do it! You'll wreck your knees, your hips, your feet, and ankles!!!
Haha....welcome to the addiction!
Last year I dropped 70lbs and really went hard for Bighorn sheep here in Alberta. My goal this year is to get my first ram on an OTC tag here in Alberta
Been in a little bit of a slump the last two seasons. Considering just chilling out and only hunting deer this next year. Maybe bears cause its easy and close. Maybe even throw in a rifle hunt for the first time in years. It's always nice to have something to plan, but with a young family and growing business, I might just need an easy year, to get my head right again, and make sure enjoyment is there. I bet my wife would appreciate it too :) It seems almost silly saying that as my hunting seasons are an afternoon nap in comparison to some on here.
My goal for 2020 is to take my kids out west on a hunt. Wyoming antelope should fit the bill nicely, assuming the draws cooperate.
1. Get my daughter her first turkey this spring - hopefully she's ready 2. Bring my dad to WY for antelope, assuming we draw 3. Arrow my first elk
To keep that horseshoe in my ass
To steal carcus’ horse shoe without him knowing
APauls better bring out the strong whisky
Be a good person, do right by my family, friends and everyone I can. Then bowhunt my ass off. I been hovering around 30ish days bow hunting in the field for the last few years. I would like to add to that if possible.
To be in the best shape I can be, with the inspiration and push from super-fit girlfriend. Get said girlfriend her first turkey. End my WY jinx on elk with a respectable general bull.
And I, too, hope to keep that horseshoe in my ass!
Fitness: 4 miles in under 28 minutes and to do more weightlifting. Weightlifting is painful for me but important for body composition. Hunting: Boone and Crockett whitetail, Antelope by spot and stalk (please, Lord), get more familiar with the local public land swamp. Best of luck to all in 2020.
To find the horseshoe that must have fallen out of my ass.
Staying healthy and upright if I have to go to Israel with a bullet spitter.
Live hard, you’ll be hard.
Stay in the top five of selfbow shooters in nation IBO Worlds.
Cut enough premium hedge-apple, skin it and seal up in tobacca barn to last for the rest of my days.
Eat my freezers empty, then to fill all them again in 2020-21 season. God Willin.
K
1 200 plus point mike deer
4 bull elk. 4 states. All no less than 340
Lots of bill and tarpon fishing starting in about a month
2019 was a tough one for me and my family, so...see 2021 and watch my son (12) take his first elk. Good luck in the draws everyone and happy 2020.
Stop procrastinating and lose some weight.
Probably best to do that in 2021. Hmm, do believe it's time for second breakfast though.
Stay healthy. Everything else I want and need to do will come if I can stay healthy.
To see 2021. Be the best dad and husband I can be. Praying to break my jinx for mule deer. Watch dad kill a turkey with the special turkey gun I got him.
