I have the same problem. Lol. My beetles have found that, other than my bear skull, hot dogs are going to be their primary food source for the foreseeable future.
Congrats on your tag. I've been on a couple elk hunts in Kentucky so I'll give you my $.02 on essentials.
1. Just listen to your guide and don't over think it. He'll let you know what you need and anything more than that is just extra crap for you to keep up with.
2. As far as boots, just wear...
Looks like 2 bobcats to me. Both have the correct markings on their legs and the second for sure has a visible "ruff" around his face. Could it be that many folks don't realize that a bobcat actually does have a tail? Just not as long as other types of cats.
It was always fun to run by the check station. I know many guys now can't imagine going through the inconvenience of taking your deer in to have it checked. I expect many of them never got to enjoy what those of us that miss it did either. I think if they had, maybe they would look at it a...
With that budget, I would look at Savage in whatever caliber suits you. And spend the rest on the absolute best glass you can afford. I picked up a Savage Model 10 in 6.5 Creedmor and the gun is much more accurate than I will ever be. I put a Vortex 5x25x50 on it, and it's amazing how accurate...