My dillema for next year...

M

MichaelJ

Very Active Member
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Well, being the hunting fanatic that I am, I've been thinking constantly of next year. I have some ideas I'm throwin around... Here they are, and I want your guy's opinions on them. BTW, I'm in Wenatchee WA.

I'm 17 years old, and next year will be a Senior in HS. I've rifle hunted with my Dad since I was 11. I've only killed one deer, but got an elk, and a bear this year as well.
I'm thinking of going to archery next year. The reason I'm wanting to do this is the season runs from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30. I don't start school until Sept. 22 so this would allow me the first three weeks to hunt as much as I liked. However, I would have to give up the rifle hunt with my Dad. I then could also be more effective in my summer scouting.

If I did go archery, I could still "guide" my Dad during the general season to see if I can get him a buck. Plus we'll have elk hunting as well.

So, should I go for it? Or should I wait? Thanks guys.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-05 AT 04:49AM (MST)[p]Go for it...the only thing I would add is ensure you take every opportunity to hunt with your Dad. Just because you could potentially tag out in archery doesn't stop the hunt. Maybe ask your Dad to guide you during archery season. I can't think of a better way to repay your Dad than returning the favor during rifle season. It's all about maxing out your time in the woods, plus more time with Dad. I was in you're shoes years ago, my Dad likes the weather in Sept now. I guess you can change old habits. Make sure you tell your Dad thanks, he introduced you to the woods. You'll have this forever and the memories will last more than your lifetime.

Eric
 
I say try it next year. If you don't like it, go back to your same ways in 2007. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But yeh, make sure you still get plenty of time in with your dad, they are priceless!
Good luck.

Lien2
 
I would only do it if you are willing to put in the time to be an effective archery hunter, if you have never hunted with a bow, be sure to put in lots of time shooting your bow, don't wait until a week before season and start shooting, too many poor hunters already, make sure you become acurate with a bow and confident you can make a great shot.
 
Thanks guys. I've actually made my own bow before (long bow from red oak) and it shoots great for being what it is. I atleast know that you have to practice constantly with a bow to be a good shot. I will obviously get a compound if I decide to go archery.

Just so you guys know the "story" behind me hunting...
I'm the youngest of 4 kids. 2 girls and 2 boys. I've the first one that's ever hunted/fished (my dad taught us all how to shoot, we just never really hunted). I'm not sure why, but ever since I can remember I've always wanted to go hunting, and just be outdoors enjoying life. I took my hunter safety course and off we went! I took my first and ONLY deer when I was 12 (a two point of course!) and have focused on muleys ever since. My Dad has NEVER in his 53 years killed a deer so I've been trying hard to get him one. He grew up in Indiana and did LOTS of bird and rabbitt hunting, but never killed a deer. He took his first big game animal this fall (we both got cow elk) and he obviously enjoyed it. He's especially busy during the summer with his job, so I'm sure that most of the time I'd be hunting solo (perfectly fine with me, and I enjoy hunting by myself). He's been awesome making it possible every year for me and him to go hunting. We always have a good time and he really enjoys himself. Even though sometimes I think I do know more about hunting than he does...:)

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Wow You sound ALOT like me! I am 18 and live in Ellensburg. This year our rifle season opened the day after homecoming. I left homecoming and went and got 3 hours of sleep. Then my bro, dad, and I took off at 3:00 Am to the Chiliwist (Okanogan) I drove up there in my gmc sonoma. I had scouted it and saw more legal bucks then ever. Problem was, so had others... The spots had way more people then normal. I ended up pushing deer for my brother who had a doe tag. I gutted my bro's for him and helped drag... Then My grandpa (87 years old) shot another nice muley doe on his way down to us.. My point is, the memories made with your family are priceless. I ended up seeing 12 2 point bucks and no 3 points. VERY DISSAPOINTING. I am ASB pres down here and missed like 4 days of school while I was hunting non stop. I think you should do what you want but make sure to help your dad. Thats what I do, I put my family first because I consider myself the most capible hunter.

