Red Rabbit

Congrats Tessa on a nice buck with mass.

Yes Mike, there is only The One, the hallowed 6.5 Creedmoor. All the others like the 6.5x284, 6.5 WSM, 6.5 RPM, 26 Nosler, 6.5-06, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 SS, 6.5-300WBY, 6.5x55, 6.5 Grendel, 264 WM, 6.5 Rem Mag, 260 Rem, 6.5x47, 6.5 Jap, 6.5 BR, et al are mere mortals and wallow in its wake. 😉

Are you looking for 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC ammunition?

wait for a December tag, or go to Mexico

Congrats to your son and you on a real nice buck. With that length of hike in, did you pack in a camp for the weekend?

fithunter, congrats on the success with your first bull permit

0.14" precipitation here in Flagstaff and a whopping 3" snow on the mountain

I have been told that a flashing LED light and ultrasonic sound messes with the vermin's mind and keeps them away.

Congrats on the family double

Try as many as you can to find a model that fits you. For quail, you may prefer a 20 over 12 gauge. I used a 28 and preferred it over my 12 in terms of weight and recoil.

Many of us post our hunt stories with photos in separate threads, but I thought it would be nice if we would post just our grip-n-grin photos in one place too so that we could also see them all together in one place. So post em up. Here is mine from an early rifle cow hunt.

Congrats on a very nice first Coues. I'd be taking it to a taxidermist too. The grillings look trophy grade too.

I sure like mine. A new one arrived in the mail yesterday as the old one went with a pack I sold. $36 well spent. https://kifaru.net/store/accessories/gun-bearers/

Congrats on the tom. Maybe consider Wild Heritage

If you will be turning turrets, based on these results, one might avoid Leupold, all Vortex except the Razor, IOR. SWFA has a good rep, but none were listed on the test. https://www.snipershide.com/precision-rifle/scope-tracking-test-results-2020/ Under $1k, you might look at the SWFA, Tract Toric, Bushnell LRHS/LRTS, Nightforce SHV

Enjoy your hunt with your son. I sure did enjoy the hunt in 35A several years ago.

Looks like I'll be hunting Butterballs in the frozen food aisle this spring

I'd ditch the S&W and the digiscope

With deer seasons underway, just a reminder that the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests are still under stage one fire restrictions. https://gcmaz.com/stage-one-fire-restrictions-to-remain-in-place-until-possibly-the-end-of-november/

Clover drew her first elk permit for a mid-October rifle cow in northern Arizona. She made a few trips to the range to test handloads and sight in the rifle over the summer. We arrived in the unit a couple of days before the hunt to check range conditions and water sources. Feed looked rather brown and crispy, only one earthen tank had water, and that left only the trick tanks with water that had been hauled by various critter groups. Our driest summer on record had its effects. The plan was to still hunt and sit various draws and ridges in hopes of catching the elk moving to and from water. No sense in battling the other permit holders for sitting within rifle distance of water. The morning’s hunt plan went out the window on the night before the opener as bulls were bugling all around camp the entire night. So Clover led the way walking from camp the next morning in hopes of zeroing in on a bugling bull and his harem. After seeing a six point bull cross a small opening into the thick pinyon-juniper, we followed to see a couple of small bulls but no cows. This was her first time to see elk at under 20 yards. The bulls became silent at about 7:30 AM. The first evening of the hunt was spent watching a well-trodden trail though the thick P-J leading to a water source a quarter mile away, but all that was noticed was the tromping of hooves of presumably feral horses, of which there are more of each year in the hunt unit. That night, the bulls were bugling around camp again, so Clover walked a mile from camp to sit an opening in hopes of catching some elk crossing towards their bedding area. About 15 minutes after sunrise, a cow and her calf ran across behind some small pines about 300 yards away, but no shot opportunity arose. Several minutes later, another cow entered the clearing and was angling towards us. While waiting for her to clear a small cluster of pines, another single cow appeared much closer about 100 yards away. As she walked into an opening between two trees, a quick cow vocalization stopped her which allowed for a quick shot behind the shoulder. The cow ran about 40 yards before circling and dropping. After gathering up the gun and pack and heading to the elk, Clover got to supervise the field dressing of her first elk. The 124 grain Hammer hunter bullet from the 6.5 WSM entered through some muscle on the back of the shoulder, though an onside rib, though an offside rib and scapula, and exited. Meat loss was minimal around the bullet path. One of the petals of the all copper bullet was found under the far side hide. As the gutless method of dressing was used, the internal trauma was not checked. (Clover is my 1 1/2 year old GWP).

As dry as it is, I think water will be key. Consider putting a cam on the water if you are sitting during the hunt, and check if/when elk are coming in. I stopped in an outfitter friend's camp several years ago. Their cams showed the bulls were watering at noon, but their late archery hunters wanted to be in camp eating lunch (weird choice). Regarding the bow, friend's wife double lunged with complete penetration her bull with a 45 pound bow.

On my cow hunt two years ago, I saw more feral horses than elk, and only 2 cow elk at that.

Another option that I have been thinking about is to have a mini barricade bag with lightweight fill (like this: https://wiebad.com/whiskey-charlie-mini-fortune-cookie/ ) that one can rest atop the tripod, log, rock, or pack and have a consistent rest.

I often have the 27" Harris attached. I find the extra 2" over the common 25" handy when sitting. A set of crossed sticks under the rifle butt really helps with steadiness too. https://www.harrisbipods.com/HB25CS.php?

Rica had some good hunting adventures with us. Hope Clover can fill those shoes.