Travis long went home with the grand prize – a free shoulder mount from NP Taxidermy, some jerky, and some huntaddicts swag. We felt this photo really portrayed the DIY hunter as many of us have been in similar situations. Thanks Travis! (Photo on right)

Initially we were only going to pick a couple of runner ups, but because we had so many great entries we picked six. Each of our runner ups get some Golden Valley Meat Snacks Jerky and HuntAddicts premium window decals. Thanks for all of your entries. Almost every judge commented on how difficult it was to judge this contest.

Keep in mind that we are doing this again for 2012. Nielson Productions Taxidermy is gracious enough to donate another mount, and we’ll be adding a few additional prizes this year as well! So keep your cameras handy this season. Happy Hunting!

Here are all of the winning photos:

Durability: A lot of guys put warranty first. I agree to disagree. Your pack has to do its job and hold up to the rough life it will see as a piece of your hunting gear. If you are on the mountain, with a  few heavy loads of meat to haul, and your backpack fails…hopefully you can still get yourself, your gear, and your animal out. A lot of times I keep a spare army surplus pack in my truck – just in case. Luckily I haven’t had a pack failure yet, but I expect it to happen someday. That’s why the quality of your pack  is hands down the most important factor in choosing a pack. It needs to do what you expect it to.

Comfort: I place comfort as the next most important factor. Western hunting requires a hunter to cover a lot of ground – so wearing an uncomfortable pack full of gear all day while covering ground is not fun. Being comfortable while in the field is important. It keeps those week long hunts bearable and it is much easier to maintain your excitement and drive to hunt when you feel good. Don’t ever buy a pack without trying it on with some weight. Grab something heavy in a store and put it in your pack, wear it around for a while – get a feel of how it fits. Every hunter’s body is different. Some packs are adjustable, some aren’t. So take them for a test drive – in the mountains if possible.

Functionality/Design: For years I used a pack with 2 large storage areas. There were small pockets for those things I needed quickly. It worked. But better organization would have been nice. Today’s packs are focused on organization. Many packs have pockets for specific items like a tripod, spotting scope, bow, rifle, water, cell phone, GPS, etc. I even own a pack that has the pockets labeled by the company. Decide what you want to use this pack for what features you require and start looking for something that fits the bill.

Warranty: Your pack will eventually fail (most likely). Whether it is a simple zipper failure, a ripped seam, a broken buckle, or worse – it is nice to know that you can get your favorite hunting pack fixed without having to pay for a new one.  If a company creates a durable and quality pack – they should stand behind it and most do. Many pack makers offer lifetime warranties and this should definitely be a consideration when purchasing a hunting pack.

Price: Price is an important factor, even though I’m adding it to the end of the list. While many of today’s hunting backpacks are very expensive, getting a pack that will be dependable, comfortable, and efficient is possible. Save a few dollars a month and you can probably get your dream pack by next season regardless of price.

Take these suggestions into account when you’re looking for a new pack. Many hunters have more than one pack, as every pack caters to a certain hunting strategy. Over the course of this year we will be providing reviews, tips, and suggestions on which packs are our favorites. So enter your email address into the orange bar on the bottom of this page so you can be notified when a new review or article in this series is posted. Follow along on the “Hunt for the perfect Pack!”

Most hunters that I know want to be in better shape for each upcoming season, but fail to find the time or motivation to do what it takes.  I, like most people, tend to find motivation in the form of failures and successes. Experiencing both of these the past two seasons have demonstrated to me the practicality of needing to do as much as you can to put yourself in the best position to succeed.

I soon learned my lesson.  The first week of September found me in one of my favorite areas with my bow in one hand and both a Bull Elk and a Bull Moose tag for the same unit in my pocket. Three days of hiking and searching various spots with two great hunting buddies, produced several good encounters with elk and only a couple small moose spotted. I ascended a narrow finger ridge at daybreak by myself.  Waiting for my serenade from above or one of the timbered canyons to either side of me, I paused at about two-thirds from the top waiting for ample light to gain the remaining elevation.

Legal shooting light found me moving again.  Shortly thereafter, I caught movement ahead of me at the plateau I was heading for.  It was a mature 5-point bull and he was heading away from my direction. With good thermals and the methodical ascent, I knew he wasn’t leaving because of me so I sprinted up the hill, quickly cutting the distance in half.  I dropped my pack and continued to hustle my way up to a single pine just below the precipice of the plateau.  My first set of cow calls revealed the reason the 5-point was high tailing it out of the country.  A monstrous bugle echoed out of the timbered canyon to my left.  My doubt that the new bull would reveal himself caused me to stay in my current position and continue to try to lure the first bull back in my direction.  My second session of cow calls didn’t reveal the original bull either, but sparked another series of chilling screams from the bull to my left.  His third series of bugles set off an alarm in my head that this bull was, in fact, heading up the drainage in the direction of my calls.  It was time to make a move.

Still laboring from my initial race up the hill, I left my position at the base of the pine, dropped down a level, in an effort to keep my scent below the charging bull, and sprinted back towards him at an angle up the hill forming a ‘fish hook’ with my path.  I soon reached the edge of the timber and took a knee just in time to see the buckskin animal moving right to left through the morning shadows up the hill in front of me.  I reached for my rangefinder and attempted to find a landmark in his path that would give me an accurate reading.  My heaving chest and lungs made it hard to make sense of what the rangefinder was telling me.  Finally, as the giant 340 class six-point bull crested the timberline, I stopped him with a gentle ‘chirp’ and was able to get an accurate reading on the single tree that was directly in front of his hind legs.

My mind quickly replayed the hundreds of practice shots I had taken at sixty yards during the off season and here was this massive target standing broadside at fifty-eight.  ‘I can make this shot in my sleep,’ I recall thinking.  With that I raised, and drew my bow in one steady motion only to realize that my breathing pattern was bordering on asthmatic.  My sight pin bobbed & weaved like a prize fighter and I was powerless to get it under control.  My lack of conditioning would not allow me to make an ethical shot on this monarch.  I would have to let him walk.  As he trotted off another fifty yards and stopped to look back at me one last time, he barked in my direction as if to say, ‘What is your problem?’ I knew what my problem was, and I would not be doomed to repeat it.

Day five of a seven day bivy hunt revealed a herd of elk within a couple hundred yards of our modest dry camp.  Unable to get around them and into position undetected, we poured off the north face of this drainage towards the bottom of the canyon.  One consistently vocal bull had grabbed our attention as we flowed down the timbered slope across the creek in the bottom and over the next ridge.

