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I'm still processing so much from the last several days and there is so much to celebrate and honor. First and foremost, I'm still so thrilled to be able to hunt with my daughter, Sydney, again and to have both Syd and my son, Jacob, with me. We couldn’t get Sydney’s tag filled before she had to go back to UofA and that’s my one sadness. However, after her taking several years away to find herself in life, I was beyond thrilled that she wanted to deer hunt again and I got to be with her. It was a very strange feeling to be the center of attention for filling a tag after Syd left back for school. My buddy tagged out on a nice Coues buck Sunday morning, and we shifted focus Sunday night and Monday morning to finding me a buck I'd be happy with. We traveled deeper into a spot Sunday afternoon, and we weren't disappointed. I knew where I wanted to be Monday morning, if we didn't find something Sunday night. I ended up glassing up a young-ish 2x2 with about 30 minutes of shooting light left. It was a legal buck, and I could fill my tag on a Coues buck for the first time since 2005. He just didn't make my heart sing and I didn't really want to kill a young buck just to fill a tag, no matter how much I wanted meat in the freezer. I hem-hawed enough to waste shooting light and the sunset decided for me for the night, anyway. As we were packing up and heading back to camp, I got a text from another dear friend who reminded me the next day was Veteran's Day. That kicked a dust storm of emotions I wasn't expecting. I knew I had to do something to honor dad and his buddies, so I knew if I saw that buck again, it was my sign from God, dad, and Goose. It was hard to get up Monday morning, but we got up and hit our spot early to make sure nobody beat us there. We finally glassed up my 2x2 from the night before, but I realized in the daylight, he just wasn't what I wanted. Right around 0815, I glassed up a buck, but couldn't make out any detail. Christian told me I needed to shoot that buck, so we got everything set up for a longer shot. Jacob was amazing at calling out scope adjustments for me while Christian was ranging. It was a group effort keeping me calm and steady and I appreciate everyone involved. It turns out my scope, rifle, and I have some issues we need to resolve, and I missed more than I want to admit, but I finally connected. It also took more shots than I want to admit, but I finally put him out of his misery and took my biggest Coues buck to date (76-7/8"). There was absolutely nothing flat about where he was and one of my shots was prone laying uphill. I'll let you figure out how many times I kept sliding downhill. We had work to do, and I appreciate everyone's help in getting great photos and the deer field dressed on a steep hill. I managed to keep all my emotions in when I recovered and tagged my buck. Back at the UTV was a different story. I had finally met my last post-surgery recovery goal from two years ago. Challenge Accepted Day ~800 and I packed out most of my own deer down a crazy steep, loose-rocky hillside and I felt strong and steady doing it. I sent a text to one of my dad's buddies that I'm close to and that's when the emotions overtook me, and I had to step away. I did my best to honor my dad and the rest of Task Force Black from Nov 11, 1967 on Nov 11, 2024. Sorry for the sideways pics, I never can get them rotated correctly.

My brother in law dropped this guy at 75 yards this morning. Not a giant but he was happy to have him.

Unlike my sons tag 2 weeks ago which was in the 100’s, I was so looking forward to this weeks much cooler temps. Even though he filled his tag first thing Friday morning I knew there were some bucks in the area from past scouting trips and I knew it was going to be a great hunt. I get out there just before sun up and by god it was really cold….I start glassing thinking these bucks are just gonna be out and about sunning themselves. Not the case, I find 1 doe at 7:30 and two more around 8ish. My eyes are bleeding glassing these hills and canyons and nothing is turning up. Around 10:00 I start to nod off, I crawl to the top of the hill I’m glassing from and look at the back of my eyelids….. nice little cat nap. I wake up around 11 totally refreshed and ready to glass the again. From 11-12:15, temperature is absolutely beautiful can’t believe nothing is moving. As I’m slowly scanning an opening underneath a mesquite tree I see something that catches my eye. The antlers move…game on. I focus on them and range the opening at 463 yds. For the next 1/2 hr I hem and haw because all I see is a portion of the antlers which is a 2x. I know there are bigger ones in here, but thinking why not…meat buck, but it’s 463 yds away and the terrain is absolutely awful for a drag out. Well I convince myself this is the one, get set up and squeeze one off. I don’t see the buck, so I get behind my 15’s and see movement further inside the mesquite tree. The buck is still standing. I can’t tell if it’s hit so I get on the gun again and get ready for a second shot. I can see the antlers moving a bit so I get an outline of the body and squeeze another round off. I get behind the 15’s and I see a buck laying on the ground. I let out a heck yeah. Due to the distance and terrain, I leave my rifle and pack and bring a deer drag, tag and knife. As pull the deer from out of the mesquite opening I notice a portion of the antler and it’s right ear has some blood on it. I guess the 1st shot actually hit it just high, not enough to spook him though. Got it back to my other gear and started the long haul out, 2.1 miles to the truck, this deer kicked my butt, but well worth it. Dropped it off at WGP!!!

