Midwestmatt
FNG
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2021
- Messages
- 22
Well I have been browsing the site for a little while and I am ready to jump on in. It is nice to see people being able to talk and not getting pounced on. So here it goes…
My name is Matt and I am in my mid 30s from Carbondale, Illinois (no that’s not close to Chicago. Southern Illinois not Illinois, there is a difference
). I have lived here my whole life doing different types of hunting and outdoor recreation. Deer (archery,shotgun) for most of my life casually and did a stent chasing waterfowl for many years. Waterfowl has shifted paths in the flyway and numbers are down. Therefore I don’t use any of my increasingly valuable time to fight the young guns to get a good spot that isn’t good like it used to be. I have ramped up my whitetail hunting over the last few years getting more serious with age.
Now on to my new found passion! I would have a hard time believing that too many western hunting newbies are as obsessed as I have been. It started in the fall of 2020 when my in-laws invited me to join them on a Colorado trip for 2021. Western hunting was something I always wanted to do and this got me kick started.
I have fallen in love with the process! I have been bad about changing hobbies over the years but feel I have found myself. I have been able to ball up many things I love into one passion. Hunting, adventure, shooting, exercise, eating good, and learning! I have lived EVERY SINGLE DAY since the invite trying to drown myself in the western hunting lifestyle. In my first year I read half a dozen books (including Robby’s book which I loved), couple hundred podcasts, threads, maps, gear reviews, you name it. I have pushed my mind and body to new levels and conquered things I never imagined…and I am just getting started.
I can’t put into words the life changing experience I have had during my first adventure to the west. I wish I could spend more time in the mountains but someday I will figure out how to do that. Until then I will not miss a draw or an opportunity to stretch my legs as high as I can.
I hope to be value to someone along the way if not for anything but at least some encouragement. I am currently planning my short and long term hunts for backcountry Mulies and eventually some elk. If anyone has any Illinois whitetail questions feel free to reach out.
My name is Matt and I am in my mid 30s from Carbondale, Illinois (no that’s not close to Chicago. Southern Illinois not Illinois, there is a difference
). I have lived here my whole life doing different types of hunting and outdoor recreation. Deer (archery,shotgun) for most of my life casually and did a stent chasing waterfowl for many years. Waterfowl has shifted paths in the flyway and numbers are down. Therefore I don’t use any of my increasingly valuable time to fight the young guns to get a good spot that isn’t good like it used to be. I have ramped up my whitetail hunting over the last few years getting more serious with age. Now on to my new found passion! I would have a hard time believing that too many western hunting newbies are as obsessed as I have been. It started in the fall of 2020 when my in-laws invited me to join them on a Colorado trip for 2021. Western hunting was something I always wanted to do and this got me kick started.
I have fallen in love with the process! I have been bad about changing hobbies over the years but feel I have found myself. I have been able to ball up many things I love into one passion. Hunting, adventure, shooting, exercise, eating good, and learning! I have lived EVERY SINGLE DAY since the invite trying to drown myself in the western hunting lifestyle. In my first year I read half a dozen books (including Robby’s book which I loved), couple hundred podcasts, threads, maps, gear reviews, you name it. I have pushed my mind and body to new levels and conquered things I never imagined…and I am just getting started.
I can’t put into words the life changing experience I have had during my first adventure to the west. I wish I could spend more time in the mountains but someday I will figure out how to do that. Until then I will not miss a draw or an opportunity to stretch my legs as high as I can.
I hope to be value to someone along the way if not for anything but at least some encouragement. I am currently planning my short and long term hunts for backcountry Mulies and eventually some elk. If anyone has any Illinois whitetail questions feel free to reach out.
