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az4life

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Everything posted by az4life

  1. I ask because my new T3 lite in .243 gave me a misfire on Christmas eve. Drawing down on an antelope I was shooting with my sister in law, and my tikka just went "CLICK". The Safety was off and bolt fully locked. Since we both had tags, I pulled the trigger after she shot at hers and I drew the blank. Anyway, I racked another in but the goats were moving so my shot was off. They flew the field, so I looked at the problem round and noted the round had a faint mark where the firing pin actually did hit the primer but MUCH lighter than normal. I was shooting federal premium factory load ammo and had fired 2 times about an hour earlier. The gun has less than 15 rounds through it so I was very surprised. I googled Tikka and Misfire and got very little to go on. A couple notes of low temperatures maybe giving a proble with over lubricated bolts or a weak spring but this is just as factory new. I did fire one more round before dark but no problems with that one. Any thoughts.
  2. I got this topic ping and had to join in . Once saw a doe chasing a coyote across a ridge from me. She was really after him for a few hundred yds then I dropped the yote with a single shot and she stopped looked around and went up to the yote and nosed him before heading up the ridge. Also was glassing an old mine area and heard something we later called crazy Larry. He was an old security guard at the mine I heard later. He popped out of his trailer laughing and yelling like he was Larry. Errr crazy.... anyway He had his pants down around his ankles and was just laughing his butt off for no apparent reason Lots of others To share but I will stop at these. Happy turkey day.
  3. az4life

    XX

    first president to have his public office career begin in a self professed American terrorist's home. first president to be in office while adding 6 trillion in debt to the country in 3.5 years first president to take an apology tour around the world in his first year in office first president to deny a terrorist attack on the US (embassy) and our citizens even took place - and the first to not take action to protect US interests abroad - He said it was a "demonstration" first president to hand out a million free phones to his supporters in Ohio - proving you can buy votes with other people's money I pray he is the last president to promote a socialist agenda in our democratic republic.
  4. az4life

    It's been such a long time...

    Well folks, Like the title says, it has been such a long time, since I've stopped by to post anything. still get by to read and keep in touch a couple times a month though! I finally harvested my first Wyoming Elk this past October. The long and short of it is, the hunt had 8-10 hunters in our camp hunting out of the snowy range mountains and we hunted hard for 5 straight days losing only one AM hunt to snow. We saw many mountain lion tracks and some were even traveling in pairs and groups of 3! Not one of us saw an elk and out of 50 or so camps we had within a mile only one cow was taken on the 3rd day. we know the area and always see elk in it but this time was really different. After the 4th day several hunters decided to head out after day 5 and come back on the next weekend. we all went out for our last afternoon intending to pack up that night and the next morning. I went to a normally good spot and decided to work to a clear cut a few hundred yards farther in the timber. when I got there, I glassed around the cut area and slowly worked the edge. then I spotted a cow in the middle of the cut, moving toward me over a high spot. She was followed by another cow, I am thinking about taking the cow as it is the last 2 hours of the hunt, but I held out a bit longer and she spots me. Staring right at me and I know I'm busted at about 175 yards. She keeps watching me and I see another cow move up behind her then, I see antler tips. I can only see the tips but know it looks like a 4x4 or bigger. Seeing the only elk, and ow a bull I wait for something to happen. the cow just stares at me as I watch and see the bull step up behind her, but he is still behind the mound and a large log between him and her. I waited and he moved to the right but another cow moved in front of him. he moved a bit more and the other cow got out of the way, but all I can see is the top 10 inches of his body above the log. I decided it was now or never as the cow still staring at me seemed to be getting nervous so I slowly raised my rifle and placed the crosshairs on the bull over his lungs and about 6 inches down from his back. I fired from the standing position and saw him drop to his knees as the cow still stared at me. The other cows started running in circles and then they all finally ran away toward a treeline to the left as I chambered another round. then the bull gets up, drops down behind the mound and a downed large tree and follows them. I had no shot so the chase was on. tracking him through a marsh I lost the trail and spent 30-40 minutes circling but finally went to the other side of the marsh in the direction he was moving last and found the trail again. Now into old growth and new growth area where I found him as he jumped up and bulled through the new timber. It took another 5 minutes to head him off and finish the hunt. He was a 5x5 with one really crazy long brow tine. I wound up near the point where I started the hunt 5 days earlier. I had help sent from camp and they brought a 4 wheeler and calving sled. we got the sled to the elk and then pulled it for about 20 yards out of the new growth timber. hooked up to the 4 wheeler and followed an old log road to the truck about 300 yards away. loaded the sled and all in the truck and we were heading back to camp. For my first elk it was nice and especially since it was the only elk any of the other guys had seen on this trip.
  5. az4life

