lancetkenyon

Two of the biggest bucks I have seen off the Bab have come from guys in vehicles being in the right place at the right time. My buddy took a big 7x8 non-typical at noon just driving down the road. Stupidest buck I have ever seen. Seriously, 30 yards off the road and just stood there.

Take it off when you hike and put it back on when you are stationary. You sweat to cool the body, so allowing the head to cool will help regulate body heat. Or wear ear muffs only if your ears get cold. Wear layers and shed/add layers as needed to keep from sweating in the first place. Sweat stinks, no mater whether you can smell it or not. Game can. My goal is always to keep warm without sweating.

OP is in Queen Creek. I am not a stalker, but I remember the Badlands pack thread.

Very nice cat. Big teeth!

Since you are in Mesa, you can check Bass Pro too.

The Zeiss Victory HTs are on par with the Swaro SLC HDs. But they are not the $1500 Zeiss Conquest binos. They are the $2300+ Zeiss binos. Also the Leica Ultravids. Take a long look at the Cabela's Euro HD 15x56 from Meopta. I tried them for hours alongside a set of the Swaro SLC HD 15x56s, and I like them better. Amazing quality for $1600. Plus, if you get a Cabela's Visa and wait for the right sales time, they give you points back (I got 10% points and it is basically a 10% gift card), a $25 gift card, a $100 gift card, and wait for a coupon of 10-20% off, they come out at about $1100-1200 out the door (if you consider the gift cards you get).

Sportsman's has the QS36 for $12.99. Not sure what you have though. Call the store to see if they have them in stock. But if you are more than 10-15 miles, the $7 S&H will equal the amount of gas you will waste to get there and back. Plus the added costs of buying other stuff while you are there. You know you can't just buy one thing there.... http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Vanguard-QS36-Quick-Shoe/productDetail/Tripods-and-Mounts/prod999901362809/cat100752 Or the QS52 for $16.99 http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Vanguard-QS52-Quick-Shoe/productDetail/Tripods-and-Mounts/prod999901362810/cat100752

I dropped a bunch of coin on two new binos this year. After looking through a ton of glass, I opted for the Meopta HD 10x42s. The only other binos that barely beat them out were the Swaro EL HDs, Zeiss Victory HT, and Leica Ultravid. But at double+ the cost, it was a no brainer to me. I got mine for $949 from www.sportoptics.com as a demo model. There was not a single mark that I could find on them. I also purchased the Cabela's Euro Meopta HD 15x56s this year. They are, in MY opinion, better than the new Swaro SLC HDs. And I compared both side by side for hours in all conditions.

Cabela's carries them, and they will be glad to mount them on a tripod and take them out front with you to check out. They spent a lot of time with me looking through about 10 sets of optics before I purchased mine. Good group of folks down there.

For around $500, the Cabela's Outfitter Series 10x42 for $519 are very hard to beat. I have had a set (formerly the Alaskan Guide series) for 12+ years, and they are still going strong. They are just about as clear as the $1300 Vortex Razors, and better than the Vortex Viper HDs by a long ways to my eyes. I am not impressed by the Vortex binos at all.

The burns are a good start, but they will be crawling with hunters too. But good deer are EVERYWHERE in 12AW. I have seen bruisers from Jacobs Lake to the Park boundary. I missed a true brute during archery season years ago that still haunts my dreams. With the warm weather the Kaibab has been having (41°-72° this past week), I would look up top first. The Junipers always hold s a few big deer, but few and far between at this time of year. Deer move to cover and canyons where there are no roads when pressured. And the big bucks are almost totally nocturnal. So seeing on in the daylight is rare. But you can catch them at very first and last light if you know where they bed. Good luck, I will be in 12AE at the end of the week.

Let me guess...you have a hunt coming up in a week to a month? Go buy the cheap Sellior & Bellot, Remington Core-lokt, Federal Power Shok or Winchester Super X stuff. It can usually be found at $20-22/box or less. Or wait for a gun show and buy some cheap military surplus garbage. The interweb is your friend if you use it... Cabela's has Winchester Super X .30-06 on sale for $19.99. http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/includes/variants_popup.jsp?productId=740347&categoryIds=104792580|104691780|104532480&mainWindow=mainWindow1413812782163 Also Herters for $17.99 http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/includes/variants_popup.jsp?productId=1403960&categoryIds=104792580|104691780|104532480&mainWindow=mainWindow1413812934524 And Sellior & Bellot for $17.99 http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/includes/variants_popup.jsp?productId=706469&categoryIds=104792580|104691780|104532480&mainWindow=mainWindow1413812988611

I only clean when groups start to open up, somewhere between 100 & 800 rounds or so. Or after an entire season and I am going to store the gun for a while. Clean bore shots are far more errant than cold bore shots. I can't have that happen during a hunt. It takes at least 10-20 rounds to lay copper back in the grooves to return POI and accuracy to pre-cleaning consistency after a thorough cleaning.

Been packing all weekend. My 12 year old daughter and I are heading up to 12AE. She only has 3 days, but I have the whole hunt off.

Bring me a pound of Retumbo tomorrow when you come by and I'll pay you the $30! I wanted to try it for my .300RUM.

I am in the north central Phx. area. Text me when you are ready and I will see if I am around. PM inbound.

Bolt cutters and a bunch of extra locks? Cut a link and add your own "entry pass" while maintaining the integrity of the chain. Or start hiking in. Probably better hunting now anyway. In all seriousness, I am in no way advocating trespassing or destruction of private property. If it is private property, respect it. I would be pissed if I caught someone cutting a chain to my land.

What part of town are you heading to? I might be able to help you out if I am home.

Mine say Oct. 24th too. Don't freaking scare me like that!!! I'm down to a week wait. Another 24 hours might give me a stroke!

I'm in north central Phx. area, I-17 & 101 area.

Episode 2 was my favorite. Thanks for the laugh.

And the finale

Episode 3...

WTF is up with all the super sensitive assholes? I am in no way racist, but this is getting to be bullshit. Just people LOOKING for a reason to protest and bitch and moan. Don't like it? Don't freaking GO!!! If this is allowed to happen, the next thing will be the Coyotes doing away with the "white out", as it excludes any other race... What's next?

I think he is going to take it. I will let you know either way.