Rost495 semi bio

R

rost495

Guest
Hi All

What a good site! Glad I found out about it. I've been posting for a month or more I guess. Its been so hectic with my job changing, my wifes job changing, and hunting season coming and going etc.... I have not had time to post anything directly about me.

I'm noticing(know this from all my highpower website haunts also) that folks tend to disbelieve newcomers until we've proven ourselves.

I can't prove myself but I'll offer a bit of insight to me so ya'll don't have to wonder.

I'm from south central TX. Damned to live in houston as a youngster but got back to our family farm in high school. I'm living in the country on only about 100 acres but it allows me to have my own range to 980 yards. And I can shoot when I want.

I started with a 22 at about 6-7. Dad was a bird hunter only . We learned slowly how to hunt deer. First one I ever saw shot dad did with a 12ga and #2. We didn't know any better. I got a doe at about 10 years old. And so started an expensive hobby. I got a muzzleloader shortly thereafter but it took a number of years to shoot one with it for some reason.

We only could hunt does and spikes when I started but it was a learning experience and provided sausage. I don't recall how many deer I shot with a 243 but we normally took 2-4 each winter till I was around 17. At that point I killed one with my bow. That started a bow only string(pun intended). It was at this point I tried muleys and elk but only got a fork horn and no elk. When my bow stint was over I was about early 30s and between deer, hogs, javelina and turkeys I'd taken over 100 with a bow. At the end I had my own homemade bow, a good brackenbury recurve also. And toyed with longbows. It was all a joy to shoot and hunt with, but times were changing.

In my late 20s I'd also taken up competitive rifle shooting along the way. And that was getting in the way of hunting. But along the way I got married to my hunting and shooting partner(she's taken a number of game with her bow, pistol and rifle also!). Along the shooting path she earned her Distinguished riflemans badge, a team member on our state team that went to nationals having finished as high as 4th there. She's been on 2 record setting state teams also. Having earned her Master rating with a rifle (both shooting service rifle AR15 iron sights only) out to 600 yards. I managed my distinguished badge for rifle, almost done with pistol. Have High Master cards out to 600 and 1000 yards. I've been on record setting teams, set range records, earned the Presidents 100 badge in the nationals a couple of times and much more not worth wasting space on. We've done about all we can in shooting except actually win the nationals. Thats a tough chore. Along the way we helped test a new bullet and developed the loads for it that set a new national record at 1000 yards for the army team shooters. You learn a lot when you burn up 2 barrels a year and shoot and load over 8000 rounds a year on average over those years. I think I can run a Dillon and a Rockchucker in my sleep.....

Somewhere in there I got sidetracked into guiding on a ranch where we shot about 300+ deer each fall. That taught me tons about what works and how bullets perform etc..... For about 5 years that was fun and learning job. So I've got a bit of background to go on there for guiding, shooting, performance etc......

But it brings me back to MM. I'm back to hunting. I was a taxidermist for a number of years and still enjoy that part time. I'm almost 39 and need to get some stuff done before I get too old. So we are starting back to hunting. Especially since we lost our deer lease here to constantly rising prices.

But with muleys and elk its like starting at the bottom. Dont' know enough about them. A decent one would be huge to me, so its all exciting again.

My dads in bad health and has been for a number of years but we got to go to Alaska before it declined to bad. Didn't hunt but had a great trip and fishing was super. Dad keeps pushing us to do what we can afford as much as we can. So I always think dad is there with me. And I take as many pics as I can. We've already scheduled another do it yourself Alaska trip in 2006. And from now on I'm looking for elk and deer tags. Any weapon from bow to MZ to rifle is cool. My wife is now a sprint/half triathalete and she's ready to do the hunt/backpack thing with me. Though she's not so thrilled about her actually hunting anymore. But thats cool with me. I'll enjoy the time in the woods with her and with friends.

In the end, I like doing things myself. I've built everything I can on the farm myself. I do most of my own auto work. Working on getting a Willys 46 back in top shape after a tree fell on it last fall. I moved from taxidermy to a municipal job and am now starting as a city inspector. Lots to do and learn but its right down my alley because I can learn a bit about a lot of different trades this way. Its why I like learning about hunting as I go and doing it myself. I don't have anything against guided hunts, I just prefer to do it myself. After all for me the shot is nothing. Its learning, finding and stalking all on your own thats the real challenge for me.

So thanks to all of the info you folks have helped me with and will continue to help me with. And while I don't know all that much, I still know quite a bit and will offer my thoughts and advice as I can. And you've seen and will see I"m not shy about asking field advice to find what I want. I believe in buying only once so I tend to ask a bunch of questions when things are on my mind. And you've found that I can be very stubborn on my opinions as to what fails and what works. And thats what I want from all of ya'll -- your firm opinions from years in the field while I was poking holes in paper....Thanks for putting up with me!

PS if you are wondering, Rost is my last name, First name is Jeff, and the 495 comes from a range record score I set at a match out to 600 yards with no sighters for wind calls a number of years back. I"m kinda proud of that score and it was one of the top 2 scores in the nation that year. Central TX is LaGrange, home of the real chicken ranch

Thanks for your support, answers and time!

Respectfully, Jeff
 
Glad you got outa Houston. Good place to visit, but I don't think I could ever live there. Tried Corpus for 9 years after college (A&M), and it was ok, but too far from my hunting area, so I moved to Kerrville. Grew up in Pleasanton.

Sounds like you have paid your dues on lots of fronts. You have what it takes to be a good elk and mule deer hunter: the ability to get a long way from the road. If you are looking at Colorado, that means probably getting into a wilderness area. Holy Cross, Maroon Bells, and Wimineuche are several I would look at. Of course you can get an over the counter tag for bowhunting in most places, so you could get your feet wet with that while building points for something else (muzzleloader or limited rifle hunt). I would probably bowhunt if I lived there, but don't like the odds for a 5 day hunt. That is why I try and muzzleload hunt whenever I get the chance.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
JEFF......YOU HAVE BEEN A REAL BUSY GUY, YOU GOTTA SLOW DOWN AND HUNT MORE. NICE BIO./ I TRY TO HUNT MAINLY ELK&DEER TOO, BUT LATELY SHEEP, BOU, MOOSE, & HOGS HAVE FOUND A PLACE ON THE CALENDAR. I'LL BE AROUND.. TAKE ER EASY..YD.
 
Pleasure to meet you sir. I lived in San Angelo for a while Cheffin' at the Cactus Hotel. I look forward to learning from your experiences.

Regards,
Chef
"I Love Animals...They're Delicious!"
 
Jeff;

Welcome aboard. Don't worry about being somewhat opinionated about certain things, you will have lots of company in that with several of us on this board.
Be sure to check in with the guns & shooting forum, you should be able to lend some expertise in that forum and help others with their questions.
You came to the right web site for information on hunting areas and tecniques for muleys and elk and several other game animals. There are a few very good hunters on this forum that will provide information if you need it.
You are lucky, like a few of us, to have a wife that is a good hunting companion, give our best to her.

RELH
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom