Coach

Nice looking buck for sure. I won't pretend to be able to ground-score a deer like that based on just the photos, but the previous responses all sound about right. High 140's.

I think it follows the same pattern as most skills. You could compare it to long range shooting, even golf. Just buying the best equipment out there won't make you good. However, once you have acquired a certain skill level through hard work and practice, you can reach a point where mediocre equipment can be a hindrance. I can think of several examples of amazing "spots" while glassing where there was so little of the animal visible and/or the range was so long there is no way they would have been visible without really good glass. However, the guys behind the glass in those situations had the patience and skill to pick the details apart carefully enough make the best of the optics.

I'd also check out HuntScout.com. They do unit-specific hunting maps. I know the guy who compiles the information for these maps, and the responses he gets from customers is very positive.

We just got hammered with about a foot of snow in one day. Could be a good thing, lots of moisture, I'm thinking the White Mountain bulls will have good fronts.

Dan, shoot me a PM if you can. I know a spot near Hospital tank that was loaded with horns the last time we were in there. Couldn't pick 'em up - but you can.

Glad you found him a good home. My wife's family raised rotties, and I love seeing those awesome critters with the big, square heads, bulky frame. That's a nice one.

Awesome job - I love those family hunts. Thanks for a great post.

I'll second that. Great bow.

Cool pictures! Any idea what that bird is in the last one? Almost looks like he was going for the rabbit.

Wow - that is one great looking buck! Congrats. Nice taxidermy too.

Congratulations! I'm glad you two found eachother. I believe the keys to happiness are finding your soulmate, and finding a job you love. I'm batting 500 - I have the best wife I could dream of. "You know what is worse than a spouse that does not support your hunting addiction? One that can't wait for you to leave on your next trip." This reminds me of one of my favorite jokes... A guy wakes up early one morning to head off to his favorite hunting stand. He makes his coffee, eats breakfast and loads the truck but it's windy, with a mix of sleet and hail. He starts down the road, but can barely see the road with all the water and ice. So he turns around, heads back home and crawls back into bed. He snuggles up to his wife, and says, "Man, it's really nasty out there". She replies, "Yeah, can you believe my idiot husband is out hunting in that crap?"

Awesome! Great job Amanda! Nice write up too. One day I'd really like to hunt the SC for turkeys. Here's an idea for the tail. I took a big chunk of manzanita and sliced off about 3/4", sanded it down, inscribed when it was taken and oiled it. Wrapped some leather around the beard and tied it through a couple holes in the plate. The plate is connected to a second piece of wood with 2 small dowells and the fan is sandwiched between them.

I've got the J105, and it is a great pack for certain types of hunts. It's a lot to carry around for a daypack, IMO, but if you get a long way from roads the ability to haul out your meat without making extra trips in is huge. I use it now mostly to carry a double-bull blind around which it does quite well. For my hunting style, I go bare minimum - just a high-capacity fanny pack with shoulder straps (Cabela's Hybrid 2-in-1). If I happen to get something I hang it and come back with the J105. It will handle a full elk quarter no problem, bone-in, or a full deer boned out. 50-90 pounds is not a problem. I just don't like carrying that much pack while hunting. Even though it sinches down really small and tight, it feels hot and big for carrying around the basics like optics, a tripod and lunch. I like to stay pretty mobile, so I prefer the style of the Cabela's Hybrid or the Badlands Monster Fanny. You can strap on a Slick Sprint tripod, a stool, carry all your optics, field dressing tools, game bags, food, water, and even your first-aid/emergency essentials, and still not feel like you're carrying around a big pack all day. I even carry my 15's for long-range glassing and don't feel bogged down. However, if you go in light with a that type of fanny, you're probably going to have to come back in to haul out the meat. That's when you hang it up in bags, go back to camp, and come back the next day with a frame pack or J105/J107, and a buddy or two. If you absolutely have to go in hard, carry in all your gear, and pack out heavy, you should look at the Kifaru or KUIU packs. These are packs built with sheep hunters in mind and are definatly top-shelf packs. They are pricey, but they are designed for guys who have to pack into the roughest country around and come back out with substantially more weight than they came in with.

Very nice looking mount! I think pronghorn make some of the prettiest mounts, if done well and that one certainly was. Congrats on a great trophy.

Congratulations! What a wonderful gift!

In that range I would look at the Vortex Fury 8x42. Doug @ cameraland has them for $179 - normally $269. I haven't looked through the Fury, but have a couple of pairs of Vortex Diamondbacks that are good glass for the money. http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/vortex.pl?page=vortexfury8x32

These may look silly, but I've heard they work. http://bethedecoy.com/ Now, I sure wouldn't use one during a rifle season. Last year I was with a buddy who was archery hunting antelope in NM, and we used a variety of decoys to hide behind and try to approach, and never got very close using that tactic.

One more just to keep this awesome thread near the top. My boys followed up a great elk hunt with a great javelina hunt. Unit 23 youth, opening morning we found the pigs before we even had the big glass set up. A couple missed shots, and a couple of great off-hand shots and they were done by 9:30.

Bump. So far 100 views and only one reply. Is $550 too high?

As always, great footage, Jed. That's a great looking bull.

Nice! That took a set of big brass ones, and he earned my respect. Thanks for posting!

Thanks Jed. I think you know where I'll be concentrating my scouting efforts. I thought for sure I was on him last year with the muzzy, but, well you can imagine my surprise when that long crab-claw with nothing but beams and a short fork stepped out. I've got 3 or 4 bulls in mind this year I want to focus on, and you've got footage of at least two of them.

Gotta be last year, 3A/C youth cow hunt. The first time both of my oldest boys drew tags together they had a Muley hunt in the same unit, that we were unable to capitalize on. But after days of hard hunting, hard hiking and lots of learning to glass, they got to shift gears to some cow elk. Both of them made good, one-shot kills, and during the process made a lifelong friend, and got really hooked on hunting.

How long do you think the current inventory of Covert 2s will last at this price? I need a couple more, but right now just isn't the right time.

I was in the same exact situation. I ended up going with a Hoyt CRX 35, Axcel Armortech sight, QAD drop-away, and the new Hoyt quiver. I absolutely LOVE this bow. My first "good" bow was a Mathews Conquest Light I bought back when they first came out, maybe late 90's??. I shot that bow for years and loved it. Around 2004-2005 I bought a Bowtech Allegiance, shot it for years and loved it. Two days ago, my new Hoyt showed up, and I have to say, it is one heck of an amazing bow. I haven't shot the PSE or some other bows listed here so far, so I can't give a comparison. But, before you buy, I would recommend shooting the new Hoyt. Heck, shoot as many as you can. What one guy likes another won't.