My wife says it's a lotta bull and a bison. I'm too tired to post a report except to say, yes...this was a canned hunt, yes I screwed up my first shot, (failed to lead the moving bull enough and hit 6-8" further back than intended) but waking up to the gobbling of two dozen turkeys nearby was cool. I'm beat...need to rest & recover. [video=youtube_share;wp3m-j8Okcw]http://youtu.be/wp3m-j8Okcw[/video]
Definitely adding another layer of insulation for BC and AK...designing a custom Underquilt/Doobie hybrid for the hammock. I wasn't cold but I sure coulda been warmer. Was a bit stiff in the morning but not in a debilitating way.
Nice! I'm thinking about doing a hunt like that on a reservation here in SD. Makes for a sweet skull mount and the meat is damn tasty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This was a "canned hunt" so for those who aren't familiar with the term, I offer the following. While it is true that High Fence operations are commonly considered "canned hunts" this was not a HF hunt. HF is used to restrain animals that can jump. Bison merely crash thru most fences. I did not get drawn for one of Utah's 44 bison tags which, as a non-resident is about a hard to get as a polar bear tag. So ranchers raise bison for commercial slaughter and sporting purposes enabling anyone the opportunity to hunt them. It is considered a "farm animal" and therefore you don't even need a hunting license. That too is a canned hunt. My dream hunt would be to chase wood bison but you need a lot more hunting time and money for those wild buff. The east fence on the ranch I hunted had been knocked down in several places by elk and there are expensive consequences if a "farm animal" escapes into the public land so the pressure to kill it before it crosses the boundary is substantial. I didn't have a shot on Wed, lost his tracks in the fresh snow on Thursday and was greatly relieved to locate and kill him on Friday. I thought he had left the property Thursday but he had found one of the hillsides that was steep enough and with enough vegetation to protect him from the wind and snow. My GPS showed I had actually passed close to where he was twice but never saw him. Visibility on Thursday dropped to less than 150 yards for half the day. I was getting pretty desperate that day. Bison hunt prices vary based on many factors, size, sex and purity of DNA being the most influential. Some (so-called) bison are actually 50% bovine (called beefalo or cowfallow or some other unGodly damn thing) but the purest strains of bison are located in UT & CO. That's because of canyon terrain that prevented the buffalo hunters from getting their wagons in. These bison are 96% pure and up. Big difference in taste guys! A quality bison with run between $2500-$6000 depending on the three factors mentioned and they type of hunt you want. You can have em released onto a big ranch (like my hunt) but some people have em transported to a small fenced pasture and shoot em from wheelchairs (so handicapped can take one). The choice is yours. I was told that most of the "bowhunters" quickly request a back-up rifle when they see their bull taking off. once it's released, you bought it. I got kudos from the rancher for actually taking it with a bow. I was sore and tired for 4 days afterwards. With taxidermy (shoulder mount, euro skull, robe tanning), meat aging/cutting/shipping and hunt I have roughly $6K-$7K invested. Not bad for 4 yrs of meat IMO. Do not hunt cowfallow. Don't even consider anything with a bovine bloodline. They are unnatural!
Thanks! Smiling here... That is so cool and thank you for the write up. Once again...Great Job! Enjoy it!
Thank you. One more item crossed off the bucket list. Yukon moose and brown bear are the next "big" hunts...AZ javelina is my next hunt. Those elusive ranch rats have tormented me. Called in an entire herd once while predator calling...it was not javelina season. Maybe this season I will connect.
Congrats on the buff! I really want to head down to AZ to hunt javelina but I don't have the first clue on how to go about it.
Equipment used: Hoyt Carbon Element 65lb draw, Spot Hogg Hunter sight, QAD HDX drop-away rest, 8" Axion Gridlock 3D Hunter stabilizer, Archer Xtreme Carbon Vapor (camo dipped) quiver w/ FMJ 250 Dangerous Game arrows and Woodsman Elite broadheads. Total arrow weight 777grs. Natural Gear Snow camo bibs, hoodie and heavy coat, gloves, c ap and homemade facemask (using Nat Gear leftovers). Danner Pronghorn Boots & Darn Tough socks Kifaru Duplex Timberline 1 backpack & Sitka Gear Ascent 8 hip pack Smith & Wesson .44 caliber 329PD sidearm Clark NX-250 Jungle Hammock w/ Mega Ogee tarp & Wiggy's Freedom Shelter sleeping bag.
I've done it in the past but it's been a long time. Basically, you bought the tag over the counter and hunted public land. I think I went 4 times and did pretty well. It was really a lot of fun and took place in January which was nice too. I don't know if it's still that easy though.
IF you can still get a tag the best way to get on em is to drive along the backroads and trails, get up high and glass. I usually spot em while driving although I have called in a herd while hunting coyotes. The are a perfect bowhunt species. Just move slower than slow and you'll be able to get close. Finding em is 90% of the game. At 6:33 this guy gets the surprise of his life.
