couesdiehard

Looks pretty normal to me. I can see the usual amount of detail. Maybe you missed an update. Lee

I couldn't begin to remember all the shots I missed due to "buck fever" but the subject does bring to mind my very first coues hunt in southern az. I grew up hunting desert mulies and had even tagged a nice coues buck in central Az when a buddy told me if I put in for a early hunt in the area where his group regularly hunted in November, he would go along and show me the ropes. Well this desert mulie hunter had never seen so many deer in his life! Every time we spotted some more bucks I flung lead all over my buddies favorite hills. I know went through 20 plus rounds in 4 days of hunting and never touched a hair on a deer, but I was hooked. Lucky for me my buddy invited me to hunt with his group in the same unit next year and my coues education began in earnest. I was surprised he invited me after the dismal shooting I displayed, but maybe he figured the rest of the group would do well just shooting the deer I missed. The next November I killed the biggest buck taken by our camp and my biggest to date with one shot. The group didn't take it too badly though and I made hunting buddies for life out of the experience. Thanks to those guys I became a "couesdiehard" and I haven't rifle hunted a mule deer since. Lee

Soar AZ, How did you find out you were drawn?

One trick that really got me into bulls during the runt during that hunt in the south 1/2 of the unit was to find flats or plateus that dumped off into deep thick canyons. The bulls would be running the cows ragged on the flats in the early morning and then like clockwork at about 7:30 the cows and bulls would drop down into the deep canyons and hide out. Find a flat they are working, be there an hour before sun up and be prepared to chase the bugling bulls. While they are on the flats they are constantly moving. Good luck. It's a blast!

One problem we encountered during my wife's cow hunt in this unit last fall was that after opening day most of the elk headed straight across the FS 300 road jumped the fence and stayed on the rez the rest of the hunt. In places it looked like an elk superhighway with all the tracks heading to the rez. Turned into a tough hunt after that. Good luck there are some huge bulls in there.

Me and my wife were skunked. I guess I'll hope for the best with 19 BPs in next year's antelope draw.

Happy Birthday Scott. Hope you treat yourself to something fun. Elias

I was fortunate to hunt in the Santa Ritas in December a few years back and those photos bring back some great memories. Thanks for posting.

+1 on the great glass. I've had a pair that I bought years ago before the prices jumped. Thank goodness. I would sell my rifles before I would sell my duovids. Somebody should buy these before I talk myself into needing another pair! Lee

Saw white explorer E/B on I-10 in west phoenix. Didn't recognize you, but you were probably wondering why the wierdo passenger in the white Scion kept staring at ya. Sorry about that. Just don't see many stickers on west side.

What Engine does it have? Sure hope nobody was hurt.

Hey Scott, Just to prove its a small world, my wife picked up her aunt in Thatcher Wednesday and brought her to the valley to stay with us for a few days. Her aunt was telling me Wed. night about her grand-daughter getting her first javelina. Yesterday I see this post and realized that Johnny and Felix that both got their first javelinas are my wife's cousins! I downloaded the photos on my phone and showed them to the proud grandmother last night. Thanks for helping a couple more hunters get the bug. Lee

Please send pix and prices on 7mm08, CVA M/L, leica 900, j105, & bighorn tent. sondraelias@gmail.com

Way to go! You guys had a great season. Good idea not letting your dad in any of the photos. Lee

That buck is THICK. I think that makes that very respectable rack look small. I wonder what he weighed. Congrats. Lee

Unit 1 turkey 1st hunt Archery javelina in west part of state Hope to purchase an OTC elk tag, an archery deer tag and hunt the Alamo lake area in January with 3 different tags!

Another option you might want to consider is to set him up in a blind over water or a trail to water. He will see lots of game and probably at least a few bucks. Lee

OK maybe I am just thick or something but, are you really trying to gather material to use in some way to fight against the Rosemonte Mine project or their a joke here that I'm missing? Lee

Prayer of thanks sent for your grand-daughter's successful surgery and for the family bonding that resulted.

Awesome Buffhunter. I wondered who would be lucky enough to draw those tags and how they would do. Congrats on a couple of great bulls.

Unit 5A leftover tags. Were those leftover Hopi Hunt tags?

Way to go KaibabHunter! You are a true sportsman. I told you the nose knows! More lost elk are found by savy hunters with good noses than you would believe. Congrats to you and all those that helped. Lee

I second what elkhunter and noasjpo said. I will add one more suggestion. If you can try to keep your nose in the wind as much as possible. I have located two downed elk by smelling that barnyard odor and following it. Especially if he got into thick stuff this works well. Good luck. Im sure you'll find him soon. Be patient. Lee

Our thoughts and prayers for the family and the BP community.

Very nice. My compliments. Looks like Weller's knows how to mount coues. They got the head and the ears just right. The position of the ears seems to be tricky for a lot of taxidermists. Beautiful mount. Lee