EDITOR’S LETTER By Travis Moncrief
Let the Success in
the Hunt Find You
D
epending on what state, or states,
you have applied for, some of have found
out their fate for what the upcoming
hunting season will hold. While most
of us will have some sort of tag for 2018,
others have struck gold with a premium tag that will
provide the opportunity at something really special.
‘Opportunity’ being the key word.
Whether you have played the point game for 20
years or you just got lucky, getting drawn for a ‘su-
per’ tag comes with some pressure. Having had two
‘super’ tags in my pocket in recent years I can attest
to the fact that neither of those tags left my pocket.
I had archery elk tags in both New Mexico and Ari-
zona and came home with only good memories and
less tread on my boots. Some people might consider
those hunts a failure, but when I look back they were
anything but. Yes, it stings a little in the short term,
but time tends to heal the pain of an unused tag.
As the light was fading on the last night of my Ari-
zona archery elk hunt there was definitely an empti-
ness in the pit of my stomach. My fear was that people
would pass judgement. I was dreading the question
that invariably was going to be asked: How did I not
kill a bull in Arizona? I will tell you why. Because it’s
hard. While I was in the ‘Land of Enchantment’ when
it came to huge bulls, I was also in a place that I had
never hunted before, and trying to get an arrow in
something that has already made it seven or eight
years without getting arrowed. There’s nothing easy
about it. But that’s why we do it. And without the ag-
ony of defeat there can be no thrill of victory. The two
go hand in hand. If you’re not disappointed in failure,
it’s hard to be excited in success.
On the long drive home I had a lot of time to reflect
on that hunt and with every mile covered I was able
to feel better about the experience. My good friend
and WHJ Shooting Editor Kevin Madison had the
same tag and he arrowed a heavy mature bull about
mid-trip that rejuvenated us when we needed it most.
Every day we chased bulls, the kind that make your
heart race. Even down to the waning seconds of the
last night, I was within inches of killing a giant. We
had spotted a bull a long way away, and with my dad
keeping an eye on him from our vantage point, Kevin
and I hustled up the other side of the mountain. All
the events that transpired are too much to list, but we
were close and if daylight hadn’t slipped away on us
I may have owned that bull. When I think back to us
sitting there in the dark, arrow still nocked listening
to him scream his head off so close we could hear him
breathe in between bugles, I can’t help but smile. At
the same time knowing my hunt was over it was hard
to not be a little sad. Not only did I not connect, but
I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be climbing that
mountain again the next day. The mental challenges
and emotions that accompany this sport can be tax-
ing but are also what make it great.
By the time I got home I could care less what peo-
ple were going to think. My good friends and hunting
buddies would understand, and for those that stared
at me in disbelief that I came home empty handed,
well they wouldn’t understand what I took away from
this hunt anyway. I got everything I wanted except the
rack.
Congratulations to those who drew tags; and
good luck to those waiting for results. No matter
what tag you have this coming season—if it’s the
hunt of a lifetime or just carrying on the family tra-
dition with the same tag you’ve always had—give it
the most you can, so you can get the most out of it.
Because regardless the outcome, the success in the
hunt will find you.
Life’s an adventure, hunt it.
www.westernhuntingjournal.com
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