CouesPursuit

I understand but dang man, hate!? haha That's a strong word for wetting a line in one of the 7 world wonders! I would go to Lee's with a group, amazing place.

for the day, overnight, full weekend? this weekend or in the next couple months? can they cast well? is success measured in inches or quantity? access to a small boat or kayak?

Very cool plaque, great bull!

Harvest success hasn't changed you're right. But I was talking draw success to be reduced based significantly on the point you stated.

I have a feeling we are going to see a significant reduction in draw success for the late archery hunts this year.

Good post.

CWT is hands down the most photo-friendly site I frequent. Thank you, Amanda. I don't understand exactly how running a forum works but I imagine you optionally pay more for more space on a server, or maybe it's standard in the forum design, not sure. However, 64 MB's for a single file AND you can upload multiple files.. This is the only place I've seen that. Also agree with the browser situation, IE sucks for just about every application that wasn't designed specifically for it.

For me, backstrap and tenderloins get marinated, wrapped in bacon, and grilled. Everything else is processed into chorizo/sausage. Javelina is nothing short of excellent. Cut well beneath all the flank to avoid any scent glands and don't let the hide come in contact with the meat. I haven't shared Javelina with a single person that didn't enjoy it. And on topic, I can't resist.. To each their own but I have trouble respecting people that hunt game just to give/throw away the meat. Sharing whatever portion of it with people that need and/or appreciate it is another story. But go predator hunting if you just want to kill, and leave the game for harvesting.

Not any different than those for other big game. If it has soft tissue/hair, you're liable to call it in. I found a young ram sheath and a trophy ram skull while working in Bighorn habitat several years ago now, and the WM gave me permission to keep it on the spot after sending him some photos and describing the location/encounter. OP, nice find!

Great stuff, Adam! Photos don't even look real!

Great post thanks for sharing.

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/55088-turkey-taxidermist/?do=findComment&comment=531315 A week old..

bump for a stand up seller - good luck with the sale

If you're a hevi-shot shell user, please read this urgent notice to consumers. http://www.hevishot.com/media/Letter_to_our_consumers_11-20-14.pdf

Very nice photos and congratulations on an impressive and successful year. Looks like we share two of the same Arizona-favorite fisheries.

