Got Lucky in the big game draws

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Huh... forgot I had put in for Wyoming until the results came out yesterday. Crazy lucky, busy year this fall is going to be:

I drew a Utah Limited Entry Muzzleloader Bull Elk tag with 8 points. This is a trophy tag for any size bull. I've never killed a bull before but have access to private ground with tons of elk hanging around, should be relatively easy to get a nice 6pt. Set up a lawn chair in the trees 100yards from a big wallow on the property and just hang out till the "right one" wanders through.

I also drew normal Muzzleloader buck deer (runs the same week as the elk, but in a completely different unit... not sure how that's going to work out).

I found out yesterday I drew a Buck Pronghorn tag in Wyoming with 6 points. Same unit my wife drew last year and shot her biggest ever buck.

My wife drew a trophy Mule Deer tag in the coveted Book Cliffs area of Utah.

My boy drew a general, 3 season buck deer tag (good for archer, ML and rifle seasons). Not sure how we will fit in ML and Rifle hunting as it conflicts with my elk and the wifes deer seasons.

So... busy busy busy... AND I have to somehow fit all of this into time off in the new job (that was a big point of concern in my joining them).

If I get the time to hunt, its going to be pretty fun. I look forward to shooting one of those big old stinky bull elk.

-DallanC

Vince

WOW, you have really lucked out this year mate. More hunting than you might be able to handle and a new higher paying job to boot.

Good luck with the hunts mate...you should have a ball.

Pics to follow of course.

slimjim

Glad you had good luck with the draws, Dallan! I'm going to have to buy land-owner tags for Pronghorn and cow elk this fall if I want meat in the freezer. Also lost my great deer lease so have to find a new place to hunt.

Elvis

Dallan you best get your knives nice n sharp,that wife and son of yours shoot pretty darn straight and I reckon you might need to think about adding another freezer too.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Vince wrote:

WOW, you have really lucked out this year mate. More hunting than you might be able to handle and a new higher paying job to boot.

Ha, its only slightly more than I made... to be honest, I'm A-OK with that. I was worried I'd have to take a large drop in pay starting at a new place. Being able to stay roughly at the same spot is a boon.

Elvis wrote:

Dallan you best get your knives nice n sharp,that wife and son of yours shoot pretty darn straight and I reckon you might need to think about adding another freezer too.

You know we added a 2nd cheap chest freezer last year. My wifes been making jerky like crazy to try and burn through what elk / antelope we still have. As for knives... its the stupidest thing, I have ALOT of really nice knives. When I'm standing there over a downed critter 90% of the time the nice knife is back in the truck, back with the ATV, or even back with the backpack I dropped while chasing said critter.

Of all the nice knives I have... by orders of magnitude I've gutted the most critters with this dumb thing, only because its ALWAYS in my pocket:

Leatherman PS4 Squirt

Prolly cleaned a dozen elk with it, couple dozen pronghorn... cant even guess how many mule deer... and several thousand fish. Seriously, all the money I've spent on cool knives, this thing is what almost always gets used, cuz its always with me.

-DallanC

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

slimjim wrote:

Glad you had good luck with the draws, Dallan! I'm going to have to buy land-owner tags for Pronghorn and cow elk this fall if I want meat in the freezer. Also lost my great deer lease so have to find a new place to hunt.

Its really unfortunately how freaking complicated the application process is for hunting in the west, and all the paperwork, leg work etc required for the draws. It turns off alot of folk.

People that do understand it, to the point you see the loopholes and whatnot, can draw a large number of tags over the years. We have a current loophole allowing people that know about it, a 100% chance to draw general deer. Its lame for those that dont know about it... and rumor is the DWR will make a change to eliminate it this fall.

But thats what it takes anymore, being nearly a lawyer to understand the complexities and to see how to take advantage of it.

I'll keep my ear open for a cheap cow tag.

-DallanC

Pumpkinslinger

Sounds like an enjoyable season ahead!

I keep a Leatherman Micra in my pocket all the time. I've just about worn the hinge pin out so the scissors are kinda wobbly. Best $20 I ever spent!

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

Sounds like an enjoyable season ahead!

I keep a Leatherman Micra in my pocket all the time. I've just about worn the hinge pin out so the scissors are kinda wobbly. Best $20 I ever spent!

I had a micra for a while, but switched over to the PS4 Squirt because pliers are more useful than scissors.

-DallanC

Aloysius

DallanC wrote:

slimjim wrote:

Glad you had good luck with the draws, Dallan! I'm going to have to buy land-owner tags for Pronghorn and cow elk this fall if I want meat in the freezer. Also lost my great deer lease so have to find a new place to hunt.

Its really unfortunately how freaking complicated the application process is for hunting in the west, and all the paperwork, leg work etc required for the draws. It turns off alot of folk.

People that do understand it, to the point you see the loopholes and whatnot, can draw a large number of tags over the years. We have a current loophole allowing people that know about it, a 100% chance to draw general deer. Its lame for those that dont know about it... and rumor is the DWR will make a change to eliminate it this fall.

But thats what it takes anymore, being nearly a lawyer to understand the complexities and to see how to take advantage of it.

I'll keep my ear open for a cheap cow tag.

-DallanC

it sounds like Europe... do you know I have to send several papers every year before I'm allowed to shoot a crow or a magpie? They are protected by Europian laws... I hope the recent devellopment in the UK will bring some common sence back into these overpayed politicians and their army of employees. I also don't need them to make a rule that my vacuumcleaner should be less than 800 W. And now the Netherlands are trying to get there rules on fire-arms applied in entire Europe... the Netherlands can be named California-of-Europe: no guns, free drugs and sex industry...
tumbs up for Great-Brittain! In my opinion a lot of politicians would get very nasty feelings when the rest of Europe was also allowed to vote on this matter...