One of the main reasons I was originally drawn to the western United States and why I ultimately made the move to Colorado, was the virtually endless amounts of public land available for hunting and outdoor recreation. I can literally walk out of my door and in a matter of minutes, I can step foot onto public land, owned by all of us, as American citizens. In my two short years of living in Colorado, I have spent hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, and exploring these beautiful areas that are comprised of public land.

As I sit here tonight writing this article, I’m scared. Right now, happening today, there are people that are trying to take away public lands with the introduction of bill H.R 621 and if it indeed passes, this property will be sold to private individuals and will be forever lost. These are the same public lands that I’ve come to love and enjoy throughout the years, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

My 2016 elk hunting season would not have been possible without public land access. #KeepItPublic

Take Action Now

This bill introduction is a slippery slope and if we don’t nip this in the bud today, who knows what our public lands will look like in the coming years for future generations to enjoy. Here is what YOU can do to help put a stop to this madness:

Contact Your Local House Representative

Click on the link above and enter your zip code to pull up contact information for the representative in your district. Send him/her an email or make a phone call to urge them to oppose H.R. 621 which proposes the sale of federal lands.

Contact Your State Senate Representative

Click on the link above and select your state from the drop-down menu to pull up contact information for your state senators. Send him/her (both parties) an email or make a phone call to urge them to oppose H.R. 621 which proposes the sale of federal lands.

Join Forces with BHA and TRCP

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) are great organizations who are on the front lines of protecting our public land heritage. Both groups unite and amplify the voice of the American sportsmen to ensure that public lands stay in public hands. If you can join or donate today, your dollars will help fight the fight and will keep you informed of current news and information pertaining to the lands we love.

Keep Public Lands In Public Hands

If I woke up tomorrow and all of our public lands were gone and sold off to private wealthy individuals, it would be a sad day for me and many others in this great nation. There is no other country in the world who has public land access like we do and I want to ensure that future generations will have the same opportunity to enjoy public soil for many, many years to come. A life without public lands isn’t much of a life at all, at least for me. Do your part today to get involved, stay informed, and make your voice heard! Keep public lands in public hands.

#KeepItPublic #PublicLandOwner #PublicLandsProud

1. Kill a Bull Elk With a Bow
2. Join a Conservation Effort
3. Kill a Mature Buck With a Bow Via Spot and Stalk

I know it won’t be easy and there is a pretty good chance, let me rephrase that, a very good chance I will come up short in one or two categories but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day as long as I have put in 100% of my effort towards making this happen, I will tip the odds in my favor and 2016 could be a year that I will never forget. I’m ready for a good challenge!

1. Kill A Bull Elk With My Bow

One of the many reasons for making the move to Colorado was to be immersed in a new landscape where I could hunt elk and mule deer in my back yard. A rocky mountain elk hunt has been on the bucket list for quite some time and now I can literally walk out my door hunt these amazing animals. It is truly a dream come true.

Knowing that an elk hunt is on the horizon, I am already starting my preparation for September by reading a very informative book titled Elk Hunting Guide: Skills, Gear and Insight written by Tom Airhart. I am literally starting from ground zero for this hunt so I figured this would be a good way to expand my knowledge on elk behavior, strategies, and resources I will need for the backcountry.

This is starting point for my 2016 elk hunt in Colorado.

In addition to reading material, I have been scouring Google Earth like a mad man. Damn, you can really spend a lot of time looking at the computer screen. Sometimes I’ll start scrolling and scouting certain areas and the next thing I know, 3 hours has passed and my eyes are shot and my head hurts! Now that I live mountains, scouting on foot will be much easier and more accessible considering some of these places are in very close proximity to where I live. This is such an advantage over the nonresident hunters who don’t have the time to do the scouting before they arrive.

I spend way too much time on Google Earth!

I am also looking forward to hunting elk with my good friend, Joey Wilson, in 2016 where we will be chasing those big boys in the mountains together! We didn’t get to hunt with each other last Fall so it will be good to make up for lost time!

2. Join A Conservation Effort

One of the hot topics of the hunting industry lately is conservation and hunters responsibility to be involved in all aspects of land management, habitat preservation and giving back to the lifestyle we love. If you haven’t listened to the Wired To Hunt Podcast with Shane Mahoney, stop what you are doing right now and turn up the volume. All sportsmen and women who are avid hunters should take the time to really soak in what Shane has to say because hunting is not a right, it is a privilege.

As I get older I put more emphasis each year on giving back and as a hunter, gatherer and fisherman, I believe it is my role to give back to the landscape I utilize to harvest my food. I have befriended a local DOW Officer and he has agreed to put me to work where I can volunteer my time this Spring and Summer to help make Colorado a better place for the animals, plants, and species I love. I’ll let you know what my tasks end up being in an upcoming blog post this Spring.

3. Kill A Mature Buck Via Spot and Stalk

I damn near completed this goal this past Fall in Kansas on November 7th but the stars just didn’t align. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades! I was 2 hours into a stalk on a bedded buck with a doe and I was doing everything right. Long story short, I crawled to within 20 yards and missed the shot on a 160” eleven point. To say I was devastated would be the understatement of the year!

This is me failing at a spot and stalk attempt. Look at how sneaky I am! Photo Credit: Steve Trowbridge

Spot and stalk is exhilarating and is unlike any other style of hunting. One of the more valuable tools I have in the bag to raise my level of confidence for a stalk is my Heads Up Decoy. Read my full interview with Garrett Roe, owner of Heads Up Decoy HERE. If you haven’t hunted from the ground, I highly recommend you try it at some point in your life because it is an adrenaline rush like no other. Speaking of an adrenaline rush, if you need a little inspiration make sure you check out the Whitetail Adrenaline DVD’s as they are the best in the business at this style of hunting.

I plan on hunting in Kansas again in 2016 and I plan on killing a mature whitetail on the ground, face to face, mono e mono. Let’s hope I get drawn for the tag!

It’s Good To Set Goals

Setting goals helps push you harder when your season isn’t going exactly as planned and will act as a reminder of the expectations you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. Hunting is a mental game as much as it is physical and when I’m deep into the backcountry, tired as hell from chasing elk to no avail, I’ll think back to my goals and it might be the spark I need to keep going. When I have the choice to either to sleep in on a Saturday morning or go get my hands dirty to support wildlife conservation, I’ll reflect back to this article. When I’m three hours into a spot and stalk on a Kansas whitetail and my patience is wearing thin, I’ll remember why I’m here.

Setting goals will not only push you further, it will also help reflect on your season at the end of the year and measure your progress. Regardless of the outcome, as long I can look back and say I gave a 100% effort, my season will be a success even if it’s just in my own eyes.

What are your “hunting goals” for the year 2016? Share them below in the comments – I would really like to hear from you!

-Adam Parr