CEI

FYI-State Trust Lands are different than federal public land, therefore they are managed and funded differently. http://www.azland.gov/report/report2012_full.pdf

ThomC, you are 100% correct! The access and crowding issues are not going to get better, it is impossible.

2013 Monsoon precipitation has treated Arizona & New Mexico well. Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico & Utah have all benefited from the 2013 Monsoon season. This should play a huge role in helping nutrient enriched feed develop and allow those cow elk to put some weight back on prior to September. 2013 Arizona Monsoon GMU Precipitation thus far. 2013 Colorado Monsoon GMU Precipitation thus far. View the full article

FYI-That's why I believe there needs to be a change in management strategy and pricing structures. I do believe we need more passionate hunters involved in our way of life. I think it starts with us though and not with an organization. It starts with hunters being selfless and taking their kids. It starts with hunters taking non-hunting family members. It starts with teaching and not always trying to compete. I always have the debate with myself as to if we need more hunters, but sometimes, I think that comes from me wanting to get a quality tag every few years in my home state. I am not perfect, as I get caught up in the hype as well, but I always fall back to hunting for my own personal reasons.

Couesmagnet, 100% agree with you, we ALL have a role in this evolution of the hunting society. I do believe hunter levels will drop because of the cost in the future. Only X amount of people are going to value it enough to do it on a consistant basis and this will cause price increases across the board. We will see Public Land Access programs and fees take hold in the future. It maybe 5 years from now, or 20, but it is coming. I believe the DEMAND for the higher quality hunts will only increase (even if hunter numbers drop) and this will NOT change with out a different price structure or a change in management philosophy. Here is my final thought... Hunting is what YOU make of it. If you want to go kill a big buck, than go do it. It you want to kill a yearling, than go do it. Nobody has a gun pointed to anyone's head saying, "you MUST kill a big buck or die." In 2006, I got caught up in the game of trying to keep of with the Joneses. After that season, I said what the heck am I doing... I hunt for myself and I don't care what anyone thinks. The web is a great place and really allows everyone to have an opinion, where as 20-30 years ago, there was only a few media outlets that fed our brains. Best, Craig Steele Hunting should be celebrated, but we all are filled with jealousy and envy, which leads to nothing but excuses.

Wildwoody, Nothing is free.

I was able to talk with Craig Shelly yesterday and the ranch is currently open, but after the 15th the rules will go into play. Obviously, we would all love to not have to pay to access any hunting land, but the reality is times are changing. I vented a little yesterday on our blog, but I am honestly very thankful the ranch is still open for a very affordable fee. http://blog.outdoorsmansresourceguide.com/2013/07/the-future-of-huntingpublic-land-fees.html A couple things that stand out too me from my conversation with Craig: The ranch will not tolerate harassment amongst hunters or guides harassing each other. They want to make sure that a true sportsmen's attitude is followed amongst all those who pay to have access to the ranch. The ranch is only open to hunters and guides ( who pay the fees & obey the rules). The ranch is not open to recreational casual users or site seers. This is basically a trial run or pilot program. They are welcome to input.

Phil Mendoza and the No Limits Archery crew, in Denver, Colorado, kicked off a Train to Hunt Boot Camp this past weekend. Train to Hunt Boot Camp-Colorado Colorado Train To Hunt Boot Camp from SANTINO CASTELLANOS on Vimeo. You can still get in on the Train To Hunt Boot Camp at No Limits Archery in Denver, Colorado, so make sure you contact them asap. View the full article

In 2012, Brian Cronin, owner of Timber Mesa Outdoors, took a great archery bull in Arizona. Check-out the footage of the kill shot!!! Heart pounding stuff!!! Timber Mesa Outdoors is located in Show Low, Arizona. Timber Mesa Outdoors is a full service archery pro-shop. They have been voted as the top bow shop in Arizona's Region 1 for the past 3 years. They are a dealer of the ORG & currently have the 2013 Arizona Hunting Edition in stock. View the full article

