KGAINES

Happy Birthday Amanda I am late also, but still Happy Birthday.

Welcome to the site Bowsniper, I have to add one thing about 6a since you mentioned it, I was talking to a guy at his job( I am a field service tech.) about hunting and he said that his boss had some of his trophies at work, we went into his office and he had two walls full of deer and a couple of elk, he had several very nice coues racks, he asked if I had been drawn and I told him I had a21 dec. tag, he said he had one too, and then he asked if I had any spots that were good, I said not yet but it looked like he did, he told me he had taken all his coues in 6a in pretty much the same location since the early 80's until now, so don't give up on 6a. Good luck and God bless

The question is who do you turn them in to, I suppose you could make a citizens arrest. I don't think that would work either because you still have to turn them in to somebody. What you do is take pictures of them with their cameras and then if you ever get busted you can say that they said you could and that they do it too, and you have evidence to prove it. The worst part about that is it sounds alot like work, maybe fun, but still work.

Me and my brother had made it back to our truck and were headed back to camp just before dark, I seen something coming through the brush toward the road, I thought it was a bobcat, I bailed out of the truck and popped a round in and it jumped right in front of the truck, I was about ten yards away, the first thing I noticed was a long tail and spots, it was as big as a mountain lion so it was pretty young, I am scrambling to get back in the truck with my brother screaming at me to get in, it kind of walked to the edge of the road and jumped into a tree, it looked at us for about 30 more seconds then jumped down and took off, the funny thing was when it jumped into the road my brother hit the headlights to the truck and I don't know if thats what froze it, but it helped me get the heck outa there. We did call the jaguar number in the regulations and made a report. Lark, I think there are very few in AZ and they are known to migrate 500 miles or so, so the population has probably been stable for the last century, so I think you are right, we are the extreme edge of their range and them making a sanctuary for them isn't going to change that. We probably have more respect for them than the people that would wan't to make a sanctuary anyways, what would they do buy some from mexico, breed them until they had a few and then release them and say they were re-introducing them, hand fed cats. It sounds like we already have them so they need to leave well enough alone

I read about them also, I don't know where these were, but as I have mentioned before I seen one in 35a east of parker canyon lake in sunnyside canyon.

I also have a bee story, when I was sixteen I was out shooting with a friend, we were in the middle of the agua fria river, there was a cave not to far away about halfway up a cliff, we could see the honeycombs hanging down in the cave so we wanted to see if any bees were still there, instead of walking and climbing to it we just shot a few rounds at the mouth of the cave, then we shot a few more, it sounded like a motor starting up in the cave, then something hits me, and my buddy screams beeeeees, we start running, now we are in sand and have to run toward the cave to get back to the truck, the funny thing was the bees were flying right past me and stinging my buddy, they chased us all the way to the truck maybe 1/2 mile and he must have been stung about twenty times, I wasn't stung once. I think the moral of my story is a .22 isn't the right caliber for bees and make sure you have solid ground to run on when you shoot at them.

I also have a unit 21 dec. tag., and I agree with avion, be prepared for anything as far as the weather goes. If you are using a guide he should also let you know what you should be prepared for, will you be camping, high or low, will you be hunting high or low. As stated before this unit goes from desert to pines. As far as the orange goes you don't have to wear any, but you should carry some some to wear while moving around or while packing out your deer. Good luck to all and God bless

Congrats on your success on the elk, and good luck with the rest of the year.

Amanda, I think we might need to register to post, I don't know how difficult that would be, but if it is possible I don't think you would get many if any complaints. I am sure every one has an opinion on this so what do you think.

