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I nearly wrecked my truck on the way to work when I checked my credit card statement in June. It seemed impossible, but somehow lightning had struck, again, and someone in our family had a bighorn tag for the second year in a row. In 2024 my 15 yo son became the first member of our family to harvest a sheep. And now, just 6 months later, we were starting the adventure all over again. I talked to all my contacts from the previous year. Lined up conversations for advice on the various units we may have drawn and agonized over the thought of how we were going to make the dates work. And, I pondered THE decision. Six members of our family had applied, including my son who had the tag the year before. Everyone except for him had applied for the same two choices, 37B and the Kofa’s. The lucky bum had to apply for Rocky so I was juggling that unlikely scenario in the mix. But of everyone, I was the only one in the family with any significant amount of bonus points. Well below max, but still double what anyone else had. If it was my tag, one thought echoed in my mind. How cool would it be to take a ram with my other son. Two rams, with my two sons, approximately 350 days apart. From the moment the thought occurred to me, there was never any hesitation. It would be his. And we would do it together, his senior year, the last year he could receive a donated tag and before he left for mission and college opportunities. It would be a senior trip for the ages. And so it was. The results came and there next to my name it said DRAWN for the Kofa’s. I made some calls and drove to the unit that weekend. It was absurdly hot. And desolate. And remote. And 180 degrees the opposite direction from all of our other hunts for the year (everyone in the family had a different tag). So I called a few trusted resources and @trphyhntr recommended I speak with Zack Doster. I knew it would take 12+ days of scouting plus the hunt to figure things out and I just couldn’t pull it off this year. So I did something I have never done and hired a guide. Zack was incredible and kept us posted on his monthly trips and sent lots of pictures. Hunter and I focused on staying ready physically and with the gun. By the time we headed out for sheep we had been on 4 other hunts and done 3 pack outs. The week of the hunt we did a final check of the gun and worked on prepping. The weather looked like it was going to take a turn and we were prepped to backpack into the interior if needed. Thursday night Zack sent an Inreach message and said he had located a good ram just before dark. Game on. We arrived at camp after dark and my buddy Ty was waiting for us. We burned some excited energy chatting for a while before settling into cots for a quick sleep. First light we had the bowl the ram from the night before had been in surrounded. From 4 different vantages we searched every crack and crevice. Nada. We disembarked and headed to camp to patch a couple tires and throw our tent up. Hunter ate a sandwich and I made one for later. It wasn’t long before the hum of the compressor stopped indicating it was time to hit plan b. Zack and his guiding partner Bo along with my son Hunter and our buddy Ty all split up to cover a large basin where other sheep had been seen early in the week. It was a quick mile jog out to our first glass post. Zack spotted a ewe on a bare slope in the full sun. It was almost 90 degrees and I was shocked. Another quick jaunt had us posted on a knob with a 360 view. Zack left Hunter and I to cover the sunny basin while he climbed up to a spine ridge to look into the next canyon. Forty five minutes later the radio cracked and Zack was whispering. Three rams had fed out below him and had him pegged behind a lone Palo verde. He told us to work up the canyon to a saddle where he would meet us once they fed out of site. I had to wake Hunter from his afternoon nap, and when I said we had rams he sprung to his feet. We worked our way up to the saddle and met with Zack. Slowly we dropped packs and crept to the edge to relocate the sheep. First a ewe, then a young 5 yr old ram. Zack started to explain they may have fed over, but it was too shady and too lush in that cut. We kept creeping and peering down low into the cut. And then, a big mature sway back climbed out of a creosote. His horns were thick and broomed. His belly was potted and his legs looked short. Definitely a mature ram. With the spotting scope on him and his partner at 180 yds Zack could easily count the rings and he let Hunter take a good look. Hunter said “I would love to shoot either of those rams.” And then hesitated, “but I don’t want it to be over. It just started.” I smiled and said it was his choice, but also reminded him of the reality. This was one of the top 5 rams they had located in 15 days in the unit. It was forecasted to rain 1/2” the next day. And although we could come back a week later, he did have to go back to school on Monday. The bird in the hand proved more than he could argue with. He asked if it was as big as his brothers, I confirmed it was, and also older. And he said “Let’s kill that ram.” The ram kept looking up our way, he knew something was up, but he kept feeding our way. He was getting close enough that now I was nervous. By the time we were done sizing him up and making the decision, he had closed to 130 yds. I laid the rifle on the edge of the bluff and Hunter slid in behind. He was shaking so much he jammed the feed. I crawled up and fixed it. And he leveled the rifle. The old ram looked up from his feeding and stared a hole in us. Hunter had to turn the magnification down on the scope because he couldn’t see what he was aiming at. I saw his hand move from the cat’s tail, down to the grip, his finger moving first to the safety and then inside the trigger guard. At the click of the safety I nodded at Zack. The crack of the suppressed rifle hadn’t even clapped before the thump of the Berger meeting shoulder hit my ears. The ram took a few steps, nearly reuniting with his band mate, before raising up and tipping backwards, resting with his broomed tips pointed up in the very spot he had stood to feed. And there it was. Once in a lifetime. We hugged. We fist bumped. We cheered. We called mom and then grandpa. We thanked God. And as I followed his steps up to his trophy I quickly wiped away tears before he could see them. It wasn’t just a once in a lifetime moment for him. It was the culmination of so many moments. From carrying him on my shoulders when he was still in diapers, and giving him some old bush bell field glasses to practice “glassing”, tying a parachord around his Red Ryder to sling over his shoulder as we wandered wash after wash searching for javelina that were never there. It was a 10 yr old boy who had faced surgery after surgery, first learning to crawl and drag his half body cast, then to walk and then to run first track, then cross country, then a half marathon. It was boy who earned the right to be called a young man. His future still remained uncertain, but he had learned to live for today. For the moments that could never be taken. Tomorrow is promised to no man.

