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2021 Big Game Draw Deadlines

68,410 Views | 709 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by ttha_aggie_09
TX_COWDOC
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AG
Congratulations on a great hunt. The OB should have a write up of the year award after the season. Write up of the year so far.
BradMtn346
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Thanks.
ttha_aggie_09
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AG
Love the write up! Congrats again on the hunt!
stdeb11
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AG
Congrats! Sounds like an awesome hunt. Really cool..what' your plans for mount with the hide?
JeremiahJohnson
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AG
It is wild that some of the Nannies look better and more mature than many Billies. They are truely remarkable animals.
mneisch
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AG
Silverton area
cupofjoe04
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AG
This is very true, and fairly unique to goats I believe.
BradMtn346
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stdeb11 said:

Congrats! Sounds like an awesome hunt. Really cool..what' your plans for mount with the hide?




The mule deer is moving towards the right. Goat will be on a custom rock climbing over the railing now behind the deer. Life size mount. I'm not likely to draw here again.
BradMtn346
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mneisch said:

Silverton area


It is just too hot. Better luck!
mneisch
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AG
Too hot and too dry. We finally found a decent buck this evening and put him to bed. Hopefully we can find him again in the morning and make a move.
BradMtn346
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mneisch said:

Too hot and too dry. We finally found a decent buck this evening and put him to bed. Hopefully we can find him again in the morning and make a move.

Best of luck! Saw these 2 guys tonight. Pictures suck, light was wrong,




Currently they are on the wrong side of the highway, but barely, they step across I have a new taxidermy bill. Will hurt after the goat.
ttha_aggie_09
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AG
Taxidermy bills are the only ones I enjoy paying
cupofjoe04
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AG
OB GoFundMe for Brad's taxi bill. Ide pitch in for a buck like that!!!!
AgLA06
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AG
That's the proverbial "I know where the boundaries are" middle finger.

Evil bastages.
AgEng06
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AG
Guess I should check in to say our CO archery elk hunt was largely uneventful this year. We went the first week and a half (to take advantage of the Labor Day holiday), and ate tag soup.

In our area, it seemed like it was probably too hot, but also there was lots of feed and water. So no elk talking and they also could stay hidden in some hell hole and have access to feed and water. With no reason to come out and no way to spot them... it was tough going.

We did have 3 immature (illegal) bulls at bow range for 15 min or so, but those were the only bulls we saw.
Track&Recover
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Bummer but at least you were out there.
cupofjoe04
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AG
Bummer. That's about what I expect in our area this year too. Lots of food and water as a result of a very wet summer. Now it's hot to start Sept.
Log
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AG
Drew TPWD Laguna Atascosa Gun Deer and Matador Anterless!
mneisch
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AG
Congrats! You ought to be able to tag a nilgai out at Laguna. Archery hunted them there last year with no luck, but could have done really well with a rifle.
Log
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AG
Which unit did you hunt? Did you need a tripod to see, or did you see plenty of animals from the ground?
mneisch
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AG
Shoot me an email and I'll send you all the info I have. Didn't get drawn myself this year so someone else ought to benefit.

mneisch (at) gmail.com
ontherocks
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AG
How many points did you have, if you don't mind sharing? Just trying to gauge when I'll get a chance on the rifle hunts.
Log
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AG
6 in NWR category.

Took me 17 to draw Matador in GDE back in 2012. 8 points later I drew Cross Bar last year.
Red Fishing Ag93
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AG
I also drew Antlerless on Matador. It took 5 points.

Log, maybe I'll see ya out there. December 1st?
Log
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AG
12/11-15.
Ag210
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AG
We drew Laguna Atascosa as well, what dates did you draw? We drew Dec 10,11,12.
Log
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AG
12/3-5.
ttha_aggie_09
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AG
Any of you guys fly with an antelope or other head in a carry on? Looks like, assuming I'm successful, I will have the head and cape in my carry on RTIC soft cooler, with ice packs (no ice allowed). Anyone done this before?

Additionally, anyone have any pointers for hunting speed goats in the eastern plains of CO? Going with a guide and he thinks we'll connect on day one but I'm not as optimistic.

