daverp

Figured he'd go #1 or #2 more than likely in the max bp round and NR cap, but son drew tag #1 for U22 Dec. Coues.

Nothing weird, but a few cool things.... Scouting and glassing for deer in U10 at one of our favorite spots (we call it the "Bermuda Triangle of the Boquillas". Strange how easy it is to get turned around in that area!). We see a dang nice 180" type 4x buck racing up the opposite side of the draw. Behind him and hot on his tail were 2 coyotes. We watched this go on for a good five minutes. The buck positioned himself at the top of a rock outcropping and the coyotes were all over the place trying to get to him. Racing up the rock face trying to get to him, and jumping off when the buck faced them and charged at them. Of course the big buck prevailed and wound up trucking up the draw leaving the coyotes behind. Have that one on video. Awesome memory. Same spot. Kid and I are walking in well before first light. We'd seen some good lion sign in the area (not only this year, but for several years prior) and the kid is saying "I feel like we have lion eyes on us". Said it several times. I'm like "shut up, get over it". After we spend all day on this point, we are walking back to the truck after dark by the light of headlamps. The smell of elk becomes strong. Getting stronger. Until we happen upon a dead cow elk, partially buried under sticks and such. Fang marks on her snout, abdomen tore open and innards (organs) gone. That elk could not have been there more than 12 hours. Very fresh kill. A certain lion kill from the evening before, and almost certainly we were being watched. There is essentially no place I get the heebie-jeebies bad or am afraid of walking in or out alone in the dark (have spent countless hours putting miles on boots, alone in the dark, and have no issues with it), but that place makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time I'm in and out of there alone in the dark. And that was before we found the lion kill elk! First completely natural AZ black bear sighting. I'm glassing my favorite point in 7w. I see these dark 4-legged figures hauling azz across a semi-open area. I think "javelina". I throw up the binos and it's a sow with her two cubs in tow, obviously kicked up out of the canyon to the front by some elk hunters. Passed within 80 yards of me. Pretty cool. Have spent many a year in 7w since I was 10 years old and never seen a live bear there, though I have seen sign. Last one. Ike Saddle in U22 (where the boy and I will be hunting coues this December!) back on a very cold and miserable wet, snowy, windy New Years back about 1980 scouting Javelina. Sitting around the fire warming up one late afternoon, and suddenly out of nowhere these two A6 Intruders come blasting over the saddle right above camp, upside down, flip over and race down the canyon. That chit was LOUD. We could see the pilots they were so close. Very cool experience, other than having to clean our shorts afterwards!

U22 December Coues for my son. NR, 15 bp's. We've been talking about the possibility of this hunt and how to best utilize his bp's for a long time! U10 Any Antlered for me. Res, 3 bp's. Back to the Big Bo!

U10 deer for me (Res, 3 bp's). U22 Dec. Coues for my son (NR, 15 bp's). Hopefully 15 gets it done. Last year he'd of been in the 100% pool. I should have put 1st choice same as the kid, and 2nd choice U10. Wasn't thinking.

6/17 Last couple years they've been hitting cards on the Tuesday 2 weeks after draw deadline. Anxious to see results. Finally put the kid in for U22 Dec Coues. He's a NR w/ 15 bp's. Should just about do it for him! I'm putting in for good old U10 as a Res w/ 3 bp's. Let's Goooo!

I bought a Warn M800 many years ago to throw on the 2002 Tacoma. When I bought the 2017, I took it off the 2002, rebuilt it, and mounted it on the 2017. Has served me very well over the years, and pulled us out of quite a few stucks. Never felt the need for more. Having said that, were I to be in the market for a new winch, Warn something in the 9500lb + category would surely get the nod for the larger Tacoma. Synthetic line or forget it. When I took the 100' of line off the Warn when I rebuilt it, I threaded in another eye. Line was still in good shape. Between that, the 100' of new synthetic I spooled on after rebuild, and a 50' synthetic extension, I can reach out to 250'. And the 150' of extra line behind the back seats takes up virtually no room.

