Coach

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.

Those are some great looking bucks! Awesome job to the youth hunters - and everyone involved! Very cool!

Awesome post! You guys have had an amazing season - looks like it's going to get even better! Huge congrats.

What do you want for it? I shoot a flintlock, and that old stuff is right up my alley. Too bad no 4F?

Looks like my previous post on this was lost. Great job to your son on a very successful hunt. Looks like you guys had a blast!

For slim-jim type snack sticks, I don't cut with any fat, but make sure to get every last bit of fat, sinew, connective tissue - anything white out of the meat. You don't even need a casing with snack sticks - just use an LEM jerky cannon with the round nozzle. The LEM snack stick mixes are great - and you'll want to be sure to add the cure they provide - I find it's best to dissolve the cure in some hot water and mix in when you mix in the seasoning. I've done lots and lots snack sticks from javis, deer and elk. The outside will form the skin when it's dehydrated.

That's really cool - congrats to Kaitlyn. Love the pink rifle.

Nice write up, and congrats to your wife on her kill - I hope she is hooked like you are. Way to stay with that blood trail too - I'm sure glad you guys were so diligent and found her when you thought the first shot might have missed. Great ethics there.

Nice buck! That's the way to get started right.

Looks like a dandy - the pix are mostly sideways, but the smile says it all. Nice job, and welcome to the site!

Hey, I know those guys! Nice shooting Barber boys! A .243 is a great all-around gun for kids since they have little kick, and tend to be very accurate. Like others have said, if you are going to use it on elk, shot placement is key - As evidenced by the video, the kid in this case took a clean shot and brought the elk down with a single, well-placed shot. I don't own a .243, but wouldn't hesitate to use one for kids or adults for javi & deer. With the great recoil pads available these days, you can get a very comfortable .270 WSM, 7mm-08, etc, that might be a more suitable elk gun - but like the old saying goes, "if it aint broke, don't fix it". Use the gun you (or your youth hunter) is confident with, choose your shot well and just enjoy the hunt together.

Nice job Hunter! Congrats on what I'm guessing will be the first of many - and great work Dale and Heather getting out there together and making it happen as a family.

Nice job, Chris - and great write-up. I'm so glad your family could be there with you. He's a dandy buck and you went there solo, got it done by yourself when a lot of guided hunters came home empty handed. Hat's off to you brother.

Wow - that's a great looking buck! And 650 yards - that's one heck of a shot for anyone, let alone a youth hunter. Nice job all the way around.

Ya just have to ask yourself, 'What would John Wayne Do?" Step up, be a man, do the right thing and if you get fired for it, wear it like a badge of honor. Easy for me to say, I'm a software engineer - lol.

Check out HuntScout.com - best hunting maps available for AZ.

Cool vid - very well put together from the music to the story. Thanks for sharing.

A buddy of mine has the Leica Televid 77 and he can glass all day with one eye through that thing. Personally, it's the best spotting scope I ever looked through, but I had to sit on a buck one day for hours looking through it. I'd rather have both eyes on the target. If you can switch between big 15's and then sit behind a spotter, that's a plus. I haven't had much luck using a spotting scope for locating deer - but in this case, all we had were the tops of horns of a bedded buck, and I had to make sure he was still there when my partner got into shooting range.

Hey, thanks everyone. Matt has been getting caught back up at school, but I think he'll really enjoy reading all your replies.TJ, passed your congrats on to him.

Ouch, my neck hurts from looking at the pix sideways. Great job tho - great to see those kiddos out there getting it done, and the family getting behind them to make it happen.

I have a really good spotting scope and I find that 90% of its use is for sighting in guns. In almost all hunting situations I find 15x56 swaros will give me as much detail as I need. If I happen to be glassing from roads at some long stuff I always have my spotter there in case I need it, but when packing/hunting I find the binocs to be sufficient.

My productivity was through the roof today also, but I'm glad to see my favorite distraction is back online. Nice job, Amanda.

I hope you have a great birthday doing something fun with family and friends.