Well to say I'm the luckiest man in the world would be an understatement..... 8 years ago I finally met the woman I was meant to be with and life hasn't been the same since..... My feet haven't touched the ground since and the paths I've travelled have been the most rewarding of my life..... This May I turn 50 years old...... I was looking at it with a bit of dread a year ago until Debi told me she wanted to send me on my first guided Elk hunt..... See my first hunt ever was an Elk hunt in Montana at the age of 14 and I've been an Elkaholic ever since.....And though I've taken a fair share of cows over the years that dream Bull, or any Bull for that matter, has eluded me.......I've put a few friends on their Bulls over the years but none of them ever took the time to learn to call and reciprocate the favor....... Solo calling Elk, especially with trad gear, is a very tricky task and everytime I'd get a Bull in range the shot angle would be wrong or when the shot angle was right they would be out of my acceptable range...... But I've been blessed with more hours in the Elk woods than many will ever see in their lifetime and I've enjoyed each and every one of them to the fullest..... But I digress...... My wonderful wife knows how much taking my first Bull will mean to me and that's why she gifted me this opportunity that will probably be the best one I'll ever have to fulfill my quest......... I looked long and hard and talked to a bunch of Colorado outfitters and the hunters who hunted with them and booked with one that I'll be hunting with this September with an OTC Bull tag....... Knowing that hunt was a sure thing I put in for a November Elk hunt here in AZ with my first choice Cow and second Bull..... Well I found out yesterday my credit card just got hit for $114 which means I'll be heading to the AZ Elk woods as well in November....... Hitting 50 has got me reflecting back on where I've been in my life and I can only say my first 50 years have been totally rewarding and I'm looking forward to the next 50 and hope to be enjoying life with Debi and tromping the Elk woods when I hit my second 50th...... To steal a quote from Doug Campbell "Life is good in Arizona"....... Terry
Congratulations!!!Good Luck next season and Happy Birthday...in advance!! I was just starting to get my "second wind" at 50,LOL...Age really is just a state of mind...Frank
Congrats Terry! We will all be waiting to hear the stories generated from your elk hunts. Shoot a big one!!! Dan
Congrats Terry...really happy for ya. Wishing you well on your elk hunt. Tell Debi she done good, of course she can probaly tell that by the permanant grin plastered on your face eh? So, which bow ya taking?.
It does make me kinda envious feeling that you only got hit $114 to chase elk..heck Dianne, Brian and i just applied for Mulie tags in Montana and they were nearly $400 apiece.
I thought 50 was bad until this year. I turn 57 in May (mines the 18th..when's yours?). Now only 3 years from 60 I'm starting to feel really old.
That's AWESOME! Congratulations on what I'm sure will be a magical hunt and the wonderful bride that got ya there!! Can't wait to hear the stories!!
Mark
Happy Birthday buddy. Have a grteat hunt. 50 is closeing in on me fast. 48 next month and still feel like 18! Well in my mind I feel 18. But my knees feel like 60.LOL<><
Thanks Guys.... Age really is a state of mind for sure.... That's my new mantra.... Heck I'm still 18 in mind years......
Mickey .... You can see that grin all the way from there???..... :scared: .... I'll be taking my Dryad Bushwacker as my first hitter.... That bow fits me like none I've ever shot and I've shot a few... A special lil # named Beetlejuice will be my backup.... My Birthday is the 16th..... we're pretty close..... almost twin sons from different mothers 7 years apart...... :D Terry
That's cool Terry. I'll be lookin forward to pics and stories.
It's awesome to have a bride who stands behind us in our quest to stay back in time, when the whole world seems to be in such a mad dash to jump blindly ahead in time.
I hope you can take a little bit of tradgang along with you when you go.
Wow that IS a bit of a jump..what, 60%? all at one time?... GADS :scared:
Beetlejuice gets to ride along? COOL :clapper: :goldtooth:
Terry, mine is the 16th as well and I'll still be a year older than you. Met my dream girl just a few years ago too - life is good in Iowa too! I did not take my first elk till after 50 - the one in my avatar. This year it will be my first serious try for bear... hunting with Ted Fry in Idaho. Gotta love it when life keeps getting better. Many happy returns
Yeh I used to think 50 was really old but I think its 70 something now!! Have great season sounds like it sure enough will be.
That is great Terry! Hey, I'll call for you anytime you like and even take some pics.
That's awesome Terry..you have a lot to look forward to..best of luck my friend :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Too funny Frank...You made your post while I was typing mine.... Looks like there's a few of us that feel like 18 until we see we can't chase Elk uphill at a trot anymore..... Kenny..... I always have some tradgang with me on my hunts both the bows I'll be using this year were from friends..... The Bushwacker was made for me By Mike and Jason ..... My backup self bow Beetle juice was made for me by Mickey.. just to name a couple......Shaun... I knew there was a reason I liked you.... :D Roger.... I hear ya..... 50 is middle age......and David.... be careful I just might take you up on that...... :readit: Terry
Terry, you're just entering the best age to be elk hunting. It's a proven fact the people over fifty use their brains a lot more than their legs. No need to try to outrun some bull when you can out think him. After having figured this out (I'm 56 now) I even put in for a Montana tag so I might get to hunt elk six weeks instead of four, and have two tags.
