Coach

Guys, let's all set our beer down. It isn't global warming or global cooling, it's about strange weather patterns we've seen that could not be predicted. Massive droughts in the midwest. Massive flooding in the NE. Yeah this kind of stuff happens every few years, old farmers are used to it. When it's time to sweat the ME farmers, they will sweat - when it's time to let them harvest, they will harvest. Nature provides and government takes.

Congrats on drawing the "dream tag". I hope you make it a really fun hunt, and enjoy your time out there. Sometimes these tags come with a lot of pressure. My hope is that you can push that aside and just enjoy the little things that make a hunt fun, but still focus on the goal. Did I mention, keep it fun??? I can't wait to see the stories and pictures of your hunt.

I think azffhunter did a great job of answering the question about hunting in and around the suburbs. I, for one, am guilty of arrowing many, many rabbits on Tucson golf courses when I was going to college there. In my defense, by late afternoon most of the golfers were in the clubhouse drinking, and the groundskeepers were usually really cool - they let us keep shooting rabbits, but not while the ladies were still playing. This reminds me of a thread here, and on other forums a couple years back where there was the incredible, non-typical mule deer buck hanging around town in Colorado Springs. There were pictures of it lounging and bedding near an industrial park, walking through nieghborhoods in the middle of the afternoon. It also brings to mind a video that was wide-spread about elk right in town up in Calgary or Vancouver - some freaking awesome bulls just walking down main street - in some cases actually charging tourists. For me, hunting game that has been drawn into town and gotten accustomed to people would not satisfy what I want to learn and achieve through hunting, no matter how big the rack. If shooting a big buck is the motivation that drives you as a hunter, then who cares if it is in town, half tame, fully tame, in a pen, tied down, etc? On the other hand, if you think hunting has a spiritual quality, you take this "sport" as a personal challenge to be closer to the animals you persue, learn more about the land they live on, their habits and want to grow as a hunter, then the whole idea of killing a deer that has been conditioned not to see you as a threat goes against your core ideas of what hunting really is.

I'm going with photoshop - no expertise here, but it just doesn't look right. The snow being gone around the carcass could be explained by crows and such. I really don't know anything about moose so my guess is just that.

Great looking buck! Nice mass, love the square frame. Big congrats!

I'm guessing a really muddy, smallish bear. But whatever it is, it needs to be taken out of the gene pool!

Very cool. The smile on her face says it all. To be there with you and her Grandpa - that's just priceless. Huge congrats to your daughter - and so nice to see family out there - 3 generations, sharing such a great hunt.

Nice job posting it here - hope it ends up back in the owner's hands.

Sure is nice to see some on here still have a sense of humor. God speed, and best wishes.

+1, great post.

Wow, I just read this aloud to myself and I hear my own words - those of a bitter young man, now maybe a bitter older man. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins - take the time to find out what the younger people in your life are doing, what they are interested in and find a way to be a part of it.

LOL, I knew there would be some more 'punkins' out there with spirit. Good post.

LOL, gotta rib you a little here Pixman - you can tell the brid is a white crowned sparrow but you're not sure if the fox under it is some other bird??? I'm joking, obviously - from my perspective (and it's all blurry) the fox is pretty obvious and the bird is - well, it's got wings, some feathers, some stripes on its head. "is it an african or a european swallow?"

Both are very handy and as Norteno pointed out - it really depnds on the situation which is better. I always have a bipod mounted on my rifle (kids too) and try to create the situation where you have time to get set up for the shot. Prone is best, sitting is pretty good too. Any time you can use your pack for a rest, that's a plus. The longest Harris bipods are nice, but the more you extend them, the less stability you have. Sometimes it's better to use your glassing tripod if you need to be higher up than prone. One more consideration with the rifle mounted bipods - the one I've used for many years doesn't pivot, and more often than not, I find myself jamming something under one side to get level. The next one I buy will pivot. If you practice off a rest and use a sand bag or other "squeeze" method under your back elbow or the buttstock - in a hunting situation you can yank out a water bladder and accomplish the same thing. A Stoney Point shooting stick is also great to have along. It doesn't usually get in the way and actually makes a pretty useful walking stick in tough country, and if you happen to get in a situation where you have to shoot quickly and/or there is no easy way to get set up with a bipod, it makes for a much more stable rest than shooting off-hand. Best of luck.

Stud bull for sure - I figured Jed would have him named and numbered in his "hit list"

Congrats to your daughter on her first elk. Sounds like a great family outing.

Man - that was a great story! Nice job writing it up. Congrats on the cat and thanks for taking the time to share it with us.

Too bad I'm so far away - I'd jump on that!

Wow - super bucks for sure! Thanks for sharing those, Leo. On the other hand - now I want to go hunt Mexico more than ever - lol.

Cool pix!

Fox and ??? I'll go with Brent on the Cactus Wren. Definately a fox.

Nice shooting - and great looking buck. He looks pretty heavy around the bases. Great job - looks like hard work and persistence paid off.

Very cool!

.I would only add to you comment to include any of addicts hunts. Excellent point - For those of you have not seen these, you are in for a treat This is the kind of show I would love to see more of. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/43993-florida-mountains-ibex-hunt-video/ http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/44066-florida-mountains-ibex-hunt-video-part-2/

That is just so cool - he probably thought his hunt was done, and then gets an opportunity like that. Huge congrats to your brother. That is a great looking buck.