Coach

Yes, Muley Man, we were in 23, and I have to say, I absolutely fell in love with that unit. When I first moved here, I hunted unit 24A pretty much exclusively for a decade. I’ve taken some very nice bucks in there, really just feel at home there. Getting to spend a little time in 23 with some advice from CWT members, I’m absolutely blown away with the opportunity there to learn and grow and explore a little deeper on every hunt. It is a lot like Unit 27 – but with a lot more access. We got to just barely touch some of the most awesome hunting country I’ve ever seen. As I was glassing coues bucks I was hearing and seeing huge bull elk on the down side of the rut. It’s hard to take your glass off a 380 type bull but when you’ve got 110+ coues one ridge over, and a bear tag knowing there are some bruisers in there – and just trying to stay focused. I just fell in love with that area, and I’m getting really geared up to start getting in a little further into some areas that are available to everyone – but nobody seems to go. I learned by hunting in extreme SW New Mexico, if you are willing to strap on backpack, forego the niceties of a big camp and just get a few ridges further, there are opportunities out there that few hunters ever see.

Wow - he looks very life-like, and you preserved the velvet beautifully! That is a really awesome deer - the eyeguards are huge - double on one side, huge G2s, even bigger g3s - the way that left side carries the mass over and the thick main beam wrapping around - definately one of the coolest couse bucks I've seen. The mass up front is just amazing - not that score matters, but this guy had to do really well. Seems to have a little of everything. Any back story on him?

My prayers go out to the family and friends.

I certainly respect Dan's knowledge of deer, and specifically the deer he watches grow year-to-year. As awesome as those last two coues bucks are - this buck, IMO has an entirely different shaped rack. What would be G2s on this buck would have to be 12" on the right and 14" on the left. The whole growth pattern is very characteristic of a mule deer, the long curl, fronts splitting - but so much of him looks just like an old coues. The shorter ears, the tail, those freaking awesome eyeguards. I'm definately in the "hybrid" camp on this one - but any way you cut it, that has to be one of the most amazing, beautiful deer I've ever seen.

Best of luck to you guys! What a great tag to have. I'm looking forward to your story.

Bump for a really - really nice gun. I've got the Sig that is almost identical and just love it.

Sweet gun. I'm currently trying to decide if the next gun I get will be exactly this - or go the rifle route.

Easton ACC pro hunting is my current favorite - switched from Gold Tip which were also very good arrows. A buddy of mine who has shot ACCs for a long time switched to Maxima. I haven't shot them yet, but this guys shoots professionally for Hoyt and I honestly don't know anyone who is a better shooter. His 100 yard groups are tighter than most guys' 40 yard groups - and that's not an exaggeration. The next arrows I'll try will be the Carbon Express Maxima red - but the ACCs are shooting like lazers out of my Hoyt so I have no reason to change.

Wow - another double! Great job. Looks like you guys did your homework and made it pay off big time! Huge congrats!

Well done! Great looking bucks - congrats.

Nice shooting! That takes some serious skill. You guys did great.

NICE!!! A super sweet double. Father and son! Just doesn't get any better than that. Great write up.

That is really cool how you were able to catch all that on camera. Definately a hybrid with the coues tail, the large, black tipped ears, the stotting. Great post.

Hey CRAZYBUCK, I just want to say I really appreciate those of you who actually do your jobs well - and many in USPS do. On the other hand, there are some that just don't seem to care as much. I've always been amazed you can hand-write an envelope - often very badly and for basically nothing have it delivered to the right place across the country or just to the next town. There are a lot of hard working people who take pride in their work at the USPS. But there are others who don't have your work ethic. Lately it seems I get something in my mailbox almost every week that is clearly addressed to one of my neighbors - and while I always hand deliver those - I have to wonder how much of my mail ends up somewhere else.

