Elkhunter1

I will start this story with my Dec. Archery deer hunt. Several times while chasing a monster Coues I would glass up a herd of 12 to 16 Javelina on the same hill. As the hunt drew closer I returned one more time to check on the "stinkers" and found them on the same hill. With confidence I left them alone for the last several weeks prior to the opener. Opening day found me up early eager to get in the field. I checked my gear as I did the nite before, loaded and headed out for what was going to be my best hunt. I got two Ultra Pro X cameras for Christmas and they were ready to capture all the action from their mounts on my PSE Brute. I arrive at the parking spot and find there is not only another hunting party just up the road but there is several more in the surrounding area....where did they all come from.... Never seen any others during Dec. or the subsequent scouting trip. I do my best to remain optimistic and push on to the hill they were always on. After glassing one side I move around to get to the other and step right in the middle of a few Javelina... juveniles... where did the adults go. I found lots of sign and beds, even a small cave they had used but I spent the rest of the day and Saturday trying to locate the main herd without hide nor hair seen. I must have covered 8 miles and returned to the spot I harvested a pig two years earlier and just three ridges from the hill. On the advice of my brother I found myself in a new area glassing until my eyes bugged out and started seeing EVERYTHING move. With the wind not in my favor I decided to circle around the canyon and work it from the north. After parking the truck I made a plan to work a zigzag pattern along each ridge to keep the wind in my face and cover as much ground as I could. (not wanting to miss any potential beds) Not 50 yards from the truck I was finding fresh sign. After working the first ridge I found a good vantage point and decided to pull out the 20X60's to glass under every Juniper bush and Mesquite tree. As I set up my tripod I glanced over my left shoulder and said to myself, "that Juniper looks really good" I decided to glass the downwind side of the canyon first. After about an hour without any movement I repositioned and glassed that Juniper in the back of the canyon and they were right there the whole time. With my plan in place I moved in from the east, within the hour I was just 100 yards from the Juniper. I dropped my pack, turned on the cameras and moved into place. Before I could get into the open for the shot at least two of the pigs had gotten up and was feeding up the ridge. Like a ghost another pig rose up from a Catclaw just 27 yards in front of me. The pig turned and gave me the perfect broadside shot. With the cameras on I raised up, drew back and settled the 20/30 yard pin behind the front shoulder. The pig stepped forward forcing me to reposition for a clear shot, I released and the arrow hit TEN yards before the target....WTF. More pigs than I knew was there bolted up and over the ridge. After locating my arrow and confirming my fear I walked to the top and was unable to spot them. As I was returning to retrieve my pack I heard something below, another pig was still there. After all the noise I had made and being downwind he waited until I cleared the immediate area and walked over the ridge to join his buddies. Not knowing what was wrong with my bow the rest of the day was spent trying to relocate them in the hopes to get a shot with my Taurus 99. With my work schedule I spent the next week trying to determine what if anything at all was wrong with my bow, shooting in the back yard after dark. My bow was shooting off two inches high and three to the left. The following Saturday I decided to enter the canyon from the east. I worked the ridges finding lots of sign but no bodies that made it. I decided to return to the same glassing spot and started glassing by looking under the same Juniper.....and ....there they were under the same one from last Sunday. With the wind the same as last time I decided to move in from the other ridge to the west. After working my way to within 50 yards the wind did what it always does changed and the pigs were gone over the ridge headed into the same canyon they escaped me last week. After letting them calm down for a couple of hours and not being able to glass them up I started to work the ridges where they went. I found their tracks in the wash bottom and started to track them. I found myself in a steep bottom with only one way up, a Granite rock face with a 40* incline. As I topped the rock face I was confronted by a very large boar at 12 yards. I readied my bow as he woofed and popped his teeth attempting to intimidate me. At 12 yards in the Catclaw I had NO shot with my bow and I watched him walk off. I took two steps to my right and another boar took up the intimidation. Knowing I had no shot with my bow and being physically beat I put my bow down and unholstered my 9mm, it was time to let it feed. With one quick well placed shot through the Catclaw I had a pig down. With another hunt completed it was getting dark and i was looking at over a mile hike out mostly uphill. After getting back to the original ridge they were on I was able to make several texts advising a heavy packout I received a call from my dad concerned I was hurt as I never called in like I usually did. After the call it was completely dark. I turned on my headlamp and immediately heard voices in spanish below my position and between me and my truck. With 3/4 of a mile to go I quickly turned off the light and scrambled about 50 yards to the east. Only able to get a text out to my moms phone I started to move through the Catclaw and Cactus. I noticed two subjects quietly moving towards me with tactical overtones, stopping behind Junipers and Cactus. Fearing for my safety and not being able to complete a phone call I decided to fire a round way over their heads and make a hastily retreat. After an hour of circling around I finally made to my truck where I found my ice chest had been raided and all of my water was gone. When I finally made it into cell range and I got ahold of my parents I learned my dad was on the phone with Border Patrol and they had several reports of the drug mules I apparently ran into. Two smuggling groups in the last few years on opposite ends of the mountain range, it seems like I am better at getting into contact with them than I am at getting shots Coues Deer.

