Bullshot
Well-known member
I have a good problem I could use some advice or some insight into your experiences on... If I choose to put in, I can expect to draw my preferred CO antelope tag in 2019. My dilemma is which season/weapon will give me the most quality experience. A rank of my priorities would be:
1) Shot opportunity at a mature animal.
2) Room to roam / Ability to avoid competing with other hunters.
3) Prefer spot and stalk or natural ambush (do not prefer pop-up sits in summer heat)
4) Shot opportunity at a trophy animal (the unit is better than most)
Other factors -
I have previously bagged antelope with both bow and rifle (so the muzzleloader option intrigues me). Anybody have good (or bad) experiences hunting traditional? If I choose this route, then I need to decide in-line -vs my preferred T/C renegade... and then decide 50 or 54 and then decide bullet or ball. Lots of decisions!
I am not strictly ever trophy hunting, and I have a habit of pursuing the first good animal I find. However, this tag could be one of my few chances to legitimately chase a top notch animal, in which case, might the bow or muzzleloader handicap me? And how frustrated would I be to watch my dream buck walk, only to know it is likely easily shot weeks later in rifle;
BUT... rifle season is crowded....and it is likely that it wouldn't be ME shooting that buck but one of the dozens of other nimrods.
All of this will be for naught if I can draw one of those pesky Wyoming elk tags this year before I need to apply in CO. But I am in the random 1% pool so not really worried about that. I have also considered burning elk points in CO before I do something stupid and get hit by a bus without having spent them, but maybe I'll give that one more year and see if point creep reverses. What's another year in point purgatory after all, if I can distract myself with chasing a speedgoat.
1) Shot opportunity at a mature animal.
2) Room to roam / Ability to avoid competing with other hunters.
3) Prefer spot and stalk or natural ambush (do not prefer pop-up sits in summer heat)
4) Shot opportunity at a trophy animal (the unit is better than most)
Other factors -
I have previously bagged antelope with both bow and rifle (so the muzzleloader option intrigues me). Anybody have good (or bad) experiences hunting traditional? If I choose this route, then I need to decide in-line -vs my preferred T/C renegade... and then decide 50 or 54 and then decide bullet or ball. Lots of decisions!
I am not strictly ever trophy hunting, and I have a habit of pursuing the first good animal I find. However, this tag could be one of my few chances to legitimately chase a top notch animal, in which case, might the bow or muzzleloader handicap me? And how frustrated would I be to watch my dream buck walk, only to know it is likely easily shot weeks later in rifle;
BUT... rifle season is crowded....and it is likely that it wouldn't be ME shooting that buck but one of the dozens of other nimrods.
All of this will be for naught if I can draw one of those pesky Wyoming elk tags this year before I need to apply in CO. But I am in the random 1% pool so not really worried about that. I have also considered burning elk points in CO before I do something stupid and get hit by a bus without having spent them, but maybe I'll give that one more year and see if point creep reverses. What's another year in point purgatory after all, if I can distract myself with chasing a speedgoat.
