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Was fortunate to help my father in law take a good buck on his unit 7/9 champ hunt. About the time I met him 20 years ago, he was diagnosed with MS. For quite a while, he had minimal symptoms, but these last few years it has gotten a lot worse. He has taken a number big animals with a bow in the past but with the progression of his symptoms, archery is no longer an option for him. He did draw a 7e bull tag a few years back but even with a crossbow it was still a struggle and we never even got close to tagging out. When he drew this tag he was really motivated to not just shoot a deer but shoot a really good deer. I had been scouting religiously before his hunt, primarily in 7e but really struggled to turn anything in an older age class up. Opening morning we decided to try 7w and right at first light found one of the widest bucks I have ever seen. He lacked height and had shallow forks so we decided to pass on him. We came back to the spot we found him at 10am and found him again bedded. We decided to sleep on the decision to shoot him, being opening day. It was a decision we regretted as we never saw him again. We hunted all over 7e and 7w but would return quite frequently to that spot looking for him. We did find a number of smaller 4x4s but nothing that came close to the wide buck. On day 4 we did find a better 4x4 in 7e but it was out of range and in some country my father in law could not traverse. This morning we were starting to contemplate lowering our standards a bit when we glassed up this nice buck in a new area. He was at 500 yards from the road we were on so we decided to get set up for a shot. I brought a shooting bench out for him to help with his shooting. As soon as we got set up the buck bedded behind a rock in a field. We waited an hour until the buck finally stood up and my father in law made a perfect shot at 500 yards with my 6.5 prc. He was beyond happy with the buck and it was great to see the joy he had getting out and hunting again.

My younger son drew the general rifle hunt tag this year as his 1st deer tag. 2 weeks ago my older son was on the youth hunters in the same unit and the big storms really put a damper on that hunt. The weather for this hunt was much better thankfully. Friday morning was a dud, but Friday evening we sat a blind that we setup a few ago. About 445pm 6 deer walked in. 2 spikes and 4 doe. We were teying to get him settled and setup for a shot on a spike and they were moving and feeding. Either stopping in front of other deer, behind other deer, or at bad angles. After about 5-10 min something kinda spooked then and they went into cover and fed away. Bummer. About 530pm a few doe popped out of another area farther away, then came the 2 spikes. It was the same group. We started positioning on them and from the right 4 more deer fed in, this group had a Forkhorn in the mix, so we started to target him. Again. He wouldn't stop moving or stopped in bad positions. Eventually it got to dark and we had to let them go. Saturday was uneventful other than bumping some does here and there. Sunday morning went like Friday morning. Not alot. Sunday afternoon we set the blind again and the 4 does and 2 spikes fed back in around 5pm. We were able to get my son lined up on a shot at about 200yards. He sent a round and you could tell the buck was hurt bad, but he walked about 30yrds and lied down. We gave him some time, but he was still head up so I had my son send another round. He was hit again, walked about 10yrds and lied down again. After awhile we went over and he expired. It wasn't as clean as you pray for, but it was done. He was a pretty happy camper and I was a happy dad. We quarter him out and got him out of there after dark. You always want a trophy, but this will be his first of hopefully many. So this is trophy #1 with room to grow.

