Hunting and Fishing Resolve
Another year is passing and from all accounts on this end, it was a good one. Got some decent fishing in (including some bruisers like this brown trout), was able to squeeze out for a few days of hunting (though not as much as I would have liked), and now I’m sitting back and watching the snow pound the mountains.
As we leapfrog into 2009, I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with the 12 months ahead. I’m not creating a list of New Year’s resolutions. Actually, it’s more like a “to do” list—an outline listing my when, where, and what for each season, and a reminder to put in for any tag lottery draws I might need. I already have a few fishing trips in the works, and I’d like to chase some gobblers. I’m just not sure where yet. Come fall I definitely want to spent more time bowhunting. Elk, deer…I don’t care as long as I’m there.
What are you looking forward to in 2009? If you had to write down an outdoors goal for spring, summer, and fall—what would it be? I have a feeling I’m going to end up steeling some ideas here. —Ben
My goal is to come to Colorado and fish with Deeter in a dry fly match and destroy him 10 to 1.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:33 amHey Alex–I’ve fished with Deeter and you should have NO PROBLEM winning that contest. (but don’t tell him I said that)
December 31st, 2008 at 11:59 amNot so sure on that Ben, I have only trout fished with flys about 20 times and only 3 were with dry flys. Either way, LOL.
December 31st, 2008 at 2:30 pmmore trout. elk hunting. phesent hunting. that type of thing.
December 31st, 2008 at 4:56 pmwhere in the mountains are you located?
January 4th, 2009 at 8:02 amWho is deeter
January 4th, 2009 at 2:45 pmOK—here goes my attempt to kill two birds with one stone. . .
I’m in southwestern Idaho, and while I don’t live directly between the mountains, there are two ranges on opposite ends of town and you can see them from just about anywhere. . .When I wrote this post I was watching them get pounded with snow, which we desperately need to help make our trout rivers happy places come next summer.
Sorry about the name dropping too. . . Deeter is the last name of Kirk Deeter. He’s a friend of mine and runs the FlyTalk blog for Field & Stream, where Alex is a regular contributor (though we’re also glad to have him). . .
Anything else—feel free to ask!
January 4th, 2009 at 4:12 pmWell, this stuff would be leaning more towards dreams than goals, but I want to be on some Pro Staffs. Generation Wild, Primos, Realtree would all be great (except Primos and Realtree don’t like each other…. Oh well. Camo isn’t as important as good calls. If I have to wear Mossy Oak a few times to be on their team, it don’t matter.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:43 pmAs for real goals, get a 10″ plus gobbler for me, plus birds on the ground for my bro, dad and grandpa. I want to get a nice deer with my bow this fall, and stack up some coyotes, rabbits, and squirrels. A big bass and a muskie would be nice too.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:46 pmAhhh man I have a long year ahead…
January 7th, 2009 at 8:34 pmI hope to get my brother his gobbler, then help my dad get one, then it would be a plus if I could bag one too. Then shortly after turkey season, I graduate from High School, a major step in my life and then work all summer towards college. And when I wana start scouting for deer… I won’t be able too. I’ll be packing up for college and heading to Northwest Iowa. From there I don’t know how much, or if I’ll be able to hunt. I’m taking my bow and shotgun, so we’ll see. I know theres going to be great pheasant hunting, but I’m not sure what else I’ll find. So alot of uncertainty in the year ahead (but future isn’t?) But I do know one thing, I am going to enjoy every second in the God’s great outdoors. No matter if im here in WI chasing turkeys with my brother, or flushing pheasents in Iowa. God Bless you all and have a great year.
Like bucklessboy, i too am finishing out my senior year and then starting college in the fall. i hope to do a lot more hunting and fishing this year and maybe start a “project gun” on a Ruger 10/22. this winter yet, i’d like to have a successful coyote hunt. i’ll continue to hunt and snare rabbits until the season ends in late february. on another note, which college are you going to bucklessboy and what are you going for?
January 9th, 2009 at 11:57 pmHey jake thats somethin I wana do to…get a coyote.
Good luck to ya!
And I’m going to a college nobody’s ever heard of, lol.
Dordt College, a small Christain college in very northwest Iowa (pretty crazy pheasant hunting out there) and they have one of the best Agriculture programs out there, which is what I’m going for with an emphasis on animal science. After majoring in that, I’m looking into going on to vet-school. So thats what I have planned now what about you?
Hey and just a random question…to anybody out there who hunts coyotes,
January 12th, 2009 at 8:57 pmI have a 17 HMR. and I’m planning to hunt coyotes with it, I know I’m going to going to have to call them in close but when I do…is it safer to take a head shot? or a vital shot into the heart and lungs? Remember its a 17 sooo its not going to do a ton of damage. Whatcha all think?
well i’m going to a small community college because it’s inexpensive and has a good program in wildlife management. the name is Vermilion Community College. it’s in a small town called Ely in northern mn, surrounded by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. hunting and fishing is encouraged here haha so i have no worries i’ll fit in.
as to the .17hmr if ya got it, use it. right now the pelts aren’t worth much so you can get away with shooting them with a deer rifle, if legal. i’d try for a chest shot with those tiny HMR bullets cuz they could easily glance off a head shot, if the shot is off by just a little bit. for less margin for error, go for both lungs and or the heart and keep reloading and shooting until you can’t see it anymore or you’ve seen it go down. also i’d try and keep it within 100 yards or so. i’ve heard of longer shots than that taken but the results are inconsistent. hope this helps!
