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My (Almost Solid) 2011 Lineup

July 5, 2011.

Most of the major big game draws are complete, and I have several tags in hand. I put in for most of the tags I usually put in for, and was rejected on all the tags I'm usually rejected for, but did pick up some tags that were less luck dependent.

2011 is looking very interesting, although it's oddly heavy on muzzleloader hunts.

August — Wyoming muzzleloader antelope

I'll be hunting a remote unit during an early-season muzzleloader-only hunt, along with good friends Virgil Mathias and Paul Vanderspek. There are supposedly some good bucks in the unit, although getting to within muzzleloader range may be a little tricky. Should be a lot of fun.

September — Colorado muzzleloader elk

I'll be hunting a unit that I've hunted twice before, once during rifle season and once during the muzzleloader season. My feel is that I can kill an elk in this unit -- if I am able to spend enough time there. Which is the rub. I've got a lot of good hunts this year, and can only spend so many days on each hunt. I'll need a lot of luck on this one, especially since I'm not in great shape.

October — Colorado rifle antelope

I live in Colorado, but always struggle with what to do about antelope hunting here. The best public land units require a decade's worth of preference points to draw. Easier-to-draw units may not offer a shot at a good buck, and after all these years of antelope hunting, I really want to focus on good bucks. So I booked a high-end private land hunt with High Plains Outfitters, who seem confident that they are going to continue their already impressive track record on big Colorado pronghorns.

November — Nebraska rifle mule deer?

I've hunted the same whitetail property near Ogallala, NE for several years in a row now. It's been fun, but I clearly have not been getting on big bucks. So, I'm hoping to go a different direction in Nebraska this year. I'm working on getting access for a rifle mule deer hunt, which could be very interesting if it comes together.

December — North Dakota rifle mule deer hunt

I have this thing about hunting mulies in somewhat lesser-known areas. The state of North Dakota doesn't let non-residents hunt mulies with a rifle, but the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation does. Should be fun, although I'm not expecting a monster.

December — Arizona muzzleloader mule deer hunt?

I've applied for a high-end Arizona muzzleloader mulie hunt, and I think I might have enough points to actually draw it ... especially in summer wildfires scare off other applicants. This will be a hunt for 180" bucks, if I get the tag.

Throw in some October duck hunting and maybe a goose hunt, and I should have a hell of a fun year.

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