Brice Lewis with his 2012 Colorado Mule Deer. "Lesson in Patience" Colorado Mule Deer by Alby Lewis I would describe my brother, Brice, as a meat hunter with an itchy trigger finger. Everyone has a family member or a friend like this; if it’s legal, it hits the ground. Being the one who always holds out for the bigger rack, I was determined to teach my brother some patience the next opportunity we had to hunt together, and it just so happened 2012 was the year. I had a busy 2012 lined up between guiding, family, friends, and my own hunts. I assured Brice I would definitely be going with him on his hunt. Someone had to keep his itchy trigger finger under control, since the tag he had drawn was a buck in a great unit. As the days came closer to this hunt, my brother informed me that he had only three days of the season to hunt because of work. I knew it was going to be difficult to tag a nice buck having a second season tag, which in Colorado is a tough season to hunt deer, especially in the area we were hunting with so little time. I was able to do a little scouting in advance, spotting several deer but only a couple that were potential shooters. One was a nice four point with a cheater off the left side. The problem was both the nice deer were on the wrong side of the fence. After some further scouting, I decided we would make camp in a different area and hunt from there with a lot more ground to hunt on. Opening morning had finally came, and we were all set to begin the hunt with a long hike straight up the side of a mountain to a little mesa I predicted would have some good bucks. While my brother was pulling out his rifle, he mentioned it had been shooting a little funny. I quickly examined it while he continued to get ready and noticed to my dismay, a scope ring was damaged allowing the scope to move. I couldn’t believe it- no extra rifle with us and a long drive back home. We had no choice. We gotta go; in the truck and down the road back home we went. We swapped his rifle for mine because I knew it was dead on, and back to the mountain we went. I decided we should hunt the area I had scouted the nice deer in since it was late morning already. We started out into the area only seeing a couple does. We pushed farther into the area, and as soon as we crossed the first ridge, the deer started filing out. Now, anyone who hunts with a meat hunter knows he can see nothing but steaks, hamburger, and sausage right in front him, and he isn’t about to let it get away. After nearly taking the gun from my brother, I talked him into passing on about six bucks that were all small two or three points. In the back of my mind, I was a little worried considering one of the two days this weekend was half over, and he only had one day next weekend. After lunch at camp, we set out for the afternoon and evening hunt. We covered tons of ground turning up nothing but some does here and there. The deer had moved down that far in elevation already. For me, the pressure was building quickly wanting my brother to take a nice buck for the first time in his life with hardly any deer to be found. We debated back and forth about what we should do and finally decided to leave this area first thing in the morning. We decided to try our luck back on the mountain where we saw the most bucks. I reassured my brother to be patient; there had to be a good one in there. He reluctantly agreed, and said he would try. We set out into the area we had visited the day before slowly moving along. Right away, a few deer popped up, one being a small two point. Brice started to get excited and said, "I can shoot him." I told him "I know you can, but you’re not going to" with a little laugh. He was a little upset thinking his last chance just walked away, but he held out. We moved on and crossed a little draw and up to the top of the hill only fifty yards from where we saw the last buck. We started down the hill, and I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. Quickly scanning, I realized it was a buck and he was no more than fifty yards away feeding in the shadows of the oak brush. I quickly glassed him and realized he was super wide, but I couldn’t tell how many points. I whispered to my brother, “He’s wide. I can't tell how many points, but take him if you want.†He immediately responded, “Ok, I’m gonna take him.†He slowly took a knee, aimed and squeezed the trigger. Waiting for the sound of the rifle, nothing happened. I looked at him and said “You better shoot or he’s gonna run.†Brice responded, "Your gun won’t fire." To read the entire story, you can order the 2013 ORG Colorado Hunting Edition or pick one up from a ORG dealer near you. View the full article

I don't think people really understand how hard it is to kill a big mule deer with archery gear, let alone film it YOURSELF! Chris Roe did an incredible job filming himself take a GIANT Colorado Mule Deer with his bow in 2010. Congrats on a great buck and thanks for sharing Chris! View the full article

The 2013 Arizona Deer & Bighorn Sheep Draw results were just released online. Hopefully, some one drew, because we didn't!!! If you need help finding the RIGHT Arizona Outfitter/Guide for your hunt, please feel free to call us. If you are not going to use an outfitter, but don't have time to scout, you might want to call about our scouting service. No matter what, good luck and feel free to share your success stories with us!!! View the full article

