kidso

I am not a deer hunter, but I have never NOT seen bucks in unit 33 when hunting javelina in my honey hole. If their food, water, and shelter is there, I would trust them to stick around and just be patient and work your spot on opening day.

Great eats and tasty meats!

That is a sweet bull! Great that your mom nailed that beast!

Adam, that is one of the craziest stories I ever heard, bruh! Seriously, congratulations on doing it solo in a new state!

I took an entire 8 pound roast and threw it in the crock pot on low. After two hours, I drain off the juice so the meat is not cooked in its own oils. Then, I thin slice a sweet onion and cover the top of the roast with them. After that, I add about two tablespoons of liquid hickory smoke and sprinkle on some Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning. Finally, I cook it on low for another 10 hours and the meat "almost" falls apart when you cut it, but it stays together. Now, it is ready to melt in your mouth!

Man, can't wait for my twins to draw double tags and fill the freezer for Dad!

Too bad, no venison, but thumbs up for an out of state learning experience!

The whole "honesty" part dealt with clients overstating their physical and technical hunting abilities to their guides, and could be applied to other hunters simply talking the talk with their buddies. I liked the fact that this article included the "luck" part of hunting, which is happening to be in the right place at the right time, which other hunters could look at and claim that it was their "experience and skill" that put them there, not fate or luck. Having experience and skill might increase your odds at bagging a critter, but animals can act randomly and show up nearly anywhere at anytime and the luckiest most inexperienced hunter with no Swaros just might fill his tag! I know, it happened to me once! Fun read, no bashing towards anyone, just a standard opinionated essay to help us each reflect on our own hunting progression.

Looks like an excellent buck to me!!

Pics of more than one antelope?

Nice bull, great diary description of your hunt.

Same bear in both pictures? Second picture looks to have a bit more brown hair tint, but that could be the light angle. The skinned bear in pic one is mostly black dominant. Nice looking hide!

Agree on the elk scrapes. Bear would be definite claw of bite marks.

Great job! Looks like a decent spot for bears up in those high aspens. Did you see any bears or any fresh bear sign up there?

....famous quote from the 213 year old female elf on "The Santa Clause" when asked what her secret was to making delicious hot chocolate....

I use a NAP drop away rest. Everything shot fine today, but three days ago, I was deeply shaken, especially with the late archery elk hunts around the corner.

Beautiful rack!

You need to apply now for archery javelina. The deadline is in 3 or 4 days! That is an Arizona specialty!

I like to do things on my own, but like Coues N' Sheep said, sometimes laws require you to hire a guide...like grizzly bear or brown bear hunting in Alaska as a non-resident. I want to predator call a grizz and a brownie up in Alaska and the only way to do that legally is to drop some serious coin on a guide. Do I think I could do it alone...certainly! However, paying a guide to tap into their knowledge of an area you are unfamiliar with and who knows the behaviors and patterns of the critters you are targeting in that area is priceless.

Try calling them out of the upper canyon. Hike through both canyons and find the water source they are using and hunt that source or put cameras on the water to make sure they have not just passed through.

A fellow CWT member informed me that there is a bear calling seminar tonight in Mesa hosted by the Arizona Predator Callers. Cost is $5 for non-members. I might attend because I am an addict. It is 7-8:30pm tonight. http://azpredatorcallers.com/ai1ec_event/apc-general-meeting/?instance_id=81

Anyone from your hunt fill their tag on one of the 11 bears you spotted?

Friend glassed two bears crossing a meadow in a high alpine forest. Headed over that way and watched them working on a cow elk kill for a few hours. In the afternoon bear number three showed up to feed on the carcass. So, yes, a gut pile or a downed animal that someone lost is a great food source this time of year. Acorns are also on the menu. Plenty of juniper berries are ripe and falling, so that is also a food choice for bears.

A little late too, but both my wife and I carry .40 caliber Glocks. They are model 23c, so they are compensated with gas ports to reduce kickback and get you back on target. The 23 is the mid=sized frame, as it is not the largest size, nor the smallest. Both of us can rip a clip of lead into a target without a hiccup, and neither Glock has ever jammed. As much as I love revolvers, I usually call for bear alone, and love the rapid release of lead I can produce with my Glock versus any of my revolvers.

Since I have not yet tagged a bull elk, I have used a large tamale pot on bear, lion, cow elk, and javelina skulls.