Can't believe it, I drew an expo tag!

[DAA]

Elk Ridge any weapon buck deer. I'm stoked!!

Been putting in for an archery tag there for a few years. Quite familiar with the area and know exactly where I'd go to bow hunt for a buck. Have never spent any time up there later in the fall during the rifle hunt though. As of now, I'll just go to the same area as I always hang out in the summer photographing mulies in velvet. But, if anyone has been lucky enough to draw the rifle tag and has hunted there at that time, or just spent time up there in late October and wants to share any buck intel, I'd be grateful for the info.

I never get drawn for ANYTHING! Just can't believe I actually drew a tag! I'm so used to never getting drawn, I didn't even bother to check the results. But this morning I got a call from a friend and she says "congratulations!". I say "congratulations on what??". That's how I found out.

- DAA

 

[Jinx]

Score one for a good guy.

Congrats Dave!

 

[Tonkaman]

Fantastic news! Congratulations

 

[Houndoc]

Congrats. Tag that is certainly on my dream list.

 

[Greg]

Lucky guy!! Hopefully you find a monster!

 

[mbryson]

Dave, I saw more bucks in two hours in a spot up there than I've seen cumulatively in my life. There weren't BIG ones but a few shooters. I'm SURE there are some NICE animals if one is willing to work a little. I'll break out my maps and figure out where I was (Dead Mans Point area). I'm totally psyched for you!

 

[DAA]

Thanks for the encouraging words guys!

From what I'm hearing, this is far from a slam dunk for a nice buck on the rifle hunt. Sounds very weather dependent on exactly where and how dispersed the buck will be during the hunt and the unit isn't really known for producing many monsters. Have heard from a couple of guys that got unlucky on the weather and hunted hard without seeing many bucks at all and nothing big. A lot of the pictures I've been able to find online show bucks that I might not shoot hunting up above the B.

But! I think there are only 25 rifle tags for the whole unit. So it's going to be an insanely "quality" hunting experience no matter what! I'm not going into it expecting to bring home Mr. Big though. If I can get one equal to the one I got at the Books in '11 I'll be more than satisfied (pic below).

I'm just stoked that I won't be dealing with a sea of orange and that I'll be hunting in some of my favorite country on this earth. I might not even shoot one, to be honest - older I get the less I care about bringing one home.

Few pics I've taken on Elk Ridge in summer time just because I feel like it .

- DAA

 

[blznnp]

awesome, my buddies dad got one a couple years ago.

 

[mbryson]

.....I'm just stoked that I won't be dealing with a sea of orange and that I'll be hunting in some of my favorite country on this earth. I might not even shoot one, to be honest - older I get the less I care about bringing one home. .....

THIS is ideal. Last time I went on a rifle hunt I just left my area. Had SO MANY people coming in on me it wasn't even funny. I didn't dare shoot because there was people everywhere

 

[Houndoc]

I have some extended family who have hunted the unit many times (they have a large herd that coordinates the draw so have some great tags most years.)

Here are some examples:

 

[thefirstzukman]

Missed this one, Congratulations!! The good thing is you know that area pretty good and this just means you have an excuse for more trips down there, Its all about the hunt anyways, and that area is awesome! My little bro drew a Henrys Buffalo expo tag a few years ago, he had drawn a Buffalo tag the year before so he got to hunt buffalo 2 years in a row. I don't have that kind of luck.