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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

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.

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.

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

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.

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 is show low not Heber. We have laws

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

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.

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!!!!🤣

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