Results

      Grandpa is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the big game draw. Starting in May, he is 100% in hunt mode until approximately January. May is a time of great excitement for our family. It usually consists of several emails back and forth between the Apprentice, Ranger, my brother-in-law and Grandpa. Then, if my dad has decided to hunt with us, he is right in the mix. If not, it is because he is cooking for an outfitter. The initial messages sent from Grandpa look much like this. “30 days until the deadline. Have you put in yet?” “29 days until the deadline. Have you put in yet?” I receive my daily reminders with

my morning alarm. We find it particularly humorous that he sends these to my wife. She works at the Game & Fish. I personally wait until the last day of the month. Not sure if that is superstition or the fact that I get paid on that day, but I have seemed to luck out more times than not, so I am sticking with it. However, I would be suprised if Grandpa wasn’t on the WGFD website at 12:01am on opening application day, asserting his position as the first resident to get his application in. He really is that hardcore when it comes to the draw. Needless to say, next to adding a new family member – hunting applications are the next big thing.

        Every year, I jump on social media a few weeks into June and make a wager with my wife as to how many posts we see praising the Game & Fish or cursing them. I know how it feels not to draw a tag for the 10th time in a row. I don’t care if the area has 2%

success. This could be the year! When WGFD announces the results, I know Wyomingites do their dang best to break the internet logging into the draw results. I am one of them. At 8 am, I pull up my computer, tablet, phone and anything else with Wifi and then discuss the draw for the rest of the week. Is it the excitiment of getting the big bull tag you have been waiting for? Is it finally drawing that area that has less than 2% odds? Maybe it is the anticipation that your hunt is now FINALLY in the planning stages. Either way, it is a birthday and Christmas all rolled up into one glorious event. It is the green light to talk about hunting non-stop until you bring home little white packages. Except, then you have to tell the story of the hunt…so, I guess it actually doesn’t stop there. The draw assures quality family time. It provides the hope of steaks, roasts and hamburgers. More than anything, it brings our family together. By the way, it’s 14 days until the deadline. Have you put in yet?

-Long Rifle