Good luck on both hunts this fall.
Good luck on both hunts Terry,and Mark U makes a very valid point on huntin with brains instead of legs,sadly both of mine are gettin weak!
Thanks Curt..... Are you heading out West this year again?.... Mark as many years as I've been attending Elk University you'd think I'd have my Phd by now...... 6 weeks of Elk hunting up in Gods country... Man you've got it made.... Good Luck to you as well.... Kenny now that's funny... :D Terry
Terry, congrats ahead on turning 50 and still going hard for that goal! Its good to have a goal and good to have a wife that is part of the team. I think your in pretty good company with a lot of us, in that quest for a really nice bull. It keeps eluding me, although I've taken several elk, a few bulls, and helped many others...I've not yet satisfied my urge for a good one yet. My experiences have been similar to yours in that the "gaggers" have hung up or not presented the best opportunities for my shot, and I've elected to pass. Still, being in the presence of them has rewarded me plenty....the good ones are hard to find, and killing one even tougher. Good luck to you.
I turn 60 this year so to me you are a youngster Terry.
Mark said
Quote"I think your in pretty good company with a lot of us, in that quest for a really nice bull."
I am part of that select group. Like Mark I've shot a few elk bulls and cows but no big bulls. I have had some great hunts in beautiful places and if a big bull never comes my way it will all still be good memories. But every time I step in to the elk woods that is my goal and I might just get a couple of big bulls yet.
Some of you are aware of my good fortune with winning a Screaming Eagle stand, Whispering Wind arrows and a Sheepeater static recurve recently. Well my streak of good luck is not over yet it seems. Yesterday I drew an Arizona elk tag, it cost about 5 times as much as Terry's did though.
I think all you young guys in your 50's should come with me :campfire: to carry my pack and pack the meat out. I hope I can carry the antlers they might be heavy. :D Mark U has a good point, and I think I hunt smarter, but you still need those legs to get up the mountain.
Thanks Mark..... I hope I'm one of those old codgers I remember growing up with in Montana.... I swear they looked 80 and could almost keep up with me and my then young legs.... Hey Chad that's awesome..... you're really riding a lucky streak ........What Unit did ya draw...... Terry
Terry,
Congrats on your 50th! Mine will be next May( 2008) and my wife is supporting my decision to buy myself a new bow for that occasion. An elk hunt would be great, too! That's my one wish is that someday I'll be able to get out west for a mulie/elk hunt.
Pics and stories, please!
Lee :thumbsup:
Terry, don't know what unit yet just that my card was charged for an elk tag. Should be 7W, 6B or 8. I know 7W some but not much experience in the other units. Should be a good hunt regardless of unit but I am concerned about getting away from ATVs and other hunters. Tried to pick units with better draw odds and remote areas to hopefully allow secluded hunting.
I'm another guy that is very fortunate to spend my life with a wonderful wife, best friend and companion. Last year I was busy as usual with work as hunting season was approaching too fast. I planned to park my camping trailer in the mountains to use as a base camp for a few weeks but it needed some work. Kyle fixed the plumbing, cleaned it, stocked it with food and had it ready to go so all I had to do was get my hunting stuff together and go.
As we age and mature I guess it is normal to philosophize about life. Like many of you I feel very fortunate as I reflect on the past. Kyle and I lived and worked in 20 states, built and rode custom harleys, hiked hunted and fished in most of the Western states and a few others. We learned many skills together and assisted each other in expanding our horizons. We still have a lot of memories to make and every day here in the mountains is a blessing. She is just as happy as I am for the AZ elk tag.
At 60 with the tough AZ draw this could be my only opportunity to hunt elk in AZ. Which bow to use will be a tough decision. I love hunting in AZ, it is one of my favorite places.
Y'all take note of Mark's quote from Ted Trueblood. Mark, I guess you don't have to worry about which side of the border you are on with both tags. I was going to do that this year as the ID border is just a few miles away but the AZ tag will postpone that.
Terry, what type of hunt is the CO deal? Lodge, horse pack or ?
One of my favorite quotes about aging was from Malcolm Forbes "As you get older you should speed up not slow down...there is less time"
Terry, congrats on hitting the 50. I'm 56 and still love to hunt elk. I do have to work harder to get in shape for the mountains of Idaho (where I love to hunt elk) but have found that I now see more game since I have slowed down. The last time I went out we had a young pup of 34 with us. We were hunting together one day (he was usually about 10 yards ahead of me :readit: ) when I spy 3 cow elk about 25 yards away from him just watching as he walked by. Pssst, I said. He looked back and said "What's the matter you can't keep up :banghead: " I pointed to the elk and he just turned around and kept going. I had a great shot but turned it down hoping for a bull later on. Should have taken the cow because I never did get a shot at a bull. Told him about the cows as we were eating that night and he said he never saw them. It is sometimes good to be slow!!!!!!
Joe