    Friend and Hunter passed

    Just before Thanksgiving a good friend and fellow hunter when I was in AZ passed on. Phil Hutchings was 50 yrs old and had been a good friend for probably 20 years. I met him at church and we discovered shortly that there were some common interests with us and our families even though we were quite different. Our families interacted often and our Hunting trips became regular. Phil was the guy who was with me the day I had an encounter with a mountain lion, and I was with him when he dropped his largest elk a month or so later in 2001. both were good stories for sure but When he took the shot for his elk, I was about a mile away and heard it. Called for him on the radio over and over but he did not reply, then finally he answered and asked me to get over there. When I got to him he said I shot a big one, but he could not say where it went.. I got to looking at him and saw the dreaded "scope eye" where the recoil popped him above the eye. It was dark enough that he had his eye right up to the glass to see his target and when he shot it apparently knocked him out for a minute. Well as we all know, change is constant and it does not wait for any of us. Phil ended his marriage some years ago, in the last few years Phil had lost his job and not been able to find work. I saw him in March last year and saw he was thin but still had his sense of humor and good spirit. He just let himself go but as we talked frequently, never let to any problems during our regular phone calls. Then the weeks before thanksgiving he quit taking my calls. I kept trying but never got through. On Nov 19th learned he had a heart attack and never came out of it. He died on the Monday following. I attended his military funeral memorial service which was the first one of the kind I'd attended and thought it was quite dignified and respectful. Now, Each week on Friday as I make my way home, I still think about calling him to see what's happening, and encourage him in his job hunting if not big game hunting. We all need to be prepared for loss and loss eventually gets close to us. The only peace and control one has is in their eternal place after this world and I believe Phil has his peace, and place now with our Lord Jesus Christ. I am getting to the age where the odds are things like this are going to be happening more often. Change like death, is hard to accept while we are in the world but there is a much bigger picture to consider. Change yes, but some change is for the better. If you know where you are going, have the confidence and belief in salvation through the Lord, there is no fear, there is just change. If you don't have this deep down to your roots 100% kind of knowledge and belief of where you will go when the final earthly change comes to you, now is the time to find it. God Bless Phil I
  6. az4life

    Can you find your sticker in this video??

    Nice Job Amanda! Will try to get a good shot of the new ride to you for the next video! I've Gone back to a Ford! Sport Trac! Maybe I can get it on the truck before heading down to the valley from Wyoming this week. Have a quick trip for some Golf and to pick up a couple mounts. from a friend and fellow Coues n elk hunter who passed away in November...
  7. I have wondered about this for some time and saw the topic posted elsewhere with no answers. I know folks here will have some info, and short of giving out your secret recipe, what opinions do you all have? My personal opinion is mixed. At certain times, Just Before and during the rut, I know the bucks go crazy keeping up with the does. Scents I am sure help keep them moving to, with and around the does. They sort of lose their mind and seem to have very little fear when the rut peaks. Other times of year I think the commercial scents (mostly sold as white tail scents) are somewhat of a warning flag to coues deer since the smell is not from a coues, (and not natural to their territory) and they treat the new scent like a whif of aftershave or a smoking cigarette. Stalking these deer is a challenge, and my Personal experience is, Several times (not during rut) I have been able to get within 20 yards of small groups of coues while hunting, but never while using these scents. Anyone else have opinions or observations?
  8. az4life

    Grongs wife needs our prayers!!

    Thoughts and Prayers for a speedy and full recovery sent your way. Hopefully the hospital will lose the bill as well.
  9. az4life

    Guys Check this out

    That dude on the phone is my hero!
  10. az4life

    No More Sunsets

    Looks like they saved the best for last and you caught it on film
  11. I heard Arnie took away the free pass on college tuition too. Also hearing about boaters on a texas lake that borders mexico being shot and killed, pirated, terrorized and held up by mexicans. The US says, American boaters should stay away from the mexican line in the lake if they value thier lives. What the heck is this about? We are Legal residents so WHY should we have to worry about criminals on our waters. Why won't our country protect us? I say, it's about time the US puts out some Bait boats like they do with cars for car thieves. Shoot and kill some of these pirate perpetrators and things will change.
  12. az4life

    Scouting alone

    carry a lion tag. Kittys in there can get pretty ornery
  13. az4life

    180+ Coues Sheds --- You better sit down before you look!

    Monsters are real and here is the proof. Maybe a chupacabra skull soon!
  14. az4life

    Amanda's legal defense fund!

    Sorry to hear the long arm of the law caught you. I can't say 2 times in the same day but I have had 3 stops in a week and one more in the same truck when someone else was on an errand for me. I think they do put marks on certain vehicles just to make you wonder why...
  15. az4life

    war on arizona

    With the congress at 11% approval and Socialist Obama struggling to stay in the 40's I gotta wonder what rabbit he's gonna try to pull out in the next couple months and years. Socialist some may say is a strong word, but what other option is there when the ruler threatens and challenges the smaller state sovriegnty
  16. az4life

    Jaguar from az

    neat old picture for sure! Thanks for posting
  17. az4life

    newly found water soursce

    SCOOOOOOORE! Nice find for sure....
  18. az4life

    How will you make this shot?

    Gotta get closer. 300 yd, yes but wind needs to be fairly steady... 300 win mag 12x scope solid prone or seated tripod rest. hold off 18" left of shoulder and top of back. It's all physics but 350 would be my stopping point in wind like that...
  19. az4life

    bear close encounter

    Close call, and pretty neat in the same experience.
  20. az4life

    M3 Report

    It's good information
  21. az4life

    New Banner?

    Really catches your attention
  22. az4life

    Monsoons!!! And look at the antlers Julie brought me!

    Love the mirror pic as well. If the tent is new will the seller just exchange it?
  23. I'm sure no one is all that surprised by this. Outraged, yes..... Surprised, nope.
  24. az4life

    Dog, deer and a ball

    amazing clip
  25. az4life

    Leupold Service

    I have a relative that has sent several back for checks when he could not pinpoint the flyer problems. Never anything but positive experiences! I wonder how the warranty will be handled on Redfield now that Leupold owns them Heard from a rep they are selling a lot of them and having a hard time keeping up.
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