HUNTING -- My friend, John, has bagged two bull elk in Idaho this year, owing to skill, luck and investing in resident and nonresident tags. His friends have made a lot of jokes on how much he's hated for showing us up, but of course we're all envious and praising his effort, if not directly to him. 

Here's his explanation:

Generally I am the beneficiary of the good luck of others in my hunting "co-op". This year I get to bring the goods to larder. Also I may have more say in what sausages and fine meat snacks we decide to make.

Last year I spent about 50 days afield trying to get an elk, nothing in archery, rifle, muzzeloader or late archery, I had to eat tag soup not once but twice, cause I bought the extra non-resident tag to hunt all those seasons. It fosters my belief that you need to spend the days out there to have the luck, then you need to have some skill to capitalize on those lucky situations.

This year the stars aligned. Yee Haw.