Just got back from the 7W late rifle cow hunt. Did not see much. Tag soup for my out of state buddy I was helping out. I grew up in this unit. Know it very well. Have several glassing points in the PJ's to the west side of the unit which are our "go to" points, and have never failed us. But with my interest in hunting U10 over the last 15 years, I'd not been back to 7W until last August for a trip with the son and granddaughter to our "family camp" that we've used over the last 45 years. Did not see any elk back in August ,though we weren't glassing or scouting, just camping, predator calling, etc. As the granddaughter had never seen an elk, we did a bit of driving around after dark in areas we'd typically see elk, and spotted nothing. Fast forward to the late rifle cow hunt. I get up there 2 days after the hunt started. On way to camp that afternoon, a cow was standing in the road not far from our camp, and close to one of our great glassing points. On Saturday afternoon went to my best spot. Glassed up a group of 8 cows coming through right about sunset at 450 yards. I figured "great, it's all the same, we'll get that tag filled for sure". Buds got into camp Sunday evening. Four days to hunt. Those elk I spotted were the last elk we saw with the exception of two cows who just came into my best spot at last light at 400 yards. Just a bit too dark for him to make out and confirm antlerless at that range, and he could not take a shot. Glassed another great "go to" point with 360 degree views for miles. Not a single elk moving. Glassed a couple of the really cold mornings from the truck, glassing high. Truck glassing necessitated by buddy with the tag having Raynaud's disease, and hands become unusable when they get too cold despite best efforts with heated gloves, hand warmers, etc. But these spots have always been easy to see elk from as well. Still nothing. What we did see a lot of was deer. Which is quite unusual for this area of 7W in my experience. Saw or glassed up 6 different groups of deer in different areas. Anyone else experience the same? Never had a problem on late rifle bull hunts here glassing up plenty of elk. This last trip has me a bit shocked at the lack of activity at my best spots.

Ha, yep. Ones I'm looking at though have a 4x optical and 28x digital zoom. That should certainly do the job and get it high enough it won't bother the coyotes. Now....locating an incoming coyote with the camera, trying to zoom in and then also track it on its way to the call would be an entirely different story. Likely not worth the effort, but would make for a very cool vid if one could pull it off. Saw a couple vids with guys monitoring coyotes with the drone, or trying to chase them off of their cows with a drone. The coyotes (much to my amazement) generally seemed to not give a crap unless it was very low, very close, and coming right for them. Still in about mid-point stage of research, and getting ready to pull the trigger on one this week for an upcoming camp / shoot / way early scout session for a buddy's Dec. cow hunt in U7W. Won't need it for even terrain scouting locations as I'm pretty sure I've covered most of that unit on foot over the last 40 plus years (home unit where I grew up) and know where we need to go, and know the elk will be there when we get there. But I dang sure might send it up early a.m. in August just to see what elk are about in an area ahead of his December rifle cow hunt just for chits and grins. As for consideration or worries about it getting shot out of the sky.... Like I said, I won't completely avoid the woods during seasons just because I don't have a tag, but I will avoid a lot of shooting in a game rich area, or doing much of anything that could screw up a tag for a guy that has been trying for it for years. I dang sure wouldn't be flying a drone around in such a manner that it could interfere with someone's hunt (or even hunt experience). I stay out of the woods period during premium hunts (early rifle bull, etc.) But if I'm out during a general season rifle deer hunt camping (not hunting) I could see where someone could get bent out of shape, especially if they thought the drone's (my) intentions were other than on the complete up and up, get pizzed, and take a shot. Chance to take I guess, but I'd be dang pizzed to lose a $2k flying camera in that event. I'd be equally as pizzed to get a ticket and hefty fine from G&F just because I was flying a drone during archery deer season just because I happened to have a sidearm on me or rifles in the truck with no tags in camp due to very vaguely worded regulations open to a wide range of possible interpretations.

I see what AZ has to say about use of drones during and immediately preceding a big game season: Section R12-4-319 - Use of Aircraft to Take Wildlife A. A person shall not take or assist in taking wildlife from or with the aid of aircraft, including drones. B. Except in hunt units with Commission-ordered special seasons under R12-4-115 and R12-4-120 and hunt units with seasons only for mountain lion and no other concurrent big game season, a person shall not locate or assist in locating wildlife from or with the aid of an aircraft, including drones, in a hunt unit with an open big game season. This restriction begins 48 hours before the opening of a big game season in a hunt unit and extends until the close of the big game season for that hunt unit. I've recently become interested in drones for use while out camping, shooting, off roading, general exploring, etc. Brother has one and we were messing with it the other day when I was over, and seems like a hoot. But I wonder if anyone has received clarification on the above statute, or knows beyond what is stated in the statute where the "good side" of the line is. If neither I, or nobody else in my party holds a tag during a big game season, would drones be ok to fly and even spy on some critter activity? With big game seasons running from August to late Jan, that's a big chunk of time not to be able to explore with drones in the outdoors. Is this like a spotlighting thing, where you can't spotlight wildlife while in possession of a firearm or other ability to take? My only possible thought of uses in relation to hunting for me would be pre-season (well before season) terrain scouting. We've all been there countless times. You find what looks to be a promising glassing point on the topos, check vantage point / view with google earth, and all looks good until you get up there and find out you can't see a thing due to foliage in the way. I can see how a drone could show pretty easily if the point has possibilities, or if boot leather and time would be better spent on other spots. Son thought it would be cool to aerial film predator calling. I'd have to agree, not yet knowing just how high you have to be to not screw up a calling session while still being able to get some footage of the action. No real interest in droning over populated areas for fun, so if the "good side of the legal line" puts me at a point where I couldn't drone outdoors at all during a big game season (which most units obviously have running dang near consecutively from Aug to Jan), I may have to re-think a $2k type investment in a drone here. I also realize that even if I'm on a great legal standing, and I happen to be flying a drone during an open season, there are going to be some guys wanting to take a shot at said drone. But much like with shooting activities, I generally try to avoid target shooting in the woods where shooting might interrupt a great hunt for someone, and would behave similarly with any droning.

