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My boy did great in the draw this year drawing elk, deer, javelina, crane. He was on fall break, and I had the time off so we loaded up and headed to camp on Wednesday. My buddies parents were there so we hung out, enjoyed the weather and waited for the rest of the crew. Everyone got there and we waited..... for the rain. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We stayed in my buddies dad's tent and got absolutely soaked. I was legit worried about my son. We ran the wood stove all day and night and eventually got stuff decently dry. With some borrowed bags, we survived. Threw a tarp over the tent and all was good. The mud was absolutely insane. We got atleast 4 inches and the roads were insane. We didnt hunt much the first couple days, but did help a friend's son pack one out. Sunday morning heading out, the voltage regulator got caked in mud in my rzr and absolutely fried. No luck Sunday morning but had to tow it back to camp. Sunday evening we walked from camp (truck batteries are dead too). Walked out from camp, the wind was bad but was hoping we could see something on either side get the wind right and circle. We got to as far was we were going to go then circled with the wind in our faces to slowly hunt back to camp. Glassing as we went, I immediately found a cow. As I was carrying the rifle, I extended the bipod legs and jacked one in. Levi asked me "dad what are you doing?" "There are elk up here buddy, and atleast one is a cow!" We got behind cover and snuck up about 100 yards. Peaked around a bush and saw the bull, a really nice 6x6 let out a bugle. Put eyes on his cows and got back behind cover and closed another 40-50 yards. We peek out and there is a lone cow, broadside shining in the sun. I range her, 281 yards. Turn the dial on the scope and tell Levi to get on her. Hes on her. Im ready. "Let her have it buddy, squeeze that trigger." He lets one rip. THUMP. "Good shot buddy, you hit her. Reload hit her again." My boy racks another round like a seasoned vet and lets it rip. "You rushed that shot, reload hit her again." THUMP. Great shot buddy! I put two more in his gun. She steps out. "She's still standing, hit her again!" THUMP. She lays down right there. I can hear her labored breaths. "Reload buddy, stay on her but dont shoot unless she gets up!" Needless to say she doesn't. She made it about 10 yards. Three shots in the boiler room. The supressor absolutely made the difference as they had no idea where we were or what was going on. Money well spent. I can not put in to words how proud I am of this kid. Hes persevered hunts with no luck. Lots of rain. Being cold. Not seeing much (these were the first elk we had seen). And then, during crunch time he handled his rifle like an experienced hunter. Not to mention trying to control blood sugar through all this. Writing this up and reflecting brings tears to my eyes. Rifle info: Bergara B14 in 7/08 shooting 120 TTSX, all 3 rounds blew through.

Hello all, Been looking at this site for along time. I'm 73 years old and had a great Sunday morning with my son. I shot this cow and it was the first one in 7 years for me. Just thought I'd share. I also had this cinnamon bear at 50 yards not a bear hunter, but I'd have shot this one in season. Hope pics show up...have to try again with bear pic..lol

Glassed this bull up Tuesday morning rutting hard above timberline. Spent the day figuring out how to get to him as Wednesday would be opening morning. Wednesday morning we headed out at 3:30 to make our 4.5 mile ascend to the bowl where we suspected the bull to be again. Camp was around 9,500ft and where the bull was running his cows was 11,800ft. The quarter moon was bright enough for us to hike in most of the way without headlamps and when we got closer up into the bowl we could hear multiple bulls bugling up high. We got to a spot where we could see into the bowl through the thick burned timber and i had the herd bull pushing his cows into a sparse patch of isolated timber. Gave me a great 500 yard 30 degree uphill broadside shot and put one in his lungs. The bull was wobbling side to side and bedded in a thick patch of timber where he would expire in less than a minute. Two days, 17 miles, 2,200ft ascend/descent each day. We finally go him packed out. Sore backs and heavy packs were all worth it. Best part was doing it with my family!

Up in 6a and got it done Friday night . Story and pictures to come . But here she is on here side.

Can't express how proud I am of my boy. Ill do a complete write up when we finally get home. Truck batteries are dead. Rzr voltage regulator fried in the mud. Not sure i can get my diesel out of where we are camped, let alone the trailer and rzr. But, my boy put 3 through the boiler room on his first elk, first Arizona animal at 281 yards. Supressors rock!

My son got it done, rain and all. He’s 2 for 2 now on youth hunts.

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

Nice bear !

