bigsky2

$1600 TYD, comes with case. Spotter has seen minimal use.

TTT

I know the Santa Teresas in unit 31 burned a year or two ago and I was wondering if the vegetation has grown back yet. I have been trying to track down contact info for the unit manager/biologist but haven't had any luck. Does anyone have any info on the burn or the biologist contact info for me?

Looking for a Kowa 554 spotter. Let me know if you've got one that you're looking to sell.

bump

I'd prefer the Arizona model myself. I'm much more impressed with the way the AZGFD is ran than how our FWP is ran. Too much politics involved in ours.

Wish we had some big ranches here in Montana that would be willing to give access for $85.

My dad and his buddy had been applying as a party for mule deer tags. They realized at their age that they were probably never going to draw the Kaibab or Strip, so they decided to put in for coues tags. They lucked out and drew late December tags in 34A. My dad has hunted coues with me one time on a January OTC archery hunt and his friend has never hunted coues at all. If you are wondering why they applied for a unit they had no experience with, it's because my grandma lives in Tucson. They are getting soft in their old age and thought it would be nice to be able to go to town and get a shower every now and then. We live in Montana and I would love to go and help them, but due to some other circumstances I won't have enough vacation left in December. I have been on a couple coues hunts so I am helping them as much as I can, letting them borrow my 15x binos, tripod adapter, etc. I am trying to track down the contact info for the area biologist so I can put my dad in contact with him/her. I was hoping to get some general info and advice on the unit. I doubt my dad's friend will be very picky but my dad will try to find a big buck. Do they need to get far away from roads or are there pockets that get overlooked where they could find a good buck? Are there any roads that are blocked off that maps don't show as closed? Any general areas you would recommend? Do they need ATV's or can they get around ok in a pickup? Any helpful advice on the unit would be appreciated and I would be happy to exchange deer and elk hunting info in Montana. Feel free to PM me and thanks in advance.

I'm getting a shoulder mount done and I would like to get some desert type habitat put on it. I live in Montana so when people see the mount I want something on there to differentiate it from my other northern whitetail mounts. Can anyone post up pictures to give me some ideas?

All is quiet.....I want to see some photos of nice muleys. Where are the Kaibab photos and updates?

When I drew my coues tag this year, I was sent a packet from AZGFD asking me to collect the front teeth from my deer for aging. It said I would be able to go online and see the results somewhere, but I'm not sure where to find this. I have asked the AZGFD but haven't heard back. Can anyone tell me where to look this information up?

I lucked out and drew the late December tag in 31 as a non resident. I have yet to break the news to the family and girlfriend that I’ll be spending my Christmas in the desert of Arizona chasing Coues haha. Im really looking forward to it though and I’m trying to get some general info on the unit. A few questions I have are - Is there good deer distribution throughout the unit, or are they more concentrated in certain areas? It sounds like it has some really rugged country. Would it be advantageous to do a backpack hunt, or can a guy have a good hunt just hiking from the truck each day? I know Flatline Maps doesn’t have a map for 31, any suggestions on a company that makes a good map of the unit? My best friend drew the late tag in 32, so it would be really cool to camp with him if there’s a place that would put us in close proximity to good hunting in both units. Does anyone know if there is such a place? Camping with him isn’t as big of a priority as having a good hunt. I live in Montana and would be more than happy to exchange info on hunting up here if someone wants to PM me.

Well I don't want to be one of those guys that asks for info and then you never hear from them again. Thanks to all of you who offered up some advice. I had a great hunt and can't wait to go back.

Cool video

Thanks for the info guys. I'll be sure to report back on how my hunt goes.

I recently hunted Arizona OTC archery coues and now I've got the bug in a bad way. I live in Montana and am wanting more opportunites to hunt coues with reasonable chance at success on a nice buck. I have been exploring the December hunts in New Mexico since they take place after our seasons close here in Montana. I was hoping someone who is familiar with coues hunting in New Mexico can give me some general info and tell me if these are quality hunts. Feel free to PM me.

I knew the rut wouldn’t be going and I figured the Arizona hunts are better. I am applying in Arizona too. I was mainly wondering if the New Mexico units hold decent populations of Coues or if it’s tough to find them, and if there’s anything else I should know about these hunts before I apply. Are Coues spread out in these units or are they just in pockets? What is the terrain like? Are they fairly glassable or are they really thick?

I am heading to Sonora next week and crossing the border at Nogales. Is there somewhere on the US side where I can exchange US dollars for pesos? I understand I may need some for toll booths and things like that. Any help is much appreciated.

Where can you usually get the best exchange rate? I read on some sites that banks sometimes take several days to get you pesos, is that the case with Bank of America too?

I'm a non-resident and have only been hunting Arizona for two years, so take my opinion for what its worth. Technology is playing into hunting more and more in my home state of Montana too but I would say its way behind Arizona from what I have seen. I had a Kaibab archery tag this fall and I couldn't believe the number of trail cams I saw. I spend a lot of time hiking around popular hunting areas in Montana and I have yet to see another trail camera other than my own. Talking to other hunters during my Kaibab hunt I heard several stories of people shooting bucks at 80-100 yards. It is no secret that long range rifles and radios have killed a lot of elk and Coues deer in Arizona. When I first started hunting here I couldn't believe that its legal to use radios to guide hunters in on animals. It is illegal in most other states. Every year the distance that animals are being taken is being stretched further and further. The truth is the decrease in quality animals is probably a result of several factors. I think AZGFD managing for more opportunity is a big part of it, but there's no denying that advances in technology aren't helping. Most people are using these devices though so they would rather point fingers at predators or increased tag numbers.

My friends want to bring a couple little propane bottles for a grill and also some of the little fuel cans for a Jet Boil/backpacking stove. Does anyone know if I will have any issues getting these across the border or where I could find out?

I unexpectedly drew a Kaibab archery tag in my first year applying in AZ. Unfortunately, I live 14 hours away and drew a once in a lifetime tag in my home state, so I won't be able to dedicate as much time as I would like on the Kaibab. After travel time, I will have one week to hunt. So far I have reached out to a biologist and a game warden. I'm looking for any info I can get as far as what to expect on the hunt, hunting tactics, suggestions for places to camp, etc. I typically spot and stalk but I plan on bringing a blind to be prepared to sit water if the conditions are right. If anyone is willing to share any spots to check out that's just a bonus. I don't mind walking to get away from people. Any info you can share is much appreciated! Feel free to PM me.

Sorry, I should have clarified. I know I will get a permit from the outfitter to bring my guns into Mexico, but I was meaning the form for getting the guns back into the US. It sounds like that is what I use the 4457 form for.

Thanks for the help guys. So the 4457 form is the gun permit? Its not real specific....do you need to put serial #'s down and all that? Someone mentioned putting spotting scopes and other valuable items on there. Can you list a bunch of stuff on one form or do you need separate forms for each piece of gear?

This will also be my first time hunting in Sonora. What is the "Only Sonora" permit and where can I get one? I will be crossing at Nogales, it sounds like I can pick up a permit for bringing guns back into the US at the US customs office when I am crossing the border into Mexico? We plan on getting beer and some food in Mexico, will we need to get Mexican currency or do some of the stores take cards? I hear there might be some toll roads, I'm assuming I will need Mexican currency for that? If so, how much will I need for the toll roads? Thanks for any help.