Again, Utah went into the Monsoon season doing a lot better than Arizona or New Mexico. The past few days have brought an increase in Monsoonal flow. For those of you with limited entry early bull elk tags, this is a big deal. Hopefully, the Monsoon continues ramps up this week! View the full article

The Southwest Monsoon is a huge factor in the timing and strength of the Arizona Elk Rut. View the full article

Hey guys. We are glad you liked the ORG. FYI-they are not free. The supporters pay for a few hunters to get them each year so you should thank them. We use an algorithm, so if you got one TWICE, you are extremely fortunate, considering AZ has over 150,000 hunters. Best-Craig

During the first week of July, we had the opportunity to spend 6 days scouting 3 different areas of Colorado that provide both, over the counter, and leftover license opportunities for resident and non-resident hunters. The first two areas were located within the above average precipitation part of the state. And the third area was within a much dryer zone further south. While in all areas the elk herds seem to be very healthy, the deer numbers continue to be far lower than prior to the 2007 and 2009 winter die offs. In the north central part of the state, the antler growth is clearly above average. Several of the bucks and bulls, that we have been following over the last 3 years, have early growth that surpasses that of even the wet spring 2 years ago. On the other hand, units in the southern part of the state show average, to below average, growth with a few exceptions. The good news is that the north central part of the state boasts huge areas of public land offering excellent OTC, either sex, archery elk tags and high probability leftover mule deer tags. 3 month rainfall averages Huntable units with an OTC, either-sex, archery elk license. OTC tags went on sale starting today and leftover licenses go on sale August 6th, which will include many of the units in this region For more information about these types of hunts and our scouting services, please contact us. The hunting season is fast approaching and there are plenty of great hunting opportunities still available in Colorado. View the full article

We are searching for talented online & offline hunting content creators. Honestly, it seems like the hunting industry is stuck in the DARK AGES sometimes. We recognize that there are starving talented people across the US. Many content creators have a personal website, Facebook page, Vimeo page, or blog. These content creators truly have a passion for hunting and the outdoors, and many have a dream of making a living in the outdoor industry. We are looking for these type of content creators to promote on our website, social media outlets and print publications. We are specifically searching for content creators in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming & Utah, but we are also looking for talented outgoing content creators throughout the US. Please feel free to call us at 877.842.1258 or email me at craig@ceioutdoors.com. View the full article

After a few days away from the office I came back to find x2 emails from a couple of different National newsstand distributors. One of the emails had an attached contract with the rate I requested. The other email, from the second distributor, is asking for 60% off the ORG cover price. Hmmm... It's hard to forecast the future, but we believe newsstands will continue to get smaller inside box stores, especially grocery stores. All you have to do is look at the sell-through rates of most magazines. Many are selling at a rate of less than 40%. (FYI-40%+ is considered excellent.) Last year, the 2012 ORG-Arizona Hunting Edition had a 55% sell through rate. We placed the AZ Annual Edition on newsstands twice and the second newsstand run hit a jaw dropping 70% sell-through rate. This was exciting, but still not very profitable after all of the fees we had to pay. ORG Hunting Magazine Dealers A certain archery manufacture has a slogan we like, "Refuse to Follow". We are going to stick with 1 newsstand distributor and we are going to continue to pursue 21st century avenues of selling the ORG. Last year we sold every SINGLE copy of the 2012 ORG-Arizona Hunting Edition at our small dealer locations. These are small hunting retail businesses that we have a great working relationship with. They don't charge set-up fees and we give them our best prices. We also promote these small business online and many of them are ORG supporters. Basically, there are 4 ways you can get the ORGs: Pre-Order the ORGs-You will get the digital and print edition. You won't pay tax or shipping. You will also get entered to win killer gear and prizes. After the release date (around July 1st) you can order the ORG directly from our website. You will have to pay tax & shipping. ORG-Dealers-You can visit one of our small dealers and buy your ORG. Newsstands-Currently, the ORGs will be in Barnes & Nobles throughout the Southwest. You can also check-out Walmarts in Arizona. Keep in mind, the ORGs will only be on newsstands for 6 weeks, unlike our dealer locations. ORG Dealer Locations (as of July 8, 2013): Bull Basin Archery-Flagstaff, AZ Bull Basin Archery-Tucson, AZ Desert Archery-Kingman, AZ Elk Horn Sporting Goods-Williams, AZ Gila Outdoor-Thatcher, AZ Ross Outdoors-Phoenix, AZ Timber Mesa Outdoors-Show Low, AZ No Limits Archery-Denver, CO View the full article