As we neared the bull’s ‘bedroom’, Doug held up to stretch his back and sent me after the quarry like he would his Labrador retriever.  Hearing the persistent bull beckon once more just a couple hundred yards ahead, I saw no reason to complain or argue.  I eagerly moved up the draw, careful to keep my approach hidden and quiet but at a pace that would have me there in no time.  I soon had a visual on the elk; he was bedded down by himself about seventy yards ahead.  He was a magnificent six-point that was comfortably above the 350 mark.  We were separated by a diagonal row of quaking aspen trees so a shot from this direction was not possible.  I took a knee trying to assess the situation when I noticed his cows to my left at about fifty yards.  They hadn’t seen me either so my focus returned to their leader.  He then bugled once more from his bed in response to another bull well up the ridge who had been making noise non-stop this whole time.  As his bugle tapered off, he stood up, left his cows, and made a bee-line up the hill towards his vocal challenger–leaving me there bewildered.

I walked up the timbered slope to my right and met up with Doug who was looking at me in a way that asked, ‘what on earth just happened?’  I replayed the story for him in short order and he confidently revealed that the lower bull was probably headed up to start a fight with his antagonistic adversary.  We decided to take chase but the pain in Doug’s lower back was going to slow his usual long-legged pace so I told him I would run up this ridge to the right of the action and try and cut off the elk.  He would come up behind the group in case they busted me from the other direction.

I took off up the hill as quickly as I could, trying once again to move swiftly but quietly.  After what seemed like a significant distance I began to see the shapes and colors I was looking for a little farther up the hill and to my left.  I continued to gain elevation in order to get parallel with the elk and quietly moved in closer to the herd, now directly to my left.  I settled in next to a pine tree in order to break up my figure.  I was now fifty yards from one of the most amazing sequence of events I have witnessed in my hunting life.

The large bull from the bottom of the hill charged into the dense timber and locked horns with the vocal bull we heard from the bottom.  The large five-point held his ground and fought for all he was worth to keep this dominating figure from taking his harem in its entirety.   The battle echoed through the trees, sending cows and smaller bulls scattering out of the cover and off of the hill in order to protect themselves.  There were elk headed in every direction and I was right where I wanted to be…right in the middle of them!

The two bulls separated and danced around the forest in front of me occasionally stopping to catch their breath and survey the damage.  My rangefinder picked up one tree near a popular spot that was forty-eight yards from me.  Immediately after that, the impressive five-point came through the modest opening and provided a view of his vitals giving me my first opportunity.  Even with the highly intense and taxing chase I had just completed I subtly drew my bow with no issues and was just about to settle my fifty yard pin with confidence when the action picked back up and the bull sprinted off to defend one of his subjects once again.

A few moments later, the larger bull retreated back down the mountain with a few new prizes.  The big 5 points was now hustling around trying to take account of who he still had so as not to lose any more.  As he worked his cows up the hill to my right I snuck onto the dusty battlefield in an attempt to come up behind the scattered herd.  I could hear him dart down a canyon finger to my right looking for stragglers.   As he bugled his way back up to the cows that were now right in front of me I got into position and took a knee, once again ready for my opportunity.  My sixty-eight pound Carbon Element drew back with ease. He continued his ascent up the canyon working from my right to my left; his antlers followed by his impressive body materializing right in front of me at a mere twenty-three yards.

Unlike last year, my weapon was solid in my hands, even with the much more intense scenario that had just played out.   There was no heaving of my chest, all of my facilities were under control, and my pin was as steady as a rock.  All of that off-season effort was just about to show its worth.  The squats and lunges, the circuit training in the gym, and all the miles on the treadmill, gravel, and pavement were about to pay dividends.  My raspy voice did it’s best to create a subtle cow call in such close quarters.  The bull stopped almost instantly, completely broadside, and looked right at me.  I could hear him breathe as I settled my thirty yard top-pin tight to his left shoulder and released my arrow in his direction….

I mentioned earlier that we are motivated by our successes and failures.  My failure in 2010 motivated me to work harder than ever to succeed in 2011.  For the most part, it worked.  But, as my 393 grain Gold Tip skipped off of a microscopic branch that had eluded my vision, I realized I would have another source of motivation for the upcoming off-season.  Not only to continue training the way I had for the previous nine months but also to always make sure that my shooting lane is clear. Hey, that’s hunting.

Let me preface this article by saying that if I can do this, anyone can. I had always been a little nervous about cleaning up a skull for a European mount, now I wish I hadn’t been because I’ve wasted a few good mounts.

The whole process began from online searches. Trying to cite every source would be very difficult, so I will say that while I did not come up with this process myself, I did a lot of research, combined a bunch of information and gave it a go.

Materials Needed

-The head of the animal (In this case a Texas Whitetail Buck)
-A big metal container that will hold water and can be heated by a stove of some kind.
-1 box of Baking Soda or Sal Soda
-A sharp knife
-Needle-nose Pliers
-Hot Water
-Air Compressor (Used in this process, but could be traded for another step)
-Small Paint Brush
-Tub to mix Peroxide and Whitener
-Powerful Peroxide and optional whitener (see photo for exact product)
-Plastic (Seran) Wrap
-Heat source
-Stove to heat water: cache cooker/barbeque/kitchen stove (depending on females in household)
-Latex Gloves
-Dish Soap

It seems like a lengthy list, but many of us have a lot of these things sitting around the house. The things hardest to come by may be the air compressor, the chemicals, and perhaps a woman that will let you use the kitchen stove (not likely). These obstacles can all be overcome, and I’ll talk about that later.

Begin

We can start at the beginning. During an open season, with a valid hunting license, grab your gun/bow and bullets/arrows along with other necessary gear. Go out to a likely area to find the animal you are after. Kill the animal (This step varies in many ways, this article will not attempt to address this step). Go home with your tasty game meat and the head of the animal.

Cape out the head, remove all hide and hair. Then remove the eyes from sockets, all vertebrae, the tongue and lower jaw, and all the meat you can easily cut off with your knife. The brain will also need to be removed, take a old wire coat hanger, or a good stick, and loosen the brain. With a flattened end of a wire or stick remove as much brain as possible. You are now done with the prepping and ready to begin the simmering.

Another small step may be inserted here. A lot of guys like to cut a hole directly below the brain cavity in order to better remove the brain tissue. I did not.