Jan 1, 2024 archery javelina hunt. First thing in the morning I glassed up this lion in the video. I thought that was a bad sign for finding the javelina that he just stole this baby from but happened to find the javelina all feeding a couple hundred yards behind him. He must have snatched it up without it making a peep, otherwise I'd expect the herd to be agitated. This lion stopped after watching him carry the baby for a hundred yards and started eating it but was just slightly covered from my view. Due to the wind, the only way I could get to the javelina was to go 60 yards under the lion under a rock rim, which I did and then snuck into 15 yards from the javelina and got one. I went back to check on the lion and found the tiny remains of his quick meal. Lion.mov

Perfect condition. sweet shooter, shot 45ish rounds through. Begging to be taken to the prairie dog fields (IYKYK) Bull barrel and wood stock.$250 OBO for the rifle and $160 for all 650 (technically 654) rounds of ammo, or 400 OBO for the whole package pickup near the sportsmans @ north phx

on my youth hunt in 37b this year we were trying to spot a 4x4 muley we had seen at dark the day before, it was the last day of the hunt so we stayed out all day but at last light my uncle glassed up this coues at 700 we got closer and i shot him at 550, a coues was not expected but i can’t complain it’s pretty good buck.

I had my first coues hunt this past week in Unit 22. I was ultimately unsuccessful in harvesting an animal, but I still consider the trip an overall success. I had a blast! Thinking about key takeaways, the following come to mind: I need to have better game plans for each morning. On one occasion, I missed the most active part of the morning because I couldn't get to where I wanted to be before 9:30a. I spent some valuable hours just in my car trying to drive to a location. I underestimated the other-hunter competition aspect. I'm not sure if all units are like this, but I was constantly bumping into other hunters. What ultimately sent me home was another hunter taking a 700-yd shot (and missing three times) on a buck that I'd located and been chasing over a couple days. At least in my experience, Unit 22 is a tough hunt. I didn't have a SXS so spent a lot of time walking. The deer seemed to be concentrated in one area and all the 'regulars' knew where that area was and took out a few bucks on the first morning. I took a few scouting trips, but I realized that I spent most of those trips in the same area. Next hunt, I need to scout more broadly so that when my Plan A falls apart, I have a decent Plan B. I think it'll also be important to find some bucks during those scouting trips. During the scouting trips I took, I was only able to find does. What do you all remember from your first hunt?

I enjoy it. Maybe not just this caliber for this rifle, lol. I got an 06 I’ll reload for and eventually a 7mm mag I see in my future. I’ll reload for other calibers, pistol too, down the road as well. This is my main deer rifle is why I was pushing for it.

sold, nice meeting you

ya its all just what your wanting to get into, loading still saves a bunch on rifle rounds. I quit reloading some calibers since its not much savings to load them and not worth it. Id rather sit in my load room than watch tv so it keeps me busy for the 4 years waiting for a tag. We shoot pretty much every week so having all the tools is needed. If your curiosity gets to you can hit me up, I have everything to measure and find whats binding up on those cases

There’s a certain point in which spending money on this rifle is gonna far out way the benefits over just sticking to factory ammo. Not saying your suggestion is wrong, it’s not. Just not sure how far I want to ride this out. The gun shoots good, it’s a hunting rifle, used when I get drawn, which is less and less often these days it seems. Reloading was meant to cut cost if possible, improve accuracy possibly, and keep a consistent load if specific factory rounds dry up as they do from time to time.

For sale or trade a Ruger 10/22 Deluxe with a Leupold 2 X 7 rimfire scope, bought this years ago to teach my daughter how to use a scoped rifle and it’s sat in the safe since. $400 OBO Christmas is coming 🎅🏼

Thanks for offer but just trying to rehome excess at this point open to trades for revolvers and 1911s

That one on the left is a Collard Dove. Super rare to see a WW this time of year. I got one last year, must have been lost.

I’ve seen good fish in several tanks around the state.

The catfight was better.

Hello, I am brand new to this site, just registered. My brother and nephew are long time members. My brother’s id is wellhead. I am the one who responded about 10 min ago that I was interested for $300. My id is maricomike, my cell is feel free to text me. Thanks

Well done! Congrats!

Nice job dude, congrats

effectively cause the ram to cam over slightly, this will preload the frame usually resulting in the die to contact the shell holder during sizing. This worked for me with 270 wsm. I had the same issue your experiencing.

Give me a call, I've got an artifical skull that will work perfectly. Adam

Took a few free hand sketches looking at Darren Freestone’s coues calendar. Been a while since I’ve drawn like this before. I might add terrain and plants to them sometime