apache12

Ok so I'm new to bow hunting and I knew it wouldn't be easy but wow is this tough I have an area that I am having good luck glossing bucks but I am getting busted every time. It's fun I admit and I'm learning but still can't see how spot and stalk works. My last bust was a bedded 3x3 that was 1/3 from the top of the ridge and the approach from across the canyon was wide open. I came from back side so I would be from top down but the changed and was blowing down to him. So I came in at an angle at it was so fun arrow nocked heart pounding got to 30 yards and sun was dropping he wouldn't get up. Finally I either made noise or he got wind and stood up and kept the mesquite between us and took off I have had two other stalks and they are pretty similar outcomes. Ant tricks of the trade for open country stalks? I was thinking I should have tossed a pebble on the other side to see if he would push to me but it would still be a tough shot on the move which I'm not skilled enough to take Two more weeks

So my 10 year old has a jr tag this Week in 21 and i have been struggling to find pig or sign off dugas road and thankfully Desert Bull on the site gave me some help Anyway yesterday i was off bloody basin and no seeing much sign when i ran into game and fish and i thought great now i can get some help from theses guys Well they both looked at me and said good luck. I talked to them for 15 min. And they really painted a poor picture. Great guys but wow scary outlook

So last week I posted a On this and the youth page about my frustration with scouting for three weeks For my 10 year olds first hunt and I had awesome help from guys on the site. Thank you Hunt recap I ended up staying dugas road despite some other tempting spots and we could only hunt for two days due to work and such. So first morning I put my glass up and right into 10 cow elk going up a ridge my boy had a blast watching them. Not wanting to keep him on the glass for more than few hours we started to hike some and I showed him game trails and beds, feeding digs and scat. Needless to say our hiking got slower as he now had to point out each bed and sign along the way so funny Then we found the back end of a deer hind end that looked like a mtn lion kill. No more pigs that day but we had a great camp night and great chow Next morning we watched a number of does and that kept us on the glass until 10:30 and he was getting bored. As I extended my glassing distance I glassed pigs three ridges over and at the limit of my 15x50 vortex. I showed my boy and he said " let's go". Well I tried to explain that we couldn't make a hike in less than and hour and a half and by then they'd be gone. He said "let's go". I said we could see if the road we drove yesterday would get us close and then hike the ridge and pray we find them. He said "let's go". So we did and in about 20 min on a rough road we found a jeep road that got us to the ridge. Fortunately the pigs had flopped over the ridge in a spot of easy to spot yellow grass. We loaded up and the boy dragged me up the ridge. So now at 40 min since we saw the pigs with the wind at our back I thought our chances were low. I glassed out the other side thinking I'd see them 500 yrds out and going away. I didn't. So our plan was to move to the yellow grass where the ridge flattened out and then work down a spine that seemed would make sense they'd follow I showed my boy about stalking slow and easy and feel what's under his feet so not to break a stick and to check for lose rocks and we made a quiet stalk but again a bad wind at our back As we approached the grassy opening I scanned the field and stepped out from the junipers and field erupted pigs stood up around the field 20 yrds away. They had bedded in the grass and it was so tall we couldn't see them. I quick set my tripod down that I had already set for his standing shooting height (learned that on my two older boy hunts). His rifle was in my scabbard and his claw was on with a quick release to snap on the tripod. I struggled to pull the rifle out and we lost valuable time I got the rifle set and the pigs were now 50 yrds away or more and he couldn't get one on the scope. He swung the rifle back and forth trying to find a pig as I stood over him trying to guide him in. No luck they were moving quick and in tall grass I was ready though I reached into my cargo pocket and pulled my j13 call ( not having used one before but I did watch videos and did practice) I hit the call thinking this was a perfect time to have them circle back. There was about 10 pigs and one with two piglets surely they would come in. Nope they hauled the mail faster. I couldn't believe it. Then I hear me boy say dad I'm on one. Dad he stopped As look down range I see one lone pig about 120 yrds away and it turn broadside to look back I suspect at the call. Then I hear "click". And my boys says dad the safety is on. I reach down click the safety and we look up and the pig is gone. In desperation I hit the call and we run down the slope to see if we can see them in the thick cats claw and scrub oak. Nothing. Nothing. Surely they must be near nope nothing Oh the painful look on my 10 year old I put my arm around him And say " great hunt". Great hunt indeed. We glassed at a distance we made a plan and executed the plan and made a good stalk in poor conditions and did all we could to act fast in a tough surprise. Could an adult or older boy mak an off hand shot. Yep. But he did the best he could and I sort of glad he saw how tough it is Maybe to have success first out he wouldn't appreciate the hunt. Anyway we are back for a day hunt wed afternoon off bloody basin because it close and then day hunt on Saturday. I hope we have as much fun Many thanks to all who responded to my frustration. Great people on this site If you haven't hunted with a youngster try and make it happen. I made mistakes with my older boys and finally learned that there is so much more to show youth hunter that you almost forget the harvest. And their exuberance to go for it even when your experience says it wont happen keeps you young. Thx