Fill the pot with water, empty about one box of baking soda into the water and place the skull in the water. You will want to have the water level above the top of the skull as it needs to simmer. I was afraid that it would remove the colors of the antlers, but it did not. There is a little bit of grease that may get on them. You may want to wrap the antlers/horns in plastic wrap and electrical tape to keep it secure. This will keep some water and grease from the antlers. (Not a big deal if you don’t though).

Put the pot on heat source of some kind. I used my barbeque grill, which has a burner on the side. I turned it on low. You do not want the water to boil. Just keep it right below a boil and simmer the skull for 30-45 minutes. Take the skull out and remove all the meat you can. Much of it should have already fallen off the skull. Use pliers and your knife to gently remove some of the meat in hard to reach areas. You will most likely have to put the had back in for a few more minutes, I had this skull in the water for a little over an hour and a half total. However, looking back I would have taken it out a little sooner.

*Note: Not all the very small specks of meat will be gone at this point. It seems to hold in a few places in the eye sockets, and nasal passages. At this point some people remove the ear canal bones by prying them out with a screwdriver. It removes a lot of meat, but also some bone. I chose not to as I was planning on leaving the entire skull intact as it will be displayed on a shelf, and can simply sit there.

Next you want to have a container or a sink, I used a cooler, full of hot water with a bunch of dish soap. The skull should come right out of the simmering pot, right into this hot water. (As hot as your hands can stand). Get your air compressor with an air attachment, and submerge the skull, and your air nozzle and blow air across, under, above, and through all the surfaces of the skull. You will want to blow water through all of the holes in the skull also. This blows out the grease and meat left in the smaller places. You may still need to pick some of it out with pliers and knife, but this will get most of it. I was a little careful with the nose, because I wanted to be extra careful not to break the fragile bones in the nasal cavity.

If you don’t have an air compressor, there are other steps that can be taken to replace this step. But the grease needs to be removed somehow, either by soaking in a degreasing solution or by some other means. It will take longer by using another method, as soaking is typically involved.

Your skull should now be meat and grease free. Now you should probably repeat again. The bubbles and air push the grease and meat out of the hard to reach areas. Make sure the brain cavity is completely clear, especially the front and hardest to reach part between the eyes. This is the part of the skull where you will see the most yellowing. If all of the grease is removed there should not be any yellowing in the future.

My skull looked like this. The fissures and nasal bones were a little dark, but there was no flesh or grease left.

Dry the skull. Depending on your time frame, you can do this in front of a heater, or let it air dry. It was getting late when I got to this point, so I left mine overnight in the garage. Drying in front of a heater for 20 minutes works great also. Rotate it every few minutes to make sure it dries thoroughly.

Now to the bleaching part. The products used in this process were purchased at Sally Beauty Supply. I was pleasantly surprised when the girl at Sally Beauty Supply knew exactly what I was looking for. I would expect at many of these locations (at least in the west) they will know the products you need.

You will need Salon care Maximum Lift 40 Developer Crème. This comes in a liquid, you will want the crème. This is really just Hydrogen Peroxide that is more potent than the stuff you may have around the house. The second product may not be necessary, but I used it and was very happy with the results. Salon Care “Quick White” powder lightener. This whitener can be purchased in large tubs, or for a couple dollars you can pick up the small packet that turns out to be more than enough for a deer sized skull. I would anticipate it would be enough for an elk skull.

Before application you may want to mask the antlers as this mix will bleach the antlers to a bone white. If you do not want to mess with re-coloring the antler/horn you should mask it off. I used masking tape and wrapped it around to just above the eye guards.

Mix these two products together. The whitener will thicken the peroxide a little to almost the consistency of a homemade milkshake. You will want to wear protection on your hands and eyes for this step. This mixture is pretty potent. The smell can be quite strong also, so you may want a mask of some sort. I simply used a paintbrush to mix the peroxide and whitener together.

Paint the skull. Get the peroxide/whitener mixture on every surface. I dumped some extra in the brain cavity and down the nasal passage. Just coat the entire skull, and be generous. Then wrap the skull in plastic wrap (Saran Wrap or cellophane) and set in front of a heater. I used an electric heater.

Heat is what is going to activate your bleaching process. In my understanding, often times it is thought that light, or time is the most important factor in getting a good bleach. But heat works. While I have never in my life had my hair bleached. I hear that if someone were to get their hair lightened, they are quickly set in front of heaters for a short amount of time. So it makes sense that this is the case with bleaching a skull as well.

You want to get the skull as warm as you can without burning the cellophane. Rotating every few minutes to get the heat activating the bleach on the whole skull. Twenty minutes or so is probably adequate, but the longer the better. I had this skull bleaching for around 35 minutes. Cut the plastic wrap off and put the skull in hot and clean water. (No soap or bleach this time). Get your air out again and bubble it again to get all of the bleach out of the skull. Place it in front of your heater to dry. If it isn’t as white as you want, you can do this again.

After I washed the bleach off of this skull, it still seemed a little dark in a few places along the cracks in the nasal area, so I was planning on bleaching again. But as it dried, it turned pure white. So don’t rush another bleaching if it isn’t needed.

Remove your tape from the antlers, and let the skull dry. Within an hour you should have a beautiful Euro Mount.

I tallied up the cost of the materials, (to justify my stinking up the garage to my wife). I had to go out and buy a pot, because I didn’t have one big enough to boil the skull in. That was my largest purchase at $20. I walked out of Sally Beauty Supply spending slightly over $6, and another $6.50 for a couple of paintbrushes, masking tape, and a small paint tray. So for essentially $32.50 I did my first Euro Mount and have without the need to purchase a pot again, I can do a mount in the future for under 15 bucks. (Although I do still have enough bleach to do at least one more deer sized skull. So if you have a couple to do at once, you can essentially cut that price tag in half). I can’t help but feel a definite sense of pride on doing it yourself. After all, isn’t that what makes it all worthwhile anyways? And for a professional looking finished piece and a price tag that is cheaper than a box of .270 ammo makes it hard to beat. Give it a try, Good luck, and Happy Hunting. May your next season supply you with the need to use this information!

Different terrain, game, and hunting styles require different optics. By finding the best optics for your situation, you can be a more efficient hunter. The Author poses (above) with a caribou taken on a hunt in very open country.

A spotting scope’s use in hunting often begins before the season actually opens. A spotting scope allows the hunter to “scout” big game animals without disturbing them. This works not just in the wide-open West but anywhere some distance can be found, whether across a Midwestern farm field or from ridge to ridge in the Appalachians.

