Now that we know where we're hunting this year, it's time to sit back and assess the outcome and determine just how lucky or unlucky we may have been.
I originally applied for the Central Mountains, Manti limited entry muzzleloader elk hunt. I was confident that I would draw this tag with 12 points and was planning and hoping for a congested fall schedule with a family trip to go salmon fishing already on the calendar for early September. But as the application period progressed I encountered some bumps in my professional career and there was a lot of uncertainty with my job, so before the bonus point application period closed in March I decided to withdraw that elk application and purchase the point. I'll push my plans for limited entry elk hunt one year to 2020. I had also applied my 12 year old son for the same limited entry elk hunt but with no points to his name I didn't feel the need to withdraw his application... he was unsuccessful so now he has 1 point and I have 13 for next year.
We both applied for a cow bison once-in-a-lifetime hunt and were both unsuccessful... we both added a bonus point to our meager totals.
Doug and Cody are both Utah non-residents and they submitted applications for a number of limited entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts or bonus points. Both Cody and Doug were unsuccessful in drawing any of those tags so they walked away with a bunch of bonus points.
That however is where the "unsuccessful" ends for us...
My grandfather, uncle, dad, brother, Cody, and I all drew general muzzleloader deer tags for the unit where the family cabin is. My son drew an any weapon tag for that same unit so we'll take advantage of the youth opportunity that allows him to hunt archery, muzzleloader, and rifle with that tag. Doug also drew an any weapon tag in the unit where his family also has a cabin. The general deer draw is usually very kind to us, and this year was no exception.
We are looking forward to another great year of general deer hunting, which if you have followed the blog you will know is always a fun family adventure. We are also looking forward to and planning our antlerless applications... hopefully we can add a handful of cow elk tags in Utah and possibly a bunch of doe pronghorn tags in Utah and Wyoming. I'm also keeping my options open to possibly take advantage of some reasonably priced youth tags in Idaho.
Scouting season will begin soon enough, I'll be getting my trail cameras up around the cabin early this summer and I'll be sharing pictures regularly as well as documenting the Alaska fishing trip I mentioned previously.
