Red Rabbit

Last season I tried the Blacks Creek Jim Horne Alaskan. Has a pouch for a water bladder and unzips to expand for loading a deer quarter or two. http://www.blacks-creek.com/jimhorn.php The Eberlestock Just One J105 is good and has received good reports. Available at Sportsmans Warehouse. http://eberlestock.com/J105%20Just%20One.htm This year I will be toting a Mystery Ranch NICE Frame with load carrier and 5000 pack. Reportedly a very comfortable pack under heavy loads. http://www.mysteryranch.com/catalog/index....;products_id=21 One thing that I really like is the Kifaru Gun Bearer (sure beats a slipping shoulder strap, frees a hand, and can be attached to about any pack with a waist band). http://kifaru.net/GUNBEAR.HTM Kifaru makes some awesome packs also, as endorsed by Scott Adams. http://kifaru.net/BACKPAKS.HTM RR

I thought an RX IV would be nice. Not so sure now. http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/sho...rt=all&vc=1 http://longrangehunting.com/ubbthreads/sho...p;page=0#115485 RR

Lazy e-scouter

Federal loads a 150 grain Nosler Partition. That is what I would run with in the 270. RR

Rich, Back when I was teaching high school, and not enjoying many students, being a wildlife photographer was one profession I thought that I might enjoy more, albeit with less pay (less than a teacher's $ almost pays for the mac n cheese). But I do like to eat and have a nice German beer or two. Today's pics were almost snapshots and did not have time for a good setup or take time to set the depth of field as I scurried around the neighbors' houses. Tony Mandile has posted some nice professional pics, as has Tony Bynum over on Monster Muleys. He has posted some good camera and tech info in the photography forum on MM. I took these with a handheld Panasonic FZ-20 digital. Doug

They were all bedded when I first saw them, but I impinged upon their comfort zone to get closer pics in order to get trees and fences out of the viewfinder. Probably was 30-40 yards away. Had to leave Rica in the house as she would have been flushing them quicker than a running covey of Gambels. Doug~RR

No draws for me. But I'm looking on the bright side that there is archery deer, turkey and bear starting Sept 1, rifle bear starts Aug 11, and Rica gets a lot of quail and grouse hunting. Not to forget the fall fishing in the high country. Doug~RR

Just when y'all about had me convinced to get a good spotter, it appears that there will be no coues tag for me this season. RR

AG, I ended up getting the trailer in Apache Junction. It should work great, and is nice and light to put behind the ATV and haul out that elk. Thanks for the tip. While I was there, another guy was looking at the ATV, but do not know if he got it. I suspect he may have, since after a test drive, he hung around and never said he was not interested. Doug~RR

I just got a lightlly-used ATV, so am looking for a 4x8 trailer w/ loading ramp gate to haul it around. (My other Honda ATV and trailer took a night-time trip without permission to Mexico? a few years ago.) Doug~RR

sold

Leica 10x50 BA Binoculars $770 shipped/insured http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/s...0&page=0#891652 Doug~RR

Matt, I do not know what type of vanes you are using. When using FlexFletch vanes, we had to clean the base of the vane with MEK or acetone, otherwise they stuck poorly. The AAE Plastifletch Elite vanes are prepped on the base for use with their fastset gel super glue. You might give the base of the vanes a quick scrub with denatured alcohol to remove any possible mold release. Doug~RR

North of the Grand Canyon on the Kaibab National Forest, the Sowats Fire is burning about halfway between Big Sowats Canyon to the north and Big Saddle Point to the south. The fire had burned about 250 acres by Monday afternoon. About 566 acres this morning.

Another late night creature was out on the deck rail last night hoping for the draw results. (wish i had taken the time to use a tripod instead of handholding a slow exposure)

Stan, is she the chosen one? Would like to get together and go quail hunting this year. DB,you can buy that quail scent in a bottle and use it as a mouth wash. Maybe then your dog won't run away. Works for my GWP Doug~RR

Danny, That maze of limbs reminds me of shooting a good smoker course for 3D archery. I've learned a lot about arrow trajectory by shooting them. A good friend attributes a caribou bull he arrowed in Quebec to the smokers he shot and learning how to thread the needle. He had a small mid-trajectoy window to shoot through. I always believed that in a good smoker, the shots got progressively more difficult, the penalties of missing progressively harder, and only a few should be able to complete it intact. Great fun to shoot, AND watch as others blow up arrows. Don't know if I'd launch an arrow into that octillo maze, though. RR

Add a little deer-in-heat, or cow-in-estrus urine to that portable mister system. Keep cool and attract bucks and bulls at the same time I kinda prefer a ladder stand. Safer and easier to get up and down. RR

Sure Danny, make us look first with the spotter turned to 20X, and t-h-e-n crank it up to 60X Now the next question is: how to thread the bullet through that maze of Octillo I kinda like these "Where's Waldo" games, but with coues. RR

I just got off the phone w/ B of A. No pending charges. Maybe tomorrow. Guess the extra balance that AZGFD doesn't want can go to Alaska G&F this Oct. Congrats to all of you so far that now get to gladly make a CC payment. RR

Thanks for the feedback guys. I am going Saturday to look at and most likely purchase the trailer mentioned by AG (did you get the Polaris?) RR

Should be contained today., still listed at 566 acres rr

Lark, Sorry about your son having to cancel all his cards, but glad someone turned in his wallet. G&F should still post his draw results, so he could see if he's SOL. Perhaps the draw company will be calling him for a different form of payment. Doug~RR

Mike 111, PM sent RR