I got an elk this year. I had a cow tag for the Umptanum. Its the hardest elk unit around here. I scouted for 2 weeks and saw nothing. On the wednesday opener i walked in like 5 miles and knocked down a 400 lb+ cow and was all by myself. Took a total of 15 hours and 2 friends finally skipped school to come help me. It was the best hunting experience. Im guessing you hunt over in the quilomen or clockum area? Seriously if you ever need someone to go with, I would be willing to hook up with you and go hiking or scouting. We can share some spots. I plan on going to CWU so I will need to practice up for more elk hunts around here. Pm me if you want to talk on msn or something. Gl next year - I am already hoping to redeem myself. Get me one of those grown up 2 pointers!
 
Bow hunting is an awesome experience. I have bow hunted for 2 years now, and was succesful last year <looking for a bigger one this year, no luck> and I look forward to it every up coming fall, its a real fun opportunity to try something new, and if you committ to it you'll find it awesome also, good luck.
Cris

early to bed, early to rise, hunt like hell and make up lies!
 
Well, I've yet to make up my mind yet. If I did start archery hunting, I'm not yet sure where I would begin hunting. Got a few ideas, but not entirely sure.

E-burg, my sister is attending Central next year but I haven't hunted around there at all. I got my elk and bear this year down by Walla Walla in the Blue Mtns. We have a connection on some private land there. It's great for Elk and Bear, but not a whole lot of muleys on this land. I'll send you a PM and maybe we could hook up and do some scouting/hunting or whatever.

I talked to my Dad and he seems to think it's a good idea. That way I wouldn't miss any classes, and I would have a goal for my summer scouting.

Now for the $60,000 question, what gear should I look at getting?

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
michael...keep an eye on wdfw reg's. there is talk about a 3 weapon season. would still allow you to harvest only one animal but hunt with all 3 weapons. it's not law yet but it may be in the works.
 
That 3 season tag is going to be a limited draw and not an over the counter deal. Michael, you know how I feel about your dilemma. Dude, the late season archery in "certain spots" are awesome!!!! E-mail me and we'll talk!
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Eric
 
Michael, you're smart to take advantage of whatever hunting opportunities there are while your in school. My son is in college so we don't hunt as much as we used to and I miss it. But when he graduates we'll make up for the lost time.

As for gear, lots of good bows out there but my favorite is the Matthews Switchback. What a sweet shooter!

Oakbuck
 
Michael,

I would stick with your rifle for now for a couple of reasons. When you are a young hunter and have not harvested a lot of deer, I think it is important to get a few deer under your belt. I was where you are at when I was young also, trying to look for something better in this state. I have been all over it looking for something better, but the reality is that it is just not there. If you switch to a bow, all you are going to shoot is a bunch of does. You will see some nice bucks, but shooting a nice buck in WA with a bow will be an exercise in futility. Yes, people do it, and many of them post on this site, but you have to realize that this site concentrates a very few successful hunters in this state, there are always a few who will shoot the odd nice buck. Day in and day out, you will go many years with your bow without shooting something decent (22+). It isn't worth you and your dad losing out on the hunting time together.

You sound like a very resourceful person. Here is what I would suggest. Keep putting in for the special draws, you will eventually draw and have a chance at a nice buck in one of the Okanogon units. In the meantime, figure out how to get on some private ground in the Grand Coulee, Wilbur, area. Or down around Pullman on the snake river breaks. You will not need to do a lot of pre-season scouting in these areas. My experience when I was younger like yourself was that you could get pretty far by just going up and knocking on doors. But, I am sure you can figure something out......If you can find your way onto a ranch in one of these areas you will be able to see many deer and many bucks and probably have a good shot at a low 20's buck year in and year out and you and your dad will have a great time every year. Things changed for me when I was a freshman at WSU, you would have thought I died and gone to heaven..........

The second thing I would look at is to go out of state. PM message me if you are interested in something like this and I could point you in the right direction. If done right, you can do it really reasonable and have a great time. I know you are still in school, but there are opportunities out of state that you can work with that won't result in a lot of lost school time. Good luck.
 