January 12th, 2009 at 11:38 pmyeah jake that just conferms what i thought,
January 13th, 2009 at 11:10 amand im going to be just inside the woods…so that when i do see them, they’ll be close. thanks again good luck hunting!
I’m looking forward to going on a fishing trip to Ontario. I would also like to get my first turkey, and take some squirrels on public land. A coyote would be nice for me too.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:53 pmMan, the connections on here! Bucklessboy, my dad went to Dordt. He didn’t hunt while he was there, but while in Iowa, expect FAT turkeys (up to thirty pounds I’ve heard) as well as beefy corn-fed bucks, especially in the Loess Hills area. The pheasant hunting is good, and I betcha there are some coyotes around too. Jake, I’ve been around up there by Duluth-Ely, and that is some SWEET fishing. Also a lot of deer and some bears around there, though I don’t know about moose. The MN population is not doing so hot.
January 14th, 2009 at 4:31 pmSounds like some pretty sweet majors for ya both too.
January 14th, 2009 at 4:33 pmturkeyman, i fell in love with the ely area after i spent 12 days up there hanging out this summer. the school’s campus is not far from a small lake and it’s still pretty easy to access the bigger area lake. if my memory serves me right, there is also some state land to hunt within a few miles. i don’t plan on doing any bear or moose hunting but i’ll be taking my archery equipment up there for deer hunging and probably my shotgun and .22 for small game. when will i find the time for school?! lol should be up for some good times!
January 15th, 2009 at 12:01 amAnd Bucklessboy, I would use a shotgun if you’re going to need them within 100 yards anyway. Not to mention doing more damage than your 17, they’re easier on pelts too, which don’t usually get bad till February, depending on your area. Right now they’re good and thick. Some good loads are Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote and Remington Wingmaster HD in #BBB, T, or #4 Buckshot. Hope this helps!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:14 pmJake,
I forgot to tell you before, but there are a TON of deer in that area. I know this isn’t exactly in the immediate Ely area, but I saw 20 deer near Gooseberry Falls (Two Harbors) in one day near dusk.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:16 pmtrust me turkeyman, i know!!! lol. why else would i even look at a college anywhere?! in order for me to do that, there would have to be really good hunting AND fishing possibilities…haha. yep i just love it UP NORTH, and plus i’ve never hunted whitetails in the big woods, so it should be quite the experience!
January 18th, 2009 at 3:14 pmWhat does everybody think of Pres. Obama?
January 20th, 2009 at 10:47 amdon’t get me started…
January 20th, 2009 at 4:14 pmlol me either…
but hey thanks turkey man for the advise…i gotta buy myself a good rabbit call, any preferances?
January 20th, 2009 at 8:01 pmDon’t mean to start a political battle, but outdoor wise, it doesn’t look pretty. He says he’s going to conserve, and has a record to back it up. That being said, it looks like some of our gun rights may be taken away. His record on gun rights is ugly. He has supported a complete ban on handguns, a ban on the selling and trading of semi automatic weapons, a ban on right-to-carry permits, and a ban on firearms kept in the home. He’s also supported raising taxes on fire arms and ammuniton by 500 percent. These bans would effect hundreds of rifles and shotguns used often by hunters. Only time will tell i guess, though.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:29 pmyeah Bucklessboy, I’ve heard great stuff about the Primos Hot Dog, which can be used as a distress call or howler. go to primos.com and hit game calls, then go to predators. Primos is the best way to go for anything. As for politics, I agree it doesn’t look too great, but I’m hopeful that no one retires from the Supreme Court, cuz then he would be able to get anything through he wants.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:43 pmdoes anybody know what happened with the “gift card giveaway”?
January 21st, 2009 at 3:44 pmi think my call is a Lil Dog by Primos. its a fantastic call. howler/rabbit/deer/…just about any distress call. I originally thought that our new president would not be so good, but now i realized he’s got alot more to worry about right now without messing with our guns. i still don’t like him, not based on a race or prejudicial thing, but more on his values on pro-choice and anti-second amendment.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:56 pmmy goal is to catch a big fish with my cousin thatkid in ontario…
January 25th, 2009 at 3:19 pmMy goal is to shot a tom instead of a jake , 8 point instead of a 6 point. an go to ontario get some good sized fish.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:39 pmwhat I woud like to get into is traping. an shot a coyote, but that dosent have to happen this year.
January 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pmi got into trapping this past fall, so i have that crossed off. i didn’t catch anything (except a possum) but had a blast doing it…i’d highly suggest it to anyone.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:54 pm