MrBojangles

goals right there for that father son moment. congrats

WIll any of the otc changes lead to changes in increase trophy quality in some units? I'm kinda stuck in no mans land. 7pts non res originally wanted to do a once in a lifetime kaibab early rifle when i started but fighting an uphill battle with declining herd health, point creep and a large increase in non res applying for kaibab/strip. Could be limited by geography, but wondering if the elimination of some of the otc hunts could lead to eventually to other units becoming consistent trophy units (180+) that could be worth exploring? would be nice to be ahead of the curve when that happens.

I feel like this might be a dumb question but how do these otc archery outfitters like big chino go on podcasts and talk about consistently being on 180+ deer on otc public land deer hunts and not have issues with people encroaching on their spots and ruining their zones and their outfit? i would think people would book a hunt with them one year and then keep coming back to the same area without booking with them if that truly was the case. I'm assuming it's public land because they talk about other hunters ruining their stalks at times but maybe I am missing something to this equation?

Thanks everyone for the responses, makes a lot more sense now. good luck to everyone rest of the year.

I heard that podcast it sounded like things have definitely been tough. Thank you for the insight you are right I probably wouldn't know what do to with myself if I even saw a 160 type buck, forget 180. I know it takes years and years of experience to start to put it together in areas and just increase your chances of seeing big animals, let alone kill them. Got my butt kicked a couple years ago in december on otc archery just was ecstatic to see a 4x3. Havent been able to go back since due to work and having a kid but I definitely don;t expect to pull up in a unit and shoot a giant buck no matter what unit I am in. I probably would save up and try to hire an outfitter to increase my chances as this would be a special hunt that I most likely would never be able to do again. Just hoping for increased chances for big deer eventually south of the ditch with the decrease in otc tags so I dont have to battle point creep forever. good luck to you the rest of your season Thank you mark that's a fantastic buck. That has to feel awesome when it all comes together after putting in all that work over the years. I live in a fantastic place but definitely dream what if at times, thinking what it would be like to be searching for needle in a haystack giant desert muleys if I lived in AZ. That has to be addicting. Appreciate the offer for future help, if you ever were interested in archery hunting axis deer in hawaii on lanai I can reciprocate the favorite. I helped a guy on archerytalk shoot a velvet buck but unfortunately with work and life and starting a family wasn;t ever able to go back to az and try and take advantage after helping him out. I'll be back someday though, perhaps we'll be in touch.

eh i like supporting arizona wildlife

What is your go to archery vane that makes the least noise? trying to get my setup as quiet as possible and definitely think the hiss from blazers has effect on jumping the string. looking at q2i fusions and flex fletch sk 200s but open to other options. figured there'd be no better place to ask than archery coues hunters. thx

completly agree about silencing the bow. curious what your broadhead and arrow weight of choice is for coues? are you of the school of thought heavier arrow= quieter bow? i went up to 495 from 420 but missed the flatter trajectory so i think I'm going to go back to around 420-450. found sevrs to be pretty quiet

Hey everyone I thought i would introduce myself as I've been a longtime lurker on here but just booked my flight to come out for OTC december muleys and im super excited. My name is Glen and I live in hawaii spending most of my time spot n stalk bowhunting axis deer. Since I got into hunting about 5 years ago, Ive always dreamed of western hunting but as a elementary special ed teacher taking time off during the fall doesn't work so well with my students' needs. I was ecstatic to found out about this hunt though as it lines up perfect with my winter break over christmas so I won't miss any school time. Im taking the leap before my wife and i start settling down with kids in the next couple years just booked my flight and am really getting serious about identifying areas to hunt and google earth scouting for my first western hunt. I plan on hunting either 18s and 15s as I'll be driving down with a friend after flying into the bay area on 12/22. hopefully the deer will be rutting in that part of the state during that time and I'm assuming I'll want to find does to find a buck. Trying to identify habitat/feed ideal for does is the next part. So far what I've been doing is marking all water sources on google earth from various topo maps and raa 2.0 maps and then referring to onx maps to find out what is still BLM and legal area to hunt. Finding areas with water has narrowed it down a little bit for me. My question is with regards to these NW AZ mule deer identifying feed/bedding areas, is the thicker the country the better? I'll see pockets of more greener stuff, (some on north facing slopes )on google earth that piques my interest as it looks ideal for bedding but Im not sure. i will also see pockets of pine trees, should this be a red flag? I also see some mountains ranges and not sure if i should be planning on glassing up the mountains or getting higher and glassing below the mountains in the flats and washes surrounding them. I'm also not sure about if the deer would prefer canyons and draws or more open flats. Also is there a predominant wind in that part of the state around Kingman that I can plan on approaching areas from or do I just hunt the thermals? the low densities and low success rates are for sure intimidating and its really difficult to plan from 2500 miles away but I think I'm off to a good start. If you could answer those questions Id really appreciate it hopefully I'm on the right track. Best of luck to you this season and thanks in advance!