I wrote out the idea for the ORG in 2008. Ideas are easy! During the summer of 2008, I had an idea.... ORG Colorado Hunting Story I had NO graphic design experience. I had NO marketing skills. I didn't have much business experience. I had no magazine, print or web design experience. I wasn't known in the hunting industry. ORG-State Resources & Services It took a long time! The 1st couple of issues of the AZ ORG were sub-par products, but I learned from it. My bank account suffered from it, but I still believed in my idea. I knew I was a serious hunter and I knew I wanted a resource I could have in my truck and phone. I also knew hunters wanted to read state hunting stories and information. ORG-State Hunting Stories, Information & Resources 2 years into my idea... I quit my career FF job of 10 years, so I could dedicate more time to this crazy idea. Many called me crazy, but you can't tip toe around if you are going to be successful. Those that tip toe, never live life to it's fullest. July 2, 2013 I sit here for the first time looking at what I know are the BEST State Magazines & Resources on the market. We are launching 3 more state editions in 2014, because we know the business model works and hunters find the ORG valuable. If you have an idea for a business or product, please feel free to call me or shoot me an email. I never had a mentor in the hunting industry, because I honestly believe most of the people in the industry are super busy and most didn't really see my vision. I can't say I will be a mentor, but I will dang sure give you my opinions. Ideas are the easy part! Best-Craig Steele View the full article

Win a set of Zeiss 10x42 Conquest HD Binoculars, plus more... ORG Gear Giveaway-2014 Pre-Order your ORG & be entered to WIN! Get x30 Raffle Tickets if you Pre-Order an ORG in July of 2013! View the full article

The 2013 Elk Rut Intensity will depend upon how healthy the cows are in September. Photo Courtesy of Colburn & Scott Outfitters Every year the discussions take place around the elk camp fire: How come the elk aren't rutting? When is the elk rut going to kick in? Rain makes feed. Feed makes elk healthy. Healthy FAT cow elk cycle sooner. Here is a great factual read from the National Forest Service: "Reproduction and development: Gestation ranges from 244 to 265 days [128,221,230,344]. Most calving occurs from late May to early June [128,230,296,344]. Male calves tend to be born earlier than female calves; this might be due to the slightly greater proportion of male calves born to first-time mothers [127]. Conception dates in late summer and fall and thus timing of parturition in late spring and early summer are related to cow nutritional condition, cow lactation status, and bull age [ 230]. In general, cows in good physical condition conceive earlier than those in poor condition [ 312]. Because lactating cows are generally in relatively poor condition, they often conceive later than nonlactating cows [ 208, 312]. In Oregon, cows with the highest kidney fat indices (indicating good physical condition) conceived on average 19 days earlier than cows with the lowest kidney fat indices [ 312]. Conception dates tend to be later and less synchronous in herds where yearling males do most of the breeding [221,230]. In captive elk populations in southwestern Oregon, births of yearling-sired calves peaked in early July, whereas calves sired by 2.5- and 3.5-year-old bulls were born in late May and early June [120]. In an experimental, semi-confined population at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range in northeastern Oregon, conception dates of elk cows bred by 4- and 5-year-old bulls were on average 16 days earlier than conception dates of cows bred by yearlings [208]. Bull age also alters the length of the rut [230]. When 5-year-old bulls were the primary breeders at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, the rut was 41 days, whereas the rut lasted 71 days when yearling bulls were the primary breeders [208]. Late conception dates resulting from a delayed or lengthened rutting season may reduce calf survival because late-born calves may not have enough time to grow adequately and build fat reserves before forage becomes limited and environmental conditions worsen in winter [221,230]. For more information, see Calf survival." We have heard people using the temperature, moon phase, hunting pressure, and other misc. reasons for a lack luster elk rut. Although these can have both positive and negative affects on the elk rut, they DO NOT change the dates of a cow's estrus cycle. Photo Courtesy of Exclusive Pursuit Outfitters So, what does this mean for those of you with rut elk tags? Watch the weather! Western Region Headquarters You can't make it rain, but knowing where and how much rain your state/gmu received will help you make a better game plan while scouting and hunting in September. If your unit has been in a short-term drought for the 2-3 months leading up to your elk hunt, you can almost bet most of the rutting activity will take place during the last part of your September season. Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah are impacted by the Southwest Monsoon. Typically, the Monsoon Season starts around the 1st of July. This weather pattern is CRITICAL for an intense rut. Also, states or units managed for a lower bull-to-cow ratio will tend to have a later rut. We have personally seen some areas in Arizona that are flat going nuts on the 1st of September, if the Monsoon Season was a good one. This year I have a Limited Entry Utah Archery Bull Elk tag. The season is long and you can bet I am going to be watching and looking at the precipitation reports EVERYDAY!!! 3 Month Outlook Elk Rut Intensity Past Blog Posts: 2011 Elk Rut Intensity Factors 2009 Elk Rut Topic Posted by Craig Steele View the full article