Americans hunt deer more than any other big game, and a spotting scope is particularly useful when scouting for either mule deer or whitetails in late summer before they shed the velvet on their new antlers. At this time of year the antlers are soft and tender, and even big whitetail bucks will spend more time in the open. Also, the coats of summer deer are reddish, so they stand out at long distances.

Bucks also tend to hang out together before their antlers harden. They’re not producing as much testosterone as they will later in the fall, so are a lot more mellow around their potential rivals. During the last days of August I’ve seen as many as 14 branch-antlered whitetail bucks in one small field, and as many as six mule deer bucks bedded on a mountainside. In the West you’ll often see several bull elk together, and in the Rockies and the North several moose. Such sightings encourage hope and persistence during the upcoming season!
These bachelor herds break up during the rut, but their members will still be somewhere around. Whitetails, especially, tend to stay in the same general area. Mule deer and moose may wander further, but will generally be within a mile or two of their late-summer hangouts. Elk will wander the farthest.

One thing quickly discovered during such scouting is that really high-powered spotting scopes aren’t quite as useful as many hunters would imagine. Two things interfere with a clear view when a scope is cranked much above 40x: a small exit pupil and heat waves.
The first is most important during dawn and dusk, when game animals are most active. A 2mm exit pupil is marginal but OK in dim light; anything less results in a view with almost no contrast and detail. A spotting scope with a 60mm objective has a 1.5mm exit pupil at 40x. Crank the same scope up to 60x and the exit pupil shrinks to 1mm. This just doesn’t get it done in anything except bright sunlight, the reason that serious hunters often invest in yet another spotting scope with a 75-80mm objective lens. These can be turned up to 40x and still have an exit pupil of 2mm.

The other problem occurs as the sun rises higher, when heat waves begin to rise as well. The image may be bright at 60x, but you won’t be able to see much detail because heat waves interfere. On the high plains in early autumn I’ve seen heat waves interfere so much with the view that by 9:00 in the morning that it’s impossible to see horns on any pronghorn much more than half a mile away. You can tell that their head is black, both because of the black horns and the dark throat patch, but you can’t actually see the horns.

This is why most of my hunting scopes have eyepieces that don’t go above 40x or 45x. There’s just too little practical use for higher magnifications. However, if you like to use a spotting scope for, say, star gazing, then higher magnifications can be useful. At night there’s no problem with heat waves, both because of cooler temperatures and because the scope is pointed upward, away from heat rising from the ground. It’s pretty cool to be able to see the moons of Jupiter or the rings of Saturn.

Some spotting scope purists insist on fixed-magnification eyepieces, since these usually provide a slightly sharper view than variable eyepieces. This may be true in an absolute sense, but hunting involves a wide range of light and terrain. You’ll actually be able to see much better with a slightly less-sharp variable eyepiece, because the magnification can be “tuned” to the light and atmospheric conditions.

Something in the 12-40x or 15-45x range is just about perfect, partly because the lowest magnification provides a wide field of view. When hunting, spotting scopes are often used along with a binocular. The game is often spotted with the binocular, and then the scope is used to zoom in for a better view, allowing us to evaluate the animal itself and, sometimes, details in the terrain in preparation for a stalk.

It also saves us time and effort. Both are often at a premium. A spotting scope allows us to get a good look at the horns or antlers of animal before making a long cross-canyon hike. This isn’t only a matter of trophy evaluation, but often of making sure the animal is legal. Many areas require a certain number of tines for antlered game to be legal, and in at least parts of British Columbia a mountain ram must have a certain number of “growth rings” on his horns. This really requires good glass. Even bears require evaluation. Bigger, mature bears have certain characteristics, such as wide-set ears, that set them apart from younger bears. Often these are only visible through a good spotting scope.

Spotting scopes can be purchased with both straight and angled eyepieces. Both styles have their adherents. An angled eyepiece allows glassing both above and below us more comfortably, especially when we’re lying down (a frequent position in open-country hunting). An angled eyepiece can also be used on the level, by turning the scope so that the eyepiece is level with the body, but some people find it really hard to locate anything in the scope with this set-up, much preferring a straight eyepiece.

I am of two minds here. I find an angled eyepiece much more comfortable when looking both above and below me, but often get frustrated when trying to find something I just saw through binoculars—especially if there are only a few minutes of light left, or the animal is moving. I also find that when sitting up to glass a straight eyepiece is more comfortable, and sitting is also a frequent glassing position in some hunting country. I also prefer a straight eyepiece when glassing from a vehicle, with the scope on a window mount—though that can vary with the angle too.

What a hunter really needs is an eyepiece that can be tilted anywhere from straight to a 45-degree angle. This feature is rarely found, however—and to my knowledge never found in a really top-notch scope. So my advice would be to borrow spotting scopes with both straight and angled eyepieces and really give them a workout before making your final decision. I own both types, an indication of how ambivalent I am on the subject.

Hunters often compromise optic quality for size. A compact scope “can fit into a daypack for carrying into the field. This is impossible with a really big scope and full-size tripod.”

To be truly useful a spotting scope much be mounted on something to keep it steady. I have seen people place them on the crown on a cowboy hat that’s sitting on a rock or log, and some hunters who mostly glass from vehicles keep a spotter on a shoulder stock. These will work, but aren’t nearly as good as a window mount or a good tripod.

Part of the reason for using a window-mount or tripod is scanning. We do this not only to find an animal we’ve already glassed through binoculars, but when actually looking for game. Yes, a spotting scope can be used to find animals, and at really long distances is more useful than conventional binoculars of 8-10x. The trick is to examine each piece of the country in an organized way, and turning the head of a tripod is perfect for this purpose.
(Another trick when using a spotting scope for actually finding game is to place a piece of tape over the “off” lens of your shooting glasses—or, if you’re like me, your everyday glasses. We feel eyestrain when looking for long periods through a spotting scope either because of muscle fatigue in our off eyelids, due to keeping the off eye closed, or the off eye trying to focus along with your primary eye. Placing a piece of tape across one lens of your glasses allows glassing with both eyes open, and is a LOT more comfortable during long periods of looking, believe me. I normally keep a couple strips of tape on the scope itself, just for this purpose. Electrical tape works fine.)

The rule of thumb with tripods is that the bigger the scope, and the higher off the ground it will be, the bigger and heavier the tripod. The heavier and higher the scope, the harder it is to keep steady, and if the scope isn’t steady we won’t see distant detail—the reason for a spotting scope in the first place.