obligatory 'bucks we saw but didnt kill' pics heh. 1st one hurts

hey I just wanted to say thanks to everyone on here for going out of their way to help me out with this hunt! didnt tag out but had a blast and saw some nice deer and had some close encounters. Hopefully will get to do it again next year thanks everyone for being so welcoming and helpful

sweet buck congrats!

Just found afork a spike last night both were running does hard. Getting closer...

I've been in 18 and 17 it's been slow only seen 2does way far out and a spike. Probably more on me than anything though. Not sure if I should be looking on the mtms or more flats and tops of mesas

i guess ill be sitting water for my mule deer hunt in 2 weeks

wow crazy story glad you are ok

great bucks good luck everyone

wow great buck his right side is really cool

If you are spot and stalking dont get frustrated with blown stalks it takes a lot of time and patience. theres a lot more than just making a shot if spot and stalking.... the wind, your approach, the terrain, the animal, the animals around it. animals are always in ideal stalkable positions but when they are you have to take advantage. ambush hunting with brush blinds and tree stands can be excellent if you have a solid area, but excruciating if you go for a long time without seeing game. thats why i prefer spot n stalk. one thing ive learned that you cant try and cheat the wind. scent lok scent blocker or whatever to me are gimmicks. carry a wind checker to help with this. also dont be afraid to take your boots off to stalk when the ground is crunchy and put on a second pair of wool socks for stealthiness (just remember where you took them off lol). if you are hunting canyons and draws you may want to get a rangefinder with an altimeter or angle compensation to help with steep shots. I have a Redfield Raider 600A thats made by leupold that does pretty well for under 200 bucks. also theres a ton of info on bowhunting on you tube so the more you get to know your equipment and how it works and tunes, it will help you proficiency. John Dudley from Nock On specifically has put out a lot of useful content. something like a beman bowhunter or gold tip hunter arrows would be a good place to start for arrows that wont break the bank. good luck

if they arent at your local costco sometimes they will pop up on costco.com but not right now. they are on ebay just search 'union bay tech chino' https://www.ebay.com/itm/NWT-Mens-32-x-34-UB-TECH-RAINIER-Travel-Chino-Pants-Classic-COMFORT-WAIST-Gray-/263275763408?epid=786077398&hash=item3d4c7556d0:g:SGwAAOSwf05XO-Nq they are also on amazon https://www.amazon.com/UnionBay-Rainier-Travel-Chino-Pants/dp/B06XPSZM4P?th=1&psc=1

no worries i dont mind a pay it forward lots of guys have been super helpful to me on here as i get ready to do an otc hunt in december. just pm me your address. its a charcoal and a khaki pair i think i wore them each once they are like new

wrangler also makes a cheap outdoor stretchy pant that you can find at walmart. i like the costco ones too there super comfortable and cheap. if anyone is a 38x32 i have a pair or 2 that i was going to donate to goodwill because i lost a bunch of weight but i can send to anyone if you want to try.

sweet buck congrats

wow sweet buck! congrats!

awesome buck congrats!