Early 2015 Plans?

[WapitiTalk1]

Geez Louise, it's only a bit more than 9 months away till the next wapiti season! What are your early plans for the 2015 season (state, bow/rifle/smokepole, hoping for a permit draw, OTC, partner(s), packing in, base camping, Riverside Motel in Long Snout, Montana, solo, dropped, guided, Headin West Hunt Consulting, etc.)? I start planning my next year's adventure during the curent season Whaddya you cats plan on doing (well, besides on knocking down a big old stinky elk) for the 2015 season? RJ

[zpd307]

rory, sounds like I might be looking for a new spot again. some place a little more remote. my partner was unhappy with the amount hunters going by our camp every day. they didn't bother me because I was all ready out of camp and I only ran into 2 other hunters during the trip. I heard plenty of dirt bikes around though....
so I might be heading just over to the other side of the mountain. based on idahos site, that unit had 2/3rds less hunters with almost the same success percentages and 6 point percentages.... but its steep country, that's why I didn't go there this year. I knew he couldn't handle it... my buddy had a come to jesus epiphany and wants to actually train this year so that he can handle the hunt. he was talking about hunting a wilderness area...
anyway, if that's the case, I might look into Montana as well. just because the drive would be less....
on the other hand, it will be hard to pass up on an area that I had the most success with ever....

[Indian Summer]

1st week of July, muskie fishing on Lake St Clair.

1st week of August, Sturgis.

September 10 to 25, Alaska for moose.

2nd week of October, elk in Wyoming.

If I can do it without getting fired.... 4th week of October Montana for elk.

One way or another I'm filling the freezer again.

I have an interesting plan already for 2016 too. The goal will be to kill a bull over 350 and a mulie buck over 180 with very real possibilities of 380 and 200+.

[Brendan]

Going to start being much more active in playing the preference point game and applying for draws in multiple states starting this year.

Possible non-hunting/fishing trip to Chile and Argentina.

If nothing changes - I'll be back in Montana for 2 weeks of archery elk solo / DIY / general tag, probably in the same area. If I tag out early will use the extra time for mule deer or antelope.

Bowhunting for Whitetail around home, Whitetail rifle opener in Pennsylvania.

[Puttncut]

I'll be taking my new son-in-law on his first elk hunt - and my first bivy hunt - the last two weeks of the Colorado bow season. We'll camp down in a San Juan hole that I know pretty well but never over-nighted so I'm a bit aprehensive but excited too. The last friend that went with me flatly refused to drop down in there so come Sept. 15 it'll be game on!! We've been working on a single-wheel game cart to carry our junk...reading all I can...debating on flying out or making the 29 hour drive. And I really hate the stairmaster...but this will pass.

[Ridge Ghost]

I always hunt as a Montana resident and don't put in for other states. This year will consist of the following:

A few local weekend hunts for spring bear, but it's hard to pull myself away from fly fishing the skwala hatch at this time. I just bought a new drift boat this winter, so there's added reason to get it out.

Scouting a few new elk spots this summer. I need more good options for when Plan A and Plan B don't go so well (like this past year), or catch on fire, etc.

Day hunts and short weekend trips for archery elk, along with taking either the third our fourth week of September off and doing a backpack hunt.

One extended weekend for rifle antelope if I get drawn.

As many weekends as I can get away with during rifle for mule deer and elk if I still have tags. As soon as I'm tagged out I'll be back on the rivers, ripping streamers for spawning browns.