Had I seen a gun the story would have been written differently besides I was carrying three extra clips with me.

Southbound Rita rd just past the R/R tracks. I was in the red Toyota on the roadside.

Not a big deal, some people get more nervous when you say they raided a camp than a truck. I just don't want others to NOT enjoy the beauty of Southern Arizona.

No camp, just the back of my truck.

This April 16th we will be holding the second annual Shoot at the Ben Avery range. Last year we raised over $31,000 for the H.O.P.E Team. We are looking to double the numbers this year come out and enjoy!!!! https://www.facebook...88559094567715/

Who can make it? Everybody has been affected by cancer in one way or another. Take the day, have fun, maybe win a raffle prize and HELP raise money for the families of cancer victums.

I was not sure how heavily armed they were and I wanted them to know I was. The retreat was to move from where the muzzle flash was so if the fired I was not where they saw me fire from. One must think tactically when they find themselves in these situations.

This April 16th we will be holding the second annual Shoot at the Ben Avery range. Last year we raised over $31,000 for the H.O.P.E Team. We are looking to double the numbers this year come out and enjoy!!!! https://www.facebook.com/groups/481806725242957/permalink/988559094567715/

Well TJ I do look forward to chasing them each year, it seems to be the only animal I get a tag for that I can sneak up on. Coues deer don't want to play lately. lol

https://www.facebook.com/ExtremeFabrications/videos/580534145445953/?video_source=pages_finch_main_video

SWHACKERS!!!! There is a model made for crossbows, but you can use any one they make.

Nice, now you need a pig to shoot next month.

You might be right but You'd have a hard time convincing me of that right now. You could have at least MADE biscuits! lol

Use this one just sear for 5 minutes and add another cup to a cup and-a-half of water!! http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/47312-javelina-back-strap/

I guided my friend Daniel a couple of years ago not far from town and he downed his first ever big game animal. There is good bucks to be found before your hunting spots.

Looks like mine, except I have a sling on it. I snipe squirrels with mine out to 100 yards all the time! Great gun!!

I wanted to introduce all of my CWT family to my complete Portable Bow Station. This station is a two person and will collapse to 32" and fold to less that 6" with a width of 18" This station weighs less that 14 Lbs and comes with a detachable drink holder that can hold a 32 Oz Gatorade. Bull Basin Tucson has them for sale or you can contact me to place your order. They will sell for $89.99 Bows not included