These limited hunts really should be called limit out hunts😂😆😁 My youngest and I hunted opening day, lots of sign, no elk and didn’t hear any shots anywhere…. Thought uh oh, a week later after my daughters hunt things have changed up a bit. Going to have to step up my guiding skills for my boys and me. Well my oldest showed up late Friday evening and we discussed Saturday’s game plan. We woke up a bit late and high tailed it out to where my daughter shot hers. Glassed and walked our butts off…..nothing!!! Got back to the truck and told them we are going to climb a bitty mountain and glass. As we near the top both boys here a bugle around 10:30, I looked at them and said are you sure? My youngest booked it up to the top and instantly looked down at us and raised 3 fingers. He said elk!! As we get up there, 1 massive 6x and at least 10 cows walking between the junipers. I range them, 165 yds. My oldest sends lead, he misses and racks another. Bam…elk down!! My youngest, sends lead and misses, the elk move closer to about 100yds. My oldest hands me the gun he using so I could shoot. My youngest shoots again, misses again. He racks another and drops his. A cow freezes just behind where my youngest shot his, I squeeze off a round and it drops. The rest of the herd runs off. We are all excited and high 5’s, but deep down I’m crying knowing 1 elk is great, 2 elk is going to suck, 3 elk will absolute frigging kill me. We got all 3 elk gutted and I grab both guns and head toward the truck to drive around to a closer spot. My two kids drag one elk down…. It kicked their butts. I met them with water, but we needed Gatorade. I drove back to camp to grab some as well a chainsaw. We walked up to the other one, cut it in half. Dragged the 2 pieces back. Then walked up to the 3rd one, did the same. 662yds from the truck and basically up hill, (3) times. This dad is so proud but so pooped!!! With my daughters elk last week and the (3) today, I think we are set for a bit. I do have my WT hunt next week in 33, I’m going to be very picky as to what I shoot. pics coming shortly

Great job Zane. And thanks for all the vibes for the 3rd hunter. My son was the 3rd hunter and got it done before the hunt ended on a nice regress 2x4 in velvet. All kids in camp went 3 for 3. Great time with the kids and getting them on deer. Everyone had a blast. Can’t wait to do it again

My favorite place to photograph fall colors is in Colorado, especially the San Juan Mountains. It had been a few years since 2022 when I was last in the mountains for the changing aspens. I had ten days for this trip and spent the first four days beneath Capitol Peak waiting for fall and winter to mingle. A storm on the third night made the fourth day memorable. It was nice hearing the elk bugle in the mornings, despite not having a hunt permit. Actually, I failed to draw any hunt permits this fall, so all shooting will be done with a camera. Afternoon spotlighting as the storm cleared. Sunset on Capitol. Along the Last Dollar Road near Telluride is an area of aspens which grow in many intersecting angles, an area I call the "wacky forest". I try to make photographic sense of it on each visit. Morning sunlight crept over the mountain to illuminate the tree tops.

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

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

We have one of these Ruger American 6.5 PRC Camo Rifles still in stock You'll see SW was charging $659.99 for it. We can do it for $549.99 and save you some bucks on it. If you're interested let me know. We have other rifles near that price-point that would serve you well too. 480-621-5555 / sales@healyarms.com (just reference Coues WT when contacting us so you're give the proper discount)

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!

Got to share youth deer camp with some good friends, with three youth tags in camp. My son had killed a spike last year and was looking for forked or bigger this year. One of the hunters was looking for his first deer and was first up to bat. Opening morning a buddy located a couple small bucks, including a shooter 2x2 with a small forky. They bedded them, and we watched them a few hours, waiting for them to get up and offer a shot. They finally did, and a first deer was harvested! The forky stuck around and even though he was bigger then a spike, my son decided he was too young and let him walk. Day two, another buddy showed us a new area. We worked a ridgeline glassing fingers on the ridges to the east and west. After a mile or so and the 3rd glassing spot, this guy was spotting working up a draw and feeding. We knew he was a shooter in an instant. He wasn’t in a hurry, but sure wasn’t gonna bed for us. He was moving towards a small saddle. He was at 650 yards, and we could maybe shave 200 yards getting to the next ridge but wouldn’t be able to get there before he was over the ridge and gone. It was a now or never type of thing, and the deer was broadside, slightly quartering to. I trust the gun and dope, and my son can shoot. We made sure he had a solid rest, dialed for distance and had him hold for a slight breeze. Kid was cool as a cucumber. At the sound of the shot, the deer hunched and I knew we had a hit, but he ran over the saddle so we couldn’t confirm. It was a long 30 minutes to hike down the one ridge and up the other but we found him about 20 yards from where he was the shot, piled against a tree just over the crest. Entrance was middle on onside shoulder, exit just behind off shoulder. His smile says it all and I couldn’t be prouder! The third hunter is still looking for something special, so send some big buck vibes his way this week!

