Heat

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!

What are your expectations? Are you willing to kill any buck or is it an 85 incher or nothing? That might help eliminate some of the units to consider from either a quality or drawing difficulty perspective.

Wanted to bring this back up to keep the interest. Here's some more options for discussion which might help us narrow down a place...some of these places are pretty bare bones and don't provide any food or lodging while others have the whole nine yards and there are some have something in the middle with either lodging or meals. I guess another thing to think about is how long would we want to stay? Keep seeing good things about Hunter's Creek Ranch, 4 Pines Ranch, Ridgeback Creek. Just saw one for Keechi Creek Ranch which looks good. Arrowhead Outfitters looks good but kinda pricey maybe compared to some others. Also have heard some pretty good stuff about Dos Plumas which is probably one of the closer outfits that has some decent reviews and will allow bow or gun. Langley Ranch is another to consider. All lot of the recommendations have been coming from archery related sites so many of them are archery only so filtering through them to find ones that will allow rifles is a little tougher.

The late archery hunts are a lot harder than the rut hunts but much easier to get drawn. Do you actually want a really good chance to shoot a bugling, rutting bull or do you just want a chance to hunt elk with a bow? If you want a good hunt with an excellent chance, only apply for the earlier archery hunts. If you just want to get out there, by all means try that late 22 hunt. Can still make it happen but you need to do your homework and have a bit of luck. Rifle hunts are all over the board. Someone else can address that. Good Luck!

Outstanding! Getting over the 200 inch mark is really freakin cool, especially with a bow! Score or no score you killed a deer of a lifetime. Enjoy your success!

What a fruitcake!

Keep after it man! If it makes you feel any better, I've hunted javelina with a bow on and off for about 25 years or so and still haven't put my tag on one yet. Go ahead and laugh, it's cool, I deserve it! I have killed an elk and a deer with the bow since then but need to get the javi monkey off my back! I've hit a few and not recovered them so it's not like I've not had any action but plenty of frustration for me no doubt! Keep your chin up and stick with it! It can happen when you least expect it. When I killed my archery buck in 2012, it was a very windy day where I thought I would have little chance to kill but a buck ended up basically in my lap and I made the best of it. You never know when that Murphy M!@#er F!@#er is going to take a day off! Stay after it and good luck!

Git R Done!

Hey Rob, I have a Kaibab map that has waterholes on it. Not sure about a book. The map was being sold on a website that was called Keys to the Kaibab or something like that. Hope this helps, Nick

Sorry but I can't help myself, minor pet peeve.... Cotton-top snowbirds that drive too slow, drink too much = Canadians Those birds you killed = Canada Geese Nice work!

You guys have been killin' it lately! Huge congrats!

Nice tribute to your friend and an ever nicer buck! Congratulations!

Gorgeous buck! Nice job.

Very Nice! Looks like the freezer is on its way to full for 2015!

Sat at home all weekend feeling like a fat girl that didn't get invited to the prom. My wife got sick and some other things came up so I stayed home and missed the fun. Might be able to squeeze a short hunt in around one of the upcoming weekends. Javi jinx continues...

Deer of a lifetime! Huge Congratulations!

Really nice javelina there! Congrats on your successful season.

Nice tribute, congrats on your success!

Awesome pics!