I was fortunate to draw and early 12AW rifle tag with my good friend and hunting buddy Dan. He was guaranteed to draw with all the points he had and I just happened to get lucky. I was not able to get up before the hunt to scout due to work and my sons baseball commitments but was not to worried about that. I have spent quite a bit of time up there in the past and had some good friends provide some great info. My buddy Dan drove up the Sunday before the hunt to get familiar with the unit. He had never been up on the Plateau before so this was a whole new experience for him. I arrived on Wednesday with a couple of my good friends that made the trek up to help. We got camp set up before the rain started and got a good night sleep. Woke up Thursday morning to scout and were greeted with Thunder snow and rain. We ran a lot of roads, glassed lots of fingers and points but did not turn up a mature buck, just lots of younger 4x4's and does. Opening morning we greeted by a parade of guides and helpers cruising the roads at 3am spotlighting trying to find a good one for their clients. this would be a common theme throughout most of the hunt. we hit the areas we wanted to hunt hard and saw several deer but nothing that we wanted to fill or tag on. For the first 3-4 days we hunted everything from the Warm Fire (a zoo opening weekend) at 8800ft down to Sowats in the winter range. We saw and passed may deer in all the areas we hunted. By Tuesday of the hunt I made the decision to stay in the area i felt gave me the best chance a mature deer. I really didn't have a number in my head of how big it had to be, I just knew i would know when I laid eyes on a good one. We continued to run and gun, glassing every point in the burn we could and picking the country apart. It was starting to become a little frustrating to be this far in the hunt and yet to lay eyes on a good mature deer. I just kept tell my buddy Dan and myself that we just needed to be in the right place at the right time and good things would happen. Friday the 31st comes and neither of us had laid eyes on a decent buck. I told my Buddy Dennis that this would be the day and we would finally get lucky and tag out on a Halloween buck. We hit several good looking glassing spots and picked them apart but nothing. Dennis decided to take a two track that looked like would get us out into some smaller cuts in the burn to glass. As he parked and got out to glass I saw a deer bedded about 100yds from the vehicle on the edge of a cut. I through up the binos and immediately knew that it was a decent buck and by far the biggest one we had seen thus far. I grabbed the Seekins 7mmPRC and chambered a round, got settle in on him and let a round fly. The buck jumped out of his bed and started to run, he made it about 30 yards before he piled up and expired. It all happened so fast that my buddy an I were in shock and could only laugh at what just happened. All the work, time behind glass, miles on the boots and to have it happen just like that off a two track road was unreal. We got the buck taken care of and checked in pretty quickly. My buddy Dennis and I decided to stay Friday night and Saturday morning to help my friend Dan try to fill his tag before heading to flag to drop the meat. Unfortunately we were unable to turn up a good one for him. We headed home and as I was cleaning up and putting stuff away I got a text from the guys and Dan was able to fill his tag on a cooler older buck. When you think of the Kaibab you instantly think about the land of giants. I was never fortunate enough to lay eyes on one of them, neither did my buddy Dan. We did have a heck of a hunt with great friends that we will remember for many years to come. Hopefully in a few years luck will strike again and we will get a second chance! only time will tell.

After spending 3 days in the desert heat looking for a shooter for my Dad, I was finally able to dig up this buck right as the sun was fading on Sunday. With not much time to make a move, I set him up to take a shot @ 665 yards. Luckily the buck was preoccupied with barrel cactus fruits and gave him plenty of time to squeeze off a shot. The hit was solid and the buck dropped out of sight into a nearby wash. We decided to head to his last location and found him piled up not 20 yards from where the shot took place. Anybody else see a lot of malnourished deer this year? A majority of the does in the area we hunted were showing how rough the summer was on them for sure.

Not much to say about this hunt. We found him 500-600 yards out. Waited for him to bed. Snuck up to 180. He stood up and my father in law knocked him back down again. Tagged out and back to the truck by noon. Here’s a hot take for ya tagging out on opening morning is overrated.

Took this yesterday evening after a rare late October thunderstorm. Reservation Lake.

Congrats on (2) nice bucks. I also had that tag and I held out for a giant until the last day. Passed up (1) buck that was 170” with trash and another 4x that was 160”. Saw (1) legit 190-200” buck but he wasn’t sticking around for a shot. I ended up killing an old big bodied 3x on the last day to fill my tag. I think I’ll stick with the archery tag for now on.

Went out on opening day Friday to look for a bruiser out in Redington to my secret spot 😆. Turned up 16 does and 1 decent 2x, it was 600 yds out, complete opposite direction of truck. He will live another day!!! Saturday had family obligations so I got some good rest for Sunday. Headed out this morning to the front side of Mt Lemmon to my other secret spot😅. The hill was straight up and full of shin daggers…..I absolute hate those things!!!! Found multiple doe right from the get go. Started glassing across this canyon and found 5 bucks right away. Ranged them at just under 800 yds. Where I was positioned on the down slope of this hill I couldn’t use my bipod, so I hurried down hill to a more level spot and a flat rock. They were milling around and ranged them again at 750 yds. As I extend my bipod and position the rifle I keep looking through the big binos and I thought let’s try and see my rifle is up for the challenge. I’ve shot rocks out to 800, but never a deer. 1st shot was just above the deer, I see dirt/dust fly. Reload and send another one. Same spot, more dust. I back the clicks down 2 and send the 3rd round….. bam deer down. As I get some landmarks as to where the deer fell I start walking. 8:10 was shot, I didn’t find the deer till 9:23. The mountain was so steep and so thick of vegetation I couldn’t find the rock formation it fell by. Finally found it…..wheeew. Took some pics and started the long drag out, dropped it off at the butcher and now back at home relaxing. Looking forward to my daughters WT hunt Nov 7.

This was my buck. I Forgot to share the picture got him on the 9th day

Good Luck to all headed out. Looking forward to seeing some bucks hit the ground.

