Have Your Long Term Goals Changed?

by **Swede** » 12 09, 2016 • [Post 1]

Does anyone have any significant goals or do you just let things develop as you hunt?
As I approach the last period of my hunting career, some goals have changed. Other goals are as vivid today as when I picked up my first bow. I need to determine to hold out or write them off. Certainly hunting is very different than it was in the 1960s and 1970s when my goals were first formed. Since the hunting areas are getting more crowded I will need to hold out for that last excellent drawn elk tag. Then it will be all or nothing for the first weeks of the hunt. The number of years to find and kill the monster of the forest are getting fewer. It is time to get er done.

by **Lefty** » 12 09, 2016 • [Post 2]

I still have plans for a 350
While retirement is still 7 years off my wife has given me permission to hunt and trap all I want. And that will include out of state tags

by **Fridaythe13th** » 12 10, 2016 • [Post 3]

My goals are the same. Not to shoot for the stars but just to shoot, to enjoy family and friends and time in the mountains looking and learning the mighty Wapiti. Yes I would love to get a chance at a monster bull. But I don't know what a big bull is. It might be the biggest in the group that year or bigger than the last one you killed, does it have to be a 400" bull? If I did shoot a monster it would go in the garage anyways.

Now that I have kids my goal is to take them out there some year. But age might catch up to me. Good Lord is going to have to give me patience or I'm going to go crazier in the mountains. :lol:

by **>>>---WW---->** » 12 12, 2016 • [Post 4]

My goals changed about three weeks ago when the ortho told me I would be permenatly disabled an unable to draw a bow. So if you see a guy in the woods with a drawloc on his bow, it will probably be me!

by **Elkduds** » 12 12, 2016 • [Post 5]

Condolences WW, I got similar news last year and went to the darkside: :evil:

crossbow

My goal used to be to keep hunting elk until age 60. Thinking of adding 5 to that.

by **>>>---WW---->** » 12 12, 2016 • [Post 6]

Sent you a PM Mark

by **saddlesore** » 12 12, 2016 • [Post 7]

Back in my thirties, I tried to figure out how many elk hunts I had left in my life. ( Something I reccomend everyone does.) I came up with forty which in the scheme of things isn't many.
Being 73 now, I surpassed that number. A lot of it had to do with Colorado issuing those "B" tags and a fellow could go on two hunts every year. One year I even did three.
Counting up my punched elk tags for over the years, I punched number 50 this year. I figure I don't need to do anymore.Oh I'll still be out there muzzle loader hunting and center fire rifle hunting, chasing the critters..However, at my age, long term goals don't mean as much.I plan to do a lot more of enjoying myself while out. Kinda stop and smell the roses if you will. I did try to do more of that this past season,but even so,I have an elk,a small whitetail deer and two doe antelope in my freezer now. Plus I have a whitetail only doe tag yet for January 1.

So you younger guys.Figure out the number of elk hunts you might have left. Make it happen.No more of maybe in two years or so,and that kind of thinking. These years go sliding past pretty quick as you get older every year,they go faster and faster. You want to look back on hunt memories, not memories of what you should have done

by **under H2O hunter** » 12 12, 2016 • [Post 8]

[quote="saddlesore"

So you younger guys.Figure out the number of elk hunts you might have left. Make it happen.No more of maybe in two years or so,and that kind of thinking. These years go sliding past pretty quick as you get older every year,they go faster and faster. You want to look back on hunt memories, not memories of what you should have done[/quote]

Well I figure to get to 73 I'll have 66 more elk tags here in Colorado. If I punch half of those. I'll have punched 73 elk as I punch number 40 this year at age 39. I agree punching tags is not the end reward for guys like Saddlesore and myself. I enjoy watching others be successful and growing. I can't wait to see where my son is at when he hits 40 years of age and ask him what his greatest elk hunt memory is.... Thats what I look forward to.

by **Lefty** » 12 12, 2016 • [Post 9]

>>>---WW----> wrote:My goals changed about three weeks ago when the ortho told me I would be permanently disabled an unable to draw a bow. So if you see a guy in the woods with a drawloc on his bow, it will probably be me!

Head up !! Bad news stinks and life goes on.

One of my best friends dad had a tree drop on him in the Blues while setting up elk camp. He should have been dead. completely paralyzed from the armpits down. He now has reasonable use of his arms. He had been a machinist. They rebuilt his shop so he could get around. Then he built a track driven wheel chair. then gun mounts,.. and has had an elk and deer tag for years.

Then there is the best coyote killer I know of, the man has no legs.

by **snowbank** » 12 31, 2016 • [Post 10]

When I was young I looked for monster bulls but after eating a large number of them I focus on tender cows. Goal 1. Fill the freezer Goal 2. Live to see another season. For those putting limits on your hunting years - don't. I had a couple of tough years and then had my hip replaced. I don't hunt as hard or as far but have only missed getting an elk two out of over 50 years. Just plan and be realistic.

by **N2mywake** » 12 31, 2016 • [Post 11]

My goal is to have as many elk hunts with my dad as I can before he cant do it anymore. I seem to care less about filling my tag and more about getting him opportunities to fill his.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

by **Gypsumreaper** » 12 31, 2016 • [Post 12]

My goals have stayed pretty much the same. Obviously one of my goals every year is to harvest the animals I have tags for. But another part of my goal is to help whoever I'm with harvest, this second goal usually takes over my first as I've always felt just as much joy helping someone harvest vs harvesting myself.
This year I will have a week to focus on myself, just myself to harvest my animal. My second goal lasts all year. This year I became an owner in an outfitting business so I can hunt the entire season and help everyone that comes to us.
Another goal was to spend as much time in the backcountry as possible to scout, be away from civilization, and live life. This goal is also achieved as I'll be in the mountains from June until mid November providing services.
So this year my goal is to finally harvest my bull I've been chasing for years with my bow. I've always had plenty of opportunities but I've passed them off or missed a few shots, and one just left my bow sitting 30 yards away. So having a week to myself where there is no one to pass shots off to, it will be all me.
My other goal is to help my dad harvest a bull as well, he has harvested many spikes back In the day and once we were old enough to hunt, he put his hunting on the back burner so me and my brothers could hunt. It's time for me to pass the torch back to him and help him harvest 1 nice 6x6 bull. He's had one that has haunted him for years that he shot back in the 70's but could never recover.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk