In light of the shrinking (and crowded) hunting opportunities for rifle hunters here in WA, I started applying for Arizona hunts 5-6 years ago with my buddies that live down there. This year, the bunch of us decided that we still weren't getting to hunt enough (all AZ rifle tags are by draw, and decent tags are hard to get), so we did an over-the-counter archery coues whitetail hunt down there in January. I hadn't hunted archery and didn't own a bow, so I just went along as the designated spotter for a whole bunch of spot and stalks. Pretty damn fun. Coues are one of the coolest (and hardest) critters to hunt. After having an awesome time down there, the bunch of us decided that (a) I needed to start hunting archery, and (b) WA and AZ still weren't allowing us to hunt enough, so we should start applying for hunts in other states to build bonus points and eventually get some additional tags.

Given its proximity to AZ we decided to apply in New Mexico in February. We figured that if we only applied for the primo tags, we'd only get drawn and have to pay the out of state fees every several years, and we'd get rewarded with some sweet hunts.

Fast forward to last week, when I get a $760 charge on my credit card and find out we've all drawn a ridiculous tag - late (rut) archery elk in Unit 16A of the Gila Wilderness. 1700+ applicants, 150 tags total, of which 15 are given each year to out-of-state hunters that aren't applying through a guide. We drew 3 of them.

Elation quickly turned to panic when the reality set in that (a) I was in for about $1500 in tag and travel expense, and (b) I still hadn't bought a bow and have no idea how to archery hunt!

So on Sunday I went down to the Sportsmans Warehouse in Federal Way and spent the bulk of my day in there picking the brains of the archery guys and shooting a bunch of bows in their shooting alley.

On Monday I went back and bought my bow - a 34" Ross - and decked it out with all the goodies. I tried the Ross alongside a BowTech Allegiance (among others) and liked the Ross better. Before I get hounded for not trying this bow or that bow, consider (a) there's not much in the way of bow shops near Seattle (e.g. the nearest Mathews dealers are in Everett and Puyallup), and (b) I've got a free week starting this weekend during which I could basically shoot everyday (and obviously I need the practice).

Needless to say, I'm absolutely stoked - I'm shooting and practicing my calling as much as I can, and generally trying to absorb as much info as I can knowing that I'm way behind.

I'll update this thread from time to time to let you all know how it goes. Hopefully I'll have some sweet pics at the end! If you guys have ever hunted elk in NM, let me know how it went.