kwp

Arizonabowhunter, I didn't see the photos, one of my buddies (littlebear) did and I am pretty sure it is the same guy that Josh is talking about because he just got a muley with his bow. I'll tell him to post what he knows the next time I talk to him.

I heard the same thing. One of my buddies saw a photo of it in a taxedermy or butcher shop. That is all that I know

270 where did you hear about this quota in 27 and 28? is that true or are you yankin our chains? I've been wanting to get back up to 27 to look for a lion and this would be a little more incentive.

I don't have any experience with treestand hunting but a little with salt licks and trail cameras. Last summer I decided I wanted to experiment with salt licks and I had a buddy who had done it with a lot of success. He killed a coues buck out of a treestand that was on a lick that he built. I decided to build two licks, mile and a half to two miles apart. I built them both in saddles. I dug a hole 4-6 inches deep and a few feet wide and poured in the granulated trace mineral salt found at a feed store. I then mixed it with the soil and poured two gallons of water on it. These were the instructions of my buddy, he also said to try to make them so that they will catch as much rainwater as possible so that the salt will soak into the soil better. I put a trail camera on the one that was closest to the road and after a week or two the salt lick was getting minimal use but at least some. The use gradually increased over the next couple of months and became pretty popular but I never got any buck pictures(only does, a fox, and a bear). I had the october hunt so early october I moved my camera to a water hole to see if I could find any bucks there. I visited the salt licks again last week and the one that my camera was on is getting hammered. There were deer tracks everywhere and it was all dug out. The other one I built was getting some use but not near as much . Another tip is to clear some of the grass and small vegetation around where you build the salt lick so that it will be easier to see any tracks if they start coming in.

Last Thursday (Jan 6) my brother and I went out in 33. We glassed up 4 pigs at about 500 yards away that fed into a mesquite thicket. We got the wind right and were able to sneek within 20 yards of the edge of the thicket. We could see the pigs feeding around but were unable to get any shots. After 45 minutes to an hour of waiting for them to come out my brother decided to sneek around to the other side of the thicket. He got over there and the pigs were feeding along that edge. He took a shot that went just a couple of inches high and the pigs came running at me. One stopped 31 yards away and I nailed it. She only went 20 or 25 yards. This was the first animal that I have even shot at with my bow. It was really exciting and I am definitely hooked on archery hunting.

I used to have a .257 Roberts and absolutely loved it. I think that it is about the perfect gun for coues, flat shootin, plenty of power, and light weight enough that you can carry it around without even knowing it. Unfortunatley a couple of years ago some lowlife broke into my house and stole that gun along with two shotguns and a bunch of otherstuff. Out of all the stuff that was stolen that is what I am most upset about. I shot my first buck with that gun, My dad, uncle, and aunt also shot their first bucks with it as well as many other animals. They don't make that model anymore but if I could find one that was exactly like it, I wouldn't think twice about buying it. I would definately recommend that caliber for coues.

Last January my brother and I glassed up a BIG coues buck (115-120) that was beaded and had 20-30 does milling around. We came up with a plan for my brother to put a stalk on it while I stayed and watched. The stalk took over 2 hours and I was only about 200 yards away so I had a great view of him. The stalk took so long because my brother back tracked a lot and then took his boots off when he got within about 150 yards. The buck put his head down on his legs a couple of times, kindof like a dog, and appeared to be asleep. Most of the time while I was watching him he had his head up but was doing the head-bob, kindof like I do during my boring college classes. It was just really funny watching this monster buck fall asleep with his head up and then wake up when his top heavy head fell over. Other than this I have never seen a big game animal that was truely asleep. I always thought that they just rested while still being alert. Apparently this buck was still somewhat alert even though he was asleep. My brother got to about 65 yards away when the wind shifted, the buck lifted his head up, jumped up and took off.

Earlier this year, end of August, I got a pic of a Bear. It was in unit 33 on a salt lick, in some pretty rough country, on a ridgeline that was very thick on one side and very open on the other. The first picture the bear was pawing at the salt while the second it was looking directly at the camera, wondering what that flash was. It never bothered the camera. Also, 2 weekends ago I was in 27 for my brothers late elk hunt and we saw five different bears in two days. They were all out in the snow munching on Juniper berries. It was really steep, thick country.

While scouting and hunting the early hunt (unit 33), my brother and I were seeing anywhere from 60 to 100 deer a day with 15-20 bucks and approximately 5 of those bucks being 3 points or bigger. I'm sure these numbers would drop off now with the hunting pressure. I shot my buck (a 3x4, about 90") at 8:30 opening morning and had already seen around 40 deer. I spent the rest of the day packing out my deer and my brother continued hunting. He said that he saw over a hundred deer that whole day including a couple of whoppers that were headed toward the really nasty, rugged, thick stuff and he was unable to get any shots. The next morning we tried to find one of those really big bucks and by 9:30 we had seen about 35 deer but no shooter bucks when we glassed up a nice, but not giant 3 point. He took this buck which also scores around 90. The majority of the deer that we were seeing were during the morning with a slight dropoff the rest of day, but we were still glassing a lot of deer throughout the day. The evenings were very good but not quite as good as the mornings.

unit 33 archery all of January. I'll make sure I have a deer tag too incase a PIG with some big ol antlers shows itself

I don't really see any need to try to get close to them. My gun is sighted in at 250 yards and I don't expect to shoot them at a distance any closer (I will if the shot presents itself). I feel more confident taking a long shot where I can get a good rest and wait for them to turn broadside (or at least something close) rather than trying to sneak up on them and possibly bust them out and attempt an off hand running shot. I am not confident enough with myself or my equipment (I need more practice and a new scope) to take a shot much further than 400 yards but I will not hesitate at 350 yards. It is all about what you feel comfortable with. If your methods work then don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

I would like to see a no spike law because I feel that if one of those spikes were to live through one more year then it might be a little smarter and have a better chance to become a big, mature, breeding size deer and help the gene pool. It would be interesting to see what an expert (like Amanda) says about this. I have often wondered if the smaller bucks (spikes, forked horns, and even small three points) really even effect the breeding cycle at all or if 100% of the does that are bred, are bred by the big bucks.

I would agree that they seem to be a little more active after bad weather and I hope it is true this year as I will be in 33 Friday morning. The colder temperatures that are supposed to be following the rain should also help the deer be a little more active. I am just hoping and praying that all this moisture doesn't make it foggy Friday morning. Nothing screws up a hunt like fog. Good luck this weekend everybody.

Try to find some areas that have burned, as much of that unit is almost too thick to glass. There is also a lot of good feed in the old burns so the deer will be very active in the burns in the morning and evening. Hopefully you can find a buck chasing some does.

I agree with everyone that Binos on a tripod is the best to start with but a good spotting scope definately helps. If you already have a spotting scope and get tired of closing one eye then try getting an eye patch. It makes a huge difference.

Most of my experieces have lead me to believe that they water mid day but, in my last set of trail cam photos all the deer (bucks, does, and fawns) came in between 7 and 9:30 am.

I will also be in 27 during the late hunt. I know that USO always takes hunters into the Honeymoon area and they set up their camp on the 4 drag ranch. They have to have their camp on private property because a few years ago the Forest Service District Ranger in Clifton made it illegal for any guide to have a camp in a FS campground in the Clifton District. The rugged terrain of unit 27 makes it hard for them to set up a large camp like they have anywhere else. Also, the owner of the 4-drag ranch has decided to not allow USO to stay on his property anymore. I am sure that they will find a way to get their clients in there but at least we are trying to make it as hard on them as possible.