Red Rabbit

In reading how the high demand is determined, I see that too many of us Arizonan coues hunters are applying for unit 23 coues in NM and thus raised the cost on ourselves. In the last two years, the draw chances have really gone down. For the first hunt in 23 (excluding Burros), the NR unguided draw odds were 6.6% I would be inclined to think that the friendly former pharmacist from Flagstaff, boy george, was involved in the 12% NR guided allocation. Doug

You are in for a real treat with those buffalo steaks. Purty Sharps to take that red-headed buff. Bet there are a lot of guys that wished for that recovery vehicle behind the cockscombs on House Rock. Doug

Chris, I am still flinging carbons and cedars with compoungd and longbow, but with the Dec tag, I concentrated on the rifle this last year. I enjoy both bow and rifle. Now how to practice for that adrenaline rush when the buck finally steps out . I drew a general pig tag so I could hunt quail in Jan, so will likely take the longbow for that hunt, although a 22-250 is calling. Either method is enjoyable to me. Doug

How old are they? Are they the latter production that had the phase correction?

You are off to a good start this year also with a nice coues. Looks like you are a High Country fan. Welcome to CWT. Doug~RR

Mike, I agree with Tim in just getting higher scope rings. Or you could sand down the comb on the stock. It looks high enough to get in the way of the cleaning rod that you might need to clean from the muzzle and not the breech. Use a muzzle guide to protect the crown. Doug~RR

Gotta love it when your kids listen to you. Looks like the project turned out well. RR

A word of THANKS to Scout'm, SunDevil and FirstCoues who volunteered their time to come out and help glass during the hunt. Also to those of you who emailed and pm'd information about the unit. Hunting a different unit that one has never been in before can be both a daunting and enjoyable task. Having people on this site who will give valuable advice to those they have not met says a lot about the friends here. Vielen Dank Doug~RR

Bill, The incident I remember most vividly was when I was camped in the camping area at Russel Tank in unit 9 for an archery elk tag. Elk were bugling from all points of the compass, and I chose to follow the bugle that the wind favored. On another rifle elk hunt in 9, I was watching the elk in Peterson Flat before sunrise. As a Jeep drove along a road 1/4 mile from the open flat, the elk ran back into the trees. I feel that the sound of vehicles and atvs will often drive the critters into cover before they are seen. Since roads tend to go through most meadows/clearings, I tend to not hunt these as I figure a hunter driving to his spot, or a roadhunter, will drive the animals out before light. THus, I like to look at topos and google earth to find roadless clearings to walk to. I agree about camping in the clearings. My camps are usually in the trees so the elk and deer can feed the clearings at night. A quiet camp can be very unintrusive. I recall someone scouting a 190 muley in unit 7 one summer/fall several years ago. He had the buck patterned coming to one clearing to feed. Opening morning, he found a camp in that clearing. Fortunately, he still found and shot the buck, whose antlers were rubbed black from charred trees of the Hochderfer fire. Doug~RR

With Jimbo showing his new lab, Tony having a new girlfriend, and Amanda with a new drooling Julie, I figured we could all put some pics up of our best friends. Here is Rica, my German Wire-haired Pointer who acts as copilot/navigator on my trips to help me get lost. She already has mapped out directions to Montana to hunt pheasants and sharptails.

Chris, Seems strange seeing a pic of you with a rifle. Glad it came together for you on a very nice buck with ground swellage. BTW, trailer lights were never designed/meant to work except when DPS is behind you. Doug~RR

Congrats Phil! You are right that the method and moment add into trophy size. Hope you are able to get out and chase the bigger buck with the bow in Jan.

Clay, Sounds like a fun, exciting two days to start a fresh hunting year with your dad. Gotta beware of those charging, ninja pecarries on their death runs Gonna chase some coues with the bow this month? RR

S&R, Are you thinking of an archery or rifle hunt? Bull or cow? I like to camp close to where I hunt. During an archery hunt, it has been nice sometimes to listen to the elk bugle at night and take off straight from camp. I am assuming you have been staitioned here in AZ since Oct, and thus would be considered a resident. You can check the draw odds in the regs, but those are an average for everyone with varying bonus points. With no bonus points, your draw odds would be less. You might consider putting in for bull first choice and cow second choice. A cow will bring great tablefare and having the hide tanned makes a nice "trophy" also. If you draw an October rifle cow hunt, you may still here some bugling, and the weather will be more mild than the December hunt. Doug~RR

Two Youth Hunters: Angelaya Troy, KidBowHunter's buck

Clay Price Shane, Coueshunter84 RyanMM Phil, Cramerhunts Darren, DCMhunter

Simon- A combo mearns/carcasss hunt has its appeal. We did flush several covies on and near that ridge. I do not know how soon i can get back down as the truck died on the drive home (fuel pump likely) Missedagain- I was shooting the 130 grain Swift Scirocco. Doug~RR

Basser, The gun harness system is the Kifaru gunbearer, as Caseu mentioned. The Universal fits padded waistbelts. http://www.kifaru.net/GUNBEAR.HTM The Miltary fits belts with molle loops. http://www.kifaru.net/MGgunber.htm

Congrats on a nice trophy! For dermestid beetle cleaning, I recently saw the flier for Western Skulls in Peoria http://www.westernskulls.com/ Doug~RR

Clint, Thanks for the load. I will pick up some Bergers and work up to your load. Doug

yes

Casey, here's yours

Care to share this one-holer load with us other Kimber 22-250 owners? Feel free to pm me data if you are not wanting to post it on the www. Doug

According to espn, the kids 10th great grandfather was Davey Crockett. Must be genetics.