I haven't voted on this either, though it is kind of funny. I think most people on here don't know each other and are therefore anonymous aside from a name and e-mail address, most people just want to talk about hunting and more specifically Coues deer. Now along comes CHD, he had some great stories, but what I think is he loves to argue, he don't care what side he's on just as long as it ticks most people off, I think he picks his argument depending on the responses. He made a statement in this post that I think describes him more than anybody. "I always get a kick out of people like Ernesto who think they know you and your whole life history from a few posted messages. Lighten up Ernesto, this is only a simple discussion forum! You act as if it's your whole life! You can't judge somebody from this stuff!" You said that yet that is exactly what you are doing, I think for the most part you need to shut up, share something worthwhile, or bother somebody who cares, the jokes you posted were funny, but your attitude sucks. Good luck and good hunting

az4life, Even though its kind of funny, huntloans.com etc., can you imagine getting a world record deer/elk etc. and having it taken due to non payment of a loan, I think it is pretty far fetched but it won't be if prices get out of hand. On a different subject kind of, a guy I work with told me that uso/ taulman bought or owns a huge ranch in unit ten, if that is true hunting as we know it is headed down a very dangerous path, I won't mind paying a little more to hunt in AZ if it benifits residents and wildlife, but if we have to start paying trespass fees, and also have to deal with ranches that are there solely for the purpose of guided hunts, and I would bet plant crops to draw in the animals and grow trophy's by designating what animals to shoot. I just hope that that is not true and that the fees will not get out of hand.

Bullwidgeon, It sounds like stereotyping to me, those antelope probably think we all look alike too. We need to be more specific on the antelope, like the one with the white, no wait the one that has the fork, no wait the really fast one, no, never mind your right they do all look alike.

My brother was hunting in 19a, they were bugling wednesday night, and then I only heard one on saturday, after it quit raining on sunday we had three going crazy around us, but by the time the rain had stopped and we got one located it was dark, and we had a long wet walk back to camp, my brother will be back up this week, and I am going to try and be back up to help him out this weekend if he hasn't got one yet.

I hope every one has a great archery hunt, I was sent to california last monday and I have to go back this week as well, then they will decide if I need to be there any longer to help out, I hope I get to get out at least one weekend for the early archery seasons. Keep posting on your hunts though, good luck to everyone. Great job treestandman, you've got to post the story when you get the chance.

I think where the internet might be causing a problem is that it makes it too easy to apply, don't get me wrong I have done it the last two years, but anybody can apply, and they don't have to but a license unless they are drawn. A non-resident that has to get the regulations and put up their money up front will not be putting in for every species in arizona, and neither will the residents, but right now for 25 bucks you got a shot at deer, elk, sheep, antelope, and buffalo, if they get drawn for them all who knows whether they could afford the tag fees much less the cost of the hunts themselves, now what will they do, well its just a deer tag so I won't go, elk isn't as important as sheep or buffalo. It would be a great problem to have, but it is still a problem, and this is where the uso and others like them have it made, they put in for all species at the five dollar fee and just play with the tags when they get them. Maybe if they could charge the fees up front on the internet it would be better, but just think how easy it is for antis/ animal rights people and groups to do the same thing the uso does. Rich people are gonna hunt, but they still have to get drawn and I think I should have just as much of a chance as they do or better if they are a non-resident because my money spends just like theirs, I just don't have as much. Regardless what happens I hope that archery deer stays the same way it has been because when you don't get drawn for anything, you can still hunt deer. I would not like to only be able to apply for one species, non-resident already more or less only apply for elk, maybe sheep or antelope, deer as an after thought.

I think the one thing everybody forgot to mention, while doing all this you should not be completely naked you should be wearing a hat with antlers affixed to each side, three point or better if you are affiliated with the uso (you can purchase those from Josh Epperson for a price I'm sure), real antlers work best, but in a pinch you can wear those christmas reindeer antlers or a bullwinkle mask, but you'll give yourself up as a novice, now the key to this style is you have to hunt in areas with lots of hunters.

