2012 MT Public Land DIY elk/muley

[DTro]

A great read as always. I appreciate the attention to details and understand how much time it takes to put together a story like this. Thanks for taking the time for sharing and I hope to read more of your stories in the future.

A question for you and maybe a dumb one because I don't understand all the nuances of bowhunting, but does it ever cross your mind when putting in all that hard work and coming up short so many times that a tool with a combustion chamber that fires a projectile out of a long barrel might give you a better chance at a trophy? Perhaps I'll get stoned to death for even asking that question?

[Cheetah]

Dtro, That would be cheating.

I'll be back with a bucket of rocks, just stay right there.

[Scoot]

A question for you and maybe a dumb one because I don't understand all the nuances of bowhunting, but does it ever cross your mind when putting in all that hard work and coming up short so many times that a tool with a combustion chamber that fires a projectile out of a long barrel might give you a better chance at a trophy? Perhaps I'll get stoned to death for even asking that question?

Ummmm... you do realize this is in the archery forum, don't you? Are you one of the guys who goes on the PETA HSOforum and says you're in favor of running a chunk of lead through an animal at a high rate of speed??? Pull the pin, toss the fake grenade out, and watch the reactions!

I grew up around guns and I shot lots of guns. I also grew up around bowhunting. I have and continue to support gun ownership and hunting. For me though, there was never a real choice- it was always crystal clear to me which I prefered. I shot a very nice 6x5 with my rifle my junior year of undergrad (1993). That was the last time I every hunted with a gun for big game and I'm sure I never will again. Not only do I not feel like I'm missing out on opportunities, but I feel the exact opposite- those who hunt in a way that allows, often requires, a great distance between them and their quarry are the ones who miss out. Being up close and personal is what it's all about to me! I love bowhunting and choosing a different method because it'd be easier isn't of interest to me. Part of why I choose bowhunting is because it's not easy.

Another reason I love to bowhunt is because I don't like having to account for other hunters. Not dealing with a sea of orange is a wonderful thing.

Lastly, I love to shoot my bow and I love to watch an arrow in flight. It's a beautiful thing...

...of course I imagine that's the exact kind of answer you expected and maybe, just maybe, you were just giving me and a bunch of bowhunters a hard time.

Thanks again, Darren, for the help with the pics- I appreciate it!

Oh, and say hi over at the PETA HSOforum for me.

[DTro]

Yes, I suppose that is what I expected, but I gotta think the frustration level is up there when a darn branch gets in the way or a call malfunctions (or was that the caller?)

I really do admire the dedication, respect and responsibility of your hunts. I'm sure the hard work is part of the allure.

[hugonian1]

What a great read.

Thanks for taking us all along.

[bmc]

Awesome re-cap as usual Scoot!

Thanks for putting the time and effort into your re-caps!

Brian

[DonBo]

Darren, another thing that bowhunting does is put you in the woods at a very nice time of the year. Not many beautiful days left by the time gun seasons roll around. Also in Scott's case here, he got to hunt the rut when bulls can be called too. Again, that's not much of an option during gun season. One more thing, archery seasons are MUCH longer than most gun seasons, giving us more time to enjoy the sport we love.

I get your point, I love to be successful and have ZERO issues with gun hunting. I do it myself when I feel the need to put more venison in the freezer, but the feeling of satisfaction when you've done that with a bow is something you just need to experience to appreciate.

[InTheNorthwoods]

Darren, another thing that bowhunting does is put you in the woods at a very nice time of the year. Not many beautiful days left by the time gun seasons roll around. Also in Scott's case here, he got to hunt the rut when bulls can be called too. Again, that's not much of an option during gun season. One more thing, archery seasons are MUCH longer than most gun seasons, giving us more time to enjoy the sport we love.

I get your point, I love to be successful and have ZERO issues with gun hunting. I do it myself when I feel the need to put more venison in the freezer, but the feeling of satisfaction when you've done that with a bow is something you just need to experience to appreciate.

I think one thing I see as a common denominator in many bowhunters, is that it is less about "being successful", and more about "the experience." Most bowhunters on this forum also hunt with guns or, at least, gun hunted at one time. I believe that most of them have used bowhunting as a way to get more time in the woods. Once you pick up a bow, it evolves for from there, ultimately leading to varying levels of "craziness/passion" for bowhunting due to the experiences bowhunting offers that gun hunting usually doesn't (simply because the experience gets cut short when you can pull the trigger at 100, 200, 300+ yards and put an animal down).

Speaking from personal experience, just this week I went through an agonizing experience of missing at minimal yardage that would have never occurred with a gun (I'd be posing and posting as an internet hunting star with a great trophy photo - but realistically far from anything buy passionate and at times, lucky); that experience simply makes me want to be in the woods more with a bow and would not have been the same if I'd have simply gone "boom" with the gun. That said, I look forward to gun hunting every year, and I'm happy to pull the trigger at 300 yards if I have the chance.

