Quote:
Originally Posted by elkhunter11
I show up a day or two before the season opens, to scout around. If I find a good one, I will watch it until dark the evening before the season opens, and be back at legal time the next morning. The biggest issue, is judging horns, if the horns are relatively straight, they look longer, if they have big curls and make that heart shape, they actually look shorter. Good glass is a necessity for spotting at distance, and I find a window mount handy. If pressured, they will move off, but will often be back later.
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THIS
Having only hunted trophy once and tagging out opening day, I have limited experience to offer. We scouted a few weeks before and filled in the voids we had with permission. Learning to field judge is key. I wished I was better at it. Depending on your zone, there may not be a great population of big ones and you have to weigh your time vs opportunity. Carry a shovel, a big container of water if conditions are dry.
A good spotter with a pair of window mounts with quick detach plates makes the "STOP, I SEE ONE" rodeo a little easier. I'd also recommend a taller bipod. The vegitation is taller than it looks. A game bag in your back pocket or a DOE decoy work wonders (but be aware of the risks). MY BIL got his to respond to a decoy that we flashed for a minute. Stopped him and he did a 90 in our direction.
Freeze Ice in blocks, water bottles or old pop bottles to make it last longer. Don't let anyone talk you out of any meat. It's by far the preferred big game meat in my house, especially in curry.