Hunting 5 out of 7 Weekends in Colorado/Arizona

Joined
Jul 8, 2015
Messages
1,571
Location
Colorado
The weekend before I embark on my second biggest adventure of the year I am packing everything and anything I can think of. I’m going over my lists and checking them twice ;) The reason this is my second biggest adventure of the year is because my wife and I just had our first kid. She was born September 8, 2017. As much as I love to hunt archery season and spent quite of bit of money buying some new gear to test out this year, having our first child meant more to me than anything. So this year I hung up the bow and forgo hunting bugling bulls in the rut and pronghorn on the prairie.

Once we found out we were going to have a baby everything changed. I immediately knew that I would not be hunting during bow season. As my wife and I were expecting the greatest change in our life up to this point, I was trying to figure out how to plan my fall 2017 hunting season. The 2016 season was very busy with archery bull elk (myself and a buddy), 1st season cow elk (wife), 2nd season elk (buddy), 3rd season buck deer (myself and a buddy), and a Buck Coues Deer hunt in Arizona (brother) . After careful planning I ended up picking up a buck deer tag in the leftover draw for 3rd season and drawing a 4th season bull elk tag. My buddy wanted to hunt with me again during 2nd season for elk and my brother drew a December tag in Arizona. So as it turns out I will be going 5 out of 7 weekends. I’d be going 6 out of 7 weekends; however our baby girl will be getting baptized that weekend.

My job allows me to have the weekends free and I have 18 days this year to take off. I already took off 6 for our first born so now I am down to 12. I am planning on taking the day off before first season, the Wednesday – Friday of 4th season, and an additional 3 days for my brothers Arizona hunt. I am not taking off a day for 3rd season because my job observes Veterans’ Day on November 10th.

First Hunt
The first hunt is a 2nd season tag for elk in an OTC unit that I have hunted 4 times. I or buddies have been successful 2 out of the 4 times. Being the first hunt of the year I am giddy. We plan on tent camping in a new location that I think will get us closer to bigger bulls. We will be camping in tents next to the truck, something completely new to me, as I have always either backpacked in or stayed in a camper. Last weekend the low was 5 degrees F, so it has the potential to be very cold. The -30 degree sleeping bag I ordered a few months ago seems like a good purchase. I do not have a tag and will be going with three other buddies, one who hunted the area last year with me and two other guys who are completely new to big game hunting. As I write this they are driving to my house to go over gear lists. I always look forward to these types of hunts, because I love introducing new people into hunting. So far in my life, 27 years old, I have introduced 5 people to western big game hunting. It is something that I am very passionate about and cannot wait until my daughter is old enough to follow her daddy around in the woods.

I plan on posting pictures before and after each hunt.

P8urYKQ.jpg


7LKZd6i.jpg
 
Joined
Jul 18, 2015
Messages
1,214
Location
Colorado
I'll try to make those 3 days off in Arizona worth it :) It's going to be a fun season regardless of what hits the dirt. I look forward to the pictures
 
Top