[under H2O hunter]

Hoping to split my month of September between Wyoming and Colorado, I will then hunt 1st rifle season in Colorado then head back up to Wyoming if I don't fill the archery tag to fill it with my Rifle so I am pretty much gonna be gone for two months hunting elk. I will be spending my summer spearfishing for walleye and scouting out some new places both in Colorado and Wyoming. Part of my plans is to spend a week Bivy hunting deep into a wilderness area. The area I hunted last year has become an orange pumpkin patch during the muzzle loading season so I am hoping to get away from that the 3rd week. If I am unsuccessful then I'll head back for the final week of the season to my old faithful spot. My issues are that I have extended offers for guys to hunt with me and this is the first year that all of them have decided they want to hunt with me. I am hoping to tag out early enough that I can just call for some of these guys and not have to worry about trading off and getting my own time behind the bow. I was holding out for a big bull last season and passed on cows and small bulls. Not sure if I will do that again this season or not because of my predicament. I really want to focus on getting some hunting action on video as well.

[Indian Summer]

Puttncut... you can't fly with a game cart. Driving is the only way to fly. lol

Under H2o.... spearfishing for walleyes??? Where does one do that?

He may be on to something Ridge Ghost. Trade in that fly rod for a harpoon. lol

[under H2O hunter]

Puttncut... you can't fly with a game cart. Driving is the only way to fly. lol

Under H2o.... spearfishing for walleyes??? Where does one do that?

He may be on to something Ridge Ghost. Trade in that fly rod for a harpoon. lol

I usually spear walleye in Wyoming and Nebraska. However it is also legal in Utah,Montana, South Dakota, Arkansas, and New Mexico. Here in Colorado we can spear only Pike and Rough fish like carp. Here is just one of many that I have taken in the 11 pound range.

[8upbowhunter]

Well let's see......I will retire on 1/1/15 and hunt the entire month of january for whitetail. Then it's on to spring turkey late March / early April followed by saltwater fishing for speckled trout and redfish in May and June then bring my camper home and head to the Smokey Mountains in July then bring my camper back to the coast for the month of August for more speckled trout and bull red fishing. My son and I leave for Colorado on September 2nd through the 18th for our annual elk hunt then it's back to chasing whitetail from October 1st through January 31st then start the cycle all over again. It's going to be a fun and busy year.

[Fridaythe13th]

One of two option for me. 1st is back to Idaho for a archery hunt second week of Sept. 2nd is Colorado for muzzleloader hunt. The hard part it's not up to me and have to depend on others to make my decisions, I hate that, but what do you do. We have one person who wanted to go out west again elk hunting so we (most of the Idaho group) started to apply for preference point for muzz in Colorado. So if is the year he can go its Colorado bound for us. Not sure which is better but I know I never shot any critter with my muzz. and that would be fun. But I also know I well here more bugle on the archery hunt.
But before elk is turkey hunting and I hope more fishing this year I only got out once

[chipick]

Me and my hunting partner are going to do the p90x training come February, much needed on my part, not so much for him but will do him good. Some scouting when we can, with duck season, my wife due in four weeks, and him with a newborn, it will be interesting to see if any of it happens. We both go an elk this year finally for the first time, he got a nice 5x5 with four days left in the season an I got a small cow second to the last day with ten minutes left to shooting light. Bolth were easy packs 2 miles in on a purty much flat road with bicycles, but it kicked our butts. Honestly we were glad mine was small. And we need to work on calling and setup. We are both still new at this my partner has been at it 5 years and this was only my second.

[wawhitey]

I have my plan all worked out for september. Only problem is that the bulls all seem very pressured in my main spots. Theyre constantly on edge, really on high alert, as you can see here in these links.

http://imgur.com/G39mc1I
http://imgur.com/DkC0l92

[elkaholic]

Yep those bulls look pretty stressed out wawhitey. Lol

I'm going to try and get out for a few more coyote hunts while they are pairing up.
When March shows up I plan on shooting a lot of squirrels and trying to find a few sheds.
April May and June will be some more coyote hunting and branding season.
July and August start putting trail cams out and making scouting trips.
There will be some fishing trips peppered throughout the winter spring and summer. Mostly rainbows but probably a few browns and maybe a few steelhead.