Very good point MuleyGuy. I've looked into going out of state, and right now, I'd like to get a few local bucks under my belt. Honestly, I could go shoot a buck once every 5 years, and be happy. I just want to get away from the people, and be able to scout effectively without having every buck get pushed out by the general boys. Plus, there are always GREAT opportunities for a late season buck as PB already suggested (Eric, you got a PM on the way man!). And it is not like I won't be able to hunt with my Dad. We'll have elk hunting, as well as the general season which I would love to "guide" him on. I want to be out in the field as much as possible and really want to have a hand in getting my Dad his first deer.

Plus I have a few points to put in towards a late Entiat archery tag.

I'm heading down to Hooked On in the morning to look at some boys. Maybe I can get a good used Hoyt on sale or something!

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
I think you should switch but only switch one of your tags for example, my father and I hunt deer together with rifle but I hunt elk with my bow, works out perfectly for us, theirs nothing better than chasing elk in september.
 
Alright, I'm pretty sure I'll be going archery next year. I have found a 2003 Hoyt RazorTech bow for sale. $275 plus shipping from ArcheryTalk.com Comes with a WhiskerBisquit rest and new string leeches. It's got a picture and the bow looks real nice. I went down to Hooked on Toys and looked at some bows. The '05 Hoyt RazorTech was my favorite but they want $550 for it. I really don't want to spend that much on a bare bow...so?

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Michael, reading your posts is like a breath of fresh air it's so nice to read about a young man that has such great values at such a young age. Savior every moment you have with your father. That being said, I grew up on Birch mtn ( your neck of the woods) and started bow hunting at 14, the time I spent in those hills were some of the best of my life. In those days we could hunt with 3 weapons but that late season archery hunt in the Swakane was by far the most fun. Bow hunting in Washington is a tough deal but with your persistance and determination you should do just fine. PS don't forget to include dear old DAD. PM me if you have any archery Q's, Steve
 
IronHead, thanks for the nice reply, it means a lot. I'll be sure to include my Dad when he can make it. He seemed to think that the RazorTech was a good buy, so there's a chance that I will get it. Thanks guys.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Mike, one of the absolute most important thing to ask yourself before you decide to get your archery tag is -am I comfortable with my archery skill. It sounds like you are just getting the equipment now, you should really practice a couple years before going out. The other important thing is the old man, I never did get an opportunity to hunt with mine -good luck.
 
Dmanmastertracker,

I just about fell out of my chair with your comment "you should really practice a couple years before going out" You can't be serious?????

Michael,

Its sounds like you have been given some good advise from some of the other posts. With a lot of practice I am sure you will be ready for next season. I think the best advise would be to take Polarbear up on his offer.
 
Yes, I'm positive if I practice now until next september I'll be fine.

PolarBear, I sent you an email yesterday or the day before. Did you get it?

Thanks guys, all the advice is really nice to hear how supportive you guys are :).

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
-Not only serious, only an ethical hunter would go into the woods confident in his gun/ bow. I speak from personal experience also from when I was younger. Nothing worse than making a bad shot on an animal, or endangering others with errant shooting. -from what I know this is not inherited, but learned through practice. Not sure why that doesn't make sense, but I've heard way too many times and know too many people who have been shot at by accident (over a dozen people), including myself to make me want to quit hunting altogether. I've also been drawn on by a bowhunter who "heard" me walking down a fishing path. -Sound like nonsense?? My advice to Mike, ask Ted Nugent, I know he'd agree about marksmanship....
 
Okay, I see your point, but if the season rolls around, and I'm only confident out to 25 yards, then I'll keep it to 25 yards. I'm not going to take a shot I'm uncomfortable with. Thanks for the advice and I'll keep it in mind.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Mike, not trying to rain on your parade, just trying to save you the grief I went through at your age when I started hunting. You'll probably be good to go with a years' practice. -Good luck to you.
 
Sounds like you got a good head on your shoulder's and I'm sure you'll have something to go with them "taters" next season. Dman
 
Hopefully I'll get a shot at a buck next year! I'd trade my bear and elk this year for a nice muley in a heartbeat!