Updated: 10:45 AM EDT Agressive Mule Deer Attacks Man BOZEMAN, Mont. (Aug. 11) - Game wardens are searching for an aggressive mule deer buck that attacked a man and has a history of causing problems. Gene Novikoff, who had previous encounters with the animal, suffered a broken rib, bruises and scratches after the four-point buck knocked him down Monday and pummeled him with its front hooves for several minutes. The animal became distracted by its own reflection in Novikoff's shiny sport utility vehicle and Novikoff was able to get inside his garage. "Thank God I had the car cleaned a couple of weeks ago," Novikoff said. "If he hadn't gotten interested in looking at himself, I don't think I would have made it." The deer was still pondering its reflection when Novikoff returned outside and fired six .22-caliber bullets at it, frightening the animal away. The attack began, Novikoff said, when the deer sneaked up on him in his driveway. "I tried to get inside the house, but he charged me before I could," Novikoff said. "I wrestled with him, which was a mistake. I'm 80 years old, he's only about 2 or 3." Before this latest incident, wildlife officials said they had decided they would have to kill the deer. It has chased anglers on the Madison River, entered one man's garage and kept its brazen attitude despite two separate doses of pepper spray. Warden Marc Glines of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said the animal has no fear of humans and probably was once someone's pet. "FWP was worried that a fisherman would trip while getting away, or it would run into a child or someone would get killed," said Glines, who has loaned Novikoff a hunting rifle for the buck's next visit. 08/11/04 18:49 EDT

You guys know that the cover would have to be painted by rembrandt/ mike, now with ernesto's idea can you imagine what the charge would be, there goes the profits, I think the cover should be road kill, after all of these great ideas your best bet to kill one depends on how fast you are going when a deer jumps out in front of you. I can't imagine the game warden arguing to much about whether to give you the salvage tag when you get out of the truck wearing nothing.

You guys need to type slower, my printer don't work and I am writing all of these different styles down, maybe you guys should just get together and write a book, you could call it " How not to hunt coues deer, or anything else for that matter", I think it would sell, you could even cut non-residents a break on the price, maybe the USO would sponser the book, they could even give up some how to shoot from an airplane tips. After that were all on our way to being the best hunters possible.

I have seen some very good mule deer in 35A, send me an E-mail and I might be able to help you out. KGAINES30@AOL.COM

Is the tag for 35b only or is it 35a & b, because there are some really nice mule deer in 35a.

Very nice buck, that does look like mesquite to me too, but who cares about the trees when there are deer like that around.

I have to add to this in a positive light, though I have ran into the same problems you guys have with the average jerk I have twice ran into game officers that have been more than helpful. About ten years or so ago I went to Alamo lake with a big group of people (family), we were all together and somebody says lets go fishing, we all get our boats and take off, now I had a very old boat and the trailer wasn't much newer, and on top of that I hadn't tagged the trailer yet that year, I go anyways, when we get there and I'm getting ready to launch the boat I notice a shackle bracket on my trailer had almost broke and and the axle was about to break loose, well here comes the game rangers, one asked what was going on and I showed him my trailer, he tells me to launch my boat and pull the trailer up to their shop and leave it, he said for me to pick it up when we get done for the day and they would have it fixed, I spent the day on the lake and when I went to pick it up they had welded the bracket back on and gussetted it and they had did the other side as well. They didn't ask for anything and told us they just wanted to help out. I sent a letter to azgfd thanking them, I hope they didn't get in trouble, I DIDN'T MENTION THE EXPIRED TAG ON THE TRAILER, but I know those rangers couldn't have missed it. About three years ago I had a rifle javalina tag, about five days before the hunt I tore a hamstring, my backside was black and blue from my lower back to my ankle, I couldn't walk hardly at all, but I decide to go hunting, I was driving the roads and would stop and glass in spots, I had my brother with me to help out, I was stopped by a game warden to check my tag, he tells me its illegal to road hunt, I say I know but I can't really walk and I was pretty much not expecting to get anything anyways, i just wasn't going to waste a planned trip, he asked why I couldn't walk and I tell him, he says your kidding right, so I pulled my pant leg up to my knee, he at that point started telling me the best places to glass from the road and where else I might try even though it was raining off and on and they weren't moving around much. I didn't get one that year. Just a couple of times I have been helped out by game wardens, though it sure isn't normally the case. When I was 16 I got my truck stuck at Lake Pleasant and had two park officers tell me they couldn't pull me out with their new Blazers with winches and they couldn't give me a ride to the ranger station, that was in 86 before the new Lake Pleasant, I was in the very back of the lake on a weekday, I had to walk to the old ranger station by the lower lake and call my Dad to come and pull me out. Theres good and bad in all professions, but one bad one can ruin it for the rest, because I am still ticked off thinking about that one.

I agree coueshunter, nice works rembrandt, keep it up.

I got mine yesterday also.