2023 Around the World

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

This year is going to be a hard year for hunting in Wyoming I think. With the winter we had I think big bucks are going to be few and far between. Luckily this year's hunting season is going start in New Zealand in 2 weeks! Finally after setting up the hunt in 2020 and covid screwing everything up its finally going to happen. Hopefully dad will draw his desert sheep tag this year also, so we have another big hunt to look forward to. I've never hunted elk very hard in Wyoming but with the hard winter we had I'm going to focus on elk during the archery instead of deer. Anyways lots of pictures to come in June when we get back. Hopefully I can find some sheds over there too .

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Fun day with my dad and cousin.

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Well I didn't figure he'd make it through the winter but I was hoping. He had a messed up leg then the big storms hit. I came and looked for birds and when I didn't ever see any I thought maybe he made it. Nothing has touched him.

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Wouldn't let me edit this picture in after I got the OK

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Here we go! Next stop Auckland!

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Here's day one of the New Zealand hunt. Both dad and I shot our stag. I could have shot a bigger stag than I did with a better crown but I wanted the droptines haha. Over the next couple of days I'll post the rest of the stuff we shot. Spoiler the tahr was by far my favorite part of the hunt! I am addicted now and definitely will be back to hunt them in the near future. I'd assume this is how the sheep bug feels???

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

This was by far my favorite part of the trip. We started off by flying in for dad's where they dropped me off at a shack in the middle of no where while they flew flew for dad's.

After that I wanted to go for a foot hunt for mine. We flew up into a big bowl where we was dropped off and started hunting from there. We made it through about 2 big bowls when a big rain storm hit and it turned to snow. Bert made the call that we needed tom hurry and get down the face of the mountain. I thought my dream of shooting a tahr up on top was over.... we got down and the storm let up for just a second and we glassed up a big what they call mob of tahr with some nice bulls just as the helicopter got to us. We asked if he could get us up to them and he said he'd try but no promises if the snow started up again. Luckily we got up there in time and I was able to get my tahr. I ended up having to shoot him off hand on the run so it wasn't pretty haha. The snow really settled in again so we had to hurry and load the tahr and get down out of the storm. So I didn't get any pictures of him up in the ledges but it definitely went like my dream tahr hunt would. I will be back to hunt tahr again. The last picture is dad down in the bottom looking up into where I was hunting haha.

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Last we was able to go shoot wallaby one night and also hunt possums! I'd be bullet poor if I lived in New Zealand because I'd be out every night doing this haha. Ashleigh and I ended up with 18 wallaby (dont feel bad the farmers hate them and they are trying to get rid of all of them). Both the wallaby and possums are really soft. I am having a wallaby full body mounted too .

Check out the suppressors also. America needs to take some notes. I could have bought one for $500.00 American and walked right out of the store with it!

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Not sure if this doe is in charge of daycare this morning or if she had all 4 fawns. Definitely no other doe around though. 1st fawns I've seen this year but I haven't been out much yet this year

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Made a quick trip up into the high country scouting after work today . In all honesty though probably the biggest main frame 3 point I've ever gotten to see.

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Last years animals are back! They turned out great. The mountain goat took up a little more room than I thought he would haha.

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Things never go as planned haha. Yesterday was my 1st time really ever going after elk with a bow serious. I figured if I made it to the rifle hunt I'd be a little selective on bulls but with a bow anything I got a chance at I was going to shoot since I've never shot a elk with a bow. We had a plan to do a big hike and get picked up by dad in another canyon that had a road in it. We started the hike and glassed up a bunch of elk about 4 miles away the opposite way from where we planned on going. We could see a road in there so we decided to go after them since if we happened to get them we could pack them down a ways then have dad bring a 4 wheeler in. Anyways we got over close to them and I did a couple of cow calls. One of the rag horns came up to us and I wasn't going to pass the opportunity haha. While we was packing him out dad went and got the 4 wheeler. Just as we got the last quarter down there dad pulled up and the 4 wheeler died and wouldn't start....... Now we had to hike out around 5 miles to get to my dodge and go get my tacoma from clear up on top where we had started that morning. Made it out and got up to the tacoma and luckily it made it to where we had packed the elk to and was able to drag the 4 wheeler out. After that I'll never say another bad thing about my tacoma it earned its keep, and looks like I'll be buying a new 4 wheeler .

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

Today I can officially say this is the 1st time I've ever hunted a day in Wyoming and not seen 1 deer. Crazy to go from past years of passing up 10-15 4 points a day to not seeing a deer not even a doe haha. Hopefully tomorrow something will show itself.

 

[Wyo_Roadhunter]

After spending 3 days on the early rifle and not seeing a deer the boredom set in and we decided to go chase elk again. It ended up working out good and my good friend was able to connect on this bull. I've never really gotten serious about elk hunting until this year but I can say I'm pretty addicted now. Calling elk is a rush! I might be using my deer work vacation for elk next year haha. Only thing is deer are so much better to pack out . Oh and as a bonus I found my kryptonite a moose shed!