TNbowhunter
Well-Known Member
My old man is a fully self-taught deer hunter, the son of a golfer. He didn't get into it until he was about 30, and he learned by reading books and magazines. He sat his first two full seasons in the stand without seeing a single deer (I would've quit long before that!), but has become a really great bowhunter, and he taught me most of what I know. All growing up, I heard him talk about about trekking out west for a grand adventure--most likely an elk hunt--and we romanticized that idea together for years. Fast forward a bit, and at 60 last year, despite being in great shape and still having plenty of fire in his belly, I noticed that he sort of gave up hope that it would happen for us. That broke my heart, so for Christmas, I "gave" him a planned father/son elk hunting trip in 2021 or 2022, which would give us plenty of time to save up money and vacation days, nail down a game plan, and get in tip-top shape.
We're open to bow and rifle hunts, and we're capable on horses but don't want to do a hunt that relies too heavily on horseback riding. We don't much care about "trophies;" we just really want to take at least one mature bull (or have a meaningful opportunity, anyway). Also, because this may be our only shot at this due to Dad's age, we want to maximize our chance of at least one of us filling a tag (legit fair chase only). We're open to pretty much any western state, but Dad has a STRONG preference for avoiding CWD zones because he's terrified of bringing CWD back to our family farm in TN and would rather not hunt than risk that.
With all that in mind, do y'all have any recommendations for what we should do, who we should call, etc.? All suggestions welcome and appreciated!
(Pic below is of my old man, my baby boy and me before a (successful) deer hunt last November)
We're open to bow and rifle hunts, and we're capable on horses but don't want to do a hunt that relies too heavily on horseback riding. We don't much care about "trophies;" we just really want to take at least one mature bull (or have a meaningful opportunity, anyway). Also, because this may be our only shot at this due to Dad's age, we want to maximize our chance of at least one of us filling a tag (legit fair chase only). We're open to pretty much any western state, but Dad has a STRONG preference for avoiding CWD zones because he's terrified of bringing CWD back to our family farm in TN and would rather not hunt than risk that.
With all that in mind, do y'all have any recommendations for what we should do, who we should call, etc.? All suggestions welcome and appreciated!
(Pic below is of my old man, my baby boy and me before a (successful) deer hunt last November)
