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Hadn’t seen much rut activity this Jan until a week ago. After a few days of rain I found 14 bucks all w does. Too many deer on the Mnt to even get in there and hunt one of them. Came back a week later and saw a buck stand up at 8Am w 3 does. Range was 1500 yards. Got the spotter out to check the details. 3x3=go time. Made a plan to get half way and try to relocate. From that spot I couldn’t see into the cut he was working down. I glassed one of his does and decided to close the distance to see if I would be able to see into that cut and maybe make a play. Got to the skyline of that cut with perfect wind and some cover I was able to see the buck behind an ocotillo. Range was 82 yards. I knocked an arrow and dialed the slider to 82. If he steps out I will get a chance. 1 well placed arrow and he ran for 2 seconds. Made a trip to the truck to drop all my gear and hiked back to process him and pack out. I could not be happier. I’ve been trying to do a solo spot and stalk Coues for 10 years now.

Everybody has a Rzr, Can-Am or other utv now days and the desert is covered with people. We used to have the area we hunt pretty much to ourselves and the hunting was great. This last rifle hunt, there was a camp with 15 or 16 tags and they were like cockroaches out there. Just running all over the place. Not one of them saw a deer but we found one area that looked like the Baja ran through there and found deer tracks bouncing where they had clearly jumped some bucks and didn’t see them. I know people hunting the 45 units that are notorious for avoiding people and the road hunters are out in full force this archery season. I wish we could go back to times before Covid where all these people used to be indoors 🤣

Not that simple. I think this case was wrongly decided, partially due to some poorly written law, and partially due to Nick Debaca being ratted out by the hunter. The hunter was the one who squeezed the trigger, and should have manned up and done the right thing. By the way, Marsha Petrie Sue voted against the revocation, so it was not unanimous. That should tell us something. 1. I agree, the terrain along some of the roads in 34a is such that it would be very difficult to shoot off the edge of the road unless you had practiced with shooting sticks; 2. On this hunt, Mr. Adams was apparently the guide of record, although the signed contract was probably with the company, so any of the licensed guides could have been the "official" guide; 3. There were 4 citations issued, 1- to Mr. Adams (possession of meat), 1- to Mr. Olieto (possession of meat), 1- to the hunter (shooting from a road) and 1- to Mr. Debaca (possession of scalp and antlers of unlawfully taken deer). The charges against the first two guides were dropped because the officer who issued the citation was away on military duty and therefore unable to testify. The charge against the raffle tag winner Mr. Best, was dropped or reduced as he pled guilty, but through the practice known as "diversion" implicated one of the guides, Mr. Debaca, as being partially responsible for his taking the shot from the location he did. As Mr. Debaca stated, he was not anywhere near the hunter Mr. Best, as he set up for the shot, rather he was glassing the deer from another location in anticipation of the shot. And finally, Mr. Debaca who was not the guide of record, and was primarily along to watch how the hunt would play out with an opportunity for a rifle harvest of a quality Coues buck, was issued a citation for possession. Due to "strict liability" the citation for possession had to go to someone. Additionally, Mr. Debaca got some bad advice with respect to the 180 day timeframe with respect to affirmation that AZGFD was going notify whether or not they would assume jurisdiction. He never heard one way or the other and therefor assumed there would be no revocation hearing and he would just have the misdemeanor conviction, and could continue guiding after the "1 year penalty period" which as stated by the investigator Mr. Foley, was actually a 5 year window for a prior conviction. We all know sometimes life does crappy things to us. This whole thing looks to me like a perfect storm of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people, and in the gray area of the law. I have hunted with Nick Debaca. He is an excellent guide and a good man. It is shameful that got caught up and railroaded which is exactly what happened, and will result in him being unfairly penalized in numerous ways. If any of the folks involved walk away with a clear conscience, maybe they are fooling themselves. That little nagging voice might be there for a long time. Hopefully Nick Debaca can bounce back and continue with his guiding business at some point in the future, but in the meantime, let this be a word to the wise for all of us.

Hello all, I’m headed to South Africa most of the month of June 2027. I have camp completely booked the last 2 weeks of June, but I have availability’s the first 2 weeks still. If you have any interest in partaking on a safari of your own please reach out and let me know.

Just throwing it out there that when a non resident applies with a resident (in this case your son is treated as a resident for cap purposes) it does NOT suck the resident into the non resident cap. There simply must be enough tags to give to both. If there is one non res tag available as well as a resident tag available when their app is pulled it will give them tags. Same thing with a non resident with a lifetime license applying with a non res without a lifetime license. The lifetime license guys is treated as a resident for cap purposes but pays non resident prices for the tag if drawn. The only thing that combines in either scenario is their bonus points averaging. Not that helps your odds much but figured I would clear up some confusion from prior posts.

he’s old enough, maybe that’s all he could do in his condition.

I saw the report said he didn't kill. Also only hunted 7 days on a two month hunt so doesn't seem like there was much effort.

Why? What are you suspicious of with him?