Cleaning out the office. I've got a lot of things for sale. I'm in the Pinetop/Lakeside/Show Low area, and would prefer not to ship. Everything shown is "best offer" and I'd consider in trade ammo - 22LR, .223/5.56, 45 APC, 9mm, .357 Mag, beer (I like Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams), cash, and whatever. Youth bow - Bear Banshee 25 pound 16.5 - 19.5 draw length. 3-pin site, and wisker biscuit. Big box of aluminum arrows - Easton GameGetter II in 2217, xx78 Super Slam 2315, 2216, xx75 2117. I haven't counted them all but it's 3-5 dozen in a variety of sizes. Also an Apple Archer Spin Tester ($49 new - brand new condition) Garmin Nuvi GPS. Chef's Choice 300 Diamond Knife Sharpener in stainless steel. Barely used. Lots of 220V 1000W heaters. There are 4 Cadet 1000W 220V "toe kick" heaters and one Cadet 1000W/220V wall heater. Linksys BEFSR41 V.2 Broadband Router and WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point (Wireless AP - extends your wired network to wireless devices) XM Stereo car kit. I bought this as another XM radio for an older car that wasn't set up for XM. Never installed - like new. Box isn't in perfect condition but everything in it is still in the original wrapping. Cabela's Soft Bow Case. Pretty basic case with a big pocket for a hard-sided arrow box. Misc. stuff - 2 Motorola Sport 7 radios (4 AA batt) with one earbud, 2 vortex bino cases (neoprene) and 2 very basic gun cleaning kits (old school). Too good to throw away, but not worth much $$. Some computer stuff: 2 monitor stands - one has a semi-circular drawer for pens, a tape dispenser, etc. A dell keyboard and used Logitech TrackMan Wheel.

Got some interest - the XM is SPF, Sharpener too, as is the bow case if it's worth it to ship (elpepe25), Nuvi is still up. These heaters are $100+ each new, I'd take less than that for all of them. The radios and gun cleaning kits are free for pick-up. I've got a TV Swivel mount that holds a good sized TV and vcr together (pics to come). Any interest in the computer stuff? I hate to toss it but it's taking up space. The router and WAP work well.

+2.

Man Addict, I have to say - I thoroughly enjoyed your first video and couldn't wait for the second. It was even better than expected, and the bar was set pretty high. Thanks so much for taking us along on a hunt we all dream about. The hunt was awesome, the way you edited the video was awesome. Huge kudos.

I usually can't watch the shows - it's like the same show over and over with slightly different backdrops. I'd love to see some REAL hunts on TV, like ADDICT's Ibex hunt, or even just some public land DIY hunts where everything isn't so cut and dry. I think shows where guys work hard on public land without guides, but show true hunting skills, even if they ended up not killing, would do a lot more to attract the "right" kind of people to our sport, and with a better attitude and set of expectations.

Sorry to hear about that. Not to derail, but the good news is, we can expect the same kind of efficiency from our health care going forward.

Congrats - I bet you'll be hooked now!

Love those heavy bucks. I've seen that same crab claw formation before on SC bucks - closer to the river though. Thanks for sharing, Dan.

Wowzer! That's an amazing buck! Really unusual and cool shape to the rack.

I've been a member of this forum for as long as I can remember, and I'm always blown away by how amazing the people here are. Whether it's the first hunt for youth, or somebody taking us along on the hunt of a lifetime, like ADDICT's Florida Mountain, NM Ibex hunt, or any of the Desert Sheep hunts we get to share with the people who post here from day to day. Best part - it's 100% free. So I've been thinking. My dad is active in Trout Unlimited and their local chapter and fishing club that get together and auction stuff off, seek donations, work with G&F all to create awesome opportunities for kids, disabled veterans, newbies to the sport - and basically anyone that wants to learn how to start fishing in AZ. They are geared more toward fly-fishing, but anyone who wants to learn the sport, just going out with worms and power-bait, to really learning how to flyfish - cast, tie their own flies, etc., they are an awesome resource. Truth is, we are that resource. We don't have a club, no meetings, no dues, but we have the ability to do some really great things here. I've been so inspired by all the stories this year of youth hunters, as well as the willingness of members on this site to help eachother out. So many youth hunts and armed service hunts are documented here, but so far, besides encouraging donating tags to HOAL, I don't see us yet taking advantage of the tremendous support on this site to proactively get involved - to raise money for hunts geared toward diabled vets, to educate youth hunters or to actively enhance our hunting lands. I think Amanda has given us an amazing tool - the place where hunters who care about and want to preserve and protect the hunting heritage we believe in, and the ability to pass that on to our children. But I think we have more to do, now that that tool - that power, is in our hands.

What an incredible story - on the one hand it's so awesome to see Jaycie so exited, and have so much support - and to bust her tail for a fantastic deer! Awesome job, Jaycie. But for you guys to just keep pushing through all the challenges of the hunt and do anything and everything it took to make memories that will last a lifetime, wow. My hat is off to you. Great job - great write-up, and glad to hear things are getting fixed back up.