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
I hear ya Mike, got skunked this year first time in 5 years. Gonna go high for a drop mulie next year -open the wallet a little. Taking the bear tag too -gooood meat, good as beef.
 
I'm not a big fan of bear meat myself. How do you cook it?

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
The last one we got was an older bear and I guess that makes a big difference, younger bears for some reason are stronger in taste. As far as prep, we had beef fat mixed in to all the burger, sausage and pepperoni. The gamey taste in most wild game is stored in the fat, so removing it and mixing beef fat with the meat works great. We had bear pepperoni pizza one night! Not sure where you reside, but we had ours done at Stuarts meats in Yelm, Washington, if your a Washingtonian.
-Dman
 
We're having a local guy do our butchering. We got 2 full grown cow elk, and a 400 lb bear comin back. lol

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Nice bear, -Cinnamon? That's what I'm after. I bet your wallet said ouch when you bought freezer space for that meat!
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-10-05 AT 04:21PM (MST)[p]Yeah my wallet took a beatin this year. Over $800 for the bear rug, and quite a bit more for the butchering.

The bear was a dark dark brown color, nearly black but not quite. Here's a picture or three. They really don't do him justice. When you take into account my Dad weights about 170 lbs, and is 6'2" and start looking at the proportions, you really get a good idea of the actual size.

05Oct11.jpg

05Oct6.jpg

05Oct4.jpg


Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
What a beast! Nice chocolate color, real similar to the one we
got. What'd you pop him with? I shoot a Weatherby .300 winmag. My uncle shot the one we got two years ago when we we're scouting for deer in September during grouse season, but I found the bear(s). Went for a hike around a mountain lake near camp on a trail known for grouse with my .22 pistol and heard crunching down below. I really didn't think much at the time becasue there's a ton of cattle in the NF there. After I had gone all the way around where I was hearing the noise I saw a bear pull at snowberry branch down and eat some berries. I was able to sneak back around and get the 1 1/2 miles back to camp pretty quick. My uncle had the tag and we we're able to sneak up again. When he shot he swore, because he thought he shot a really small bear when he saw a 2nd bear walking past the one he shot and it was much larger and had remained hidden. When we got down to it , we saw it was a decent 250lb. sow. The other bear was in the range of yours here. -Nice one!
 
I shot him with my 30-06 from about 250 yards on the move. Used the Federal Premium Sierra GameKings in 165 grains. Hit him all three times I shot. First shot hit him right behind the should and broke the offside shoulder getting lodged right underneath the skin (mushroomed AWESOME, and he rolled down the canyon). Here's the story: http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID6/10825.html

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Michael, Do what you want to do, if you want to give archery a try I say do it. The only thing is just make sure you spend lots of time in the woods with your dad. I'm 17 and live in Moses Lake and will be going to college next year so I might not get to spend as much time with my dad in the woods, which I will probably miss more than not hunting. Sounds like you chose to try archery, good luck and hope to see some pics.
 
Crab, yes I've decided to go ahead and try archery. Thanks, and I'll be sure to spend as much time as possible w/ my Dad.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
I'm heading down to Hooked On in the morning to look at some boys. Maybe I can get a good used Hoyt on sale or something!

If your going to hooked on toys, I try and keep from looking at the boys down there. No seriously I read that and kind of laughed I know it was a typo. Go with a Hoyt I have shot all different brands over a few years and really enjoy my hoyts, they are awesome bows. Personally I say buy the best bow you can afford because I quarantee that you will be hooked once started and youll have to keep upgrading your equipment, so go in to it full throttle. Also you cant beat getting that eniat tag if youve got a couple points your odds are pretty good. Ive killed a few deer in there and absolutely love that area. Get your bow now, and start practicing, and it only needs to be at 20yrds for awhile, just work on your form, and also get a rangefinder. Good luck, bearhunter
 
lol I didn't even see that.

Yeah, I like the hoyts and have heard some good things about them.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
Mike, I have some pics on digital cam I'd like to post, but never tried here before. Any pointers?
 
Mike, I'll try to send you photo attatchment from our Winthrop trip this Fall tonight. -D
 

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