Good luck to everyone else chasing wapiti right now!
cupofjoe04
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AG
I've not flown with a head, specifically. But I've flown with coolers of fish from Alaska before. I highly recommend calling your airline, and having them point you to the WRITTEN policy. Follow it to the T. Print it out and bring it with you. If an agent or TSA agent says anything different, you have the policy with you. It at least shows you are trying to follow the rules, and generally results in easier passage than yelling and getting mad (which is what most people do).

As far as hunting- you are going to have a blast. Trust the guide on field judging them, that's the hardest part for a new speed goat hunter. Also, don't let your guide rush you on day 1. Sure, if it's a 75"+ goat in Colorado, you need to shoot it even if it is minute 1. But other than that, this is YOUR hunt. Enjoy it. Make several stalks, get in close if you can, spend time just sitting and watching them. Those funny critters do some wild things if you just sit and watch or get in tight. Don't let the guide rush you to a day 1 kill just because he wants a break between elk hunts. I've seen several guides treat pronghorn hunters like this. Take a couple days if you can, and really enjoy your hunt.

Also, pay close attention to where they cross fences (if that's applicable). They will run a mile down a loose 3 strand barbed wire fence to cross at the exact same point (a slide). Use that to your advantage. Once I cut out the shape of a coyote from a piece of cardboard to keep pronghorn in a pasture I was hunting. I hung it on the top strand over a slide- it worked like a charm. Another time, I hiked 3 miles and slipped in and set up on a slide in the dark, as this group kept bumping as soon as we would drive into the valley. It worked perfectly as the goats walked right in my lap as soon as my partners drove in that morning. I killed a 78" goat, and my Dad killed a 75" goat off that group within hours of each other.

Also, they are much smaller than you imagine. I've seen people flat out miss because they get freaked out with how small a pronghorn looks in a scope. You have to get that out of your mind. I think about it this way- I can consistently put my rounds in about a 3" circle out to X-yards (whatever you personal wall is). So I don't care how much fur is surrounding that circle- if it's and elk or a rabbit, I'm shooting the same size target either way. Just prepare yourself for how small they look in a scope, pick a hair on their shoulder and shoot that hair.

Lastly, when you set up first thing in the morning, wait longer than you think before moving locations if you don't see any. With most other species, they are up and at em as soon as the light is grey. Not so with pronghorn. I find they tend to wait until it is more light before they stand up. I can't tell you how many times I've been standing on a little knob, glassing a huge valley thinking I picked the wrong spot and there are no pronghorn within miles of me. Then, all of a sudden, they start standing up and popping up all over the place- a little later than you think it will be. I think they wait until they can really use their eyesight, which is their primary defense.
KatyAg01
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AG
My dad and I tagged out on opening day last year near Flagler. Sounds easy enough, but we had several blown stalks before we connected. Our guide said that was typical, so don't get discouraged if you don't close the deal early on day one. The fact that you can spot them so easily can make it seem deceivingly easy. They are commonly positioned in areas that make it difficult to sneak up on them and get in range to shoot.
LRHF
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AG
Going to have a good story to eventually tell, still working with our outfitter so not ready on the details.

This was a once in a lifetime moose tag for my buddy who is a non-resident. We packed into the Weminuche Wilderness 10 miles (horses) and killed the bull moose at 11,300' (19 miles from TH). This was an archery kill.

More to come but here is a few pics!








LRHF
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AG
Be careful out there. A bow hunter from Houston was accidentally killed by a muzzleloader.

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/bow-hunter-fatally-shot-in-san-juan-national-forest/

https://m.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=394840105497248&id=101833464797915

LRHF



mneisch
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AG
Very sad. Always always always ID your target. No excuse for this. I've always wondered why hunters orange isn't required on archery hunters while out during MZ season.
blackgoldag11
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AG
The guy killed was a customer of mine whom I've hunted with multiple times. Very sad indeed, just ate lunch with him last week and he was so excited for this trip as it was the first time he drew a archery tag. Me and many others close to him can't believe this happened.
LRHF
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AG
blackgoldag11 said:

The guy killed was a customer of mine whom I've hunted with multiple times. Very sad indeed, just ate lunch with him last week and he was so excited for this trip as it was the first time he drew a archery tag. Me and many others close to him can't believe this happened.



So sorry to hear this blackgold.
 
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