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GWHunter

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Everything posted by GWHunter

  1. GWHunter

    2014 35A Season Complete.

    You are correct. Ft Huachuca host a Mule Deer Hunt. Not a big one, but it does.
  2. My 2014 buck taken at 650yds. My wife took her first Muley @ 165 yds with her .243 My daughter took her first muley @ 289 yards with my son's 25-06 My son took his first mature coues at 352 yards with his 25-06. Great year of hunting. 2014 Coues Buck.MOV
  3. Fellow archery hunters, I need your expertise. So.... I went to the PSE Proshop in Tucson and shot three of their bows that fall in the $400-$700 range... 2015 PSE Premonition HD 70lb limbs (Smooth Draw, good valley, smooth release) I lived the idea of the short ATA for stand and blind mobility. 2015 PSE Source HD 70 lb limbs (Smoother draw, also good valley, same smooth release.) The longer Brace Height and longer ATA is a major plus. 2013 PSE Hammer 60 lb limbs. (Super smooth draw, but that may be because it was just set to 60 lbs, Same good valley and release) - basically same spec and performance as the source. Was a $750 bow in 2013, second fastest bow that year produced by PSE. I sort of ruled out the Premonition, the other two bows have longer ATA which equates to easier draw cycle and less chance of CAM jumping and, longer Brace Height equating to more forgiving shoot cycle. The other two bows are great bows with almost identical specs, the main difference is the EVO CAM on the Hammer and the HD CAM on the Source and about a $110 difference in price. What a hard decision... Any recommendations (WHY?) ?
  4. So.... I went to the PSE Proshop in Tucson and shot three different bows... 2015 PSE Premonition HD 70lb limbs (Smooth Draw, good valley, smooth release) I lived the idea of the short ATA for stand and blind mobility. 2015 PSE Source HD 70 lb limbs (Smoother draw, also good valley, same smooth release.) The longer Brace Height and longer ATA is a major plus. 2013 PSE Hammer 60 lb limbs. (Super smooth draw, but that may be because it was just set to 60 lbs, Same good valley and release) - basically same spec and performance as the source. Was a $750 bow in 2013, second fastest bow that year produced by PSE. I sort of ruled out the Premonition, the other two bows have longer ATA which equates to easier draw cycle and less chance of CAM jumping and, longer Brace Height equating to more forgiving shoot cycle. The other two bows are great bows with almost identical specs, the main difference is the EVO CAM on the Hammer and the HD CAM on the Source and about a $110 difference in price. What a hard decision... Any recommendations (WHY?) ?
  5. GWHunter

    New PSE Bow Decision Help

    This Hammer is $450 with 70lb limbs (New)
  6. GWHunter

    Draw

    SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Two hits on the CC...... How long does it take before they post results now?
  7. Comrades, The cape and horns of the buck on the right has been delivered to the taxidermist. I asked him to wait until after this year in case I get a larger coues. This year I got the Coues on the left. It green scored 87+... the one on the right scored 85. Both are really pretty symmetrical racks... The left deer with about 2" deductions, the one on the right, less than 1" deductions. Any recommendations of which rack to use?
  8. GWHunter

    Which One to Mount

    W.O.T.... good advice. The left deer was taken at 650 yds. Was an awesome experience.
  9. GWHunter

    2014 35A Season Complete.

    Yep.. all of these were taken in 35A.
  10. GWHunter

    2014 35A Season Complete.

    I hear ya Lance... This was the first year my son really focused and hunted. Finally developed some patience, passed on a couple of smaller bucks and settled on this guys. Really proud of him. Wife couldn't contain her excitement and decided to shoot one of the first mule deer she saw, but it's ok. She is proud that she has taken a deep both years she has ever hunted. A little coues last year and a little muley this year. She says next year she will be more picky... we shall see.
  11. GWHunter

    Duck Recipes --- who has a good one?

    I have tried Duck several ways. The key is not to over cook it. If you do, it gets dry. Easy ways are to marinade your duck in some kind of citric marinade and pan fry it. Season it with salt / pepper or creole seasoning and slowly seer it on both sides. Do not cook it until completely cooked. It is best and more tender if you let it rest after you cook it. Another option is the same way i cook dove. Take the breast meat and cook it for 5-10 minutes in a very seasoned stock. It should not be completely cooked, just firm enough to handle. Slice the breast into strips. Take a slice of bacon, add a sliver of jalapeno, and pepper jack cheese and season with creole seasoning. Role the seasoned sliced duck breast, sliver of jalapeno and pepper jack cheese up in the bacon. Insert toothpick to hold together. grill until bacon is crisp. ENJOY!!!!!
  12. GWHunter

    When does the rut end?

