CEI

ORG-Colorado with Zeiss Victory HTs on the back cover. ORG-Arizona with Zeiss Victory HTs on the back cover. It's been one heck-of-a war to get to this point. We lost a few battles along the way, but we are starting to break through the front line. If you are interested, or you already hunt in Arizona and Colorado, these are the BEST resources you will find. They are really the ONLY relevant state hunting magazine, if you want to call the ORG a magazine. I know some might think that was a cocky statement, but it's not, it's just the truth. Some magazine companies might laugh about our model or how we have scratched and clawed to this point, but I really only have 2 GOALS with the ORGs: Publish the BEST state hunting publications on the market. Publish the BEST resource to throw in your truck & smartphone.  View the full article

How will the antler growth be on the Arizona Strip & Kaibab in 2013? I have been asked this question about 10 times over the past week, so I thought we would state the facts. Keep in mind, this is typically something we keep between our application service members and supporting outfitters, but I thought we should share the facts. Similar 6 month comparison of 2012 & 2013. Similar 60 day comparison of 2012 & 2013. Please feel free to reveiw the PDF: 2013 Arizona Strip & Kaibab Mule Deer Antler Growth Report View the full article

Just thought some of you might like to watch Richelle's kill shot on the LAST day to Pre-Order your ORG! Richelle took her first mule deer on the last day of her 2012 Arizona Unit 7 Late Season Hunt. This is just the kill shot. We will put together an edited episode or two in the coming weeks. Don't forget to Pre-Order your Arizona ORG & Colorado ORG! View the full article

You have just 7 days left to Pre-ORDER your ORGs! The ORGs are simply the BEST state hunting resource & magazine on the market. Pre-Order now! View the full article

I am not a Pro-Archery shooter, but this is a sweet piece of film, if you enjoy archery. Obviously, being an Pro-shooter helps you hone one skill in the hunting process. Fitness seems to be the NEW push in the hunting industry and it is also a necessary skill to be the best hunter you can be, but there is more to hunting than just shooting your weapon extremely well and being in extreme shape. Probably, the most important skill, is the ability find your game and get them killed. Yep, there is a reason why most of the top names in the industry hire outfitters and it's not because they shoot well. Pro Reality 50 Pro Reality 50 from Team Bow Junky on Vimeo. View the full article

Arizona's NEW Premium Bul Elk Fees? First, I will say this... The cost of hunting is going to continue to climb and those that VALUE it the most will continue to do it, no matter what. Does it mean you have to be rich? No, but it does mean you are going to have to value the experience more. The Arizona Game & Fish Department has developed a NEW simpler fee structure. I applaud them for trying to make the system simpler and for placing a value on the demand for certain hunts. I believe these are both problems that needed to be addressed. Here is the link to the PowerPoint: Arizona Hunting & Fishing License Simplification I do have questions about the PREMIUM Early Archery Bull Elk Tag structure. Basically, they are wanting to charge the increased rate and label all of these hunts as the same QUALITY. It doesn't take a genius to figure out only a few of these hunts are managed for a HIGHER bull-to-cow ratio (alternative management units). So my opinion is, how can you charge a PREMIUM rate for the non-alternative management units? A Unit 9 archery bull elk hunt is a completely different experience than a Unit 5BN hunt. I personally feel like this is the Game & Fish trying to have their cake and eat it too! If you are an Arizona Resident you have a chance to list and ask questions at one of the following meetings: Thursday, May 16, Pinetop, Pinetop Fire Department, Station #2, 5976 Buck Springs Road. Monday, May 20, Phoenix, Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway (Note: This meeting will also be webcast at www.azgfd.gov/webcast). Monday, May 20, Mesa, Arizona Game and Fish Department Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive. Tuesday, May 21, Tucson, Arizona Game and Fish Department Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road. Wednesday, May 22, Flagstaff, Arizona Game and Fish Department Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road. Wednesday, May 22, Yuma, Arizona Game and Fish Department Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St. Thursday, May 23, Kingman, Arizona Game and Fish Department Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road. Thursday, May 23, Page, Page Police Department Conference Room, 808 Coppermine Road. Tuesday, May 28, Globe, Besh Ba Gowah Museum, 1324 S. Jesse Hayes Road. Tuesday, May 28, Lake Havasu City, Lake Havasu City Aquatic Center, 100 Park Ave. Tuesday, May 28, Sierra Vista (meeting starts after the 6 p.m. hunt guidelines meeting), Sierra Vista Police Department, 911 N. Coronado Drive. Wednesday, May 29, Payson, Payson Public Library, 328 N. McLane Road. Wednesday, May 29, Safford, Graham County General Services Building, 921 Thatcher Blvd. Wednesday, May 29, Wickenburg, Wickenburg Community Center, 160 N. Valentine St. Thursday, May 30, Eagar, Eagar Town Council Chambers, 22 W. 2nd St. Thursday, May 30, Prescott, Yavapai County Building, 1015 Fair St. Thursday, June 6, Ajo, Ajo Ambulance, Inc., 1850 N. Ajo Gila Bend Hwy. View the full article

