Red Rabbit

Hey Dan, good to hear from you. It looks like 6A has been about a 35% success hunt, on average, the last few years. That means the 250 hunters take about 88 bucks. If the number of hunters is reduced to 150, and assuming the same success rate, they would take 52 deer, leaving 35 deer out of the 88 harvest objective to be taken in the October hunt. If we assume about half the success in October, 17%, (roughly based on southern unit rates), you could have 205 hunters to achieve that harvest. If G&F wants to limit it to 150 permits, how about the other 55 being designated as junior tags? Is this reallocation being considered for other units like 21 & 23 that have only a December whitetail hunt? How many mule deer hunters have you and past 6A GM's observed along the rim, that the extra coues hunters would provide overcrowding and their decrease their hunt enjoyment? Doug Koepsel~Red Rabbit

270 WSM. It's chambered using a short action, rifles are inexpensive for some models like the Winchester Shadow at WalMart, ammo is diverse and plentiful, and it's a flat shooter for coues (almost to 270 Weatherby velocities) and will work well on that upcoming elk hunt with appropriate bullets. Doug~Red Rabbit

Newbee, What will the uses of the rifle be? What chamberings do you already have? Do you handload? Are you recoil sensitive? Do you handload? Are you limiting yourself to these two headstamps only? Budget constraints? Doug~Red Rabbit

Kevin, I do not have a Sendero, but from the reports I've heard, it is more accurate than the average Remington. Should have the stock made by HS Precision with the aluminum bedding block. The extra 2" of barrel might not get you to 300RUM velocities, but only 50-60 fps than in a 24" barrel. The extra weight of the gun will help with the 300 mag recoil. You'll have to judge if the rifle's size and weight is what you would want to carry up and down the coues mountains. I believe that Remington discontinued the Sendero this year. Doug~ Red Rabbit

I saw Sunday's episode of Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor World-Hunting where half the show aired had a coues hunt near Hermosillo, Mexico. I could not find if and when it would be re-aired. Hope some of you got to catch it. Does anyone know if any other Outdoor Channel program has any coues hunts in the works? Doug/RedRabbit

Scott, Thanks for the heads up. I added the men's channel #218 to my list of favorites. Doug~Red Rabbit

Ernesto, Sounds like you had a great and memorable hunt with you wife alongside. Were you more excited about relocating the big buck or seeing the lion? What are the regulations about hunting/shooting lions in Mexico? Doug ~ RedRabbit

Ernesto, How did the range day go for checking out the rifle? any problems? What did the gunsmith say he did to fix the problem? I would spend an evening in front of the boob tube (crt TV for you younger guys with LCD/plasma screens) and work that action and safety and slam the butt against the floor to see if you can get a misfire. Doug~Red Rabbit

I purchased a Scott Mongoose with the velcro strap about 13 years ago. I shot about 200 days a year for 10 of those years, and have not had a problem with the release or velcro. Last year, I got a Scott Itty-Bitty Goose with the NCS system and velcro strap. I like the lighter weight and strap attachment to the release head. Doug~Red Rabbit

25-06 Congrats on the young GSP. If the rain continues to early summer, the quail crop next year should be a much better one, with more young birds to find in the field. Have fun training Tug. This has been my second season with a German wire hair pointer for me, and I have had fun finding the few birds we've found. We went out yesterday near Sedona and busted a small covey of 5, got one. Sure is fun to watch your dog get birdy and go on point. Doug/RedRabbit

Chris, Yep, "she"'s all urine, I mean yours. Think maybe you've been hanging out in the wrong bars. What's with the "smashed a trail cam lately???" on your byline? Doug/RedRabbit

I was bowhunting yesterday when my friend smelled javelina. We set up to call the flat atop the ridge, and about thirty seconds after starting to sqeal on the Primos javelina call, had a fox run under the tree I was standing behind, four feet from where I was standing, . He looked up at me, decided I wasn't edible, and was gone in a flash. Was pretty cool to see. Other times, when after seeing the pigs and calling, its been about 50/50 on them running away or coming in. Doug/Red Rabbit

Looks like your brother has those archery coues figured out, considering he's gotten 6. This last buck is real nice, especially with that little kicker. Guess we know where he will be next January. Congrats to your brother! Doug

Frohlich geburtstag!