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.

Got him on Saturday morning around 7:30.

Biggest deer for the year. Same bet I had with my nephew last year. Putting AI to good use. grok_video_2025-11-17-16-06-13.mp4

I have a browning T series Hi-power 9mm pistol for sale in extremely well condition and barely shot. It has the adjustable rear sight and a nice French walnut panel grips, manufactured in Belgium 1968. Now $800. OBO. Text for faster response. Six2three62eight4five 77

Joel Etchen Signature special. 12 gauge 32" barrels. Negrini case with all accessories that came with it. Perfect condition, not a mark on it. About 250 rounds through it. $3400. Located in Globe but I go to the valley often. May trade for quality binos or spotter.

Next up Rob and I took some of our family to NM for Oryx. my son and son in law had a great time shooting their first Oryx. Rob’s brothers shot some also I didn’t get pictures of them all

Meopta meopro HTR 6.5-20x50, 1 inch, z-plex. In great shape $475. East side of Tucson, face to face

Rifle is in great shape. Comes with factory box, all paperwork, Warne ringsswivels, 3 mags. 480 rounds of ammo. Sun Lakes. Must be 21 years of age and show AZ drivers license.

We decided to give it a go in a true desert unit this fall. Never had hunted it before but a couple buddies have seen a fair amount of deer in January during OTC. We arrived Thursday evening with only two days to hunt and as we picked a camp spot the landscape blew me away…how do these things survive and thrive out here. Looked like the surface of the moon with the surface mostly volcanic rock, scattered creosote bushes, and the occasional palo verde washes sprinkled around. 4 of my buddies generously offered to help on Friday and as we all picked high spots to glass from the reports started coming in of bucks. Multiple bucks and some good ones were located in various locations. Max and I spent most of the day on stalk after stalk trying to close the gap to under 600 yards with not much available to hide our approach. We had a few opportunities on small bucks we passed on and a couple close calls on bigger ones but nothing just right. We totaled 19 bucks seen that day. Saturday morning we were down to Max and I and 2 buddies so we all went to the spot that the most deer were seen Friday. Almost immediately we found a group of 3 bucks at 1000 yards. We had some topography to work with this time and we closed the gap to 340 yards and Max anchored the biggest one. It was a fun hunt that I think with a few extra days could produce something pretty special! This was his best desert buck to date and another awesome father son hunt in the books! Now time to get packed for Colorado 4th season Deer 🤙🏻

Well you guessed it. Rob and I took off on another adventure. He invited me with a group to catch a few fish in Old Mexico. Again another great trip and awesome fish and memories.