Fall hunting:
So far the plan is to put in with my partner for controlled archery elk hunt in Oregon. We have enough points so the odds are in our favor. Put in for the usual controlled hunts in Idaho as well. If The Idaho draws or not kind to me it will be general season again for the last part of September.

[hike2hunt]

Finish 2014 with late season deer Archery, mixed with winter steelie fishing

Jan-Mar: Coyote hunting with more steelie fishing, reloading, and snowshoeing.

Apr - May: Springer fishing

Jun - Jul: family hiking, camping scouting, mixed with backcountry fly fishing or such

Aug- Sep: Fall Chinook fishing followed by or with Oregon/Washington early season archery

Oct: Muzzleloader hunting with oldest Son
Nov: Rifle hunting with Dad in Nevada and rifle hunting Colorado with friends

Dec: Start over

[Mnbowhunter]

Fishing during the summer then wyoming elk in september. And if I get a bear tag in mn I'll be able to get a couple days in. Then from October to December it's whitetails in wi and maybe mn.

[pointysticks]

I'm not done. I still have an AZ deer hunt which I kinda consider a 2014 hunt. Especially budget wise.

[twinkieman]

Almost application time, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Valle Caldera lottery..... Definitely be in Idaho, no matter what! I have stayed in mountain shape so far, continuing that. For you guys that don't have a lot of time to workout, check out T-25, Its intense and it works, 25 minutes a day. It's now a way of life for me.

[Russellm66]

I will be archery hunting Idaho for elk ( first time).

[ABQ_Chica]

8upbowhunter, you're kicking retirement off on the right foot!
It sounds like we've all got more than elk on the brain. I hope to spend much of 2015 with either a bow or fishing rod in hand.
Jan: javelina & quail
Apr/May: turkey
Summer: fishing, scouting, hot springs
September: elk & deer if lucky in the NM draw, turkey & grouse if not
Fall: fishing and hot springs

[WapitiTalk1]

Glad to see plans are in the works. My hunt plans for 2015 are probably gonna be about the same as 2014. Scouting and biking in some gear/putting out a few trail cams in WA state then biking in for 5 or 6 days with a buddy during the early archery season (they may be changing the early WA archery dates this year). Elk will come out in a new Hawkeye Built game cart. Probably a scouting/camping trip to ID with wife in early August and then loading up the trailer with the RZR and bike and heading over the last two weeks. Not sure who's joining me yet. Waiting to hear from a couple of buddies to see if they can swing the time. Maybe a little late season WA archery elk in November if I don't punch my tag in the early season.

Oh, will also get the second annual Elknut calling contest in the books. Not sure of the dates yet but probably similar to last year.

[six]

Headed back to Gunnison this year. Either 1 week of archery or 3rd rifle. Depending on how my sons football schedule plays out. Either way we'll be truck camping with the option to pack into the wilderness area for a couple days at a time. Either way it wont be soon enough. My supply of elk meat will be gone before summer.

[Lefty]

Well the first plan I am quitting hunting archery elk in the desert. Thats done
I Have two elk areas that I need to chose where I will be archery hunting. Near my in-laws, or where we bear hunt. Either way I need to do a bunch of hiking. If its a dry fall, Swedes book and a tree stand are in order
My 22 year old daughter wants to archery hunt. So the box blind already has a deer location near home. And maybe Ill hunt a few nights there too. she might even elk hunt with me
The whole family is putting in for the Once in a lifetime moose.
I would like to spend a few days in June hiking /packing in Frank Church, Or a canoe fishing trip to Shoshone in Yellowstone
My daughter and I discovered a little buck hole this fall rifle hunting, If we dont fill our archery tag we will pack camp into the area
Ill put in a couple goose pits,.. maybe the geese will show

[Trophyhill]

Rutting mule deer hunt in a couple days hopefully lots of fishing and then the best case scenario is I draw a NM elk tag and get an otc CO tag for my fav CO OTC unit and talk Gregg into checking it out.