Unfortunately this conflicts with a lot of hunting. Ideally we’d pick a scope with an objective in the 80mm class, in order to see better in dim light. We’d like to pair this with a tall, heavy tripod. But just try to carry both a big, heavy tripod and a big, heavy 80mm spotting scope in the field.

This is why many serious hunters have both an 80mm scope, used almost entirely from or near a vehicle (whether on window mount or a full-size tripod) and a smaller 60mm scope, used with a small tripod, for carrying in the field. If you choose carefully, a 60mm scope and short tripod (used for no more than sitting height) can fit into a daypack for carrying into the field. This is impossible with a really big scope and full-size tripod.

One trick that can be used to steady any tripod-mounted scope, especially in the wind, is to drape something relatively heavy over the scope itself. I’ve placed a hunting jacket, for instance, over a scope to tame wind vibrations.

Some hunters also find a truly compact spotting scope useful. If glassing isn’t going to be for extended periods, a small spotter can even be substituted for both binoculars and a spotting scope. On a caribou hunt in the Northwest Territories a few years ago I decided to test a then-new 10-20x compact spotting scope, a nifty little thing about 10” long and weighing less than an average 8×40 binocular.

After one day of carrying both a full-size binocular and the little spotter, I left the binocular back in camp. When set on 10x the little scope worked fine for the minimal amount of glassing needed to find caribou on the tundra (if there, caribou are pretty obvious!), and when cranked up to 20x and placed on my shooting sticks the scope worked fine for evaluating antlers up to a mile away.

As with other optics, I have too darn many spotting scopes, though I use them all at one time or another. But for the average hunter I’d suggest starting with a good 60mm-objective scope, with a variable eyepiece topping out at around 40x to 45x, combined with a compact tripod that can be used either while sitting or lying down, and a window mount. Such an outfit will take care of 90% of the glassing any hunter requires from a spotting scope.

It’s early in the morning, you get tucked in behind your keyboard and log onto the Wyoming Game and Fish website. Today is the day you find out your draw results. You’ve waited a long time for this. You just know that you drew that premium Pronghorn Antelope tag you applied for way back in March. You type your information in and read that magical word. UNSUCCESSFUL! How can it be? You had it all planned out; your first western big game hunt on the wind swept prairies of Wyoming. Now what? Wait another year and try again or give up on the idea all together? Absolutely not. There are still literally thousands of opportunities available this year for both residents and nonresidents to hunt antelope in Wyoming.

Every year after the preliminary draw has taken place thousands of tags are still available in units that are considered sub-par or that have private land issues. The fact is that a majority of these units offer excellent opportunities and have ample public land on which to hunt. It takes a lot of research and planning but it is entirely possible to hunt antelope on a yearly or bi-yearly basis. By purchasing these tags after the draw, your preference points are still yours to keep which allows you to build valuable points for a future hunt in one of the premium trophy units in Wyoming that may require several years’ worth of points to draw. Another great aspect is hunting these units is you are allowed the opportunity to study antelope behavior under real field/hunting conditions. This knowledge will become invaluable when you finally obtain the trophy quality tag.

There are several steps to get your research process headed in the right direction. The very first step would be to look at the leftover list and narrow it down to a minimum of 3 units that interest you. The units may share a border or they may be several hundred miles apart from each other. You need to see how many tags are leftover in each unit. Sometimes units may have only a handful, others may have hundreds. There is a narrow window from the time the leftover list is printed to the time when the tags actually become available for purchase. So it is important to get your research done and make a decision on which unit you would like to hunt. Some of these tags will be sold within minutes of being available. Others are available right up until the season starts.

An invaluable tool to help narrow down your search is a good map. BLM maps are very good tools to determine exactly how much public land is available in the units you are interested in. These maps can be purchased from the BLM field office in the area that you are interested in hunting. These maps are cheap (typically under ten dollars) and really help you get a feel for the land ownership status in the area. When looking at the maps you want to find blocks that are brown, green, or blue in color. Brown indicates BLM land, green indicates national forest land, and blue indicates state land. These three types of land are public and can be hunted by anyone. The white sections of the map indicate land that is privately owned and permission must be obtained from the land owner in writing before you can legally hunt these lands.

The next step would be to get on the phone and contact the Local Chambers of Commerce and the Game and Fish Department offices and request a list of private land owners in the area who allow hunting on their land for free, or a very small trespass fee. We at HuntAddicts.com are also available via email to discuss your plans and get you pointed in the right direction for your next hunting adventure in the high deserts of Wyoming. Stay tuned to the huntaddicts.com featured articles section for more in depth articles to help you make the most of your western hunting opportunities.

Chance’s buck taken on a leftover license in Wyoming’s unit 25

Aside from the obvious “to eat”, I find I want to hunt even when I’m not hungry. Notwithstanding I prefer my meat free range, low fat, antibiotic and steroid free (that’s another article), and cleanly processed in my kitchen, I still like to hunt. I especially like to go with my family or friends, or someone who is new to hunting. But I also go alone. There are reasons for both – that you hunters know and that those who have not experienced it don’t yet comprehend. There is primordiality to hunting, a rush and a focus that can’t be found in much else. Is it a murderous rage? Are we serial killers who need the stimulation? Or is it something else?

Never mind that hunters contribute the most dollars to wildlife conservation worldwide, far more than so called animal rightists. Never mind that more species have been saved by hunters than by the endangered species act. Never mind that legal hunting in modern times has never extincted anything. As example elephants in Africa are now doing so well largely because western hunters are willing to pay handsomely to pursue them. Consider that most avid hunters spend a lot of time thinking about the environment and how to preserve the whole of it. For it is the whole of it, the flora, the fauna, the air and water that gives them the experience they seek.

Theodore Roosevelt is a most applauded and recognized conservationist. History praises him, his face one of our four best, is on Mount Rushmore. Scads of places and stuff including a wapiti species and teddy bears are named for him. His visionary idea of national parks and reserves caught on worldwide. And he was a big time hunter.

It’s been said that there are four basic stages in a hunter’s evolution. Stage one; you just want to kill something. These are typically adolescent males with raging testosterone who enter the sport with a rite of passage view and are anxious to prove themselves. Once killing something is accomplished stage two ensues which is wanting to kill something big. This seems to me like the adult version of stage one, proving oneself worthy and capable in the big bad world and probably is a male predominant stage. Stage three is participation in outdoor pursuits for their spiritual refreshing and relationship bonding qualities. Mentoring begins to be meaningful and the harvest of the game becomes somewhat secondary. Phase four is the development of concern that these activities can be available in perpetuity, for posterity and the maintenance of the species and habitat. At this point the hunter is secondary to the conservationist. One thinks with a wide view and feels like a child of the earth. This is the mature hunter.

