azsugarbear

Gaotsie, Keep us posted. I'm sure a lot of us would like to hear about your experience with Teludyne.

Come to Papa!

Although I have been through parts of this unit for fishing and camping trips, I've never hunted here. I have no idea what to expect or where to start looking. Help from any experienced hunters familiar with this area would be greatly appreciated. Not expecting you to give up your honey hole, just more general info like: Are the bulls still up in the highland forests & meadows, or down in the cedar & juniper? Are the bulls pretty busted up or in relatively good shape? Do they stay out later in the morning trying to put some fat on, or have they become secretive from all the pressure? What can I expect in terms of hunter pressure & bumping into others? Do I hunt the water tank in evening, the treeline at dawn, bedded elk in the canyons during the day? Usually snow on the ground? Condition of FS roads? How cold will it get? Will the elk be on eastern slopes warming up or quite comfortable? Are the elk back in the Wallow burn areas in a big way? The azgfd site mentions several places to hunt/look for elk, but doesn't mention if info is for early or late hunts. Most areas mentioned seem to be north of Hwy 260. Is this for real, or is it just a way to redirect hunters to elk herds that need to be reduced due to diminished carrying capacity of the habitat? Any insights from hunters with experience in this unit would be greatly appreciated.

Like most units, 5B will receive a lot of hunter pressure. And as AZwest16 advised, the picture will change completely come fall and then change again by the time your late hunt rolls around. If it were me, I would be hunting the north edge of Anderson Mesa. Focus on the juniper and pinion just off the top and on down to the wide open plains. Look in the deep canyons feeding out to the north. Lots of elk go there to escape the pressure.

I can't believe these are still here. I just sold my naked swaro 10x42's on here for same price. The addl. kit makes this fantastic deal for someone looking to upgrade their glass.

I must confess: I wrote several responses to the question above and then deleted them all. To be honest, I'm not sure quite how to respond. I suppose my first post could be viewed by some as coming from a fat slob who is too lazy to get out there and earn this info for himself. But I submit there is another possibility: a veteran hunter who has watched the number of tags and hunting pressure in units continue to increase over the years. Most of us here on CWT understand that there is no substitute for boot leather on the ground. We further know that the best intel is gathered in the weeks and months prior to the hunt. The best time to do research for my hunt would be from Sept. through Nov. learning the travel corridors, the water & food resources, the patterns and behavior these elk are exhibiting during this time of the year. Unfortunately, we live in AZ where the hunts are stacked on top of each other. In unit 1, there are no less than six elk hunts and one deer hunt scheduled for this fall. My hunt is the fifth one. I have every legal right to be out in those woods gathering my own research during the four previous hunts. In fact, you could argue I have a moral obligation to the elk as well. But I try to balance my need for good intel with that of staying out of the woods when others are trying to hunt. Those hunters value their tag as much as I value mine. They expect the same quality of hunt that I hope to get. Don't we all have stories about a stand or stalk that was blown by some inconsiderate hunter doing 'research' for his upcoming hunt during the middle of our own hunt? The more info I can gather from on line resources, the less chance I have of spoiling someone else's hunt. Yep, bro.....I try and do a lot of research.....which sometimes includes asking members for their general knowledge about an area.

mc68, Thanks for the response and intel. I wasn't sure I was gonna get anyone to post up on this.

Weekend bump.

Based on the pictures posted above, these el binos would be Gen I with the Swarobright lens coatings. You can tell the Gen I model because both the Swarovski logo (on left barrel) and their name (right barrel) appear opposite each other in the middle of the barrels. The Gen II el's with the swarovision lenses, they have the name and the logo switching barrels. Additionally, their name (now on left barrel) has been moved down the barrel very close to the objective lens, while their logo (now on the right barrel) has been moved closer to the eye piece: Hope this helps.

Over on LRH, a guy just posted some 175 pieces of once-fired 338 Lapua brass for $1.50 - shipping included.

I just ordered one myself. Too many extras included to ignore the price. He has 338 Lapua bolt face actions avail, as well as extra length std. mag bolt face for the Rem ultra mag builds. Of course, he has the short actions with mag bolt face avail. - just not sure if he has them in stock.

I just traded a scope for some cash and a Rem 700 BDL in 300 Ultra Mag. It isn't custom, but it was professionally bedded and has a muzzle brake installed. Previous owner spray painted camo over the wood BDL stock. Again - it's not a custom, but has had some gunsmith $$ put into it. If you have some interest, I could probably send you some pics via text.

Needing to clear a few things out to get ready for the coming hunting season. Up for sale is a Leupold VX-3 rifle scope (model #59270). Used for two years on my Rem model 7 in 243 cal. Glass is pristine and turrets function without fail - always returning to my zero. Scope is a 1" tube in matte black with standard duplex reticle. I never bothered to order the custom dial for my rifle, so the serial number is still open at Leupold for the free custom dial. This scope was mounted on one of my primary whitetail rigs, so it saw some use in the field. On one hunting trip, I had just leaned my rifle on a rock shelf only to watch it slide down the rock face about one foot. The result was some minor scrapes on the bell housing. The scratches are cosmetic only, but they do need to be mentioned. I tried my best to show them in some of the pictures. Because I know the scope works flawlessly, I will offer the buyer a 7 day, no questions asked return policy on the scope. I am confident you will be satisfied. Additionally, the scope is backed by Leupold's lifetime warranty. Scope comes with orig. box, paperwork, bikini cover, neoprene cover and anything else in the pictures. Looking to get $450 for the scope. PM, call or text to 602-361-7191.