    I think the warm weather the past couple of weeks have slowed the rut down. With cooler weather expected the next few days, the rutting could turn into a 3 day frenzy. I did see a big muley today on one side of a 6 ft chain link fence with a hot doe on the other side of the chainlink fence. Poor dude was freaking out to get to her.
  13. GWHunter

    Where can I find .22 lr ammunition?

    Arizona Ammo Trader on Facebook sells 22 LR all the time.
  14. Day One: Almost immediately we noticed that this hunt was going to be considerably different then my wife, son and daughter’s November hunt. As the sun came up, unlike the Nov hunt, we saw little to no activity in the flat. We started to glass up higher up the slope and picked up does already bedding. We glassed for a couple of hours and decided that they were going to most likely stay bedded until late afternoon. I decided to head to the top of the main ridge and see what I could see from up top. I got of my quad, grabbed my gear and stepped off the road to set up to glass. Immediately got busted by something. Something snorted. I pulled up by binos and noticed a nice 3x3 rounding a juniper and disappearing. Ok, suspicion confirmed. That afternoon, we headed back down to a high bowl and started glassing. Around 5 p.m. we see a buck in the bowl at 200 yards. As it moved to within 170 yards, we noticed it was an odd looking 3x3. 2” G1s angled inward almost touching. The G2s or G3s were facing backwards making it seem like he had double main beams. We tried to get his dad to set up for a shot on this buck, but was unable too before he spooked and ran off. Day two we headed back to that bowl for the morning. Again we noticed more activity up higher. Saw several does and a few small bucks bedding and milling around up high. We went and grabbed a bite to eat and decided to go back to the top of the ridge and glass where that buck from the prior evening ran. Another set of hunters beat us to the ridge and we were not able. We decided to take the ridge road along the ridge south of the draw the yesterday’s buck ran into. We set up started glassing and soon spotted a nice mature 2x2 standing under a juniper 400 yards away. Again we tried to get my friends dad on this buck, but he was not able to see him. I set up for the shot. The buck moved down the slope to 366 yds and I took the shot. I hear my friend chucky say “You missed over his back!!!” The buck disappears in a little draw. We regrouped and started glassing again. I went to the other side of the ridge and started to glass again. Within 30 minutes, I busted a small 2x2 buck bedded below me. He ran out to 98 yards and stopped. He was too small and I watched him snort and stomp off up the draw. I crossed back over to the side where I missed the buck earlier and shortly, the ole man says, “Chucky, I got a doe under a bush”. We go over to look at this doe and realized that is not a doe. It was a really nice, wide, thin racked buck. I good shooter at 401 yards. We set up for the shot, but before we are ready, he steps under a juniper and stays put until after dark. Day three: We head back up to where we put this buck to sleep. We both agreed that today felt like a good day. Maybe we both will kill today. I decide to start glassing the draw where I jumped that little buck while Chucky started glassing where we bedded the buck last night. Shortly I notice several does feeding up the ridge. A few hundred yards behind them game a small 2x2 and spike. I watched the bucks for about 45 minutes or so. Then I get a text. “I got your buck over here”. I replied, “How far?”, “250 yards” he says. “I’m on my way”, I replied. I get to where Chucky is at and sure enough it is my missed buck from the night before, and he was less than 40 yards from where he was standing when I missed him. I range him at 255 yards. I set up for the shot and fire. He did a 180 and started walking back into that draw again, but I knew I hit him. I reloaded, put the crosshairs shoulder high and waited for him to clear the scrub oak. My 7 REM MAG barked, the 168 Berger VLD with 65.3 grains of IMR 7828 finds it mark again and this beautiful buck drops where he stood. What a year of deer hunting. Six days hunting: Three days hunting during my wife, son and daughter’s hunt and three days during my late hunt producing 4 nice Coues. My wife’s: 54lb 2x2, Son’s: 71 lbs 1x2, Daughter’s: 64lb 2x2 and My 91lb 2x2. Now I have to come up with a unique way to mount all four heads (European mount style).
  15. Looking to trade a Weatherby Vanguard 7mm-08 (Youth & Adult Stocks) for a comparable .243 rifle. The weatherby was purchased for my youngest son 4 years ago. He has since upgraded to a 25-06 and no longer shoots the 7mm-08. My wife killed her first deer this year with a borrowed .243 and is a .243 fan for life.
  16. GWHunter

    Who's the oldest hunter you know?