Screw off woody wood pecker .... I will speak my mind as a Hunter any day I feel like it ... LIBERAL now that is some funny BS right there .... It is ignorant Hunters bending and ignoring rules that give hunter a bad name ... IS your vagina hurting .. is it that time of the month for you ? THIS SITE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY MORE WHINERS AND CRY BABIES THAN A HOSPITAL NURSERY ! Notice to Hunters NOTICE TO HUNTERS Tree stands are permitted if they do not cause resource damage i.e. cutting limbs, putting nails and bolts into trees or any other permanent alteration/injury to trees or surrounding vegetation. Tree stands need to be removed after daily use. Tree stands left unoccupied for any extended period of time is prohibited. Title 36 CFR 261.9(a) and 262.13. Currently there is no specific regulation regarding game cameras left in the forest. The forest service does not recommend leaving any property in the forest. Game cameras have been frequently reported stolen. There are new rules for motor vehicle use on the Forest. All motor vehicles must stay on designated roads and trails as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Driving off of designated roads for elk retrieval is allowed in Game Management Units 6A, 6B, 7E, 7W, and 8; but driving off of designated roads for game retrieval is not allowed under any circumstances in game units 5A, 5BN, 5BS, or 11M. You can get an electronic copy of the map, which shows all of the designated routes here or get a hard copy of the map at any Coconino National Forest office and most of the outdoor retail stores around Flagstaff. The Forest strongly suggests using the map on your Garmin GPS or smartphone. Instructions on how to do this are located here. So this posting FROM the Forest Service is wrong "according to you" hmm sounds like you need to re-read what the FS publishes each year!!!!!! No offense Elkhunter .... Not accurate at all and not the rules ... I posted the national rules on the other thread ... I have not ever said you can not hang them and I have friends that do ... What I pointed out out and as what you posted says They are considered personal property and fall in as abandoned after 24 hours ( up to 72 in some forests) .... There are The Main Rules and Each forest can also have specific rules and amendments ... That is for the Coconino Forest and their way of just saying we told you it was not recommended.... As personal property they also fall into the same rules as tree stands if you are cutting or bolting into live trees and if they are found by FS they will be removed and impounded seen them in the process in 23 2 years ago. You may look at my view as telling others what to do, and that is not the case ... but IMO if you know the rules , you know the type of society that wanders around on public lands you should take responsibility for taking the gamble to up your odds on Hunt week without being surprised and coming on to whine, piss and moan about things disappearing... We have been seeing these threads about missing cams pretty much since the forum started it just gets old seeing the rants and assumptions thrown around year after year attacking other hunters ... There are bad hunters with no ethics out there taking them , I am sure of that ... but they are not the only ones we all know that as well... From now on I will just say "AWE MAN... SHUCKS THAT SUCKS!!! " but of course it will be sarcasm. I know people are gambling leaving anything unattended on public land ....So, I do not really empathize , that is just me. As far as being called names because I have a different view than most, those that know me laugh as I do when they hear I am being called liberal , anti and all the other funny things by so many fine outstanding members ( the ones who lack the ability to debate so they insult). I hope those guys do not aim thier guns as bad as their insults or they will constantly be missing by a mile. So , woody ... It is all good. I do not take anything said here personal. Bad days happen. It looks like the FS is like every other Govt. agency. Says one thing and does another. IF I was to ever get an Elk tag again and I was to place cams out and the FS was to "impound" one, without clearly defined rules or procedures for impoundment the FS could deny any involvement by saying that is not policy while selling them off for "office" money!!!!

Screw off woody wood pecker .... I will speak my mind as a Hunter any day I feel like it ... LIBERAL now that is some funny BS right there .... It is ignorant Hunters bending and ignoring rules that give hunter a bad name ... IS your vagina hurting .. is it that time of the month for you ? THIS SITE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY MORE WHINERS AND CRY BABIES THAN A HOSPITAL NURSERY ! Notice to Hunters NOTICE TO HUNTERS Tree stands are permitted if they do not cause resource damage i.e. cutting limbs, putting nails and bolts into trees or any other permanent alteration/injury to trees or surrounding vegetation. Tree stands need to be removed after daily use. Tree stands left unoccupied for any extended period of time is prohibited. Title 36 CFR 261.9(a) and 262.13. Currently there is no specific regulation regarding game cameras left in the forest. The forest service does not recommend leaving any property in the forest. Game cameras have been frequently reported stolen. There are new rules for motor vehicle use on the Forest. All motor vehicles must stay on designated roads and trails as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Driving off of designated roads for elk retrieval is allowed in Game Management Units 6A, 6B, 7E, 7W, and 8; but driving off of designated roads for game retrieval is not allowed under any circumstances in game units 5A, 5BN, 5BS, or 11M. You can get an electronic copy of the map, which shows all of the designated routes here or get a hard copy of the map at any Coconino National Forest office and most of the outdoor retail stores around Flagstaff. The Forest strongly suggests using the map on your Garmin GPS or smartphone. Instructions on how to do this are located here. So this posting FROM the Forest Service is wrong "according to you" hmm sounds like you need to re-read what the FS publishes each year!!!!!!

Best news ever!!!!!!

You CAN'T peel my boxes!!!!!!! That is a fact! But, I have to hire a body builder to carry them into the woods for me! Love your work!! The last one i weighed was only 18lbs..... I hiked one of mine housing a wildview cam 3/4 of a mile mostly uphill and i am 45 weighing in at 205.

You CAN'T peel my boxes!!!!!!!

Kevin call me!

Not to harp but that looks like a Smith Corona 1903-A3, first manufactured in the early 40's to meet the demand for arms during WWII. The original manufacturer is Springfield. My dad has that exact rifle and it is a tack driver!!! Based on my search that rifle was manufactured in 1944