krp

Applying for a bonus pt keeps your loyalty pt intact. Hopefully things will look up for you. Kent

I wasn't trying to hijack the thread but will add a few pics. I cropped a couple and added one with Luis and Matt. It was an odd deer, I named him the World record spike/forky, 13" spike and he was still in velvet in nov. Might be some good genetics around there. He diffinately was only a year and a half old. Kent

Beautiful family pics, nice job with the fish. Kent

coueselk, that's fantastic. Family pictures are my favorite and you are a lucky man. Kent

archareno, 24B can be a difficult unit but it does have quite a few bucks, once you find an area that holds bucks it usually produces year after year, finding the big ones isn't always easy. If you can get back into the wilderness during the rifle hunts it will up your odds. I had the same oct hunt and backpacked into the wilderness. I was physically and mentally tired from constantly working or hunting since aug 1st, even up to the wed before on my dad and brother's cow elk hunt, wasn't really on my game. I did see some bucks, nothing big, decided sun morning would be it and I would shoot any 3 pt for jerky meat. Glassed this deer bedded with a 2 pt under a bush in high grass. I thought I could see the outline of his head and antlers in the yellow grass but wasn't sure, he never twitched the 10 mins I stared at him. I was about to give him up as another deer shaped rock when the sun topped over and then there was no doubt, they can be hard to see even when you are looking hard. A friend of my son-in-law took this buck two weeks later in the 24B nov hunt, his first hunt of any kind. My son-in-law had chances but couldn't connect. I really enjoyed seeing the excitement of a new hunter on that trip. My brother had been out of hunting for awhile until his cow elk tag and had so much fun he decided to try for an archery buck in dec. We set his bow up on Christmas day and went out in 24B a few days before the end of the year. We stayed down low looking for muleys and found some, the suprising thing was there were a ton of coues bucks. We were able to get him a shot opportunity on a great coues but he missed over. My best advice is to keep scouting and use your binos, it's the best way to eliminate or add country before the hunt. If you draw for this unit again and still need help I will steer you in the right direction. Kent

Minox, Doug at Cameraland has them for $549. Kent

Tyler, just fantastic, congrats to all of you. Not meaning to side track your post but I used to do alot of work in Payson in the 90's. Your Grandfather, Kenny did our backhoe work and Eddie was on the job often delivering concrete. Met your dad a few times and he gave me a elk tip that worked out when I was taking a newbie out in an area I didn't know well. Good folks and good memories all. When Kenny or Eddie were on the job we had a hard time getting any work done, talked hunting all the time. Called Kenny once and he answered the phone whispering. I teased, "What the heck you doing sleeping this time of day". He says," I'm sitting on a mountain looking for whitetail". I got on to him for answering the phone and he said," I seen it was you and I'm not seeing anything anyway". Best wishes to you and your entire family. Kent

Great story and terrific job, congrats. Kent

Very nice, congrats. I understand the satisfaction after all the hard work on that hunt, totally different feeling than on a rut hunt. I've had that same hunt before. Waiting for my last rut hunt in my life then going back to that one. We hunt the same areas. That hunt and bull will always be special to you and bring a smile to your face anytime someone mentions 23 late archery. Again, very, very nice, thanks for putting a smile on my face. Kent

TJ, keep up the good work. When I was young I didn't really understand why some of the older guys were willing to spend their hunting time helping me rather than just concentrating on their own hunt. I do now. I would rather help someone achieve their goal rather than just kill another animal myself, If it wasn't for those guys I wouldn't have had the great hunting life I've had, the old traditions must continue. If there are those that think I'm giving up other's honey holes. Well there would accually have to be others hunting these areas. The only person I've ever seen is a ranch hand on a horse checking cattle and the only footprints are my own from previous scouting/backpacking trips. Times may be changing in our hunting culture, I guess some of us are stuck in the past, so be it. Good luck to you also, see ya out there. Kent

Somehow I missed this thread earlier. Anyway, if you don't mind hiking or backpacking into areas and would like to hunt undisturbed deer, I have a few places like that in 22 (Mazatzals) and 24B (Superstition Wilderness). I will be going out in Jan and if you want to glass/discuss coues you're welcome to come along. I've come to that time in my life to start 'passing on' hunting areas that I've kept to myself to the younger generation. Paying back those that helped me and did the same for me years ago. PM if you're interested. Here's one of my favorite areas in 22. Kent