    Mr Charles Cunningham (84 y/o) of Sierra Vista. Yesterday I watched this man climb a ridge to put a shot on a nice buck chasing some does. This ole man climbed that hill better than many half his age....me included. He was not able to take that crafty ole buck, but the rut is on and it's just a matter of time. My hats of to Mr. Chuck. Hope i can hump it up a hill like he did when I am 84 years old.
  17. Thanks DUG for the feedback. I might just go that route...
  18. Fellow CWT members, After 26 years of asking, my wife hunted for the very first time last year. It was a predator hunt, but she said it was exciting. This year, she said yes to deer hunting. Not only did she hunt, but successfully killed a little 3x3 (we count eye guards) on opening day with a borrowed .243 rifle. She said she really enjoyed it and is hooked. She is a very small framed lady, who does not handle recoil well. I will be buying her her very own rifle for next year's hunt and am already looking for something appropriate. Here is my initial idea. BAR Mark II Safari (BOSS) in 25-06. This is an absolutely beautiful rifle. She is left handed and struggled with the bolt action of the borrowed .243. The Browning BAR is a semi-auto. The very nature of a semi-auto rifle will reduce recoil a little bit, but with the addition of Browning's BOSS system, the recoil will be reduced up to an additional 30%. My thinking is that this will allow me to move her up to a quarter bore with no noticeable increase in recoil. Plus with the accuracy adjustment capability, we can tune the rifle allowing her to stay on target after the shot. I am looking to put the Vortex Viper PST scope on it. The borrowed rifle had a very old Bushnell 3x9 scope on it. Great little scope, but my wife struggled with it. I want to give her a really good scope that we can adjust to her eye relief with ample FOV to help her. Owe... and not kill my bank account. I am already going to have to buy two other scopes. Although I am really leaning towards this option, I would appreciate your ideas. Thank you GWHunter
  19. GWHunter

    Rutting

    The Coues are pre-rutting. Watched a 3x3 with doe.. head down and chasing her around a little. Wasn't much effort, but they are almost there. Now that is the higher up bucks. The boys down low seem to be still in chill mode. The current front moving through could get them going. Personally, I think it's going to get hot before the end of the year.
  20. GWHunter

    WTB 25.06 Brass and Reloading Dies

    What would you want for them?
  21. WTB: 25-06 and 7mm Rem Mag Brass. Let me know what you have as long as its not dented and rusty im buying so let me know thanks. WTB: 25-06 Reloading Dies Please don't tell me where to buy new Brass and Dies.... I'm on that. Want to see if anyone had a batch of brass or set of dies to get rid of first.
  22. Good write up AndrewJ. Not often someone writes something that validates the experiences that we all have with these awesome creatures. Glassing is an art. I have been glassing for several years now and consider myself pretty good at it. Then I go hunting with my friend Chucky and realize just how much more I have to learn. It is just amazing how difficult those deer are to see, even if they are standing in the open sometimes. Yesterday evening, I was out with Chucky and his dad. His dad still needs to fill his tag and being a student of glassing, I never pass up an opportunity to improve. About 30 minutes before dark, I spotted a nice little 4x4 coming down the hill to a couple of does.. (PRE RUT IS HAPPENING!!!). He started sniffing and chasing the does. I was like, "Chuck I have a buck". He says yea it's a young 2 1/2 y/o. If he survives two more years, he will be a monster. He tells me, 95% of hunters would take at buck. I told him, are you kidding, 95% of hunters would never have seen that buck. Although he was with the does, he didn't move a lot, and when he stopped it was almost impossible to tell him apart from the landscape he was standing in. Welcome to the club.
  23. GWHunter

    Dad got him one!

    Nice 1st buck... congrats
  24. GWHunter

    What to do... what to do

    Scooter. not Disappointed in ya brother, just was going to say i'd help ya if I could.
  25. GWHunter

    What to do... what to do

    Where you hunting? Please tell me you are not on Fort Huachuca and thinking of taking a spike within the first week? Trust me, you can do a lot better than that. The full moon as most of them way up high. Trust me, I spend the whole weekend up high glassing. Took my nice 4 1/2 y/o Sunday morning.... PM me
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