Heat

Nice buck! Congrats!

With loyalty and hunter ed points I've drawn the archery tag every time I've put in, but I think it's getting tougher and tougher to draw since it became an a draw hunt.

Its over for the season for me as well. Streak is alive and well. Got into javelina every day on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday but didn't connect. Of course my cousin killed a nice boar right in front of me yesterday. Oh well, at least I didn't wound one and not recover it this time.

It all depends on the draw preferences of the max point holders for that year. If none of the max point holders who had a low enough number to draw in the bonus round selected the hunt with one tag it will go into the 1/2 pass where anyone could have access to the tag including someone with zero points. Remember for sheep 20% of the overall number of tags go into the bonus round, not 20% per hunt like other species. I know this for a fact because I drew sheep with way less than maximum bonus points and I had tag number 1. If sheep tags were set aside by hunt number my hunt, which had 5 tags, would have had one set aside for a max point holder, and there's a sheep on my wall to prove that didn't happen.

Good Luck Havasuhunter!

If you are a Resident of Arizona there is no hunt that is "impossible" to draw. 80% of the tags are available to folks who may not have any bonus points. If someone with no points draws a low enough random number during the 1/2 pass they can draw ANY tag!

Try Arizona Hiking Shack and REI also.

I have a tough time glassing them up sometimes, and other times they just appear out of nowhere in my binos or I bump into them walking back to the truck or something. I've even seen them from the road while driving a couple of times. One year I was putting my boots on for a last morning hunt and pigs came over the hill right towards our camp. We heard them up there growling and it was on from there. Last year we heard them before we saw them once as well. Another time near the same area as the over the hill experience, I bumped into them as they were coming out of a mine in the early morning after a rain and pretty much had to take a shot at one in self defense. One thing I have learned over the years is that you have to expect the unexpected from these critters! Most of my failure is due to my poor shooting and lack of scouting for sure.

If you come up empty I can highly recommend Davis Tent. Keep an eye out for the "Scratch and Dent" sale they normally have in the Spring. That is how I bought my tent and honestly I can't find anything wrong with it. I got it at a pretty good discount from their regular price, which is already better than most in the business. Good Luck!

Way to go! Great job taking your first archery javelina!

I hate hearing things like this! This is why I took about 2 months with many phone calls, emails, posts on internet chat boards like this before I decided who to trust with my trophies. Not only did I find a great taxidermist but feel like I have made a friend. Good Luck in the future!

Yes sir!

Thanks for the heads up!

Some of us here have been doing some talking about a Texas Hog Hunt. This thread is intended to see who might want to go. So far there are 4 of us (BigBrowns, SEAZCoues, Desert Bull, & Heat) that have shown some interest. The idea of a group hunt is to enjoy some time in the outdoors with some new friends and pool resources for driving and gas to Texas. Also, everyone will have some different ideas and hopefully some good places to recommend or think about. Who is seriously interested in doing this? Once we have a good number of folks in mind, maybe we can narrow down a time frame and then maybe figure out which place? Open for any other ideas or suggestions! I will volunteer my 1/2 ton extra cab truck for the trip. Who's in? Nick

I never said you get to pay resident tag fees for life, I said you will be considered a resident as far as the draw is concerned and I stand 100% by my statement!

I've been incredibly blessed by the draw. Some years I waited my turn for good hunts like everyone else. Others drawings have stood the odds on their heads. I drew Sheep and Pronghorn in the same year (2010) with 8 bonus points for each of those. I drew Unit 1 Bull Elk with only 4 bonus points in 2012. In 2012 I also drew Archery Pronghorn. In 2013 with only 2 bonus points I drew 23N early antlerless elk. 2014 I didn't draw anything. We'll see how 2015 goes but I have a fair number of deer points and hope to have at least one good hunt this year. The draw works just the way it says it does in the regs. Don't believe the hype!

I know Mike had an outstanding deer hunt but have not heard about the sheep. Hope to see the report as well.

Is there a way to qualify or quantify worst? I'm sure I have you all beat by a mile!

Not really sure when the Department hears the input on Waterfowl Seasons but I'm pretty sure all the hunts are subject to some public input. I would maybe call down there and speak to the small game specialist that works in the main office and see what they might recommend. Difficult but not 100% impossible endeavor.

I'm perfectly OK with using my bow as long as it's a target rich environment! Probably going to have less interest if we do archery only. An archery only place would probably change my tolerance for the kind of place we go to as well. I would be more willing to do a smaller, high fence kind of place if we go that route. Again, I really don't have a lot of pre-conceived notions on what is going to go down. HuntHarder, could you give us your recommendation for places to check out? Maybe places to avoid? I'm new at setting up trips like this so I have no issue with someone else taking the bull by the horns and running with this. I've been the Charter Master on a few deep sea fishing trips but the hunting thing is brand new. Never hunted hogs or set up a trip like this. I just wanted to see if there were enough guys from here that would be interested in a trip to kill some hogs. Seems like there is more than enough so whatever the next step is, by all means let's take it.

Dude you have no idea...5 years is nothing! Good Luck today!

A set of decent BDU pants work pretty well too. Just got some of the old army wool pants and they seem pretty tough but have no idea if they are cat claw proof. Kuiu Attack pants in my experience are not! Cabela's Microtex has held up strong going on ten plus years on my original pair. They have not faded or shrank one bit since I bought them but they have pilled a slight bit in the front of the legs. Can't beat those pants for the money.

I'm really flexible on most of this to be honest. My biggest priority is finding a place that is not going to let us down and one that we will all get into the hogs for sure barring some unusual circumstances. Anything beyond that I can probably work with unless someone wants to go to a really fancy place and have the gourmet option or something. I'd rather camp and cook like I normally do.

I've seen pronghorn make scrapes like crazy but not much for mule deer. Cool that you have some decent evidence that something is hitting that scrape. Just so we are speaking the same language I always considered the branches that get licked to be a lick, a pawed out place in the ground that gets pissed in a scrape, and a tree or whatever that has been mangled by antlers to be a rub. Nice spot, good luck!

Madilyn loves her fat buddy!