Red Rabbit

In addition to Kevin's good, informative response, here is a link to bare shaft tuning your bow to get the arrow to the right length to give the correct spine. http://brackenburybows.com/Tuning%20Tips.htm You can also do a search on the Leatherwall forum of http://stickbow.com/ Basically, start with a bare shaft (no fletch) and shoot into a foam target at 25 yards. If the nock is pointed to the right, the arrow is too stiff. You will need a longer arrow, or a weaker shaft, or a heavier point. If the nock is pointed to the left, the arrow is too weak. Cut off 1/2" at a time until it flies tru and enters the foam straight. Or try a stiffer shaft, or a lighter point. It does appear you will be buying a new dozen arrows. Doug~RR

Quest for a Booner (the story of the hunt) After hunting in Unit 29 several years and having taken bucks of 97, 96, 95, 82 and 68 inches, my good friend and hunting buddy and I decide we would set a goal of getting a Boone and Crockett Coues. I look in the record books, count the number of 110+” bucks taken out of each unit, and decide unit 36 held the greatest possibility, based on the number of record class Coues in relation to the number of tags in the unit. I also noted that to reach 110” most bucks were 4 pointers. So that was our goal- a four point out of unit 36. We applied for and drew December tags in our chosen unit. But December draw odds were more forgiving in 1991 than they are today. Topo maps for the unit are purchased. A letter is written to the unit game manager asking for his opinion which area held the best trophy potential. My friend’s dad was a private pilot, so one day over Thanksgiving we fly down from Scottsdale, fly over the unit, and circle over the canyons which look the best. On another weekend we drive down and look at several of the areas from ground level. Finally, on the 26th of December, after spending Christmas with the families, we drive down to set up camp before the next day’s hunt. In the dark of the morning, we plod across the flat and detour around some mesquite thickets after determining that they were impenetrable. Up a canyon we hike and arrive at the base of the chosen hill at the first hint of light. Huffing upward, we crest over a ridge and glass the newly seen draw. A couple of does. We trudge upward, occasionally stopping to glass, and see that the does have made their way over the top. We follow. Carefully, we crest over to look into the small area below, but are treated with a deerless view. We continue along a ridge, and glass three other hunters on a different knoll half a mile away. We circle to a different point and glass across the main canyon. Nothing but some does in the ocotillo a long distance down the canyon. After lunch, we hike on the backside of a sharp ridge to a point of rocks. There we can glass a large bowl to the east, and slopes to the south and west. We decide to remain here till dark and settle in for the afternoon. About an hour before sunset, my friend says he sees deer in the basin to the east. They have come out of the trees to begin feeding. I ask if there are any bucks, but he cannot tell through his Pentax binoculars. I cannot tell either through my 10x25 Leitz. So I set up the Cabela’s spotting scope and tripod for a better look. The excitement level heightens when I see that the one buck with the small group of does has four points on a side. Yes. A Booner is my thought. Since he spotted the deer, I ask him if he wants to go. To my surprise, he says “you go.” I was not about to argue. As the deer were 600-800 yards away and too far to shoot from where we were, I quickly stuff the spotter and tripod in the pack, shoulder the pack and pick up the rifle. I would need to go back around on the backside of the ridge we are on to remain unseen, go a little to the east and down a finger closer to the buck. My friend would stay and look from our present position. Looking back on the ridge the buck was glassed from. After about 15 minutes, I am in position. Pulling up the binos, I scan the area. I don’t see the buck. Where did he go? I look and look, and emotions start to sink as I think he may have moved off. Finally, 45 minutes later, the buck stands up. He had bedded in some tall brush and grass during my stalk. The moment has finally come. I lay the pack down and rest the rifle across the daypack. I look through the scope but cannot find him on 10 power. I crank it down to 3.5. Still cannot find the deer. I look through the binos, and he is still standing there. Quickly I look through the scope again. Again I cannot locate the buck at high or low power. Again, I look through the binos. He’s still standing there. I look through the rifle scope again with high and low to no avail. Frustrated and getting frantic, I look through the binos again to see the buck still standing there. For a fourth time I look through the rifle scope. Finally, I have him centered in the scope. He’s quartering away. I slip off the safety, take few breaths, exhale, relax, and squeeze the trigger. I see the buck hunch up, but still stand there, quartering away. A gut shot reaction by the deer, but the hold felt good. I chamber another round into the 7 Mag, and with a second 140 grain Partition, he collapses and tumbles a short ways down the slope. Relieved to have finally made the shot, I gather my stuff, holler to my friend and make my way over to the trophy. I thought he was a four point, but he is not. He has several initially unseen points and kickers to give him a total of 13 points. A cool nontypical. My friend makes his way around, and he asks what took me so long to shoot. I explain the story. After pictures and then field dressing, I tie the head and cape to the pack and we climb down the mountain. I will return tomorrow with a pack frame to pack out the meat while my hunts another mountainside. Doug~RR Footnotes: Still surprised by having my friend let me shoot the deer he spotted, I later asked him why. He was just returning the favor when on a Colorado archery elk hunt I had offered to call in a bull I spotted while he shot. That was another great hunt. Two years later we are hunting Coues again in the same canyon in unit 36. We spot a buck that has very similar antler point characteristics as the one from two years previous. However it is a little smaller and my friend decides to let him grow another year. He has not drawn a December tag there since.