Looking to clear a few things off the bench. Up for sale is a Fastfire II. Used only a couple of times at the range. It's a great holographic sight, but I just couldn't get it to line up the way I wanted on my M4 configuration. Comes with the orig. box, paperwork, etc. Everything you see in the pictures. Pretty firm at $175 for now. PM, call or text: 602-361-7191.

Can't tell from pics: does this have an aluminum bedding block? Or pillars? Also, looks as if stock is for a bull barrel contour?

CWT has the best members. JLG found some for me up in Payson and will be bringing it down to the valley next week. Can't say enough good things about the people I met here. Again, thanks to all who assisted in my search.

I know it's a long shot, but I am looking for someone that has a pound or two of Hodgdon US 869 powder that they would be willing to part with at a reasonable price. For trades, I may have a pound or two of something you might be looking for. let me know what you got.

I'll call bear mountain in the morning and see what they got. As for the online stores - they gotta ship...and that means $25 hazmat fee plus shipping, which means $55 for a single 1 lb bottle. That's a lot of juice just to find out if your rifle will like this particular powder. But hey...I appreciate the footwork you guys did!

So how did it shoot/group? Who did the gunsmith work? Any dies, brass, etc. available?

All decoys are now sold. Good hunting this year to the new owners.

I'm putting my "flock" of Dave Smith full body decoys up for sale. I have the following decoys: (1) Jake; (1) Submissive Hen (known as a "Breeding Pair"); and (1) Feeding Hen. Also included is a separate carry bag for each and two stakes. These DS Decoys are made with the new ACE technology and are the most realistic decoys I have come across. They are full body decoys. Condition is excellent with no chips or rub marks on the paint. They have been a pleasure to hunt over. Toms hang up or are very cautious until they see the decoys - then they just seem to come in on a string. Used on two hunts over the past six years. New cost from DSD would be $400 plus shipping. My asking price is $325. I would be willing to break up the set: $225 for the breeding pair; and $100 for the hen. If interested, call or text 602-361-7191.

Text sent.

They're gone. Sold to Rharris on CWT.

** SPF ** to Rharris on CWT. Thanks to all. The best piece of advice I ever got in hunting optics was: “You get what you pay for”. The worst piece of advice I ever got in hunting optics was: “Buy as much optic as you can afford”. I believed the first, but followed the second. The result was ownership of several different pairs of binos over the years. Taking a loss each time I upgraded, but never really knowing what I was missing out on. About eight years ago, I finally bought this pair of used Swaro 10x42 WB SLC’s . The first time I took them out scouting, I remember thinking: “man, I should have bought these years ago”. All that time and money wasted on inferior optics thinking they would get me by until I could afford something better. Do yourself a favor – buy the best. If you can’t afford it yet, then don’t compromise. Save your money until you can step up to something worth having. There are lots of good optics out there and looking through glass can be very subjective. And yet, there is a general consensus that when it comes to binos, Swarovski and Leica are at the top of the heap. The Victory line of Zeiss could also be included as well. Well, here is your chance to step up to a great piece of glass. This is a pair of Swarovski 10x42 WB SLC’s. I have used these for the past eight years. About four years ago, they were completely reconditioned by Swarovski. You get everything you see in the pictures: The binos, orig. shoulder carry strap, the orig. case, Swaro literature and pin, and the box. The binos are in excellent shape, with the exception of one small (about 3% of area) rub mark on the finish of the objective lens in the right barrel. I didn’t even notice it until I started to clean them up. You can’t detect it when looking through the binos, but I felt it was worth mentioning. I tried to show this in one of the pictures. Body is in excellent shape with no rips, tears, etc. in armor. I will also throw in my Butler Creek bino harness as well. Binos are priced at $850. Reason for selling: Bought a pair of 10x42 EL Swarovision last week. If interested, call or text:602-361-7191.

A couple of members have sent in PM's expressing concern about the rub mark. First of all, it is so small that you cannot notice it when looking through the bino's. It is cosmetic only. Secondly, if it really bugs you, the Outdoorsman on Cave Creek Road can get the one lens re-coated for $75 or both for $150, plus shipping. I could get this done myself, but I didn't feel the value was there for me. I'm more about function than looks - and yes, my camo doesn't match either. :-) I've never seen a used pair of these go for less than $850, but given the rub mark - I am willing to take a little less than the $850 asking. If you want them fully reconditioned, it can be done. But you better plan on spending $950 to $1,000 for fully reconditioned pair with the newer lens coating that were never offered on the original SLC's.