Flatlander

Oh my goodness . . . I have hunted these deer my entire life and never put eyes on a deer like that. That is probably the coolest coues I have ever seen, but I have a thing for big 4 points (and big 2 points, ok maybe just big deer). That buck is awesome congrats on a trophy of a lifetime.

Glad you were able to finally make a trip down there. I know it's been on your bucket list for a while. Cool birds!

Matches.

Having lived in Idaho I will say this, anyone trying to beat some common sense into the hippies involved with organizing the wolf reintroduction programs is someone we need to partner with. The fact that there is no goal for the total number of wolves needed to delist the wolves is a huge red flag. In ID it took years of litigation to finally get them delisted, by that time they had completely taken over some areas and its now nearly impossible to even dent their population. And Idaho is a state where steel traps are legal and multiple wolves can be taken each year. Sportsmen need to stick together on this one.

Sent you a text earlier then realized it was already after 9 sort bout that.

I am no wildlife biologist but there are a few things I would attribute some of these differences to: 1. A lack of high elevation summer range with abundant high nutrient browse. 2. The number of predators. AZ does not have an aggressive predator management program and the mild winters do not create large scale kill offs that sometimes occur in colder climates. 3. Management. AZ has specific areas where they manage for quality and the vast majority of areas are utilized to appease the level of "opportunity" the department sees fit. I think our antelope populations are a good example of amazing for quality, not quantity, while maintaining opportunity. I think our habitat could definitely support bigger lope herds but it would require aggressive predator management and reduced tag numbers.

Watch camo fire. They have been selling 8x42 Minox for 249. Best bino in that price range by a long shot.

Enjoy it. I have pushed too hard too many times and consequently haven't spent any time in the field with my dad or brother for 3 years. I wanted so badly to be successful I forgot what success was. Won't make that's stake with my kids. Congrats on a successful trip.

Congrats on a great accomplishment. Very cool looking deer.

January is the dead heat of the rut there. Deer get pretty dispersed just due to the rut. They move a lot and should be pretty visible but will be tough to pattern. Deer don't really migrate from there but if there is a lot of snow they might move out of the pines.

Totally awesome. Also a goal of mine, congrats!

Holy cow! That deer is a beast. Good work man. And I for one was kind of happy to hear about a deer that was killed at less than 500 yds. Congratulations on 2 deer of a lifetime!

Way to recover John. We have all put our foot in our mouth a time or two. Hope the scope sells.

Ooh seeing those field pictures had to sting a little. There was a particular buck I had my heart set on once and I never found him. Every time I see a pic from that unit now my heart stops for a second. Congrats on some great finds and good luck on finding another beast.

PM Sent

DC outfitters does a bunch of mule back hunts in there every year. I would check with the sponsors on this site for sure. Lots of good outfitters.

Put him on the ground and I will be happy to.

I don't even see this as questionable. I have seen a few coues die at the hands of a 22-250. And even one with a .22 mag. I have also killed 4 elk with a .270 without the slightest amount of trouble. Just because everyone likes to pack around a cannon doesn't mean it's necessary.

Impressive performance today by the kitties against the feared Cal Bears. They will be knocking on the door of the top 100 after that achievement.

I love everything but the hat. Congratulations!

+1

I would blame it on the wolves!

+1 Coach. Growing up I thought my dad loved hunting as much as I did. Turns out he just loved me.

Easy big fella, no need to jump to any conclusions. Check out this thread with recent posts and it will be clear why I asked you if it was yours: http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/36516-hornady-superformance-powder-for-270-win/ You youngsters, always worried about someone challenging your honor or something.

I go back and forth. Usually I end up hiking more and sleeping less. Those long hikes in the dark really start to wear on your psyche after a while though. As a kid I remember road hunting a lot, what happened to those days?