Thanks. It will be fun its my youngest boys first hunt so success is going to be gauged in smiles. I hope we find some just so we can talk about our plan of how to stalk in. Harvest will just be a bonus but i do hope we see some for his fun

Started 10 yr on a 17hmr accutrigger and then has the save savage accurtigger in 223 for pigs. Good trigger transition My 14 has a 243 that he got when he was 12. Shot a mule deal with Hornsby custom lite 243 ammo. Recoil is like 223 My 16 has a 7-08 for cow elk

Thx. Worth a try. Appreciate it

So my 10 year old has his first hunt this weekend in 21. Admittedly I have not hunted pig in 21. I normally hunt pigs down south and have had good success for myself and older boys. I guess my point is that I know their habitat and tendency but I'm frustrated in 21 I have scouted the last three weekends. Of dugas road and also north of dugas toward cordes. No luck and no sign at all. I have glassed for hours. Seen some decent bucks and had fun learning bow hunting I spoke to a few other guys and they were having trouble in the area too Worked table Mesa from 17 to seven springs yesterday and it's just to busy for me. Half the fun for me is hiking and glassing with my boys. So even if he doesn't tag I'm fine he will have fun learning but I would sure like to help him at least have the fun of a stalk So just stay the course in the dugas area? Or am I looking for something not there? Tough to put the time in behind the glass and feel no more knowledgable today than three weeks ago Not looking for anyone's secrecy spot just that folks know I'm in the right area and I should stay the course Thanks

Thx desert bull. Like along the dry river that runs parallel to I 17?

So my 10 year old has his first hunt this weekend in 21. Admittedly I have not hunted pig in 21. I normally hunt pigs down south and have had good success for myself and older boys. I guess my point is that I know their habitat and tendency but I'm frustrated in 21 I have scouted the last three weekends. Of dugas road and also north of dugas toward cordes. No luck and no sign at all. I have glassed for hours. Seen some decent bucks and had fun learning bow hunting I spoke to a few other guys and they were having trouble in the area too Worked table Mesa from 17 to seven springs yesterday and it's just to busy for me. Half the fun for me is hiking and glassing with my boys. So even if he doesn't tag I'm fine he will have fun learning but I would sure like to help him at least have the fun of a stalk So just stay the course in the dugas area? Or am I looking for something not there? Tough to put the time in behind the glass and feel no more knowledgable today than three weeks ago Not looking for anyone's secrecy spot just that folks know I'm in the right area and I should stay the course Thanks

Wow. Based on what you guys are saying i was almost sprinting in there. Never thought about my shadow but remember looking at it and thinking how long it was. Like the butt race idea so if light is fading. Best to bed it and try in the am? Or does that depend on moon and if they will feed at night I need to slow down and enjoy this a bit more and practice shooting off knees. I'm always thrilled when i take an animal with my rifle but how ever many years it takes to take an animal with a bow is going to be a entirely different emotion Thanks for the pointers.

So I'm new to bow hunting but not hunting. I have never hunted the rut because I only rifle hunted previously Yesterday I glassed up a nice buck with 5 does that we're heading f around the top of a mountain. The wind was wrong so I looped all the way around until I was about 1000 yards down wind from where I hoped they were going to feed or bed. I glassed up 4 does at the top of the mountain actually just under the top. I couldn't see see the buck so I watched until they bedded and then backed out off the mountain and took a route that would put me on a shelf about 200 yards below them and I thought I would glass for the buck or wait until they got up. This is high desert and juniper country and there was a thick group of junipers that I would use as my last cover to get where I wanted glass Any way I took a real slow stalk and when I was right in the thickest part of the junipers I kicked an animal. I say animal because I never saw it but my first thought was that I had kicked an elk because of the size of the sound the animal was maybe 20 or 30 yrds and I also smelled a strong oder of what I thought smelled like elk Do mule deer stink during the rut? I was thinking I either really kicked elk or the buck bedded away from the does 200 yards below in the thick juniper. It sounded like two animals or one got up kicked and then stopped to check and left again. Or. Did I kick females that where in heat? I'm bummed I didn't get closer but it was a blast. I learned a bunch. Like maybe I should have had my bow in hand rather then in my pack. I just didn't expect it to be there. And I think I will wait next time until I find the buck even if that means I wait it out for a few hours Any advice? Should I have sat tight or what another rather than come from the bottom up come from the top down? But top down would have had my wind wrong If the bucks are with does. Should I have tried a rattle or grunt?

