yotebuster

Got it all unloaded in the freezer. That’s a 23 cu ft chest freezer that was completely empty. That’s only about 60-70% of the meat!! The pic of my dog licking the skull really puts it in perspective. She’s not a big dog but probably 50 pounds!! I ended up scoring him to the best of my ability and came up with 115 6/8 which makes book by a few 8ths.

My cousin actually runs a feedlot for bison. They grain finish them similar to beef. I have a hunch this bull will be a lot different then the meat I’ve had from him. Still looks incredible though. We just got home tonight and there’s some thawing in the sink so I’ll have an update likely tomorrow.

Haven’t had any from this one yet as we’re still working our way home but my cousin raises them so I’ve eaten it a lot. Tastes like beef but better. Marbeled like beef.

Just killed a buffalo with mine!! So far I’ve been really impressed with it!!

Good question! I debated a lot about what to use and I have a gorgeous pre 64 model 70 .375 H&H that is an absolute tack driver with 250gr TTSX. I set it up for my AZ bison hunt but never used it. The reason I went with the STW is two fold, one, my dad got it for me when I was 12 and I’ve killed around a dozen different big game species with it so I wanted to add another to the list. 2: I was concerned I may have to take a slightly longer shot (300-400) as the national elk refuge has some wide open sage flats. I ran the numbers on it and because of the higher case capacity and slimmer bullet, the STW actually passed up the H&H at about 175 yards on kinetic energy. This bull was dead from the first shot, the ground was painted in blood, but I always shoot till the critter isn’t moving, so I kept on him. I would say a maximum of 10-15 seconds elapsed from the first shot to the last.

The ones they post are just tags vs applicants. Doesn’t take into account that only a percentage go to Non resident nor the fact that a percentage go to guys with most points, or the fact that if guys have points their names are in there multiple times. If I were you I’d get a subscription to one of the services that do odds. Then back figure where you’re gonna hunt. You’ll find the mid hunts in the further south units will be easiest and it’ll get harder on first hunts or December hunts and harder the further north you go (more or less). 21 and 22 are gonna be a little harder to draw as they’re fewer tags and seasons then 33 and they’re popular units. Unless you pick a border unit mid hunt, or a unit with some access issues, you’ll be looking at sub 50% chance to draw with no points. Might be an outlier you could dig up and then research that unit, plan the trip and go. It sounds like you’re planning on working for it and have a good plan in mind so I’m sure you’ll get into deer.

Here’s what gohunt has for odds in 33 (assuming that’s what you settled on).

Recovered two of the 175 aframes when skinning. They look just like their website says they should!! Pretty impressed!! I killed my muskox this year and a few other critters with 175 partitions with plans of using them for this hunt but they shed a ton of weight (40-50% loss) so I ordered some aframes just for buffalo as my rifle hates copper bullets. Reallly happy with them. Will weigh them when I get home.

Do you have any points?

Naw it wasn’t you. It was trophy. He follows me around CWT and trolls me by taking shots at anything I say. This time he decided to call me a douche bag but didn’t even have the balls to quote me. I left it be as he doesn’t quote for a reason so he can act like it wasn’t aimed at you when you call him out. Passive aggressive manboy bs.

I figured that was a crack at me. I never said I wouldn’t look for it, just that it raises an interesting question. I think the rule is stupid but I know for a fact that if you arrow an animal on the last day of the hunt and find it the next day and tag it and word gets out you will lose your animal. I do appreciate the fanboy attitude you have toward my posts as well as the name calling. Do you have some kind of tracker on me so every comment I make you’re able to troll?

If season is closed yes. Not sure how it would work on a OTC tag if you arrowed a buck on new year eve and then recovered it in the am. I’m guessing you’d have to tag it with you new tag

I’m not sure if it’s been said, but a tripod for your binos is the single most important tool you can have. More so then your rifle. Tasco 7x42’s on a tripod will find more game then swaro’s being hand held any day. I’d just rent a tripod and swaro 12’s from one of the rental places. 12’s will be better for you if you’re just learning to glass, 15’s can be a little short on field of view so you’ll move around too much and that exactly what you don’t want to do.

Wow. I can’t believe all the pushback on this!! Hunters have enough enemies the way it goes. We don’t need them internally. If it’s legal it’s legal. Let them hunt.

Guided or DIY? If DIY I’d stay away from the late hunts. If guided I’d do 23 late and hire the ground pounders. They shoot bulls on the late hunts that are bigger then a vast majority of the rut bulls killed in even the primo units. I don’t think you’ll be able to draw that rotating 5bs early muzzy but if you think you can I would do that especially if DIY. Just show up and start sorting through bulls. Dates will be really good on that hunt.

Yeah if there’s no barrel length limit, technically a 24” .308 mounted on a pistol lower with a brace is a legal gun for a HAM elk or javy hunt. Put a bipod on it and a good turret scope and you’ve got a 700 yard gun.

Wow!! Can’t you get an original for around $2k?

Awesome!! That rock is a different world isn’t it!?!

10pts should put you in the bonus pass for 3b archery so you won’t have a crack at the muzzy tag but will be guaranteed the archery tag.

Very true.

Sort of. The random numbers ARE the draw. So it’s not that every applicant gets one number that is entered, if you have 9 points you have 9 chances to get a low number. If you get number 13 for your lowest and there’s 10 unit 1 early rifle bull tags, and numbers 1-10 all happen to put that, you don’t get it. If numbers 1-10 all had different tags for first choice, then you get tag number 1 in that hunt. You could have a limited op easy draw tag for first choice, have a super low number that would’ve gotten you an early rifle tag in another unit, but if a bunch of people also put that same tag and had lower numbers you could get turned down (not factoring in bonus pass of course).

I take that back. It was two CVA’s. My buddy brought one over a week before a NM elk hunt. I recommended he get a TC but he wanted to save $150 so he got a CVA. Brought it to my house and it wouldn’t go off either. He ended up having to over night a TC and scramble to get it sighted in before we left. Expensive mistake but it’s also on him for not getting that all sorted out months before that, and for buying a CVA.

I’ve been around one traditions and one CVA and both had issues with the ignition system. If you absolutely crushed the trigger they would go off, but if you squeezed it lightly they wouldn’t. Same issue with both guns. Been around dozens of TC’s and never had an issue. That’s just my 2 cents.

Good lord!! That kid has already truly drawn a lifetime of awesome tags!! Let’s see some pics! I’m certain he didn’t draw that many 23 tags without slamming at least one or two toads?!?

I’m one behind max for elk, hoping a bunch of guys did what you said or I’m gonna he another 15-20 years to catch the unit I’m after.