Flatlander

Man, sure wish I was hiking in the dark this morning instead of getting on the freeway headed to work.

For those of you who are interested there are two articles in Eastman's Hunting Journal this month about another member and I's antelope hunts from last September. The first one is on page 40 titled "Divine Providence" which details the taking of a buck that I scouted, missed and then ended up passing on later in the hunt. That buck scored just over 85". The second article "The Last Chapter" and is about the goat that I took that scored 88-4/8". I journal-ed that hunt from draw results to the first steaks last year in this forum. I was excited to make it in a mag, because as a young man I aspired to be an outdoor writer. I guess this feels like in some small measure I have accomplished that. The hunt was filled with many CWT folks who contributed along the way and a couple who went all the way with me right down to the pack out (which was surprisingly difficult). So if you are interested take a peak at the Oct - Nov issue for thee full stories.

My attitude about New Mexico can be summarized by a slogan on a t shirt I once saw . . . New Mexico, just like the old one. But recently I have been given reason to wonder, what do NM guys love about their state? So I'd like to hear from their perspective, what do people in New Mexico have better than people in AZ?

Glad it worked out for you guys and that we didn't run them all out of the country.

Thanks everybody. Guess now I need to figure out which kennetrek's to go get. Maybe I will start a thread on that.

Great to see a family enjoying the outdoors together. Sounds like a full weekend of great activities.

Anybody know a decent one?

Thanks guys. I sent Jim a text, since Shane is up on the strip.

My very first hunting memories also involve a van. She'll never forget it.

Sir Royal should become your new best friend

Just don't call him during his Taekwondo lesson

AZ is a great place for opportunity if you want to get out and hunt. The challenge comes if you are set on having the best hunts for each species. Strip and Kaibab deer tags take most of a lifetime to draw, so do early rifle bull elk tags, rifle antelope and sheep, most buffalo hunts and the very best early archery bull tags. If you want to hunt archery antelope, most archery bull, December coues, or the other good mule deer tags then it's a several year wait between tags. But every single year you can hunt Spring and Fall bear, fall turkey, most mule deer and almost all non rut whitetail hunts, archery deer for all of January, 3 weeks in August/September and 2 weeks in December. As well as mountain lion and other predators. Some cow elk hunts can be drawn every year, most late rifle bull tags can be drawn every few years. Archery deer overlaps in January with archery javelina which is one of the best hunts of the year with rutting deer and stink pigs both on the hit list. I love AZ and when I lived in ID I couldn't stop thinking of ways to get back. Your first elk rut on AZ will absolutely blow your mind. It's like nothing else. Good luck and hit us up.

PM me

If you want that title you are go to have to come only home floor and take it from me. Last year I hung up my 10th straight unfilled pig tag. I think 2015 was the pinnacle of bad hunting, 6 days in the field without a single stanker spotted.Oh, and just filled out my app for 2016. Here's to 0-12. Hope I didn't put in your unit!!!! It has nothing to do with the unit, I promise.

If you want that title you are go to have to come on to my home floor and take it from me. Last year I hung up my 10th straight unfilled pig tag. I think 2015 was the pinnacle of bad hunting, 6 days in the field without a single stanker spotted. Oh, and just filled out my app for 2016. Here's to 0-12.

Totally awesome!

Lots of what my buddies and i call Idaho wall hangers. Not many typical AZ Bulls this early in the year this low.

Easy guy. You said they were a tool for the lazy and unconfident, so don't pretend to be all shocked when someone swings back. Your first comment stated you want them BANNED because they allow someone (usually a kid, in your words) to make a shot and then their dad brags about what they did at some xx yardage. If you haven't used one, maybe you should try it. Perhaps on bedded game with a heavy duty tripod (which someone had to lug into the back country and place in front of an animal that someone had to find) and perfect head it is a robotic arm, so what. The kid gets excited cause he has a story to tell instead of being frustrated or embarrassed and his or her dad gets to brag on their kid a little. And from experience, I can tell you most folks who use one, are not using it the way you are referring to. That was an ignorant thing to say. That is all I have to say about that. We have elk to kill, hopefully in the morning, hopefully we get to use THE CLAW. Trphyhntr - I will reiterate my previous point. I come prepared and make use of whatever I have at my disposal at the time. Kind of like Lance, everything from rocks, to tripods, to my buddies shoulder once (.270 with a brake, bad idea). You don't do all that hard work to get an opportunity just to watch it slip between your fingers.

how do you figure? if a kid can't make an ethical shot without the aid of one of those, it's time to get that kid back to the range until he is confident in making a good shot on an animal. I myself am a HUGE advocate of getting kids out there and hunting and i volunteer a lot of time to take kids on their first hunt and love every minute of it, but do not condone the use of those things. they are a tool for the lazy and unconfident. So you dislike a tool because it helps kids harvest game and then their dad brags about them? That takes the Delta Bravo award for this year. Out of curiosity, have you used a claw or triclawpse? Cause with mine on my tripod you sure as crap can't just lock it down and pull the trigger.

this weekend my wife (who is a hobbit) will have the trifecta going. A Caldwell bipod with short legs for prone shots, the triclawps available if she needs to sit or stand and I carry the shooting sticks in my pack at all times for rush situations. With kids and other new hunters I have learned to be prepared. Two years ago on her cow hunt we had elk at 118 yds first thing opening morning but when she went to sit down to shoot from the sticks she couldn't see over the grass. By the time she got set up the elk were gone. Lesson learned. This year we will have the tripod ready to slam down for that situation.

Borrow mine any time you needI could store it in your gun case. it is in backseat btw just keep forgetting When is your gf's elk hunt?

No jr's for us this year. But wifey has a general cow tag.

Borrow mine any time you need

The wife shot 200 yd metal from a standing position on her first shot last week. These are the best rests around.

Look at those back ends, awesome bull Bob. Hope it was everything you dreamed it would be.