CouesPursuit

For many reasons, including the fact that selling deer meat is illegal, I'd look into an actual dog food that uses venison as its protein source. It's more sustainable too. Just a thought, but If folks do donate some meat to your friend, make sure the dog is getting its other essential nutrients as well. Best of luck for your friend and getting his dog fixed up.

Cool pictures, thanks for sharing. Hope you get that bull next time.

I can't speak on buying new, but used Honda's run, and run, and run. Just keep oil in it.

It's never to early to decoy birds. I scouted a body of water that had 500 ducks on it yesterday morning, mostly teal, with some wigeon and gadwall. I'm confident that few to none of them were resident birds. I'll let someone else chime in on jump shooting, doesn't do it for me, have no experience there. Without a great deal of experience, the best call is no call. To give you a pointer beyond that, calling isn't really specific to one (flagstaff) area, it depends on the size of the body of water, time of day and season, etc. There are a ton of factors. I will emphasize, do not overcall, rather focus on motion, your decoys bouncing ripples in the water and you not moving whatsoever in the blind.

I couldn't agree more with Lance's 2 points above, one medium thickness pair of merino wool socks is key. I used non insulated Danner's on my January OTC deer hunt this year with no problem down to our coldest morning temp of 8 degrees. The only other thing not mentioned, wax/waterproof/use dressing on your boots in the event it snows/rains. My feet were amazingly warm both sitting in a metal tree stand for hours and hiking several miles through a foot of snow.

3 different 100"+ bucks, in the thickest of habitat. Just goes to show they're in there, just have to find the X. Looks like you're there or close. Sweet! Thanks for sharing.

We talked last year when you posted some questions as my brother had the same hunt. Perhaps I was confident (and think I read somewhere) you were going to build on what you learned. Good luck!

Beauty, or size, is in the eye of the beholder. Those are nice bucks for sure, especially for a first AZ whitetail on a 33 October hunt. When the antlers are wider than the ears you are getting into the big category, not quite there. I'd shoot either without a second thought.

Without knowing where the OP is fishing, I put a 2nd on a rig I know works everywhere, the drop shot. I used to be a huge senko advocate, I spent way too much time in the Yamamoto store that used to be open in Tempe. But, the last few years, the senko works great in my river and pond fisheries but not so much in the reservoirs. JMO, they aren't what they used to be.

Gotcha, with geographic consideration it seems you are spot on. I don't fish down south so I can't attest to size but myself and every guest on my boat this summer has put a 6lb + fish in the boat from Sag and Canyon on my robo setup described above and we've had a couple in the 8lb range. I usually set up my guests with a DS and I crank a lot, then I'll switch them over if it's producing. I lost a fish at Sag 3 weeks ago on a Rapala that I swear shattered my 10-11lb PB. She spit it halfway to the boat when she couldn't get her fat self out of the water.

Red Krawler color robo has been my goto at the Salt River lakes, and I prefer size 2 drop hook and 1/8th finesse drop weight, and 8lb P-line/flouro, as said above, all personal preference. Get out there with a drop shot and any variation of the advice above, keep in contact with the bottom, and you'll get bit.

don't be a fairy wander JB good posts above. And make your fairy wand comments but you know that is a great way to get a beginner hooked. They'll look towards reaction baits soon enough!

It's hunting season, give the guy a few days. Hopefully he is somewhere putting a big bull on the roof of his vehicle so he can get home and give you a good deal on this sweet little outboard.

I have both Havalons but I usually just carry the Baracuda now, it has 3 interchangeable blades, one finesse/fillet, one stout/sturdy, and a saw blade. I also resharpen my (non-saw) blades.

^^ I would take this advice seriously!!

Not arguing with you AverageJoe, no doubt you know more than most. But when I see "getting ready" and "make room," along with others talking about weather forecasts, it seemed to me you're implying there is a better place to put the water before the anticipated El Nino, when they are really just using standard reservoir operations. That is all, didn't mean to make it sound like I was calling you out.

Here in the valley, we are currently in the season with the highest water demand, so more water is being released. More importantly, it's also the highest power demand, so water is released from the salt side of the system as all 4 dams on the salt are equipped with hydrogeneration. Verde side has 0 hydrogeneration, so water is typically pulled from Bartlett, October - April when power demand is at its lowest. With very little exception, Roosevelt's water level is directly related to precip conditions and Apache, Canyon, and Saguaro below are almost always kept full. They even pump water out of Saguaro and back up into Canyon at night, when electricity is cheap, and release it back during the day when the demand is higher, conceptually creating free electricity. Moral of the story, there are a lot of misconceptions on how and why water is released and when. In this case, there is definitely a plan, but it isn't "making room" for anything.

Great morning hunting dove with new friends! Both of those two boys of yours are real shooters and it was a pleasure to hunt beside them. Drake is passsssed out! And Big Browns, thank you very much for sharing one of your well scouted honey holes, you the man!

Out of curiosity, I gave Mark a call the other day about a specific gun I was shopping around for, and although he wasn't a dealer for what I wanted, he answered a lot of my questions and gave good advice as he has done several times in the last couple years. Point being, even when he knew he wasn't going to get my business for this particular item, his service did not stop or stutter, he did not rush me off the phone, and he recommended where else to look. Also, the price he offered on the closest product he had to what I was looking for, was significantly less than the price in the big box stores. Not counting his CWT 5% offer either! Mark, your customer service has been second to none and I look forward to making many purchases from you in the future. -Shea

^ yup and ^^ yup, obviously let it air dry after a tub soaking. I just ran my hands all through mine while it was in the tub and red and brown dirt came out from everywhere.

Great scope for $140

He has some great looking stature for 4 months, especially on that check cord. Best of luck for long and happy hunting life with him. Love it. She has quite the spot!

Today is supposedly "National Dog Day" and I just can't help but share a few of my favorite photos of my best friend and hunting partner, Drake. Retrieving one of many pieces of the fresh-cut juniper load for the campfire at 8 months old on a 2011 deer scouting trip. First limit of ducks at 9 months old, saying he was confused and upset with me when I stopped at 7 is an understatement. This time of year, it rains, we train. Also this time of the year, he remains "the coolest." Dog knows how to enjoy a sunset, and looks darn good doing so. Still fishing? No more retrieves? Don't mind me.. Still patiently waiting.. Training in his prime. Can I have that one back? Come on I did good, give it back.. He has come a long way. Now and then. Ok, so I'm obsessed, I could go all day. I don't have kids yet, wonder how bad that will be? Got a friend you feel like admiring? Please share!

The camaraderie can be a nice change from solo archery deer hunting and it sure helps pass the time between big game tags. One negative thing, it's tough to make decisions in January when ducks are at their thickest but the rut has the bucks all fired up. Thank you, TJ! Thank you. Awesome indeed. Your guy or gal looks great too! How old? Those are some great pictures.

yikes crap on threads much? OP Good luck to finding these beautiful puppies hunting homes. They look darn near paper worthy to me. Won't be reopening this thread with my wife around that's for sure.