We are glad to have Randy Newberg's new Fresh Tracks show as a supporter of the ORG. Randy is a great person and friend. Federal Premium's Fresh Tracks is a more raw version of Randy's old show, On Your Own Adventures. Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg Trailer Fresh Tracks With Randy Newberg -Sizzle Reel from Warm Springs Productions on Vimeo. View the full article

The count down to Pre-Order your ORG is down to just 18 days! Arizona's Best Hunting Resource Colorado's Best Hunting Resource View the full article

Eric Hunt, from the AzDesertBighornSheepGuides.com crew sent me a link to this killer footage they put together. This is unreal Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunting footage of some giant AZ rams! View the full article

2 years of guiding and hunting in Hanwag Boots! We have not really been in the business of performing produt reveiws in the past. Actually, I don't really like most of the ones I read, because I never know how truthful they are. Not that someone is lying to me about the products, but generally I don't think there was enough time to field test the NEW products in order to figure out how well they hold up. We won't be publishing product reviews in the ORGs, because we don't believe print is the right media outlet for our product reviews. We will be performing occasional hardcore product reveiws via our blog and YouTube. We believe these are the best formats to illustrate and describe how well products are holding up in the field. If you have a product and are wanting to put it to the ORG test, feel free to contact us! 877.842.1258 Are those Hanwag Boots water proof or resistant?  View the full article

Like field judging any trophy animal, Field Juging Elk can be a lot more difficult in a REAL situation. Late season elk generally give me the most trouble, because many times the bulls don't present themselves like they do during the early seasons. The bulls posture different when they are recovering from the rut and they are generally in THICK cover. By this time they have lost a lot of body weight, but their winter coats can still make their bodies look huge. Here is an actual situation I found myself in on Richelle's elk hunt this year. We didn't set a number goal before the hunt, but we did want to kill a large mature animal. I air judged this bull around 350ish and I was about 30-40 inches off. Watch as the bull gives us a completely different look as he steps out at last light. Generally, I under judge stuff during the late season but on this occasion I was trying to make this bull a lot bigger than he was. View the full article

