Coach

Merry Christmas from the Jones Family in Lakeside.

Nicely done, Jed! And, BTW, I was serious about that text!

I say go for the tag you've been dreaming about. Yes, the guides up there have a distinct advantage, but I really don't believe that the guides know every buck and have a "lock" on all the mature bucks. With all due respect, your first post makes it sound like it's either impossible, or at best, a far stretch for a self-guided hunter to find success on the strip. I'd be willing to bet a bottle of Crown Royal and a good cigar, that you can find guys right here on this forum willing to camp and hunt along side of you at no charge, with comparable knowledge and enthusiasm as any guide. Just to be along on a hunt like that and do what they can to help out, is worth the effort for a lot of guys. I'd have no problem taking some vacation days to go help out. And I know quite a few buddies that would be equally willing to jump in, because, let's face it, most of us don't get that kind of tag very often. When it comes, we don't want to be out there flying blind. Some day we might be lucky enough to draw it, but then what? Most of us would be facing the same situation you are in. Spending a couple of days meeting someone new and learning more about a hunt we hope to one day enjoy is a win-win situation. Every day out there helping someone else out is another tid-bit of knowledge about the area, the animals and the habitat, that one day we'll be able to apply to our own hunt up there. IMO, this is a good opportunity to reach out and find some guys who share the passion of hunting huge mule deer North of the ditch, make a friend or two, and create an experience that you didn't have to buy, as blunt as that sounds. Just something to consider... Coach.

That rocks. Congrats, Blake!

Looks like a true shooter. Looking forward to updates as she comes to life. Very nice rifle indeed, and obviously a labor of love. Cant wait to see the first prints.

Those genetics are quite close to another big buck Ty guided a couple years back. Would love to know how close the two bucks were taken.

Very nice looking buck, and great job with the photo. Thanks for sharing.

Nice bucks, congrats! What's the story on that avatar pic?

I've got a Beretta Whitewing in 12 guage that I couldn't be happier with. The MSRP is a little more than your stated budget, but you might be able to find someone willing order for close to that if know some FFL dealers that can give a closer-to-invoice price. Super nice, light and fast handling. Kicks a bit though in 12 -

Sweeeeet! Nice job guys.

Nicely done!!! Congrats to Armando, and great job getting a young hunter out there on some deer. Would love to hear more about the big one that got away.

Sounds like it's getting going! I'm exited to get out, but this weekend I had other obligations. Maybe a sick day or two this week are in order...I feel a flu coming on. I'm thinking of some "close to home" spot and stalk muleys or coues if the opportunity presents itself - something I've tried many times but have yet to connect. Just gotta keep after it, and know that it takes lots of blown stalks for one to work out just right. Good luck to all you archery hunters out there. Only a few days left to fill that 2010 tag!

Freakin' cows ruined my #1 spot. Grrrr. 1800 pictures in 3 days - nothing but cows and I left it there for 3 weeks. Card was full by the 3rd day. Looking for a new spot, but with the regs the way they are, seems there's lots of people in a very small space.

My beef, and I could be wrong, is that AZ has not been effective at maximizing game populations for mule deer, and even more noticably, antelope. We have just as much prime habitat for these species as our neighboring states, but the populations in many prime areas remain surprisingly low. I like to visit Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and I'm always blown away that as soon as I cross into one of these states at the amount of game I see. The same terrain and vegetation that looks like a wasteland in AZ, looks like an antelope sanctuary in parts of NM, CO and UT. The same rolling grasslands and foothills in AZ that hold few, if any mule deer are littered with mule deer in other states. I'm no biologist, but it seems we've somehow gotten behind the curve when it comes to bringing our game populations closer to carrying capacity than other states with the same - or very similar - habitat, forage and rainfall. If we could somehow find a way to increase our deer and antelope populations in the areas that are clearly capable of growth, a big part of the supply/demand issue we are currently facing would take care of itself, or at least be way better than it currently is.

Hard to believe that's less than some Polaris Rangers are selling for, and not much more than a run-of-the-mill version. Super nice vehicle, certainly not a toy I can afford, but I can dream.

What a travesty. My prayers go out to his family.

Supressor?

I really like the concept of the GPS/radio combo. I've seen it in action on the Navajo, and other places where it worked really well. My one complaint, is that the radio technology in the Rhinos I've seen is way lacking. I took along some cheap Cobra radios on a hunt where guys were using the Garmin Rhinos, and our range was FAR superior to Rhinos with the Cobras, and they have better models available now. Don't get me wrong, with young kids and lots of time in the field, I think the concept behind the Rhinos with built in GPS to keep track of eachother is freaking awesome, and last Christmas season you could get a pair for under $600 bucks with the mail in rebates, etc., if memory serves. I just wasn't impressed with the radio reception and range. If Garmin takes the GPS abilities of the 60CSX and combines it with even $30 midland/cobra/motorolla radio range, it would be worth spending the $$ for a combo. As it stands now, I'd rather put the money in a decent set of radios and some cheap GPS units, and take the time to teach my wife and kids how to use both, at leat enough to find eachother in a bind... That brings up all kinds of fond memories of my lost wife this past season, and her subsequent nickname, which I'll leave out for now.

Wouldn't it be funny, just once, on one of these UA vs ASU threads, just to ask that those on both sides agree that they actually attended and graduated from the one they support? Just had to toss that out there, as lots of the die-hard ASU fans I know never got closer to ASU than bar hopping in Tempe, hoping to find a co-ed drunk enough to talk to them. LOL

Which of the units you are considering is the best for scouting? Meaning how much time can you give each of those units. From what I've seen, the best chance at a 100+ deer comes from how much scouting time a guy can put into a given unit. You've mentioned several, and I can tell you that every one of them has the kind of deer you are looking for. Don't get too tied up in the "which unit" question, as picking one that is close to you that you can spend some time in to find the bigger bucks before the season. If you spend much time on this forum, I think you'll see that most of the big bucks didn't just show up on opening day. Most of them get taken by guys who have picked out an area that they know will hold big bucks, have scouted for a long time, and usually, the bigger bucks are deer they have been watching for a long time. It's not so much about which unit you should hunt, but what you do in the unit you pick to make the best chances for your hunt.

I am totally in awe of that vid... That takes some major brass ones... and he makes it look easy. Most of us would be hard pressed just to hang on to the rope long enough to get over the water, and he's doing 3-4 backflips and landing like an olympic diver. Just freakin' amazing IMO.

Those are some of the neatest trail cam pix I've seen yet! My whole family enjoyed them this morning - thanks for posting!

I'm a big Rock River Arms fan. Their optional National Match 2-stage trigger is very nice. I've put a lot of rounds through my rock river, never any of the cheap Russian stuff, but have never had a jam or feed issue.

Not sure how to embed the actual video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_P6yU_ymFM&feature=share

Hate to admit, it actually took me a while to post my congrats on this thread, because I am so freaking jealous!!! Awesome job! You guys did great. One day I'll take one of those awesome desert muleys. For now I'll just have to live vicariously through you.