--> Every winter and spring my attention turns to locating antlered critters with the intention of gathering up their discarded headgear. There is just something about it that keeps me coming back year after year. Obviously, the love of being outdoors, and the thrill of finding an undiscovered antler, are motivation enough. At the same time, the more I do it, the more benefits I seem to discover about it. With the fall hunting season fast approaching, there are three primary things on my mind. First and foremost, finding animals. Secondly, getting in shape. And thirdly, spending plenty of quality time with my loved ones since the coming months will be somewhat lacking in this area. Fortunately, all of these things can be huge benefits of antler hunting. Scouting By locating animals in the late winter and early spring, I am able to learn something about them that most people don’t - Their migration patterns. By understanding where they come from in the fall, and where they move to in the spring, I am better able to locate them come hunting season. Granted, this is obviously not a foolproof method of scouting, but it is undoubtedly another tool in my belt. There have been numerous times that I have been able to locate some giant animals in the late winter and early spring that I had no idea even existed in the area previously. Fitness Secondly, when the usual jog or weight lifting routine becomes a bit mundane, there is no substitute for a good ol’ jaunt in the woods. And better yet, carrying a moderately heavy backpack allows me to get in some cardio and strength training at the same time. Family There is no doubt that those of us with families sacrifice a lot of quality time during hunting season. Truth is, among friends and family the phrase, “hunting widow†comes up quite often - and rightfully so. Adding another activity, like antler hunting, can potentially compound the problem. So why not take them with you? My wife and daughter love the outdoors. However, hiking up a mountain in the dark, or sitting miles from the truck in a rainstorm, just isn’t their cup of tea. But both of these problems can be avoided when antler hunting. Sleep in, pack a nice picnic, stop and look at butterflies, trees, and rocks. It’s educational for the kids and develops a common bond through the outdoors. And if you kids are small enough, they make great pack weights too. View the full article

"Digiscoping" before it was DIGITAL The recent digiscoping craze is a hard thing not to get excited about. New technology is making it easier and cheaper than ever before to capture quality images and video of those once rumored trophies in the field. In fact, the days of animals growing in size, as the story is told, are becoming a distant memory because of this advancement in photo capturing abilities. The fact is, without much effort at all, we can prove that we really did see, what we said we did. At the same time, our buddies can check our facts by actually looking at the animal for themselves. There are plenty of articles on how to digiscope or what you will need to become a digiscoper over night. But, where did it start? Many of us were capturing images through our optics long before digital photography even existed. Here are a few tidbits, taken from Wikipedia, on how this method of capturing photos and video is presumed to have become "digiscoping" as we know it: The coining of the word "digiscoping" was credited to French birdwatcher Alain Fossé in 1999 The origins of this activity has been attributed to the photographic methods of Laurence Poh, a birdwatcher from the Malaysian Nature Society. Although Laurence Poh is sometimes credited with "inventing" the technique, his contribution may be more along the lines of popularizing the idea and refining the technology. Using a camera to capture images through optical devices, such as microscopes or telescopes, has been used for nearly 100 years Dall sheep photographed through a spotting scope with a film SLR camera View the full article