 Client Expectations are #1 This morning I read a Late-Season Elk Hunt report from a very unhappy hunter. Just to clarify, the outfitter isn't anyone we have EVER been associated with, let alone would recommend. The hunt was booked at an extremely above market price and it sounds like the hunter was told he was going to hunt on a private ranch. According to the report, they hunted public land everyday because the elk were not on the private property, even though he was told the elk winter on the ranch and paid an access fee. To top it off, he never saw a bull and saw hunters everyday. From the report, it sounds like the line ,"we kill 400 inch bulls on this hunt" was used by the outfitter in the booking process. Honestly, this is a bunch of bullshit, because they are including the bulls from the early rut hunts, which is a completely different hunt.  370-400 Bulls are not as common as you think! Get the facts! Here is the problem,... When hunters are looking for an outfitter for a draw hunt, they typically get a short list of names to contact. Outfitters start picthing and many times the best salesman wins, not the best outfitter. The client above heard these pitch terms, "100,000 acres of private property. High Success Rate. Many 400" Bulls taken.". So, these were the EXPECTATIONS he had when he booked the hunt. The reality... These are all bullshit, except for the high success rate. This outfitter knew the big bulls don't generally winter on the private property (I know it for a fact, because I know the property & public land around the property). They knew that 2/3s of the mature bulls are broke to crap, so the chances of harvesting a 400" bull was almost zero. They inflated their numbers, by stating they had killed many bulls over 400 inches on this hunt, when most of these unofficial 400" bulls were killed during the rut hunts. Expectations!!! We don't care if you want to kill the world record or shoot just any animal on your hunt, but you need to make sure your expectations are being met. Far too often, hunters are drawing tags and dropping 5-18K on hunts and their expectations are not being met, because they haven't been told the truth. If you want to hire a quality outfitter, you have to ask the right questions. You need to filter out the bullshit pitches and do your homework. You need to get the facts and make sure your expectations are going to be met. Don't be ignorant, because there are sharks in the water. Best-Craig Email View the full article

180" OTC Desert Mule Deer in 2005 "Stud" During the summer of 2005, I found the biggest typical DESERTmule deer I had ever seen. We were able to locate him several times but the season came to a close without the sweet smell of success. The following year I was unable to hunt, but by the summer of 2007 I had given him the nickname, “Stud.†The general area he called home was always pressured hard by archery and general deer hunters, so it was not common to find a buck over 170 in this unit. With less than two weeks until opening day, I found several bucks in other locations, but most of them were out of shape and had under developed antlers due to drought conditions. On my third scouting trip, I found myself on my favorite hill and after peering through my 15’s for over an hour; I dropped my head down for a short break, when I noticed a 26 inch 4x4 lying right next to me but Stud was still MIA. After several more scouting trips, I was still unable to locate Stud but I did find a huge two point. My hopes were now dwindling, as the hunt quickly approached. On the first afternoon I drove to my parking spot and I began talking to myself, in an effort to keep focused. I gathered my gear and quickly made my way up to my look-out. With less than thirty minutes of daylight left, I was able to pick out a big framed buck chasing some green feed. I decided to get a closer look, as I cut the distance, I immediately found the buck feeding away from me. When he finally raised his head, I was disappointed, it was the big two point.  Stud in 2005 The next morning, I again settled into my favorite spot. After an hour of glassing, I spotted three nice bucks. Instantly, I knew that Stud was not in the group. I watched the bucks lay down and the head games began… It was eight AM and ninety five degrees, the bucks in this desert country hit their beds early, so I knew my chances were slim to find Stud but I decided to give it another hour before I headed out after them. After a few minutes of torture, I reached for my water bottle. Just then I caught a glimpse of something. I scrambled to my chair and swung my glasses in that direction, it was STUD! I instantly noticed that he wasn’t as big as he was in 2005. The combination of the drought and old age must have stunted his back end, but make no mistake about it, he was still a great OTC desert mule deer buck!   Stud in 2007, right where I left him in 2005. I watched him and two other bucks walk across an open flat. The two other bucks laid down in some cover but Stud continued feeding into a small drainage until he disappeared. After much deliberation, I headed out after him. I reached the drainage and found out why he had disappeared, the dang ditch was eight foot deep. I quickly shed my shoes and crept forward. As I reached the end of the small drainage, I popped up onto the side of the embankment. I was able to quickly pick out the other two bucks in their beds but I had no clue where Stud was. I hunkered down and decided to wait him out. A few minutes had gone by and I was intently watching the location of the other two bucks, when I heard some chipmunks playing off to my right. At first, I paid no attention to the noises but then I heard something that sounded like a deer sneeze. I quickly glanced to my right and was shocked. Stud was feeding in one of the small drainages nearby. He was less than thirty yards and I had walked right by him! I slowly got to my knees and gripped my bow. As soon as I clicked my release on the string, he again fed out of sight. My heart was pounding and I was on the edge of a mental break down. Stud, a 29†wide, 175 class typical muley was less than thirty yards from me. I slowly regained what was left of my composer and talked myself into staying on my knees. After a short wait, I realized the wind was now blowing up my back and it was going to get ugly. I had no choice now. I had to make it happen. I slowly stood up and came to full draw, unfortunately all I could see were his antlers. He then stood straight up and was obviously very nervous. He locked onto me instantly and after a quick stand off, he spun and started to jump out of the drainage. I squeezed and the arrow hit him a little far back but fortunately he was quartering away. He covered 200 yards and then hit the dirt. As I ran towards his rack, I could not believe it! A 170-180" Typical Mule Deer is a big mature mule deer for most general areas out west. With predation, droughtn and shrinking habitat in these areas, these type of bucks are not easy to come by. Big bucks like Stud are not smarter than us, they are just simpler. Big bucks survive on Public Land, because they find country that gives them the security and resources they need to survive. Animals sense human pressure and mature bucks know when and how to move to avoid this pressure. In my opinion, if you find a good buck you should stay with him and his country. He’s there because he feels secure and has the resources he needs to survive. Unless these factors drastically change or the rut approaches, he is going to stick with what he knows. My own experiences have taught me that if I TRUST HIM, he won’t let me down.  Craig Steele's 2007 OTC Archery Mule Deer Do you have story you want to tell? Feel free to email us! View the full article

