Hunting for an experience over an animal

[MuleyFever]

As I prepare to put in for another CO deer tag I find myself torn between a new experience and a possibly slightly better opportunity at success. Now I am not talking about a virtual OIL tag for an above average shot at a true OIL buck. I am just talking about a little higher success rate against a new experience. Due to some draw luck, or lack of, and taking time to burn elk points over a deer hunt, I have some points in the deer draw this year. I could possibly draw a unit I hunted a few years back and killed a 180" buck in but, I also could draw a high country unit I have wanted to hunt for a while. I am really leaning to the new unit for the new experience.

Anyone else tend to lean to new adventures over the "been there, done that"?

 

[Mike Islander]

Except for going for venison or squirrel (my favorite game meat), all my hunting trips are for experience. Bringing home an animal is icing on the cake.

 

[Kevin Dill]

You bet! I hunted the same area in Alaska for 6 straight years....then I left one of the finest game areas I know to go find a new experience. Getting out and exploring is in my blood....more than simply the success of killing. I go stale hunting the same areas. My wife says I always need the next mountain to climb.

 

[Austink47]

Trust your gut, hunting a new unit is fun. Plus hunting in the shadow of previous success can taint the experience. since you are heading else where you could PM me the basin your big deer came out of.

 

[MuleyFever]

You bet! I hunted the same area in Alaska for 6 straight years....then I left one of the finest game areas I know to go find a new experience. Getting out and exploring is in my blood....more than simply the success of killing. I go stale hunting the same areas. My wife says I always need the next mountain to climb.

I can relate. My wife would say the same. No matter where I am I tend to beat myself up just to see whats over there. I am getting older and collecting experiences are trumping collecting antlers.

 

[Kevin Dill]

The pursuit of antlers pales in comparison to the pursuit of true adventure.

 

[MuleyFever]

Trust your gut, hunting a new unit is fun. Plus hunting in the shadow of previous success can taint the experience. since you are heading else where you could PM me the basin your big deer came out of.

You make a good observation about hunting in the shadow of previous success. Hunting that area again will likely create an expectation that could be hard to meet. A new adventure carries no expectations and therefor has a higher likelihood of becoming a positive experience.

And no, you cannot have my honey hole.

 

[Fatcamp]

The pursuit of antlers pales in comparison to the pursuit of true adventure.

Took it.

 

[Rich M]

Sounds like you know what you want to do. Go climb that mountain and enjoy.

 

[Voyageur]

I can relate. My wife would say the same. No matter where I am I tend to beat myself up just to see whats over there. I am getting older and collecting experiences are trumping collecting antlers.

Don't fight it. Go for the experience. It's a natural part of the maturation process as a hunter. As you follow the call for new adventure the quality your outdoor time will astound you with its ever increasing depth of meaning. The good old days are always right now...for each and every one of us.

 

[BluMtn]

We are no longer gatherers because of necessity. We hunt because we get to go out and explore, challenge ourselves against the elements and if we are lucky we get to harvest an animal that sumwhat satisfies our gathering need until the next hunt. I tell people that I hike with a rifle, I am to the point in my life where I don't have to harvest any game, but to sit on a high area and glass the huge expanses of our great land still sends chills through my body. And as mentioned above I like the challenge of finding out what is over the next ridge. Plus I like the challenge of knowing that I am still capable of getting to the top of the next mountain.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

As I prepare to put in for another CO deer tag I find myself torn between a new experience and a possibly slightly better opportunity at success. Now I am not talking about a virtual OIL tag for an above average shot at a true OIL buck. I am just talking about a little higher success rate against a new experience. Due to some draw luck, or lack of, and taking time to burn elk points over a deer hunt, I have some points in the deer draw this year. I could possibly draw a unit I hunted a few years back and killed a 180" buck in but, I also could draw a high country unit I have wanted to hunt for a while. I am really leaning to the new unit for the new experience.

Anyone else tend to lean to new adventures over the "been there, done that"?

Those alpine only deer hunts sound sweet.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

When I was younger, teens and twenties all I cared about was putting antlers on the wall and birds on the water. And don't get me wrong I still enjoy that, but I find the older I get the more I just want to go for the experience. Just like the caribou in my avatar, that trip was planned solely for the experience and boy was it ever an experience! I have a trip planned with my wife to the north Brooks for sheep this year, and right now I'm perfectly fine with sitting in base camp with her for 9 days and enjoying my yearly cleanse.

 

[timekiller13]

As I have gotten older, the experience is what matters the most. I gave up some prime whitetail hunting leases here in my home state so I would force myself to go explore the millions of acres of public land that my state has to offer. Do I kill as many deer? No. But, I have more fun hunting public land over the last few years than I have in the last decade of hunting prime private leases.

And the experience is what drives me to start exploring other types of hunts. It's why I plan on putting in for certain tags, such as cow moose or Bighorn Ewe tags, not just to kill an animal, but to experience a different type of hunting and a different area. It's also why I apply to some other states for elk hunting. I plan on going to the same OTC unit every couple of years for elk, but I also want to explore other states, different terrain, different environments.

So I say go for the experience.

 

[Kevin Dill]

.....but to sit on a high area and glass the huge expanses of our great land still sends chills through my body.

2 words: Puffy Jacket



Seriously great post....agreed 100%.

 

[Diesel]

It is the evolution of a young hunter from gotta own the animal to just be among the animals as your experiences accrue.

You guys get it

 

[CougarBlue]

Memories are the only thing I'm planning on taking with me after this life. Would rather have big experiences over big antlers if I have to choose between the two.

 

[Beendare]

I've hunted 25 different units for elk....so yeah, I like to see new country and love the experience.

There is no doubt getting to know and area leads to higher success...but on the other hand there is a certain satisfaction in figuring out a new spot.

____

 

[lif]

I have a priority list when hunting. 1. Meat 2. Adventure 3. Trophy. I’ve hunted most of the states in the west and I hunt a different spot almost every hunt. I’ve told people this and they think I’m crazy for going blind to a new area all the time, but I almost always fill my tag one way or another and I always have that adventure and exploring itch scratched. Chase experiences while you can.

 

[CJohnson]

One of my favorite hunting memories was from my first trip out west was watching my uncle fall into waist deep snow trying to get on a horse because his rain pants were four sizes too big. I'm dying laughing about it right now. We shot an elk less than an hour later. But, I'll never let my bada** uncle forget about how he couldn't keep his pants up while trying to get on his horse.