That's how we do it. We always plan on a primary and secondary glassing spot in camp the evening before. Often the parking spot for a prime glassing spot is pretty obvious. We try to get out and plan on being at our spot well before sunrise, but occassionally someone has beat us to it. If we arrive at our planned parking spot and there's a vehicle there already, we head out to "plan B" spot. I prefer to not share glassing points with other hunters during the season, and I'm sure they don't want to share with me either if they beat me to it. One case we experienced was being at our glassing point about an hour before sunrise. Froze our azzes off until sunup. Shortly after a group of bulls was headed our way, with a nice 6x the boy wanted to try for. As we are watching them, and they are almost in range and position for a shot, they stopped, then busted out of there about an hour after sun up. Shortly after noticed a rather portly guy huffing his way up the top of the ridge, skylining himself, instead of using the military crest on the opposite side of the intended glassing area. That was frustrating, but nothing worse than that. He came up, talked to us, parked himself about 50 yards away and started glassing. We just got up and left after a bit. Can't understand encroaching on a glassing spot where someone has established themselves, especially walking in during prime glassing hours. Too scared to walk alone in the dark I guess. I've sometimes made the walk in when it is scouting season and shared a spot, and visa versa. Usually makes for a good time meeting other hunters. But not during a season.

How old is she? We bought this for the grand kids last summer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KUL0D4Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 $100, and keeps the younger ones entertained all day. Kids in their early teens likely won't appreciate it as much though. Kids depart, it gets deflated and put in the shed until next visit. We've set it up a half dozen times, and still going strong. There are some out there that are larger / taller and can accommodate even adults, but saw a couple bad stories out there on some of those with "sudden deflation" and people crashing into the ground causing spinal injuries.

Thanks for info. We may stick closer to U10 than further away. NE and SE portions of 18a. Brother coming over this weekend, maps on the way and will be here Friday, and we are going to game plan. Will make the first trip up in a couple weeks and get the lay of the land. Have a feeling September is going to come pretty quick. Good thing is I have taken some time off after the move back home, and unless a too good to refuse offer comes up for work, I should have some decent time to dedicate to burning some boot leather and rubber. Definitely want to spend a good chunk of time familiarizing with the unit. I think at this point the familiarization, along with looking for good evidence of last year's scrapes will give us some decent starting points. Then, the week before, head up and start looking for rutting bulls hopefully around previously identified areas with good glassing opportunities. As for the Onx app, never used it before. Signed up for it, and it looks interesting. Like Google Earth, but with a lot more info. Will take some getting used to, especially being a paper maps kind of guy myself.

Brother drew early rifle bull for 15a,b and 18a. Have spent countless time in U10, but none in the above units. So we need to start hitting the scouting now. Thinking of starting in 18a, south and north of the 40 for the first trip up in a few weeks, brother seems interested in that area. I plan on spending a week to familiarize and "see what I can see". Look for sheds, glassing points, etc. Get the lay of the land. I'm not currently working (taking time off), he is, so I've got time to invest. Not looking for areas, but rather areas to avoid. Built up areas, heavily hammered areas, etc. Not at all interested in a "Williams Corner" type hunt, but rather an out in the middle of nowhere (as much as possible) middle of the Boquillas type hunt. We have no problem putting miles on the tires and boots. Any of the 3 units meet that kind of criteria? Starting now so I can get custom topo's printed up (not exactly cheap) and don't want to waste time in areas that would be fruitless or frustrating (people, private property issues, etc.). As soon as I can get some topos in, I'm headed out.

So, moved to AZ permanently on 8/19. About 4 days short of residency requirement for the Antelope / Elk draw, so I just got a BP for elk to save what BP's I have to use as a resident next year (will be going into that draw with 12 points). My NR license is valid through June 12. Just tried to purchase a Resident license in preparation for the deer draw, and it won't allow me as I have a valid and current license. I changed my residency status in the portal, and it shows the Resident options available, but won't allow me to select and continue due to having a current NR license. I'll give G&F a call in a couple weeks I suppose once everything dies down for them, but curious if anyone has come across this? Can I apply as a resident with a NR license? Seems to me that would be a big old rejection if I did get "drawn".

Brother got hit for early rifle bull today. Either U10, or U15a/b, 18a. Guessing the latter with only 5 bp's. But still....we are going early rifle bull hunting!