This is show low not Heber. We have laws

How much is access to the Big Bo? I'd be willing to help you out on the cost. Send me a pm

Seven men jailed for poaching deer year after year south of Twin Falls About time someone sees jailtime for poaching.

Curious to know about what some of your favorite memories of outdoors are. This time of year is one of mine. Even though I am not much of gun hunter anymore, the opening day of the general rifle deer hunt brings back some of my best memories outdoors. Back in the late 70's hunted unit 17a with a HS friend and his father. The getting out of school for Thursday and Friday, loading up the truck, the drive up north, breakfast at Denny's before we left Prescott, setting up camp, cold mornings, listening to world series on the radio in camp were all good stuff. We haven't done this in many years but the memories are still strong. Good Luck to all those people going deer hunting this weekend.

My dad didn't even take us camping, he didn't like waking feeling "Dewey". I always wanted to hunt since I was little. When I moved to AZ I got a bow and sucked at hunting but the first season I will never forget. Then my kids hunts, first was elk youth with my daughter and we hunted hard. Got it done second to last day and we were both jumping and crying. I will take that beautiful memory with me to the grave. Hands down my favorite hunts are elk youth tags!

My boy has been making us some great dinners out of his deer.

Just got back from seven days afield with my boys chasing the Grey Ghost and had the best time. The desert was super green and just beautiful ecerywhere. Saw water in places I have not seen since late 90s. It was interesting to observe different behaviors and patterns as a result of decent rain leading up to this hunt. Noticed less browsing on scrub oak and more heads down grazing. Tanks and seeps used less frequently while water is available elsewhere - yet some come in probably out of habit or convenience. Hiked into higher elevation areas but noticed general deer density and bigger bucks at lower elevation. Bugs... dang, once that fireball came up in the sky we were bombed with a constant cloud of pesty little flies / gnats. Once the sun went down, it was like a switch was thrown and they stopped, then sent in the mosquitos to finish the job. Haha. Wildflowers - everywhere! Never seen these flowers out here before in October. Took lots of scenery pics, might have missed a few ghosts passing by while caught up in the beauty of it all. I did not observe cattle munching on prickly pear pads. They seemed pretty content with the green stuff on the ground. What were your observations afield as result of the rains?

Dang, looks like a big flip! Im glad you lowballed me to flip it. Good luck with sale.

True story. Not a Will Ferrell skit. My youngest brother had an archery antelope tag. Myself, my other brother, my nephew and a good friend were on hill glassing for him. It was a very warm day and I had glassing Crack. My nephew found the sharpest pointiest stick he could find and 12 ringed me. My flight or fight response was triggered and I get up wanting to hurt the person that violated me with the stick fully cinched between my cheeks. Everyone is laughing hysterically I pull the stick from my cheeks look at it and see middle brother sitting there laughing. I poke the business end of the moist, now smelly stick at his mouth, feel no resistance and get it all the way to back of his throat. Holding the stick there like I was a Samurai that just vanquished the final boss. The other three are now on the ground laughing in tears while my brother finds a new level for his gag reflex and I rub the shock out of my violated area.

They need to just design a safety mechanism that disables firing when the gun is held sideways.

It was like eating a baseball glove.

We’re moving to the Midwest. Our home just outside of Show Low was listed today. End of a dirt road. 2.5 acres. Backs up to National Forest and has direct access. Directly in the heart of 3C. We have bulls in our front yard every week. Trout fishing 7 miles away! Shed hunt out your back door or relax in the hot tub and listen to the bugles! Will include all of my OnX pins from the last 6 years of exploring and hunting through 3C, 3B, 1, 22, and 27. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1866-Simpson-Well-Rd_Show-Low_AZ_85901_M29920-38978

My most memorable trip was when my dad took us to McCoys crossing on the White River more than 45 years ago. It’s where I got hooked on stream fishing. Probably fished 5 miles of that stream in 4 days pitching rooster tails and mepps spinners. I never forgot that first trip and didn’t know how special the place was to my dad until 6 months before he passed in 2016. He told me that’s where he wanted his ashes spread. My mom wants her ashes spread with him so I’ll be going back one of these days

FYI for the keyboard giants, Caleb got a hold of me Sunday, being very surprised by and apologetic for your comments, and we have arrived at a solution. So much for being played like a cheap fiddle!!! Thank you great guys for sticking up for me! He's taking his teenage daughter on her hunt and also on his, and his relative may be there as well. He told me the calibers a relative shoots that would make it easier for him to bum a little ammo from the brother if he needed it and have it still not over power her. So we figured out a brand new 308 that was doable for both of us, in spite of judgements. I hope she gets her trophy!!!!🤣