Richelle Steele reflects on her Arizona Unit 7 Last Day Mule Deer. It was 2 am. I found 30+ does while shinning the spotlight, but still no sign of a mature buck. My eyes felt like someone had thrown a pile of sand in them, but I wanted one more hour of spotlighting in before calling it quits. I was able to push through the mental road blocks, but ultimately was defeated in the end. A few hours later, my alarm went off as the sun was just starting to break the crest of the horizon. I stumbled out of bed and grabbed a cup of coffee. My goal today was to drive the west side and find as many deer as possible. Scouting hard is what makes the difference. I had spent most of the day searching for a big buck I had been told about that morning and now it was noon. I was exhausted. I was now starting to question my ability, and the status of the buck-to-doe ratio in this unit. By night fall, I was left with a few leads from some friends, but still not ONE mature buck. The season was just three short days away. I grabbed a Mountain Dew, plugged in the spot light and turned up the Kenwood. I desperately scanned the areas I had seen does and good tracks in. I was determined to find a mature buck before I called it quits, but the caffeine and focus ran out at about 11pm. I was beginning to realize the buck-to-doe ratio was very poor in this unit. The next morning, I decided to lace up the boots and climb a steep ridge. I settled in a great spot to glass, but two hours of hammering, turned up a few coyotes and a couple of elk. I decided to go look for the big rumor buck, again. Glassing for the "rumor buck". I slowly drove every road in the area, determined to pick up his track. I found one set of good tracks on the opposite side of the hill. The country was thicker than heck, and glassing wasn’t a quality option. It was extremely frustrating. Buck rub where the "rumor buck" was. That afternoon, I crossed over into the east side. I drove past an elk camp and noticed two successful cow elk hunters. I decided to stop in and say congrats. Of course, my intentions were to find any big buck leads. They told me where they had seen 30-50 head of does almost every day. The rut was approaching, so I was stoked! The next morning I was running a touch late and the wind was already hitting 40+mph at times. I turned down the elk hunters’ camp road and immediately noticed a small buck standing off the road. I slammed on my brakes, just catching a glimpse of a mature buck cruising through the trees.I grabbed my camera and headed to the top of the hill. The mature buck was lip curling where a doe had just urinated. He wasn’t a giant, but he had a cool 7-8†droptine. At that point, I made the decision to scout this area hard, because there was a ton of does in the area. Arizona Scouting Sunrise. I turned up several different bunches of deer, but only a handful of bucks and no shooters. There was a series of big storms getting ready to unleash on Northern Arizona, which was going to hinder our ability to find a great buck. Thursday night, my dad, wife and daughter arrived at our friend’s cabin. My wife, Richelle, was the one with the tag. That night we discussed all of our options. There were three big storms lined up to hit us. The forecast was calling for 8-24 inches of white stuff. Arizona's Unit 7 Late Mule Deer hunt first day view. Friday, we woke up to only a few inches of snow, but the wind was blowing 30+ mph. Our only option was to drive and glass. We saw a few deer early that morning, but the storm had sunk it's teeth in by early afternoon. Honestly, we headed back to the cabin early that night, as it was going to get worse! Saturday, we awoke to 15 inches of snow at the cabin. My dad & I were very optimistic, because it was going to be prime time. First Day Snow! Making the best of it on the 1st day. The storm lifted around 2:30 pm, just like we had thought. We were finally able to find a couple groups of deer, but nothing worth shooting. After the 1st Northern AZ Storm 20-24 inches after the 2nd N. AZ Storm. The next storm was due late that night, so it was going to be a late start and I was now getting a little pessimistic. We only had until Tuesday to hunt, before we had to go back to work and reality. The next morning, there was every bit of 2 feet of snow at the cabin. It didn’t let up until well into the afternoon, but we managed to make a day of it, even though we didn't find a shooter. That night, our daughter and my dad headed back home. Richelle and I awoke early and ready to pound out the day. We were back in the old Toyota, so I felt more comfortable traveling in the deep snow. We trailed and found a few mature bucks, but nothing even close to what our expectations were. As we reached the highway, I noticed a crack in the front passenger side motor mount, so it was a wonderful end to an awesome 4 days of hunting. Toyota 4runner motor mount cracked while on Arizona Mule Deer Hunt. The next week and a half was long filled with school programs, Christmas