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Old 11-08-2017, 08:29 AM
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3blade 3blade is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,150
Default I hear ya

My scouting time is very limited. I spent 5 days in 936, found only one elk trail, so decided not to draw. 5 days gone.

Got bit by a dog on a training hike, spent a week sitting around on antibiotics with a fever and pus draining out of the bite. Lost more scouting time.

Found out my cousin had been diagnosed with cancer. He wanted to get a an elk with his bow, as it'll likely be his last season. Spent 3 days scouting, found him a spot where the elk were going through morning and evening. Hoping both of us would get our first elk. I had to work the first three days, told him how to set up on it. He decided he knew better, and set up UPWIND of the elk trail. Surprise, elk gone. Then, just to make sure, the next day he went stomping through their bedding area. No elk.

Wanted to hunt a spot I had seen lots of mulies, they had cows in there till November.

Had 2 elk in a small bowl at 150 yards, they literally covered each other's blind spots for an hour. One feeding, one standing watch. Did a half mile circle, they moved up and bedded facing me. Then, on the walk out, just to rub it in, I saw a bull moose within 60 yards in a zone where I got blanked on a P7 tag 2 years ago.

My "back up" whitetail spot in the hills, bright green clover cutline, where I couldn't go 2 hours without seeing a deer, got there just to find other hunters and no clover. Completely grown over with field grass. No deer.

Coyotes took out multiple deer on my bow zone spot, so the deer vanished. Again. Farmer likes coyotes.

Hit every single heat/rain/snow/wind storm all season. 30 degrees with a full moon, 3 foot snow drifts, week of rain, more snow, had elk figured out and then that stupid wind storm that knocked the train off the trestle.

More snow last week, then just as it cleared up, my grandpa (who is by far my best friend and the person I talk to the most) ended up in the hospital potentially about to lose his leg.

5 WEEKS OFF, 14 days of hunting total. I average 40 and have been up to 60 some years.

At this point, I'm just hoping everyone stays above ground and maybe I'll get some scouting done for next year. Never know though, it only takes one second to turn it all around.
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