Awesome buck, Congrats!

I'm just glad the G&F are starting to crack down on these guides.

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I've got 2- one pound- H4350, $50 each. I filled these from my 8 pounder so same lot. I also have 2- one pound H1000, $50 each, and a partial maybe 1/4 pound 7828SSC that I'll throw in for free if you buy the other two powders. So $200 for everything in Tucson.

Dang that's an impressive shot. Congrats!

Nice buck and nice shot! CONGRATS! bill

A little surf and turf. Salmon from Alaska, pork steaks, sweet tater (store was out of white sweet taters) and asparagus.

Smoked a tri tip then did a reverse sear. Smoked baked potatoes.

We drew the early Nov tag in southern AZ and were very fortunate to get perfect weather. Opening morning was supposed to be 25*. We made a plan to hike up and in to an area we have wanted to explore before. Without knowing how ruff this hike would be we finally made it 2 miles into where we wanted to be. We found a few deer but we were still 700+ yards from how high deer were feeding. We decided to make that climb too and get to the elevation we needed. All that work and no shooters. After considering staying put for the evening hunt we finally agreed to back out and not risk a very hard hike out in the dark that night. Turned out to be 5+ miles round trip and a ton of elevation. Sucked. Our legs were cooked for the day so for the evening hunt we decided to “take it easy” and glass closer to the truck. Go figure….That worked. My son found a decent buck at 1200 yards and we made a move to go get a closer look. That hike turned out to be just as nasty as the morning. We got to 525 yards and sat and watched him and decided I would try to take a shot. Getting settled in on the rifle my son said “wait!” There’s a better buck right there too. I located that buck and got another “wait!” Dad there’s a giant right there. I was not able to find that deer and wasted no time turning the rifle over to him. Ranged him at 535, dialed to that, Perfect shot! Unreal. So happy for him. He deserves it. He found that buck and found my buck on Sunday too. Mine went 91” and is my best buck, 715 yards. Super fun hunt. We ended up hiking 10 miles opening day. So worth it. We’ve never had an opportunity on a buck like his before. Any score guesses?

heck of a shot placement for 82 yards!

If you apply on the same app, you will both fall under the non-resident cap. You would be handicapping him severely by putting in on the same application.

Pretty good answer. You've been reading about it and or peaking as you pass by. My answer is that the plants growing on my 4 feet high chainlink fence at times reach 7 to 8 feet high,and are about 4 feet wide, as I can pick on both sides. They are about 16 years old. I gave a bunch to St Vincent's near Broadway and Center in Mesa for their Garden and in two years the main garden lady had them about 7 feet high and 2 feet wide off of their 8 feet high block wall! She is an exceptional gardener and does everything pretty much organically! A good person to talk to! I have about 500 feet of 8 feet high chainlink at the Orange Grove that I planted just about two years ago and I've got parts as high as 1 foot above the fence but only about 3 Feet wide with both sides accessable. I planted mine with 75% manure and 25% dirt mix and only about 1 foot wide by 1 foot deep hole, two feet apart, over the roughly 500 feet of 8 feet high fence. The bushes are very thorny and should help keep the vagrants from cutting through my fence and "camping" . I support St Vincent's but not the druggie bums whom refuse to go live in the shelters where drugs aren't allowed and destroy my property and leave lots of trash and literal crap around! ANYONE or ANYTHING that destroys my property obviously is NOT welcome EVER. Pests get destroyed and eventually the humans get arrested and charged! I'm patient.🤣 Right now, for the most part, the fence and black berries are working at the Grove and at my main house. Hidden cameras are working there and at other places, as a couple of people recently found out! Just a different type of hunting!🤣 So you good and great people on Coues, yes even those that may not like me, are welcome to come and I'll even let you pick the berries for free in May when they ripen. Maybe we should have a CouesWhitetail get together then? All others that are not on Coues, or that I don't know, and obviously the bad people (and there are a couple on Coues that I know), are not and will not be welcome, unless specifically granted permission.

Some look to be 5ft+.

Do you know how many assholes now live in this state ?? Especially the Phx metro area. Explaines alot

That’s super gay. Anybody that thinks you should get in trouble for shooting with your foot in the road is gay as well.

Wouldn't tag #1 go to bonus pass?

Up for my dad's muzzleloader elk hunt in 6a. Dad has a cow tag and Nick from another site has a bull tag. I'm playing chauffeur and guide. I'm running 4 blinds as dad is 75 and Nick is in his 60's. So dad's in one spot Nick another and me another just to see what's going on. No point in me going back to camp . Saturday I had a group of elk at 730 and another at 830 am . It's just me and im already done hunting elk as I had the general cow hunt here a few weeks ago. Tagged out on my hunt on opening day. Dad had 9 bulls at his spot at 5 pm but has a cow tag . Nick hasn't seen a elk but has a bull tag. Raining like heck today so going to spot and stalk tomorrow there's water everywhere! The picture is the group infront of me at 730