I applied for limited quota elk and deer licenses this year. It was the first year I’ve remembered to apply in probably the last five or 10 years. Most years, I’ve ended up getting a leftover antelope license at the last minute, and I’ve hunted general areas for deer and elk.
This year, I had grand plans to hunt a specific area for elk and another for deer. The areas I was hoping to draw have good numbers of nice bulls and bucks, and they’re pretty easy to get to. The general areas I normally hunt have plenty of critters, too, but there are often quite a few other hunters around while I’m up there. Also, if I get back into the places where the elk and deer can be found, it’s a long, hard trip back out if I get something on the ground.
I have a few friends who hunt the areas we put in for this year, and they’ve gotten both elk and deer in those areas in the past. When they’ve gotten their animals, they’ve been able to pack them out with relatively little effort. It’s still work, but it’s not nearly as much work as it is in the areas I’ve gone in the past. Even getting into my usual areas is a lot of work, and that’s without an elk quarter on your shoulder.
My friends are in the same boat, though. None of us drew licenses in those limited quota areas. We’ll all be hunting general areas for both elk and deer this year. But at least this time, I should have some help. We figured we’d hunt those draw areas together, or if we didn’t draw, we’d hunt a general area as a group. So I’m not too disappointed. We’ll have good company, and if anyone gets an animal, there’ll be plenty of help to get it out of the hills.