Like new Camp Chef with heavy duty griddle. I've only used this set twice in the last few years. Comes with canvas carry cases, wind screen and legs. $150.

The glamor shots. Post script. I almost forgot about the bet I had with my middle brother. He lost. Read the hat.

Love this! Nicely done!

Located in North Phoenix

Got this one Saturday morning in Unit 28. Taking him to game and fish this morning to get checked in and measured

Back home and showered. Okay. My two brothers and I put in together for the first time In 15 or 20 years. As luck would have it we got our 5th choice and one of the least popular hunts there is. In August my middle brother doubled up with his son in archery in the unit, sacrificing his muzzy tag. Much cooler moment to double with your son. Fast forward to last Saturday. Sportsmans was having their bubble pop. Me needing nothing thought I would pick up a cheap back up muzzleloader to loan out to friends after I missed a couple of otc elk with it after loaning to a friend. My wife talked me into getting the 45 cal cva with the bergara barrel. We got 50%off on Saturday. Wednesday the ammo came in and I shot 6 or 7 rounds and sighted in. Thursday night I step foot in the unit for the first time In over a year. My youngest brother did not make it down the hill from showlow all the way and spent the night in globe. Instead of doing what I originally planned, 2.5 miles hike up with 1500' elevation gain with my nephew. We decided to go to a spot right off the highway where my middle brother saw some bucks in August. My nephew and I walk a few hundred yards to our vantage point and glass for a bit. We reposition 50 yards down the hill and I hand him my binos and tripod and tell him your my guide find me a buck. I am bored and walk around for five minutes or so. When I walk back I see antlers walking up towards us from below. I push him off the tripod find a couple of bucks and one looked big in the orange light of dawn. I throw my backpack on a rock and set up for a shot. Quartering to me, I settled in and place the crosshairs on his front shoulder and contemplate waiting for him to get closer for a nanosecond and squeeze the trigger. No visible reaction. The buck takes a few steps and disappears. My nephew on the glass says the big buck is going off to the right and I say are you sure he looked like he was walking left. Just then this runt pops out 100 yards below us . i text my middle brother to come to our spot. As we wait i see antlers below us and when he gets there 45 minutes later. I catch a bush moving aggressively. My nephew and I hike down there and find him. My other brother shows up and I now teach two of my nephews how the gutless method. Shot placement was two inches to the right of where I aimed The buck i will post some glamor shots shortly. My brother still has not sent them to me. Should I get it mounted? I have been back and forth on this.

I'm sorry but trying to see if you can hit an animal at 750 yards is not ethical. If you cant sneak within 3 or 4 hundred yards then why are you hunting? I know I'll get a lot of pushback on this but show a little respect to the animal and work to get a clean ethical shot. Obviously you weren't skilled enough to do that the first time. This is what gives hunters a bad name.

Nice man, looks like you been having lots of fun.

I need to add a few adventures from this year. My dad and I went to POW island to catch a few silvers. We had a great time.

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

I'm amused you think life is fair. Sovereign nation so they can do what they want, at least they didn't take the ops money.

I just spoke to one of the owners (Tom) about the ranch. It sounds like it could be a very challenging archery hunt. The best news is they also have a long distance shooting range! I will definitely be booking a hunt for this coming Spring!!!!

great place to learn game care, give someone a chance to get their feet wet before public land hunting, squeezing the trigger is the easy part, then the work begins I taught Hunter Ed for about 13 years, lot of parents came in with their kids where the kid wanted to hunt but the parent had no clue what to do beyond the shooting, had quite a few single mothers and sons, this would be good for them to learn the ropes not everyone grew up with the hunting tradition passed down through the generations

I actually looked into that ranch in Cali several years ago as my former brother-in-law was extremely interested in hunting, but lacked pretty much every skill needed to hunt, except he could shoot decent. I think an operation such as this would be perfect for such a situation, as well as younger kids who can not yet hunt big game, or folks who moved here after the draw but don't want to miss out on hunting that year, etc. As for the guys operating it, I have no clue who they are, but I do wish good fortune upon anyone starting their own business.