Ancient hunters decorated their caves with pictographs of that which they revered. Modern hunters do too, only now they have invented taxidermists, wildlife prints, and digital photo frames.

Not everybody needs to hunt. I don’t mind eating bread from wheat somebody else grew for me (running a combine is boring). I suppose many folks would just as soon eat meat somebody else killed and packaged and maybe even cooked for them. With high fenced game management now practiced world wide the boundary between farming and hunting blurs. For that matter open range private management is done to increase yield or quality whether on 40 acres in Iowa or 40,000 acres in Montana. Actually the states do this with their fish and game departments for public lands to increase production and harvest and hence revenue for management. We are no longer true opportunists in the field because we manage. We have to manage because there are so darn many of us now. But man has managed game as long as he has been able. There are myriad examples, from nomadic reindeer peoples with their semi-domesticated herds, to Europeans releasing hogs to the wild where’er they went in hopes they could eat them later. Or consider the plains Indians relationship with bison, preserving calving grounds and prescribed burning of prairie. Maintenance and enhancement of the herds was and remains vital to human life.

In actuality it’s all farming. We take what food, clothes, or shelter source occurs in nature, provide a fertile habitat for its propagation, and then harvest it. Whether we do this as individuals, groups, or governments is immaterial. If you simply buy a hunting license and take an animal on public land you have just participated in your states wildlife farming cooperative. The distinction from farming to hunting then becomes the distance from which we kill it and the degree of opportunity for escape. We control this by rules and laws pertaining to weapons, allowed locations or time of year, harvest limits, gender restriction, etc. I propose that modern game management has more booklets and rules and more stuff like helicopters to relocate bighorn sheep than the primitives, but the principles are the same and always will be.

This premise is loosely based on the “I hunt to eat” idea but I bet many of you shoot stuff you don’t eat. I have taken a bear I didn’t eat but I used his hide, not for a winter jacket but for a decoration to see and feel. This should cause one to consider his ethics. I have. Some predator harvest benefits prey species and prevents the deep cyclic die off of both species (here we are managing for preservation again). If we like mule deer we probably need to remove some cougars. Or if you like cougars, keep a few mulies around, so you can’t let the deer decimate their range either. Nature left alone will manage it, but with deep, risky cycles. Remember that more stuff went extinct before man was present in sufficient numbers to impact, than since. I have in years past blazed over a fair number of rock chucks which I did not use at all, this at the request of the farmer whose alfalfa field was being mowed like a city park by the pests. Where’s the line again? I would wager that even the most hardened animal rightist is likely to set traps in their home if mice are infesting their Cheerios. It’s a judgment call, a matter of degree.

I see a bit of “whack and stack” talk by hunters, even on TV. Most of these guys still get it but they are just enjoying their pursuit and doing a little trash talking to the quarry (who is none the wiser). A football player may bluster too although in reality he has respect for his opponent. To a degree this is ok, but cross the line and you look like an idiot.

So hunt well, hunt often, harvest occasionally, mentor and conserve. It worked for Teddy Roosevelt and will work for you.

“While photos of animals in the back of your pickup, or outside your tent can be very nice, it is hard to beat a good field photo…” The above pictures are a great example.

Everyone loves the old time pictures of twenty or thirty deer hanging on a skinning pole behind a bunch of hunters. Today those types of pictures, while impressive, are not suited all audiences. The best photos are taken in the field, where the animal fell (or near to it), before the animal is dressed for transport back to the truck or camp. While photos of animals in the back of your pickup, or outside your tent can be very nice, it is hard to beat a good field photo taken minutes after your trophy expired.

Today, we have a responsibility as hunters to show respect to the animals we harvest. A good impression must be made to other hunters, non-hunters, and anti-hunters alike. By taking a few simple steps, you can turn what would have been an average field photo into an exceptional photo, worthy of framing next to your shoulder mount.

Your Camera

The first step is finding a camera to fit your needs. With the recent transition from film to digital, a digital camera is your best choice. The advantage of having a digital camera is that images can be reviewed, on site, without developing. You can make sure you got the shot you want. While some hunters who are more into photography may carry expensive SLR style cameras, a simple “point-and-shoot” is better suited to most hunters. Today’s cameras are small enough to fit in a pocket, and rather inexpensive, while providing crystal clear images. A camera of 6 megapixels or greater is recommended, some outdoor magazines require very clear images that can be printed on a full page, and ask for a photo taken with a camera exceeding 8 megapixels (which isn’t hard to find today).

The best way to choose a camera is to test them out. There are a lot of different brands, by going to a department or specialty store, you can usually turn on every camera and tinker with it in the store. This will give you an idea of the operation and overall feel of different cameras so a good decision can be made. Today, waterproof and shockproof cameras are available. This may be a good investment as hunting, especially in bad conditions, can be very hard on gear.

Features you may want to make sure your camera includes are high quality glass in the lenses. Hunters understand the need for good glass in binoculars and spotting scopes, cameras are no different. Self timers are also important, as often times, a hunter will be hunting alone, or a hunting partner may be on the next ridge when your animal is on the ground, ready to be dressed. Other important features include a good flash and image stabilization. It may be a good idea to carry a small tripod, as balancing a camera on a rock or jacket may not be suitable depending on the terrain and angle of the shot.

Setting up the Shot

Use the sky, or other contrasting features to help your trophy stand out.

Setting up to take a photo takes time and thought, much like setting up for a shot with your rifle. Composition is key in field photos. While there is not a specific pose or stance for field photos, here are some tips for getting the “shot of a lifetime.”

Remove excess blood from the animal. Sometimes this is difficult, but by cleaning up the face of your trophy, your photos will be much cleaner and less repulsive to wives, non-hunters and anti-hunters. Carrying tissues or a small towel and a little extra water can go a long way in making your trophy presentable for field photos. Many times animals will bleed from nose and mouth, due to lung and vital shots. By stuffing tissue into the nostrils of the animal, and cleaning up the mouth with a rag or tissue, this problem can be fixed.

Take advantage of what is around your animal. Take the time to move your animal, or set up your photos to use the scenery to your advantage. Capture the natural beauty of the area as well as you can. This not only makes for great pictures, but can bring back memories and sense of “place” when reminiscing and looking at field photos.