After waiting a long 11 months, January archery OTC had finally come. I and my best hunting buddy Frank (campmeat), headed up the fresh snow covered mountain on January 1st after bringing in the New Year with friends and family. We slowly and safely pushed through the few obstacles in our way; Arizona drivers, highway accidents, upwards of a foot of snow atop primitive forest roads - and before we knew it, we were at buck camp 2015 without a hiccup. We quickly set up camp in excitement, soaked up what was nothing short of magic surrounding us, and decided we had time to head to our stands for an evening hunt. Snow had only been on the ground for 24 hours, and both of our stands were covered in tracks. The first evening was quiet at both stands, at dark we backed out of our areas in the same tracks we came in on, and never went in close to check cams. The second day, I sat an alternative stand that had a nice 4x3 coming in from recent weeks. It appeared his (tough-to-see-here) tracks were beneath my tree when I settled in, as they seemed to "swing" through the area in the same fashion we caught him on camera. Unfortunately, he did not come in and check for does on day 2. Frank had 3 whitetail does come into his stand but nothing with antlers checking them out, just a coyote that wouldn't come into shooting distance. Saturday, January 3rd we wake up to a beautiful 8 degree day and we get in our stands early. On my way to my day 1 stand, I noticed there are both new deer and elk tracks on top mine from the first evening hunt. Feeling good, I get up 25 feet high in my climber and Frank and I send each other a text to confirm we are safe in the tree as we normally check on each other every couple hours on the hour. It felt like 10am and any warmth I had accumulated from the hike in was long gone, I stand up, hang up the bow and turn on my phone to read the following. Nobody can tell the story better than Frank himself, so here is the short and sweet of it after I ask him for the details! I couldn't believe this guy grunted the buck in with nothing more than his mouth! The feeling that the rut was in full swing would not leave my mind, and I was hoping at a chance myself. My blood was pumping for him, I could feel his energy after reading his hundred text messages about how it went down. He asked if I was going to come back for lunch, I replied "I'd rather wait a bit and get 2 bucks down!" He then agreed and told me, "Yea stay in your stand man they're moving today." Not more than 35 minutes later while texting him how about and when to track his buck. I just arrowed my 3rd consecutive buck with a bow. I was so excited for Frank, texting back and forth with him, slightly envious of him of course, and here quickly through the snow comes this floppy eared doe with a forkie pushing her every move. All within 20 seconds, I throw the phone down on the seat of my climber, grab my bow silently off the hook, range their only escape route if they wind me at 42 yards, and watch the doe come plowing down the same horizontal tracks from the first photo above, not more than 15 yards away. The doe quickly escapes out of my view and as I am drawing my bow back, I make the slightest sound to stop the buck in his tracks, only his back 2/3rds are showing from behind the ponderosa and oak. I released the arrow to the sound of a thwack and the sight of the buck coming out on the far side. No arrow to be seen, but a big red entry wound. I recovered this buck after tracking him 1,000 yards through some gnarly brush and bedding areas, and after he showed me where 30-40 sets of deer tracks were present in one little 100 yard draw. I believe the buck pushed so far because of his chasing the doe, otherwise he may have bedded at a reasonable distance. I ended up shooting him a little bit back, as this was my only opportunity, but my 450 gr. VAP tipped with an Ulmer Edge met it's mark and brought down this beautiful little buck without him stopping to bed. I knew that Frank had just drilled a much higher caliber of deer than I did, but I was every bit satisfied with my trophy. For the record, I said before this hunt I would not shoot a spike, and for the future, I have graduated to no longer shoot forks unless it is a December archery fill-the-freezer kind of deal. I am now considering myself something between a 'meat' hunter and a 'I want to up the ante a bit' hunter. By 1pm, I recovered the deer, my cameras, and climber - and made it back to camp to help Frank retrieve his buck. After waiting 3 hours and while I was retrieving my deer, Frank had jumped his buck out of his bed at 60 yards in thick cover 350 yards from his stand. We waited until 4pm, now 7 hours after the shot, and tracked the deer for over a mile in treacherous terrain and brush. The ups and downs of this tracking experience were unreal. I would go from 100% confident "this buck is dead and will be around the corner" to "wtf, how did he make it this far." For all of the research I've done on tracking animals (great one here on CWT btw @ http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/12229-being-patient-after-the-shot/) this was an experience to remember. This blood trail was this consistent for most of the mile. Only in the end it did it start to dry up to nothing. I have to assume it's because he had no more blood to bleed. With minutes of light, we shared our excitement 2 miles from the nearest road, took photos, and began our cold journey back to camp. This buck was a documented member of our hitlist as well. I am crazy about coues deer, but it was pretty cool seeing the two buck species side by side. And - we were lucky enough to get out for a bonus duck hunt yesterday before and after processing our deer. I hope you all had a great New Year, add a little time with my wife, dog, friends and family and this was one for the record books. Thanks for reading. Good luck to all in 2015.

Big +1. He did 3 ducks and 1 goose for me, all excellent work, great guy. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/53269-last-years-mounted-waterfowl/ Many turkeys in his studio as well but unfortunately don't have a pic of them.

Unfortunately, This ^. Well stated. Fortunately, the AZGFD gives us the most liberal season possible in accordance with the Federal guidelines. Until the Feds change, there isn't anything the state can do .

Dang Vowell 14 years already!? Getting your moneys worth! Looks like I know what I want for my 30th Birthday.

My wife is intrigued by lions, so I showed her this post, bad idea!! She doesn't want to go outside now!! Seriously, great cats!

Great buck and way to keep at it!! Sounds like you have a nice support group too!

This is simply amazing.

you know after a while I just thought it was a decoy?!

Larry's trophy room is a beauty. If I remember correctly he is going to have trouble finding room on the wall for another bruiser buck. Congrats, Larry. And great idea for a trophy room thread, Lance. There was one running for reloading rooms why not for trophies!

Couple of great contributing members, happy birthday!