We thought you guys might enjoy this footage from Jason Erdmann. This is a pretty common theme around most of the west anymore. By this I mean, very few mule deer and more elk. Personally, I wish all the western states would hammer the elk herds, but scale back on the number of bull elk permits. It's just my personal feeling, so don't take offense if you are a biologist. Big Mule Deer with Elk buck with elk from Jason Erdmann on Vimeo. View the full article

Win this DVD! Produced by the Cactus Bull Crew. How do I win a copy of Bodacious Archery Bulls? -Pre-Order either of the 2013 ORGs prior to May 3, 2013 at Midnight! -Pre-Order both or multiple copies, your odds will increase by getting another name in the hat. -I already Pre-Ordered! Don't worry, you are eligible to win it as well. Pre-Order your ORG! View the full article

I came across this awesome archery elk hunting video published by Travis Kyhl. Travis takes an awesome archery bull and pay close attention to how much work went into this hunt. Scouting and hardwork is what seperates the above average hunter from the average hunter. View the full article

Giant Colorado DIY Mule Deer taken by Cindy. Man, I just got settled into the new office and we are starting to layout the DIY stories and all of the great content for the ORGs. They are both going to be killer resources for the DIY, or Guided hunter. Both the Colorado and Arizona ORGs will be 112+ pages!!! Big Desert Bighorn taken by Shelly. Honestly, I enjoy buidling the resources/publications. I am a guide, but I also travel and hunt on my own. I make sure the details are covered because I want a valueable resource. Some of the articles the Outfitters are contributing are killer. Gila Outdoor has smashed it out of the park with their 2013 Bow Speed Comparison write-up. I cannot believe we are Pre-Ordering these at 8 bucks right now. I would probably pay $15-20 if I saw either of the ORGs on the magazine racks. Pre-Order for just $8! View the full article