Shopping and work. We were going to get one more shot at filling Richelle's tag, but it wasn't going to happen until the 27th. Kids with a big icicle. Our son’s birthday was on the 28th of December, so we had NO choice but to take both of our kids, as we were not going to leave anyone behind during this special time. The plan was to leave Richelle and the kids in the truck with a radio and the heater on, while DEAR old dad glassed. This was the only way we could hunt as a family, because it was BITTER cold and knee-deep snow. -4 to -7 on a few of the days!!! Deep snow & cold temps wore us all out. As the sunset on the second to last day, I was basically a worn out Popsicle. I had glassed up several mature bucks and they were definitely rutting, but still not the buck we had hoped for. As we drove back to the cabin that night, Richelle and I discussed how it was just a success for all of us to be hunting and together during such a special time. After fueling up the next morning, everyone was ready for the last day. My mind was set, we were heading to the east side and going to glass a buck up and kill ‘em. Right off the bat, we saw a young buck run across the road. I stopped and glassed for awhile, but we could not turn up any other deer, so we drove around to the next hill. I stopped to glass the area, and immediately picked out a herd of elk. Just as I was complaining to Richelle about the elk, I saw a couple of deer. I shut the truck off and scrambled to get my 15’s on the tripod. Immediately, I knew it was a shooter buck for the last day, but he was narrow. Richelle really likes wide antlers and this buck wasn’t any kind of wide, so I told her to look at him. I asked her if she wanted to take her first buck and she said, “Let’s do it!†The buck and his does were in a great spot for a family of 4 to stalk. The only problem was, it was dang cold and I didn’t know how long the kids could handle it, but we were going to give it heck. We ditched the truck and had 150 yards of trees to sneak through before we would hit the edge of the meadow. The buck was on the opposite side of the meadow and very well in range of Richelle’s 180 grain vld. We approached the edge of the meadow and I gave the quite talk to the kids. We crept under the last Juniper tree. We took our packs off and placed the kids in the driest spot we could find. The buck was now bedded with his does, but he was covered up by some deadfall. After trying to get him to stand up for 10 minutes, the kids were starting to shake and get restless. I grabbed Richelle’s rifle, told her to follow me and told the kids to sit tight. We moved about 75 yards to our left and I got Richelle set up on the Tri-Clawps. Honestly, it is the best device ever made for kids, women or anyone who has trouble finding animals in a scope. I simply placed the scope where it needed to be and told Richelle to get settled in. The buck was right at 300 yards and wasn’t going to stand up, so I told Richelle to take him. Between the cold and BUCK fever, she could not get steady. She was having trouble breathing and she really wanted to lie down and shoot, but there was too much grass in the way. I finally got her settled down and told her, “Kill Him.†She fired. The buck got to his feet somehow, but didn’t make it 10 yards before crumbling. Richelle's old non-typical from behind. Richelle cried tears of joy as she was finally on the board with her first mule deer. Tagging her first deer. Richelle's first buck! After we got her buck field dressed and loaded up, my 9 year old daughter looked at us and said, “I want to put in for this hunt next year.†Mission Accomplished. by Craig Steele Getting it done as a family. It doesn't get ANY better. Richelle with her old non-typical mule deer. Richelle & Craig Steele with Richelle's last day mule deer. Richelle with her buck loaded in the back of the truck. The footage from Richelle's Unit 7 Late Season Mule Deer Hunt will be available in July. View the full article

We review them, eat them, and digest precipitation reports. Poor New Mexico! New Mexico has been hammered by severe drought conditions, but the 6 month precipitation reports show units 15, 16A, 16D, & 23 at 80-90% of their normal precipitation. Units 22 & 24 are at 70-130%! Over the past several years, New Mexico seems to always draw the short end of the stick. Antler Growth in 2013? Below average across much of the state for deer & elk, but units 15, 16A, 16D, 22, 23 & 24 are the only bright spots. 3 month Precipitation Outlook for New Mexico. The Monsoon Outlook isn't looking good for the drought conditions in New Mexico. If it all plays out, this could also be a HORRIBLE elk rut year in New Mexico. Units 15-17 are just to the west of the light brown, but considering the over all conditions, they need an EARLY-GREAT Monsoon Season. You can't control the weather, but if your application service or outfitter isn't on top of the facts, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money. View the full article