How many trips?
General Topic
Contributors to this thread:
Several threads on here recently have me thinking.
Im leaving Tuesday for my 5th trip trying to connect with a P&Y coues. So far this has been my hardest feat to accomplish. I was able to shoot a coues on the first trip, but it did not make the minimum entry, so i keep trying.
What have been your hardest won trophies, and how many trips/years did it take you?
Probably my first bull elk. It took me several trips out to Colorado to finally score. I wouldn't trade those early days for anything, it was all so new and exciting, learning the country and how to actually do it. Fun times with dad and my brothers.
I’d have to say my first coues deer hunt. Mine was with Wards outfitters and several bowsite members.
It took me an entire two days to kill a booner…and that was after hitting the fiberglass rod in the blind window and chasing him off…
Sorry thought that would be funny.
One day all the variance will catch up the buck you want will do the wrong thing when you do the right thing( or close enough) As for tough ones I prefer not to think about tough hunts in that sense… just enjoy them Good luck !!
Coues definitely toughest for me, pretty sure it was 3rd trip.
On another note, I have hunted a handful of Midwest states for eastern white tails for 22 years and have two 142” bucks to show for it.
I have less than nine days of elk hunting under my belt over a three year period and have killed a 311”, a 352” and this year a drop tine “club” non typical bull.
Funny how luck can vary from species to species at least for me.
A Kodiak/AK Peninsula Brown Bear, three trips and about 45 days so far. Someday I’ll come across the one meant for me, I’m in no rush.
Trying to kill a really mature cascade blacktail buck on public land. I’ve had so many close calls in the vine maple and old growth timber, and still haven’t connected with big one. I have seen some true once in a lifetime bucks, but haven’t got an arrow in one.
Unfortunately the area I spent tons of time scouting when I first started bow hunting has gone way down hill. The deer population has crashed, and it’s hard to even find sheds from a mature deer now.
The last 3 years it’s all been closed to all access due to wildfires.
Hoping to be able to get up there next spring and do some scouting, and see a rebound in the population after the the closure!
CO bighorn sheep. Took almost two decades to draw the tag. Spent 3+ weeks on the mountain. Saw plenty of ewes and a few lambs...but zero rams. The NR ram tag for that unit was elimiated a year later. At least I got to carry my bow on the mountain with a ram tag in my pocket...many bowhunters never will have the opportunity.
First Bighorn in CO, 5th tag, 60 some hunting days.
Grizzly in BC, 5th tag, 60 some hunting days.
Stone sheep in BC, 6th tag, 60 some hunting days across 8 backpack trips.
BC & NWT Mountain Caribou, 9 or 10 hunts, around 70 days. Finally scored in BC DIY.
Those were the toughest for me as Brown Bear, Coues and Blacktails came relatively easily.
Black wildebeest 2009-2022
Colorado archery Bighorn was a difficult task but managed to arrow a legal ram on my 2nd of 3 tags. I was 30 yards from a big ram but my dad was 14 yards at full draw and I was just watching through my binoculars assuming I was not needing to back him up or that I would have had a chance in the situation. That was my dads 4th CO ram tag and he never harvested one- he passed on some 150” class rams that I certainly would have shot though.
I hunted mule deer for 30 years taking numerous smallish bucks until we moved to Meeker-
For me a pronghorn, spot and stalk, took me years and more trips than I care to admit!
If you believe every day afield regardless of results brings you closer it’s just a matter of time.
It’s the journey we seek.
P&Y-caliber mulie for me. Took me lots of years to kill one and then FedEx lost the rack only days later.
Some might call you stubborn Kurt. A compliment in my world!
Kurt I’m exhausted just reading that post. It’s perseverance like that, that sets guys like you apart. You’re amazing