I have been applying and buying points for Nevada for the past 6 years. So, last night I sat down to apply. After almost 4 hours of fighting the network on the Nevada Online Application Website, I gave up and woke up early this morning to complete the process. Yeah, I was a dumbass and didn't buy points a couple of years. First, I always evaluate what tags I have drawn or my family has drawn in Arizona or the other states I apply for. I also have to schedule my hunts around my daughter's birthday and any hunts I am guiding in Arizona. Precipitation maps, draw odds, and unit historical history are the last items I look at before I apply. Nevada's Big Game Season PDF I did some texting and talking with Lee Murphy (Application Service Manager) and a couple of friends yesterday. I wanted to make sure I was on track, which isn't always easy now-a-days. I then went and did some researching on Nevada draw odds. I GOOGLED it, but ended up using the weblink on our website in order to find the data. (Nevada has actually cleaned up their website and it's SUPER easy to find this information now. I honestly was impressed with the simplicity of their new website). Hunt Draw Odds page on our website. So, basically I am applying for points for Elk & Nelson Desert Sheep in Nevada. I am just too busy, in and out of the office right now, but I know I will one day want to hunt these animals in NV, so I have to build points. I typically like to bowhunt big game, but considering my schedule this year, it's not an option. So, I am looking for some of the best mule deer hunts for the specific time I can hunt. I don't have to kill a 200" typical or 220" non-typical, but like everyone else, I would love the opportunity. My goals would be to kill a 190" buck, or a heavy-wide buck. FYI-The Deadline is TODAY!!! View the full article

  Actual GPS Coordinates illustrated with image in Google Earth.  Example of the coordiantes of this big bull in our scouting package.  Hunting GPS Maps Google Earth Unit & Land Status We have been working on the details for our Scouting Service or packages. We are offering a few different versions, but all of them will include the Hunting GPS Maps Google Earth Overlay. Our scouting packages are available on a limited basis. Our base package is much simpler version and is a great option if you are going into an unfamilar unit or hunt. It is affordable, but provides you with all of the resources you would need to catch you up-to-speed on the unit and species you are hunting. We are offering an in the field Colorado Hunt Scouting Service and Arizona Hunt Scouting Service. These scouting packages are available for the hunter that wants 2-3 days worth of scouting, but doesn't have the time to scout prior to the hunt opener. We will be in the unit scouting 1-2 weeks prior to your hunt start date. If you are interest in our scouting service, please feel free to call 877.842.1258 or email us. We will provide you with a complete list of details and we can also customize a scouting service for you. Please keep in mind, we are limiting these services in order to make sure they are done right. View the full article

As outdoorsmen, hunters and guides, we use and abuse trucks in a completely different way. 99% of people would FREAK-OUT in some of the situations we drive in. Speed, climbing ability, mudding ability, fuel mileage and reliability are things most of us want. Check-out this MotorTrend head-to-head test of the Ford Raptor and Ram Runner. If you get a chance or you are looking for a new Ford, feel free to call Colorado River Ford of Kingman, AZ. They are Arizona's only auto outdoorsmen supporter. They also provide a qualified auto service shop for Northern Arizona and the I-40 corridor.   View the full article

 If you drew a great tag, it can be hard to find the right outfitter and guide. You really need to educate yourself and ask the right questions. There are the obvious questions, such as: Price, Success Rate, Permits, Insurance, and References. You need to dig deeper! You need to know all of the details! You should also be asking about your guide, who is it? How many people are in camp? etc... We help you through this process and we don't charge you. We make a 10% commission off of the hunt price and we are up front about it. Some booking agents are making 40-50% commission off of the hunt prices because clients are not asking the right questions when they call and talk to outfitters directly. This is an epidemic, so make sure you educate yourself. We provide a quality outfitter screening service. We will make sure your expectations are met! If we can't find the right outfitter/guide to meet your expectations, we don't just hand you over to an unknown. Please call us or email us with any questions about this service. p.877.842.1258 View the full article