[Bear55]

Hunting with a bow puts everything on a new level, this might sounds crazy but some of my encounters where the bucks got away were just as cool or cooler than the bucks I have shot with a rifle. The bow gets into your blood, once there you are hooked.

[Scoot]

...or a call malfunctions (or was that the caller?)

[engfish]

As many others have stated, it is always a pleasure to share your adventures vicariously. Deep down, we all admire your determination and grit; deep down, most of us know that we don't have all the talents and attributes it takes to do what you do, so there is some envy, too.

Even though I'm President-elect of the Scoot Fan Club, I hope that you'll always remain an amateur. Certainly, you have the requisite skills to write professionally about your hunting adventures. But what makes your stories resonate with so many of us is that you come home at the end of the adventure and go work the next day--right after you play with your kids, clean off the table, and put the kids to bed later that night. You know that you'll have to mow the lawn, too, and you'll be driving the kids to ALL of their activities for the next week--at least. That makes you one of us, and that's why it's special.

Deep down, we can still think to ourselves, "Hey, if Scoot and his buddies can do it and still stay married, maybe I can too..." The guys who write professionally don't have that same connection with their readers. It doesn't make them bad people. But they're not hanging with us.

P.S. I have a side bet--have you run a marathon?

[Scoot]

Mom? Dad? Is that you??? If you're not careful engfish, people will accuse me of having a second username and tooting my own horn!

Even though I'm President-elect of the Scoot Fan Club

[johnsd16]

Great story. Tons of hard work in there. I've read the threads on a few of your hunts over the years and it was just now that I see pics that I realize I hunt geese and pheasants with Jon. Shot some geese with him last weekend. He said that trip was a fair bit of work but aweful fun.

[Scoot]

He said that trip was a fair bit of work but aweful fun.

Yep. For us, part of why it was so fun was because it was a "fair bit of work".

You're lucky- Jon used to live here in Fargo and we got to goof off a lot together. Now that he ditched us and lives over your way I only get to hunt or fish with him a couple times per year.

[NoWiser]

Awesome story, Scoot! Well worth waiting for. Congratulations on beating the odds and tagging two bulls. Judging from some of the pics, I'm guessing the trip would have been a success regardless of whether or not you harvested those two elk. Looks like you've got yourself some great hunting buddies.

[Scoot]

Thanks Jim- you're definitely right, it was a ton of fun. The elk were icing on the cake, but we'd have had a blast with or without them. Yes, two great buddies for sure!

Now, about your hunt...??? I'm expecting an e-mail, PM, or thread with an update in the near very future...

[rbs]

Scoot, I have read alot of your hunting adventures and you are by far one of my favorite writers on here. I am joining the fan club btw, second in line means vp! But seriously your stories of your hunts are inspiring to us all and even make some of us get off the couch and hunt even more! Great read for sure!

[WalleyeGod]

Scoot:

Great read as I live vicariously through you on the hunt. Hope your body recovers soon! Physically can't imagine what you guys would have been like had you not lined up the packers. Ouch. That was a good thought and money well spent.

WG

[Sorgy]

Scoot,

Very good read. It is tough to get thru all 12 pages of this post. Great job on the entire hunt. 2 nice bulls to go as well.

Steve

[Coach1310]

Awesome hunt and great read Scoot. Congrats to you guys and thanks so much for sharing. These are hunts many of us dream of and sharing them allows all of us some of the experience. I'm with everyone else in saying reading your stories is great and you taking the time to post them is a treat for all of us. I will be fan club member #3, but I don't want to be the secretary and take notes at all the meetings!!!! You may have taught everyone on here that if they ever do a hunt like this, packers may be the way to go!

[Scoot]

...I will be fan club member #3...

Sweet- that's 3 more than I've ever had! Seriously, thanks for the kind words.

The packers saved us a ton of work with the last bull, but more important than that, they would have saved us a ton of time away from hunting. Hauling out the first bull essentially cost Jon two days of hunting. Obviously, that's part of the deal and a problem you hope to have, but if we could have just contacted the packer and made sure he got the meat, we'd have been out hunting that same afternoon and wouldn't have missed any hunting time.

That being said, there are a lot of areas where you can't find a packer. So, if you want to try plan for that, be sure you know of a packer in advance and speak with him about your upcoming hunt before you go. It'd be a major problem if you planned on a packer and then it fell through...

Thanks again for the compliments fellas- I appreciate it!

[Jim Uran]

Great job Scoot! Even though you are a meathead, you are a heck of a hunter!

[Scoot]

Great job Scoot! Even though you are a meathead...

Meathead? If that's the worst shot you can give me, I'm doing great! Meathead is a step up from what I usually get called! LOL

More importantly, are we going to get on the ice together this Winter? That is, if you're willing to fish with a meathead...