Heat

Cody, sent you a PM

If durability is an issue, I would look to a company that uses high quality materials and craftsmanship. Those usually come with Made in USA, Italy, or Germany printed in them. Made in China, no thanks! That's fine for some yuppie shoes you go to the mall in, but quality footwear and China are mutually exclusive IMO. As far as boot craftsmanship, soles with a goodyear welt where they stitch the sole to the upper rather than use glue usually makes for a much longer lasting boot. Of course some of the better companies have figured out how to get the glue to work and don't use the goodyear welt on lighter models, but you will pay pretty good money for those. The brands I would look at for a quality hiking boot are already mentioned above. Might also want to throw Zamberlan on the list. I would stay away from Danner or Irish Setter unless they are crafted with pride in the USA.

No love for the the stinkbug look eh? I can't understand for the life of me why any auto maker would send a truck out the factory looking like that. Good Luck! Leveling is one of the first things I did when I got new tires on my truck.

Davis Tent added a bunch of tents this morning to their Scratch and Dent Sale! I didn't fiddle f!@# around this time. I ordered a 12x14 with a Window, Screen Door and set of the traditional poles. Now I can quit wondering what kind of wall tent to buy, cause I just bought it!

That is so cool! I'll be in your shoes in a few short weeks! Congrats!

Thanks for taking responsibility for your mistake. Many would just keep on blaming Game and Fish and refuse to accept that the mistake was theirs. Good on you man! I hope you draw your bull tag next year!

You poor thing!

Ya there was some great deals on there but man they went fast! I had my eye on one of them but the CEO (me) didn't get the OK from the CFO (Mrs.) until it was too late. Of course when I got the OK the one I was after was sold. Story of my life. I'm hoping something similar might pop up later in the month but I doubt it. I'm keeping my eyes open anyways.

Sorry! Words can't describe the kind of bond between a man and his dog.

Way to go!

Curious what kind of deals you get? I work for DOI which is on the list.

The quote "the devil is in the details" really comes to mind here!

I agree wholeheartedly about bad dogs having bad owners! Here's a good example for you. I was walking my Labrador retriever around the block the other day and one of the people on the next street over went inside and brought his pit bull outside as I was coming down the street with my dog. The only reason he would do this is to try and instigate a dogfight. Luckily I saw the dog before mine did and we did a quick U turn. Some people are complete idiots, that's for sure!

OK kinda like the one about hunting/glassing/hiking too close but here goes... If you choose to camp within 50 yards of my camp out of the 100's maybe 1000's of available campsites in the Forest, you might be a d-bag!

OK Folks, I have 4 points going into the deer draw in 2014. I am an archery hunter first and foremost. Would you go for an Archery Only Unit 12 tag, Archery Only Unit 3A/3C tag, or keep building points for the Strip? I have some experience hunting the Kaibab, but don't make it up there enough to really have it wired yet. I have never hunted 3A/3C but know for a fact that it is home to many good mule deer bucks. Which unit would you choose and why? I have property in 3C and it is half the driving distance from where I live in Yuma making that unit much more likely to scout before season. That is a huge advantage to 3C for sure! Hard to beat the shear numbers of the Kaibab though. Tough decision. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you would like to share them. Thanks, Nick

Unless I hit the lotto so i can hire a guide or someone who has a lot of experience in the unit who wants to give me all their hot spots, I doubt I will put in for the Strip 13A or 13B. It takes me 11 hours to drive there, depending where I go on the Strip. I probably would rather hunt a unit with more numbers of deer rather than top trophy quality. With a brand new baby coming in May, I know I won't be able to get up there much if at all to scout. I wouldn't feel like I would be able to do one of those hunts justice in the situation I'm in. That's why I didn't put a lot of emphasis on those units in my question above. I also have no desire to hunt with a rifle and banking more points will do me no good from here out to draw 3C or the Kaibab. So I guess most people have little desire to hunt 3C or it is a secret knowbody wants let out so they aren't talking here. Chances are this is where I will apply. If anybody has anything to share regarding 3C I'm all ears. Nick

Wife and I went to San Diego last week also! Be prepared for some great music. I'll just come right out and say, don't hold your breath waiting for "I Cross My Heart". Not going to happen. Played pretty much everything else I know though, and then some! Nick

You're on a roll! That is one gnarly looking pig! Congrats again!

Most broadheads today are manufactured to tolerances that should allow for good flight from a well tuned bow. One thing that is rarely mentioned is arrow build in relationship to broadhead flight. The biggest part of having an arrow tuned correctly is making sure the insert is mounted square to the end of the arrow. Sometimes the insert is not seated flush and the point will not spin true. An arrow squaring device used after cutting will correct any problems. Another good practice is to cut from both ends of the arrow since any bend is usually located near the ends of the shafts. Correct head weight in relationship to Front of Center will also help with good broadhead flight. Finally, big 5" vanes or high profile 2" vanes fletched helical usually get best performance with broadheads. Tuning your bow to shoot with broadheads is a whole 'nother ballgame. I recommend the Easton Tuning Guide as a reference. All that being said, I highly recommend Magnus Broadheads with their lifetime replacement guarantee! They'll fly right with your field tips if you've done your part tuning and shooting. I have had good success with the 3 blade Snuffer SS.

A Federal duck stamp is still required to hunt ducks regardless of when you bought your 2014 license.

What an adventure! Nice trophies also. Thanks for sharing!

Great start! Hopefully you can follow up this excellent first post with many more!

Cool pics! Congrats on your javelina!

Besides their return policy, re-sale value is excellent just in case you feel the need to part with it (see Kifaru Trading Post). Forgot to mention that. You really can't go wrong with whatever you choose; all their stuff is excellent!

I understand the sticker shock of the packs. I bought an Express for my first Kifaru. Decided to upgrade when the second generation packs came out. I currently have a Late Season and a Duplex Frame and Cargo Panel. I use a small pod and a Longhunter Lid with the Duplex for day hikes and either a Grab It (light) or the Cargo Panel (heavy duty) to strap stuff to the frame. My Late Season if more of a do all pack but the Duplex Frame is as comfortable or possibly more comfortable than the Late Season. Kifaru builds packs with lots of options. Some of their packs are more of the save weight, use one big bag arrangement. Other packs like the Timberline you mentioned have more pockets to arrange your items. The large bags are good for stuffing meat and capes inside. The Duplex frame is great if you carry odd shaped loads and need extra support of the framesheet. Bikini can do the same with lighter frame materials and higher cost. External frame is also good if you want a big bag for longer overnight trips and a smaller bag for shorter day trips or a Cargo Panel arrangement for more awkward items like treestands. The nice thing about a panel loader is you can also use stuff sacks or dry bags to substitute for a backpack on the frame for cost and weight savings. Again, tons of options. Timberline 2 is a great do it all sized pack. I would go for the Duplex Timberline if I was only buying one pack, so that I could remove it and use the lid only for weight savings on day hikes or to easily strap stuff to the back of the frame. Aron Snyder from Kifaru is a great product rep and could answer just about any question you have about all the options. I live in Yuma but would be happy to let you try either pack if you are interested. PM me if you might be interested in some sort of shipping arrangement or you happen to be in the area sometime. Maybe someone in Tucson could let you try theirs?