Craig Steele, founder of CEi Outdoors For many years now I have been building this business (CEi Outdoors). It's not always easy and it's not always fun. I find myself reevaluating my goals and constantly analyzing my own moral compass. Just a little history... I was born and raised in Arizona and this is still where I call home. My passion for hunting, a supporting family and faith in the almighty has lead me down this path. At the age of 10, I shot my very first bull elk. Since that time, I have been blessed to harvest, film and guide many hunters to some great animals. Although I do some guiding, I truly respect guys that like to strap it up and take on the challenge on their own. There is something to be said for the guy or gal, who does their own homework and succeeds. I truly respect folks that do this because they don't make any excuses. The competition is fierce, but you have to pull yourself through those hurdles and mental road blocks, in order to be successful. I started guiding for myself and an outfitter back in 2004 (off and on). Despite the rumors I had heard, almost all of the people I have guided have been great people. I have always struggled with the aspects of guiding someone for pay, because hunting is a real intimate experience for me. I want people that I hunt with to care and respect the process. I want people I hunt with, or guide, to feel what I feel. I want them to know how hard it is and how blessed they are to see a giant animal roaming freely, let alone wrap a tag around the animal. If they understand these facts, than I am ready to go. I just want to hunt with passionate people. I am now in the middle of almost every aspect of hunting. I see it from a 365 degree view. I see it from all aspects, and I don't like some of the things I see. I see a lot of integrity being taken out of my passion. I see it eroding. I see it happening from 365 degrees. Too my points... I hunt on my own, because it's my choice. I don't ever see myself going on a true guided hunt. I just don't. If you are going on a DIY hunt don't make excuses. If you start making excuses, you will never succeed to your utmost potential. I have a few friends that do this and it really hinders their ability to be more successful. You should be proud of hunting on your own, but do it with integrity. Looking for an outfitter... Outfitters need to instill some integrity in the process. Don't book a hunter if you can't accommodate them. Make sure your hunters expectations are being met. Hunting is not a guarantee, I think everyone is aware of this. If you treat everyone as if they are your own family or friends, you won't have any issues as an outfitter or guide. If you drew a tag and you are calling outfitters on your own, make sure you ask about your guide. Who is your dang guide? If you can't get an answer, then don't book! Some outfitters have a core group of sub-guides that guide for them, so make sure you get all of their names. Make sure you are going with one of their core guides. Don't just book because an outfitter has a big name! You are potentially going to be subbed out or prioritized (given to a new guide). This is your tag, your money, and time! So, make sure you ask the right questions. If the answers sound fishy or to good to be true, than keep asking questions.  When you go in for the stalk, it really matters what steps you take and how you pursue the animal (happiness). If you fudge one bit, it's over; it's a blown stalk. Success is not always in your future. Success is not guaranteed. Let's not forget that this is what makes hunting so intriguing and somewhat of a mystery. -Best View the full article

Arizona Elk & Pronghorn results have been posted. Colorado's big game application deadline is today, so it's time to start thinking about scouting. Hunt Scouting Service Feel free to give us a call about our scouting packages or if you are looking for a quality outfitter for a specific hunt, species or unit. p.1.877.842.1258 or email us! View the full article

Here is a great pronghorn buck I filmed last year prior to the season. He is easily a Boone & Crockett buck with some character. If you draw a great tag, you need to plan on scouting numerous days to increase your success rate on a trophy caliber animal. If you can't scout because of time, call us. If you are looking for a quality outfitter in a specific unit or species, call us. We want to make sure your expectations are met! P-1.877.842.1258 FYI-I did see this buck after the general season, so I know he made it through all of the seasons. View the full article

We know some guys just absolutely won't hire an outfitter. heck, some of you hardcore residents won't even consider a scouting package. Honestly, that's what is great about hunting and the free market. It's your choice! We are here to help you achieve whatever hunting goals you set for yourself. If you are traveling from a great distance and you absolutely do not want to hunt with an outfitter, we can help. Whether it be actual in the field scouting or just key pieces of information regarding your unit, hunt and services. We offer a couple of different Scouting Service Packages. Please keep in mind, if the scouting service you value involves in the field scouting days, we have limited scouting packages available. It's extremely important for you to call us immediately if you draw in Arizona or Colorado this year. P.1.877.842.1258 or Email Us View the full article