Here in Arizona, all of us hunters look forward to the end of July/early August. Why? This is when we find out if we have drawn the deer tags that we are hoping for through Arizona’s lottery system. Myself and my family had not been drawn since 2013, so the anticipation of the results was just plain cage rattling. During the 2013 season, I had found an area that would soon become a second home for me. The amount of bucks that I saw left me awestruck. I can remember calling my dad every night telling him things like, “I saw 11 big bucks today,” or “I had shot opportunities at 7 bucks tonight.” Never in all of the years that we went deer hunting had we seen things like that or had those types of opportunities.
As most of you probably have figured out by now, I am a big fan of the podcasting world. So much so, that I almost find my self listening to hunting podcasts now more than music and that means a lot coming from a musician! They are a great way for like minded individuals to interact and help all of us become even better at our passion. In this case, that is obviously hunting. The knowledge and just pure entertainment that I have gotten out of these shows has been endless. My only problem is, as I have said in the past, finding the time to listen to them all! So many good shows and not enough time in the day!
After the emotional roller coaster that the August bear season gave me, I honestly didn’t know if I was going to hunt bears again during the 2015 season. To lose an animal of that caliber, after all of the hard work that I have put in over the past 3 years, was a crushing experience. No matter how much we prepare, we cannot control the outcome of a situation. That was all too real for me. Countless talks were had with family and friends about my lost bear and how we did all that we could. It didn’t change the fact that I still felt awful. Bears are an animal that have truly become special to me and that I admire to their core. The way they move seamlessly through rugged terrain, their behavior, toughness, and intelligence are all intriguing to me.
It seems, as of late, the podcasting world, as it pertains to hunting, is getting more and more popular. To which I say, “AWESOME!” My only complaint is having too many good podcasts to listen to and not enough time to do so. Since the last podcast post I made, My Top 5 Hunting Podcasts, quite a few new shows have emerged on the scene and not without force. I have put together another list of 5 hunting podcasts to check out. These especially excite me, because they are all mostly geared toward western hunting.
In 2013 something happened to me that changed my life. The kind of thing that no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop thinking about. I went on my first bear hunt here in Arizona. Going into the hunt, I read everything that I could about bears in Arizona. Where they like to reside, what they like to eat, and their overall habits in the rugged environment that AZ has to offer. No matter how much I read though, I felt ill prepared for the journey ahead. It’s hard to picture something standing on a hillside when you have never really seen what you are looking for. By some stroke of luck though, it happened. I saw a bear on the evening of opening day. Because, of the bear being obscured by brush and other vegetation though, I wasn’t able to take a shot. From that point on I was caught hook, line, and sinker. I hunted bears for the rest of the season and never did get another look at one. That didn’t matter though. I would be back next year.
Taking on a new area before the season starts can be extremely overwhelming. Even if where you are scouting is somewhat familiar to you, it can still be tough. Things change from year to year, whether it be availability of food or added hunting pressure. Over the last few years though, I have come up with a basic system that has seemed to work pretty good when it comes to narrowing down specific areas to check out. Now, keep in mind that all of these suggestions are based on my experience hunting in Arizona. Hopefully, you can apply them to your neck of the woods though when it comes time to scout.
Every year it seems that a select few individuals are ALWAYS notching tags. These people do this year in and year out. It doesn’t matter if they are hunting black bears or elk, they get it done, no matter the circumstances. How do they do it though? I am sure this is a question we have all asked ourselves at least once. What is different about these consistently successful hunters and everyone else? Is it their calling techniques or glassing skills? Maybe, it is their equipment that is responsible for their success? While those things can definitely aid one in being successful, it isn’t any of them. So what is it? In my humble opinion, I believe that the “secret”, if you will, is hanging out in between their ears. They have a positive attitude, loads of tenacity, and a colossal urge to never give up. All things that are mental.
The fact that I am even writing about this troubles me. I think that it needs to be said though. There should be no such thing as hunters vs. hunters, but sadly it is something that has definitely shown its face. Why? I haven’t got the foggiest. Honestly, I don’t remember any of this from when I was a boy. Maybe, with how easy it is nowadays to communicate with other people via the internet and hide behind a computer screen, the issue is becoming more prevalent. It seems like outlets like social media have decapitated any semblance of a filter. Whether it be people criticizing someone for the type of weapon they choose to hunt with or someone hunting for meat vs. someone that is a trophy hunter, this ugly disease has seemed to weed its way into our small and threatened community.
In light of Born and Raised Outdoors’ new video, Expectations, being premiered at the Full Draw Film Tour this year, I thought it would be a perfect time to review their DVD entitled, Uncommon Ground. This story follows 6 friends through an entire elk season, taking place in Oregon and Wyoming, during September, the month that every archery elk hunter dreams about. 6 guys, 12 tags, 2 states, a guest appearance by Wayne Endicott, and the first backcountry mouse hunt probably ever recorded.
It seems that the more time goes on the more I hear about people harvesting game at longer and longer distances. Whether it be shooting a deer at over a hundred yards with a bow or shooting an elk at over a thousand yards with a rifle, their has been a steady increase of the frequency of these stories. Along with these stories usually comes a blitzkrieg of criticism which is inevitably followed by some harsh words. I read it on forums all of the time. Someone posts a story of how they took an animal at X distance and how proud they are of this accomplishment. Half of the people give the guy crap for shooting too far and the other half applaud him for making such an incredible shot. Where do I stand in all of this? Usually, in the middle. Like all arguments, there are two sides, and I understand them both. This topic walks a thin line between ethics and skill, both of which need to cohesively exist is order to make an accurate judgement on what is too far of a shot.
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