In another thread, this question was asked.
Figured I would start a separate thread about the idea. I need at least ten hunts for our show. If RMEF wants me to do 3-4 elk hunts for them again this year, they'll need to come up with some tag ideas for me.
Last season ended up being the heaviest load of mule deer hunts we've ever had. Not by design, just in how the tags popped up for us. I can see that happening again this year, given how we have been accumulating deer points over the years and burning most our elk points.
This season will be about hunting with family and friends. I am trying to do as many of the hunts with family, as possible. Since my son is applying to grad school and he may not know those results by the time some apps are due, a lot is in flux.
Also trying to get in some hunts with friends who I have been wanting to hunt with for sometime, but the TV show always seemed to be a problem. Need to find ways to make those hunts happen. We have the sweepstakes hunt coming up for this season, so we will be filming that one, just a matter of what/where the winner wants to hunt.
Kind of looks like this, right now.
If I can juggle my RMEF board meeting commitments in August with the AK Sitka Blacktail season, I will get to cross one item off my "Do before I die" list. Working on that one to make sure it happens. Might cost me a trip to Vegas for Mrs. Fin and her sister, but that would be price I'm willing to pay.
Will be in UT for general archery deer, unless they completely eliminate the NR tags, or if my 5 points suddenly is not enough for a general archery hunt. MT deer is OTC for me, so I can make that work anytime.
Think I have enough points for CO 3rd season deer this year. Will try to burn my 18 CO elk points on an archery hunt this year, but odds are pretty slim, so I am expecting it to be another OTC hunt in CO.
Alaska finally issued some non-resident moose tags for where my family sets up their annual moose camp. I've not been able to hunt moose with them since the show started. I am hoping that most NRs missed that item in the AK regs. allowing me and Jereep to draw a couple of those moose tags. Not known for big moose, but given it would be a return to hunting with such close family, I really don't care. That hunt could take up two weeks from the schedule, so we would try to get two episodes out of it. If we draw, it will cause me to change my archery elk plans in CO and my pronghorn plans in UT. Good thing we find out before those states are due.
WY elk is going to be a crap shoot. Might do a general unit, special draw. Or, I might go in the special draw in a unit that has good random odds and keep my fingers crossed. Or, I might hunt with Uncle Larry. It's been three years since Larry has been on an episode. He continues his fight with lymphoma and I kick myself every year that the TV show keeps us from hunting together. This year, he and I will be hunting, whether it is both having tags, or just his tag. Really doesn't matter to me. Will be up to him, as to what he wants and where he wants to apply. We have options for other states and other species.
It is really nice to find out about WY elk and AK special draws before so many of the other apps are due. Given I can already count on six hunts, either as OTC or the fact my few points will be enough for others, it takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to swing for the fences on some other apps.
I'll update it more as some of the draws start coming in. Schedule seems to change daily, based on tags we draw/don't draw, other commitments, camera availability, trade shows, and most importantly, whatever it takes to keep Mrs. Fin overflowing with her patience beyond what any wife should be expected to exhibit.
Figured I would start a separate thread about the idea. I need at least ten hunts for our show. If RMEF wants me to do 3-4 elk hunts for them again this year, they'll need to come up with some tag ideas for me.
Last season ended up being the heaviest load of mule deer hunts we've ever had. Not by design, just in how the tags popped up for us. I can see that happening again this year, given how we have been accumulating deer points over the years and burning most our elk points.
This season will be about hunting with family and friends. I am trying to do as many of the hunts with family, as possible. Since my son is applying to grad school and he may not know those results by the time some apps are due, a lot is in flux.
Also trying to get in some hunts with friends who I have been wanting to hunt with for sometime, but the TV show always seemed to be a problem. Need to find ways to make those hunts happen. We have the sweepstakes hunt coming up for this season, so we will be filming that one, just a matter of what/where the winner wants to hunt.
Kind of looks like this, right now.
If I can juggle my RMEF board meeting commitments in August with the AK Sitka Blacktail season, I will get to cross one item off my "Do before I die" list. Working on that one to make sure it happens. Might cost me a trip to Vegas for Mrs. Fin and her sister, but that would be price I'm willing to pay.
Will be in UT for general archery deer, unless they completely eliminate the NR tags, or if my 5 points suddenly is not enough for a general archery hunt. MT deer is OTC for me, so I can make that work anytime.
Think I have enough points for CO 3rd season deer this year. Will try to burn my 18 CO elk points on an archery hunt this year, but odds are pretty slim, so I am expecting it to be another OTC hunt in CO.
Alaska finally issued some non-resident moose tags for where my family sets up their annual moose camp. I've not been able to hunt moose with them since the show started. I am hoping that most NRs missed that item in the AK regs. allowing me and Jereep to draw a couple of those moose tags. Not known for big moose, but given it would be a return to hunting with such close family, I really don't care. That hunt could take up two weeks from the schedule, so we would try to get two episodes out of it. If we draw, it will cause me to change my archery elk plans in CO and my pronghorn plans in UT. Good thing we find out before those states are due.
WY elk is going to be a crap shoot. Might do a general unit, special draw. Or, I might go in the special draw in a unit that has good random odds and keep my fingers crossed. Or, I might hunt with Uncle Larry. It's been three years since Larry has been on an episode. He continues his fight with lymphoma and I kick myself every year that the TV show keeps us from hunting together. This year, he and I will be hunting, whether it is both having tags, or just his tag. Really doesn't matter to me. Will be up to him, as to what he wants and where he wants to apply. We have options for other states and other species.
It is really nice to find out about WY elk and AK special draws before so many of the other apps are due. Given I can already count on six hunts, either as OTC or the fact my few points will be enough for others, it takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to swing for the fences on some other apps.
I'll update it more as some of the draws start coming in. Schedule seems to change daily, based on tags we draw/don't draw, other commitments, camera availability, trade shows, and most importantly, whatever it takes to keep Mrs. Fin overflowing with her patience beyond what any wife should be expected to exhibit.