Rich, Happy Birthday!!! I caught your post about us two being "more experienced" Hope they didn't call the fire departmant on ya for all those candles and smoke . Sorry to hear about your dad's leg. Hope it heals well. My Mom said she didn't want to go sledding last weekend, as those old bones are more brittle and mend slowly (she's in her 70's.... er I mean 29+++) I turned 49 last Saturday, so only one more year till I can enter all those senior class archery divisions . Take care. Doug/Red Rabbit

Stan, Have an enjoyable outing by the Elkhorn. I think I've told you where I've seen those peccaries behind the ranch in the past. Looks like the weather will cooperate. Can you post some details about the youth javelina camp in Feb? Doug/RedRabbit

Eliminating nonresident tags is the wrong direction to go for a variety of obvious reasons. Sure, we may be upset with USO, George Taulman, his guides and his lawyers, but this is not the solution. I wish I had the solution. Doug / Red Rabbit

Josh, That's a toad of a buck you posted. Judging from the pics, Dan appears to do a great job. But ya gets what ya pays fer, ya know. Does he have a shop in Dewey that one can stop by and look at his work? As a side note, the first thing that I looked at was the antlers and not the work shown in the head itself. I think most hunters don't get down past the antlers and really critique the taxidermists artwork. I have had two coues done by Mark Plunkett, and they are also good. Since moving to Flagstaff, all of my work has been done by Tim Rajsich at TR taxidermy here in Flag. His deer mounts are about the same as Dan's, but again, you get what you pay for. Doug / Red Rabbit

Congrats on a successful hunt. From the day-by-day account and series of pics, the whole experience, aside from the wind. was rewarding. Thanks for sharing your hunt in the detailed way you did. Doug/RedRabbit

That's a wall hanger for sure. Glad all the prep paid off for ya. Doug/RR

Casey, Hodgden powder has some data published on the web. http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/7mmremulmag.php#top IMR data http://www.imrpowder.com/data/rifle/7remultra.php Stevespages.com has data compiled, but no velocities are listed. http://stevespages.com/284_27.html My Nosler#5 manual has no data. Doug/RedRabbit

I think this taken at the deer farm near Williams. You can see the yellow ear tags that the farmer uses. I was told that he has the local boys(could be Bret without his beard and I didn't know Lark looks so young in orange) go out and dart them, load them in the wagon and take em to the barn so they can receive their steroids and growth hormone. The program is reportedly working as evidenced by the larger body and antler size. A couple could become the new B&C world record if the hunters bullet doesn't get deflected by the chain link fence. All of the bucks released will have had coes DNA injections so the will pass scrutiny. It's a guarded secret as to which high-fenced ranches they will be released this fall, provided George Taulman's Ranching Before Wildlife Program is fast-tracked through G&F this spring. Chris, keep up the meds, especially the Claroxin. Doug/RedRabbit

Factory ammo is real limited in choice(what is it-2 different loadings?), and seems like a handloading proposition. I must wonder about the future of this chambering, in addition to Remington's SAUM. A couple of years ago, I considered the 7mm RUM for a coues gun, but decided the 10% more velocity for 40% more powder than the 7 Rem Mag I already had was not worth it. Doug/RedRabbit

TAM, Congrats on a nice buck. That euro mount should look good. Did that 270 WBY bark on both ends (noticed the red spot on the brow)? I have one of those photos too that the double flash couldn't get rid of the red-eye , after shooting uphill in the prone position. Doug/RedRabbit

Welcome to CWT and congratulations on a nice dark-antlered trophy. I wonder how many hunters would have been back in camp out of the rain and missed the opportunity you had. Thanks for sharing. Doug/RedRabbit