Make the animal look as natural as possible; tucking legs under the body, and putting the tongue back in the mouth will show respect for the animal and make your field photos much more attractive. Perhaps you can compose photos so that bullet holes are outside the frame. Any items you want in the photos, such as a rifle, or bow should not detract from the photo. Keep unnecessary clutter, such as knives, ropes, wrappers or other items out of the photos. Simplicity is important when taking field photos, the animal should be the focus of the photograph.

Get Close, Use Contrast, and Change Camera Angles

By taking a few extra steps, you can make your field photos look their best. The above pictures are of the same Muley buck, by cleaning up blood and changing camera angles, the true size of this buck is shown.

Get close; wide angle lenses do wonders for turning average animals into trophies. Use contrast to your advantage, it will make your trophy stand out. Take pictures from different angles and take your time. The wonderful thing about digital photography is that images can be reviewed. Contrast this with film cameras; it was always a surprise what the field photos would look like when you got them back from the developer.

Using contrast in your photos is very important. Hold polished elk and deer antlers against a light sky, or white moose paddles against shadows or brush. Use lights and darks to help your trophy stand out. This may require moving your trophy a little bit–but will be worth it in the long run.

Take the time to change camera angles, and move the antlers/trophy. With digital cameras, you’re usually not limited to 24 pictures so take a lot. By experimenting with different angles and poses, you are sure to get a photo you will be happy with

By taking your time, taking photos from many different angles, and paying attention to the composition of photos, you can best record and remember your hunt. Field photos can be a great way to display your trophies, in addition to remembering the hunting experience. Photos capture things that taxidermy cannot. They take you back to the hunt, the surroundings, the mountain, and hunting partners, so you can relive your hunt again and again.

I watched my Dad peer through the eyepiece of his binoculars. Barely old enough to keep up, I desperately wanted to take a look. I tried to search with my eyes in the direction that the binoculars were pointed, and finally could make out small tan spots in a meadow on the very top of the highest peak around. I finally had my turn to view what made my heart pound with anticipation. They were elk, and they were living at 9,000 feet where we had seen them several times before, and several times since. Now later in life, as I carry my own rifle, I have found myself climbing that same rocky peak in search of the elk I hunted with my father years before.

I have seen elk up close in that same meadow consistently year after year. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Elk have similar patterns that they follow every year almost to the foot. This is just one of the many things I have learned about hunting successfully for Bull Elk. By following the tips below, you can increase your success when hunting on public land for pressured Bull Elk.

1. FIND YOUR ELK: Elk are going to be found in the same places year after year, unless they have been moved out by an irregularity. For example, an area that I, along with my family and friends, had found success in just wasn’t clicking for us one particular year. As I glassed the opposite mountain side where I had previously seen elk nearly every time I went, there wasn’t an animal to be seen. To investigate further, I hiked to the top of that ridge. Sheep tracks littered the ground. This event ruined my hunt until I figured out that the herd had moved across the canyon, to nearly the same clearing that I was glassing from the day before. Nothing can replace pre-season scouting for finding where elk will be during the hunt. The most critical days are those right before the hunt. However, once an area has produced results during consecutive years, there is a good chance you will find elk in the same place the next year.

2. PATTERN YOUR ELK: Elk aren’t likely to stay in the same area year round. Several factors play into this phenomenon. Hunting pressure will move elk out of their summer areas and into areas where we are less likely to reach them—unless we’re just plain crazy. Frankly, I have been called crazy several times for killing elk where I have.

During a public land bow hunt in Wyoming several years ago, I was out of my tent well before the sun had even thought of rising. The elk had been bugling all night, and I knew exactly where they were. However, upon crossing the river that flowed between the elk and me, they had already begun to move off. I couldn’t get a shot at the bull I was after, so I started my trek back to camp for lunch. I met up with my father, and we took a shortcut on a game trail through a patch of heavy timber. We plodded along, not expecting, or thinking about chancing onto an elk that may be out late in the morning. I was looking through the timber, and caught some motion out of the corner of my eye. Realizing it was an elk, we dropped and crouched behind some brush. It was just a cow, so we waited and watched. Then another cow materialized out of the trees, and she slowly fed away from us. I looked up at my Dad, and I could see excitement in his eyes. He motioned with one finger as he leaned over and informed me that a good bull was bedded about 70 yards away. We huddled silently as the bull stood up and fed away from us and over the ridge. We didn’t have an opportunity to stalk, and we had to go home because of other obligations. We returned later in the season, and after a morning of hunting returned back to camp on the same game trail. We sneaked in and thoroughly scanned the trees for elk. There weren’t any there, so we continued through the trees back to camp. My father was leading and suddenly stopped. I froze in my tracks, he pointed with one finger behind his back. I looked ahead, and there was the same bull facing us at 80 yards. He had spotted us before we spotted him, and he scuffled off and over the same ridge he’d disappeared over earlier that season. This old bull had found a place very much to his liking. After he had the slightest hunting pressure, he moved into his favorite old hiding place and stayed there.

3. GET DOWN AND DIRTY: If you want to kill a trophy bull on public land, you’re going to have to get to places others just plain won’t. The peak I watched with my father as a young boy was one such place. As soon as the fist rifle shot was fired, these elk went as high as they could go—9,000 feet into the sky on the top of Elk Mountain. Elk, however; don’t always climb the mountain peaks; they often find the deepest and darkest patch of timber around. These big bulls only feed out at night, and when faced with any danger from a hunter can escape with a few quick kicks of their feet. One of the only ways to get a shot at these elk is to sneak your way into the timber after them. Usually these big old bulls won’t go to such extreme measures during an archery season because the hunting pressure isn’t as great and success is a lot quieter. I have been faced with this dilemma many times during my rifle hunt experiences. I have found that sneaking through elk-filled timber as quietly and slowly as possible creates results. By slowly, I mean very slowly—taking a step and studying the trees, then taking another five steps, and then stopping to search the trees. This method does often present difficult, running shots, which under some circumstances may question our shooting ethics. Other times, however, you can see the elk before they see you. I often sneak into timber along a worn game trail as the morning wears on, and have frequent sightings of mature bulls.

