The elk and deer are there, (not plentiful like michaema2 said), but you'll earn every one you get and more than likely you'll have the wrong tag in hand when you see them, it just seems to work that way in 39!
Find yourself a good pedorthist and have a pair of custom orthotics made. Yes they are expensive, but when you wear them every day they make a world of difference. Hunters will spend hundreds of dollars on all kinds of gear they use occasionally, but are unwilling to purchase something that will...
I'll quote Manfred Von Richthofen (The Red Baron) as it pertains to the equipment necessary to be successful,"The quality of the box matters little. Success depends upon the man who sits in it." Ergo it really comes down to the shooter; their shooting ability, their ethics, their preparation...
I am not getting the bad angle, far distance argument. Just don't shoot. Are we as hunter so consumed with filling our freezer that we convince ourselves that taking a marginal shot is ok, rationalizing that the wolves/bears/ coyotes will clean it up if we do a poor job on our end? Just don't shoot!
Super Tag, Have you seen the Wayne Van Zwoll video where he shoots a bull elk at 603 yards with a Hornaday 129 grain SST and gets complete penetration? It might change your opinion of the capability and penetration of a 6.5MM projectile. I will have to side with mxgsfmdpx on this one!
I have shot exactly one elk with the Creedmor's Swedish cousin. 200 yards with a 140 grain Core-Lokt bullet. One shot in it's bed and it never twitched, walked up to a very dead elk. One is not a great sample size but it's enough for me to not question the 6.5's effectiveness.
I have basically hunted OTC elk every year for the past 25 years. I have seen, been close to, and wished I had the right tag nearly every year. For me finding elk hasn't necessarily been the issue and I hunt units with lots of folks in it. I would rather spend a week hunting than wishing for...
And now it will cost you an arm and a leg for gas to get here unless you fly and then with the airlines the way they are you'll be delayed! In the end it's only money and you can't take it with you but the memories remain!
ForwardFlight, There are some good mulies in 39, my nephew shot a whopper last fall. Most of the mulies I have seen are not that big. . If you shoot a nice four point you're doing good. Third season is good if the snow has fallen up high, if not go high to find the bigger bucks. Lately we've had...
I ended up giving the pack to my nephew, he loves it and desperately needed it. I thought to myself how much pack do I need considering most of my hunts are day hunts. I ended up getting a 3V Gear Paratus Three Day Assault Pack. The first time I put it on I loved it. I have a very short torso...
Drew a buck tag in my usual haunts, but I am thinking of turning it in depending on if there are left over deer tags for unit out east since I am moving that direction, we'll see.