so since I posted this I went to a few shops read a bunch and shot a few bows. Bowhunters are a funny group is one thing I learned. By funny I mean they will argue everything, in a good way, but everyone has an opinion it so funny. They will fight over which quiver or field point to use. Anyway, the high end shops really seem to look down at the low end package bows, and maybe they know more but I felt pretty uncomfortable in those shops unless I was going to spend $1300 I went to Sportsmans Sunday to buy the Brute because it was no tax weekend. I brought my 16 year old son who is the same height as me So while Im there he says can I shoot it too? Well of course I say. Bad move. So I learned that even though we are the same size we are not the same bow set up. Anyway, we decided that the PSE Stinger package for $299 was the smart move, its highly adjustable in both draw and weight. Plan is that if he shoots with me the next month leading up to Jan hunt and truly gets hooked. The bow is his and I can adjust it for him and I have a 14 year old and 10 year old boy so this can be passed down to them. If he doesn't shoot it I'm still happy with it It is 6fps slower than the Brute it 's a bit louder, and the draw isn't quite as smooth as the Brute, but I'm out the door with bow fully set, arrows, target for $419 for a bow that I hope to get my boys hooked on boy hunting with Most shops liked Bear but did say the PSE is bit better quality, but nothing bad about Bear. Also, if I so go get a bow after giving this to my son, I think I'll actually go up to the Sinister. The Stinger and Brute are very similar in machining and cams, and limbs, when you go to the Sinister you take a step up in all areas. Bottom line, bows have come a long way in 15 years, I bought the cheapest bow package out there and if still has an IPO of 314, it has smooth draw I nice let off and doesn't jump forward when fired. I know its a far cry from real high end quality bows, but wow you get a lot of bow for $300

Im looking to get back into bow hunting and found both of these bows for around the same price new I used to own a PSE and liked fine but i hear good things about this bear legion Am i splitting hairs or is one bow or company better

sold

This is my lightly used Axis in 223. No scratches Shoots straight. I broke the barrel in nice and slow No rings I bought a 243 and just dont shoot this anymore I know they are $350 new plus tax Id like $300. Any less and i find it harder to part with

do either of them need any work done, that you're aware of? 4x2?

just read online that the cam must be replaced to achieve different draw length no need to reply thanks

is draw length adjustable?

send me your email or pm

yes I do

my son has the jr hunt this weekend on Kiabab and we scouted last weekend and there was plenty of deer in the higher Pine country. I understand the deer migrate down to the lower juniper as soon as the first snow. The hunt is Friday and today and tomorrow they are supposed to get 2 inches of snow. Anyone have any idea how quickly the deer move lower? Kinda bummed if my scouting trip was a waste and now I'll be working a new area. Thanks

thanks for the feedback. We stayed high and hunted the scouted areas. first day had heavy fog and lots of road hunters moved the deer around and blew out spots. Late afternoon set up in the burn and glassed some at 225 yrds perfect set up and just about to shoot when a truck came down the road and busted them. Oh well, that's hunting. Next AM he passed on two shots that he could have taken but waited a bit to long for the perfect shot and they busted. That PM he had that shot he wanted and took this nice doe with a good quick kill from his 243. It's the first doe hunt we've been on and while a nice buck is always a bit more challenging, these doe hunts are a great way to get them hooked. Can't wait to take my 10 year old on his first doe hunt.

this isn't really a Long Rang question but I thought the people involved in long range shooting might have good opinions. If I was shooting no farther than 500 yards does it make more sense to spend the same dollars on a lower glass quality higher power scope or a higher quality lower power? I'd really like to get a Zeiss Conquest HD5 in 3x15x42 but I think I'd have to settle for the Zeiss Conquest 4x14x40. Or would it be better to get a lesser quality longer range like a Weaver Grand Slam 6x20x40? I guess is 6x20 overkill for only shooting to 500?

I have a nikon rifleman 550 brown not camo used but perfect with box for $200 it has the incline decline feature

$300 Firm Like new condition, no scratches, might be some scuff from mounting but lenses are crystal clear. 1/8 inch adjustment Rocky Mtn Elk addition adjustable objective 1 inch tube Made in Japan Box and papers included In N. Phx ballistic drop reticle