If he spent millions then he hunted more than anybody I know in this state, that would represent a few Gov tags and a ton of regular hunts. There's always another millionaire waiting in the wings if you falter. John McClendon has a good reputation, I've never met him but we have mutual friends and I believe them when they speak highly of him as a person. Shawn Wagner is also a good person, lives in the area, friendly in the field, and has no problem coming to your camp at night to check your bear and shoot the breeze if you know someone with his cell #. What lie could Shawn have told them? Those aren't houses right there, go ahead and keep chasing and shooting that bull till you kill him. I hope that wasn't their court defense, putting the blame on someone else when you were doing something stupid in the first place is just adding more stupid. G&F isn't going to look kindly on it either. I just don't understand the shooting in a subdivision decision, even if they stayed 441yds away. Waking people up with gunshots and chasing an elk around their back yards. Bad PR for all hunters. They should have just admitted it was stupid, got out of hand and not fought it in court so they could get the bull back. Probably would have only had to pay a fine and lost the animal. There are times I go into town while hunting to eat for a break from my cooking. People see the camos and ask. "What are you hunting"? "Elk" (ect) I say. "We have a bunch in our neighborhood, they eat the plants and trample everything, come over and kill some". they say. My answer is always, "I don't think someone wants me gutting an elk in their back yard under the swingset". it's a joke but also true. I don't think those people in Lakeside understood the joke they witnessed. Kent

Great story, made me wish I was there, very nice deer. hopefully your wife can get back and enjoy her own hunt. Kent

I skin hanging from the neck. Kent

Just my general thoughts on this subject. My first thought is, yes I would like to help. But the legal liabilities make it very risky. As much as I would like to help, knowing the cost of ammo now, it would be great to help a fellow hunter out. Just not smart being the loader for someone else's gun. What I would be willing to do is. If they were new to reloading and didn't have equip, working on my equip and components, making known loads for my guns until we were both comfortable with their ability. Then working on ammo for their guns. Would be a long process. If a newbe bought equip and needed help setting up and starting I would gladly do it the same way as above just with their equip. Still a long process. If an experienced reloader needed to use my equip to load their own that would be fine. As much as I would like to help, I would not just load for someone else outside of family. Kent I forgot to add, BATF has strict laws concerning reloading for any kind of profit. Not a road to go down.

Good read Cory, thanks for posting. Kent

Gamehauler gave you the #1 addvice, spot on. The #2 is after you get your eqip find someone to help get you setup and walk you through it. I live in Mesa and would happily come over and help, I did it on my own but a little help would have stiffled the fear I had when I pulled the trigger the first time. A basic kit will get you started and you can add other equip if you think you need it. I'm taking my son-in-law on his first coues hunt and leaving in a little bit, if I can help you out let me know. Kent

Go to the Barnes website and click on, TECHNICAL, click on load data. They list H4350 as their most accurate load. I just loaded 15 loads with 57 grns and the 110 grn TSX, shot great I'm not messing with it. Didn't crono yet. Kent

Very nice, hard work before the hunt always seems to pay off. Kent

Here's a big two I shot 2 years ago. After glassing for a couple hours I saw a small buck cross over a saddle at 420 yds, could see this guy in a cedar and that he had decent width and mass. Couldn't count tines as he had his head mostly in the cedar. I set up quick, I would only have 15 yds to shoot him before he went over. He steps out and I quick check it's him in my scope and shoot. When I walk up to him I'm suprised he's a two point, was a great backpack hunt and a unique buck. Kent

Blood just adds to the camo effect, can get stinky though. Kent

Congrats on a great deer. You did a great job! Peppersause is where I killed my first coues years ago, great memories. Your dad and Chris are cool guys, I know you'll have a great elk hunt. Kent

Prayers sent for Chris, hope for a full recovery. Kent

Went crow hunting this weekend, found 3, 2 cows and this guy. Too bad for who ever lost him, the bears left thank you signs everywhere though. And yes everything is still there. Kent

Cory, PM sent back at you. Kent