No they dont hunt mule deer, and they can’t bring any of the Texas exotics to the Arizona ranch …… just a mount i finished with that weeks work. thanks jeff and hector -& for all the other thoughts and prayers on my behalf . Much appreciated! . It’s been a journey a very blessed and every painful & very humbling journey , but yea im starting to get back on my feet a little , a long ways from 100% - but im getting there day by day . Thanks to all

Plenty of flooding all around town even a couple of rescues but luckily no one hurt or no major damage. The gauge at the Peridot bridge below bashas peaked at 16,000 cfs. DAN

Got it done before the storm came in today. Found a rut fest mid morning and the action was hot. Daughter got it done with 1 shot from 25 SST at 360 yds. Hunter was there helping, it’s hard to believe he’s nearly grown. Seems like yesterday he was following me around these same hills begging for snacks. This one got me a feeling a little sentimental.

My son drew his 2nd choice 12aw antlerless for his first deer hunt. Due to the weather we got a room in Kanab for the weekend. We had just enough time to drive through the unit Thursday before dark but didn't see any deer. We were joined by his cousin and my brother in law. Friday morning had mom spotting bucks all over the place up high. Between glassing and driving we saw 17 bucks and no does by lunch time. After lunch and some exploring we changed elevation and started seeing some does. We got busted on our first stalk but right before dark we spotted this doe moving through some oaks. Jase and I made a quick stalk and I stopped her with a bleat in a small opening. He made the most of it and shot her at 150yds off my tripod with his 300wsm. She jumped at the shot and ran out of sight. Everyone came down to help us track. Before we even found blood i glassed down the hill and saw an ear in the grass. I handed Jase the binos and told him to look where he last saw her. It took him a min but when he saw her he got the biggest smile I have ever seen. After pics we navigated the new etag app and got her gutted. While we were skinning her G&f stopped by and said he would tell the check station to wait for us. We got her checked in 15min late. It was nice of them to wait for us. Back home Saturday we got her cut up and Jase cooked us steaks for dinner. Great memories were made!

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.

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!!!!🤣

So here it goes! So as many of you know last year I helped on a champ hunt with Dan and his son Aj. Well Dan made the trip from Arkansas out to help on my hunt . This time he brought his son Cooper . What a character ! He's a talker but new when to be quite. So my plans were to use my tc encore pistol in 7-08 but there was to much water it's a 50 yd gun . So I brought options a 300rum ,375ruger ,and my 280ai suppressed. With Dan and Cooper I took the 280ai. We went to a spot i had found a year or two . We hopped in the sxs and Cooper was talking the whole way. In at first light we were in 4 or 5 bulls . There still screaming! We started in on a bull and boom a big magnum went off . We are not the only ones in there. I soon catch cows running thru the trees. No range on them but Dan got one to stop with a cow call . I let it rip and immediately knew it was not a hit I pulled it .Back at it right after and there's another boom . We caught the group again running . I won't take that shot . Dan calls and again it stops a cow in a small opening. I send one and we think it's a hit so we start looking . There were 60 plus in that group so finding tracks was easy. No luck ! That's two misses in the morning. Back to camp for food and a re group. So with 5 tags in camp im the only one on elk so far . We get out again about 330 and Dan asked what the plan was and I wasn't sure yet . He says you don't leave elk to find elk so we head back to the same spot as in the morning. I'm not sure there still in there but we get a bugling bull or 3 😁. And now we are on the hunt . Dan is now my wind checker cow caller ,and all. We are trying to get to the bull but need to loop around to get the wind right and the sun it was in our face. Cooper was a trooper it was probably 2 miles . As I just start around a juniper Dan is trying to get my attention. He dang near had to talk full voice ( to many years in a machine shop). I finally stop and Dan had elk at what he originally said was 175 . After two missed i took my time . I sat down and rested the gun across my knee and then we couldn't tell if it was a cow or bull . It felt like for ever ! I finally get a good look and it's a cow . Dan confirmed it and now it's time . I got set and sent one . Just the gun crack from the suppressed 280ai and then the thwack!!!! It's a definite hit . She didn't act hit but I don't have another shot. We wait and another few elk fill the window . It's now 30 minutes after my shot and we are on the hunt . As we approached I see her bedded down facing straight away . Only one juniper between her and us . I get to the juniper with Dan and Cooper right behind..It's a head shot or nothing. So I take off my pack and slide it out and then get set for prone. Got a range at 125 and after the scope cleared( me breathing hard). I sent one and her head hits the dirt for good. I wasn't going to make this trip as my daughter had some medical issues and had just got out . My wife said go and I'll let you know if I need you . So I didn't know how much time I had . Luckily it all worked out and I made it home on Sunday. Last known elk count is two down ! Tony was out by Stoneman and got lost but last light got a elk and then found his truck . They got back at 10.50. I'm new to berger bullets and was using 175 elite hunter . Just a single entry. No blood and got the lungs and liver apparently but it was not a mess inside. Just holes in all.Is this a expected result? It definitely worked as she only went 10 feet maybe. IMG_20251020_083646.heic IMG_20251020_083640.heic