4. PRACTICE: I am a firm believer in practice. Of course going out to the shooting range and putting a few rounds through your rifle is going to help. But I think an important part of practice is stepping back and learning from your experiences. Decide what you could have done better in a certain hunting situation that would have made it successful. Feel comfortable shooting at distances that you have fallen short in real situations. Your surroundings will not always be perfect when that bull of your dreams comes around the nearest pine tree, but you need to be.

5. BE PERSISTENT: Even seemingly hopeful situations can end up falling apart. For instance, the sun had already fallen below the horizon when my father and I plucked an arrow from our quivers and pushed them back into our nocks. I cow called, and the brush began to crackle under an old bull’s feet. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I caught a glimpse of his ghostly silhouette; my release grasped my bowstring as I drew my bow. To my right, my Dad was doing the same thing. The bull froze; I set my pin behind his shoulder blade. But a lone branch from a deadfall log blocked my arrow’s path, so I informed my Dad that I didn’t have a shot. He decided to take the shot. The arrow clanked as it disappeared into the darkness. The bull circled us and holed up for the night, all the while still barking at us. I could no longer see the bow in my hand, and knowing that my father had missed, we returned to camp for the night. The next day we chanced into the same clearing. Wondering what caused the miss, I followed the bull’s tracks from the night before and froze in the very place that it had. My father stood where he had drawn his bow the previous evening. As we replayed our experience, my father spotted his arrow. It had lodged nearly six feet in the air in the same branch that had obstructed my way.

Things don’t always go as planned. Realize that it’s just part of the game, and continue to join me in being consumed in the passion of hunting elk.

Many of us in the hunting community have certainly noticed the trophy class animals that have been taken the last few years by hunters who have acquired auction or governors tags. As I’m sure you know these tags are often sold for tens and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars, making them completely out of reach for the majority of hunters. However, these same types of licenses can be obtained by hunters without loads of extra disposable income. Every year many state wildlife agencies and conservation groups raffle off tags that offer the same hunting opportunities as the tags that are sold at auction, but for very minimal cost. The following is a list of raffles that I participate in yearly. Keep in mind however that these raffles are by no means a secret and the odds of winning a tag are very slim. But if you do get lucky and win one of these tags you are in for the hunt of a lifetime.

Arizona’s Big Game Super Raffle

I feel that this is without doubt the very best raffle program going today. This raffle includes tags for every hunt able species in the state. It includes Elk, Mule Deer, Coues Deer, Bison, Bear, Mountain Lion, Antelope, Javelina, Desert Bighorn Sheep, and Turkey. Also included is a raffle for an incredible optics package from Swarovski. This includes 2 pairs of binoculars, a spotting scope, range finder, and rifle scope. I like to purchase tickets for Elk, Mule Deer, Javelina, Desert Bighorn, Antelope and Turkey. Normally I wouldn’t be interested in participating in a Turkey raffle but Arizona offers the opportunity to hunt the rare Gould’s Turkey. The winner is allowed to hunt any unit they choose. Additionally the winner of these tags is allowed to hunt a full 365 days beginning July 31. This gives you the opportunity to harvest a trophy animal in full velvet. The prices for these tickets range from $5 to $25 each and can be purchased online. The deadline to purchase tickets is July 12. Get all the rest of the details at http://www.arizonabiggamesuperraffle.com/index.html

Idaho Super Tags

This raffle is conducted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Available tags include Deer, Elk, Antelope and Moose. There are two separate raffles for two different tag options. The first raffle is for tags for individual species and the deadline to purchase tickets for the first raffle is May 31, the drawing is held June 15. The second raffle is for what is called the deluxe package where the winner receives licenses for all four species. These tags can be used in any open hunt unit during the established season. This deadline for this drawing is August 10 with the drawing being held on August 17. I purchase tickets for all species as Idaho is within easy driving distance of my home. However I do not participate in the second drawing as I feel it falls too close to hunting season and I typically have all my hunts scheduled and my vacation time accounted for. Prices for these tickets are $6 for the first ticket and $4 for each subsequent ticket. Tickets for the deluxe package are $20 for the first ticket and $16 for each ticket after that. More details at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/superhunt/

Montana Super Tags

This raffle program is very similar to the one offered by Idaho. They do however offer a few more species. Available tags include Elk, Deer, Antelope, Moose, Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Mountain Lion. These tags are valid in any open hunting district within the state during the established seasons. The deadline for this drawing is July 2 for Sheep, Goat and Moose, and July 30 for all other species. The price for these tickets is $5 each. I only purchase tickets for bighorn sheep as Montana has some of the biggest rams available. I choose not to purchase tickets for any of the other available species as I feel that they are comparable to what I have in my home state. Further details at http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/supertag.html

Wyoming Wildlife Federation Dream Hunt Sweepstakes

The Wyoming Wildlife Federation (WWF) holds 3 separate raffles, 2 of which are for guided hunts. I purchase tickets for the buddy hunt. This raffle includes 2 commissioners’ tags that the winner can either keep or give one to whomever they choose. These tags are for which ever species you would like to hunt (Deer, Elk, or Antelope) and you are allowed to only hunt one unit of your choosing. Additionally, the winner receives $1000. Prices for these tickets are $30 each. The drawing takes place on August 24. More details at http://www.wyomingwildlife.org/ht/d/sp/i/19609/pid/19609%20

Oregon Big Game Raffle

This raffle is conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Game. Available species include Elk, Deer, Antelope and Bighorn Sheep. These tags are good for any open unit and offer an extended season. I like to purchase tickets for Deer, Antelope and Bighorn Sheep. I choose these hunts because Oregon has some incredible trophy antelope hunting. And the deer tag can be used to hunt the rare Columbian Blacktail Deer. And they also have good opportunities for Bighorn Sheep. Prices for tickets range from $4 to $11 and must be purchased by May 4. Additional information is available at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/auctions_raffles/instructions.asp

Washington Big Game Raffle

This raffle is conducted by the Washington Game and Fish Department. Available tags are for Elk, Deer, Mountain Goat, Moose, and Bighorn Sheep. Prices Range from $5 for deer to $10 for Sheep. I purchase tickets for Moose and Sheep as Washington has great trophy opportunities for both. Very little information is available about these tickets as you must purchase them in order to obtain any information. http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/

In summary there are some great opportunities out there for guys who are willing to fork over a few bucks and roll the dice along with thousands of other people. If you do get lucky and win just one of these tags the experience will more than pay for the money that you spent to enter the drawing. And if you do win make sure you contact us here at HuntAddicts.com. We can help you narrow down a unit choice, and possibly even help you on your hunt. Good luck and remember you gotta be in it to win it!