http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?ne...05965&rfi=6 Save y'all some looking time.

When Turkey hunting in 17 a few years ago, I saw elk west of the Yollo and north of the 7up ranches. RR

Lance, Tilt certainly did not finish weak. Do you have a client that will be hunting for Tilt this archery season? Doug~RR

On the drive to the "shooting range" this morning, I came across a nice group of bulls on the border of 11M and 6AN. I did not recognize any as being a Kachina Elk.

Since 11M is an archery unit, the 1/4 mile reg may be moot for the discharge of a firearm. Finders Fee?

Was getting dark and had a slow shutter speed, but this is the biggest of five which were behind the neighbor's house this evening.

Tony, What's holding that antelopes head up besides rigor mortis? I like the pic; quite different from the ride-em Muley. RR

Funny story, Tony. Coulda said "Here's your sign" but that would have been before the times. Did the hikers have the draw dropping, ya gotta be chittin me face?

Next August then? unless he hangs around those "mesquite flats" in the picture in Jan. What elk hunt did you not draw w/ 9 points? Doug~RR

What do you mean no tag? Archery tags are OTC. Gotta be there. His body looks to be in good shape, so he should finish out well. Funny looking mesquite trees. RR

Tony, I had one a couple of years ago, but the throat was too eroded to make any handloads shoot well. Tried 120BT, 125 NP, 129SST. Traded the gun away. Doug

The only new item is the 6.5WSM I got earlier this spring. I wish I had a new set of legs and lungs, but this 50 year old pair will hafta do.

257MIke, I was using the Panasonic FZ20. I was about 100 yards out from the elk, but zoomed on and hand held. The biggest looks like he is split at the at the left bez.

Casey, Does the adapter protrude enough between the tubes that it will poke you in the chest when you have then around the neck? RR

They still fit in the magazine with them seated out to the lands.

Here are (l to r) the 130 Accubond, 130 Berger VLD, and 130 SciroccoII. The COAL is 2.98" with the Bergers.

Twas with the H1000. Had a 0.9" group with the Ramshot Magnum.

Went to the "range" today to see how the 130 VLDs would shoot out of the 6.5 WSM. Tried 6 loads with Ramshot Magnum and H1000. The best group, shown here, is about 0.58" at 115 yards and 3237 FPS. I will try this load again and play with the bullet seating depth. Doug~RR

I just found out I drew a coveted 34A December tag. Unfortunately, I have never hunted that unit before and will not have time to scout much. It is a long drive from northern AZ and with the price of gas, you know. Most of my weekends are already booked with fall fishing and keeping my wirehair entertained with quail. I would appreciate telling me whre you have seen B&C class bucks in the past. I am not asking for all of your honeyholes, but gps coordinates are appreciated. I can send you my email addy so you can forward some trail cam pics. After teaching for 24 years I cannot afford one of those digital cameras with the satellite feed.. Thanks in advance again. . . . . . . . . . . Figured I could get the ball rolling and be the first e-scouter Congrats to those of you who drew.

I have been looking at the weather radar since the draw and have noticed the rain over the Santa Ritas . Mearns areas have gotten some H2O also. RR

What bino adapter did you pick up? That 82 on the wall will look like 182" by glassing that close on 15X .

Amanda sells a DVd which Duwayne Adams has made about hunting the Kaibab. It is in the CWT.com bookstore. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/bookstore/videos.htm I would look for pockets of unburnt green in the Warm fire area.

I can eat a walleye out of Lake Mary and get all the heavy metal I need in my life.