Red Rabbit

The bonus pass report would be of concern for those with max/close to max point and gives no good indication for those outside of the 20% pass. Yes, the % will vary year-to-year in a BP group depending upon point creep, what the other of the first two choices were and if drawn, and people switching unit choice, but the 1-2pass report is the best to use by those not in the 20% pass (like with 7 BP for antelope) to predict for the next year, especially if one tracks over a period of years. The 1-2 pass report also includes those in the 20% pass

links to all of the bonus point reports, including turkey, are in this section http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/BonusPointProcess.shtml

Here is the bonus report for elk and antelope by hunt number for the 1-2 pass. The hunt numbers used are from 2013. The column Success-BPG/Applied-BPG % will give your approximate % chance of drawing based on the average number of BP your group has. http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/documents/bonus/5-2013/2013%20Pronghorn%20and%20Elk%20-%20Bonus%20Point%20Report%20-%201-2%20Pass%20by%20Hunt%20Number.pdf You can read about BP and more reports are linked here http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/BonusPointProcess.shtml

thanx for the laffs

Josh asked that his story be posted: This is the buck I shot in New Mexico this year in December. It was a tough hunt. Lots of glassing an lots of buck looked over. I finally ended up with a shot at this guy at 732 yards on the second to last day. I made two good shots on him and he was mine. It was a heck of a hike in and out to get him, but well worth it. He grossed 106 7/8. Thanks for reading, Josh Weeks

Snow on the mountains and ice in the stream makes for some nice scenery. Did you get to see the bighorns at Georgetown?

Thanks for looking and commenting. Bet you're surprised I got a critter pic instead of rocks Rocks are easier to sneak up and get closer to, though. DB, good luck on your hunt.

thanks all for looking and commenting Yes, I have put some info on my Facebook page about the 2014 landscape calendar https://www.facebook.com/doug.koepsel

The Verde Valley from Beaver Creek to Fossil Creek to Black Mesa, and then towards Cordes Junction. Big area with Gambels.

You can check the 1-2 pass bonus point report for the 2013 hunt numbers to help you choose http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/documents/bonus/5-2013/2013 Pronghorn and Elk - Bonus Point Report - 1-2 Pass by Hunt Number.pdf The column "success-BPG-%" will give you an idea of the chance of drawing with your number of BP. You might consider an archery bull hunt first choice and an archery cow hunt second choice, or two archery cow hunts to maximize your chances if you are open to archery cow. Put in the hunt you really want to go on first choice, and then a hunt with better draw odds second choice. It does not make sense to put in for a high demand hunt like archery bull unit 9 for choice 3, 4, or 5 as those permits are all drawn in the 1-2 pass. Look at the permit numbers drawn in the 1-2 pass to see what hunts may have permits remaining for the 3-4-5 pass Make note that the hunt numbers in the report are the 2013 hunt numbers. Good luck in the draw.

If you are wanting to stand and glass behind the tripod and shoot off it also, I would suggest a tripod that you can extend to the needed height without extending the center column. Be prepared to open the checkbook. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Material_Carbon+Fiber&ci=2636&N=4075788741+4291757687+4291757686+4294950354 http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Tripods&cat2=Tripod%20Legs%20%26%20Leg/Head%20Combos&cat3=Tripod%20Legs%20for%20Still%20%26%20Video&Feature2=Carbon%20Fiber&Feature4=65.1%22%20-%2075%22

Ha!

Amanda, I just do not know why you and Paul go all the way across the country when you could go to Beaver Creek and catch crawdads under yellow cottonwoods <grin>

I had the pleasure of traveling to Colorado at the beginning of the month to photograph the changing colors of the aspens and oaks. I was able to visit a few icons like Maroon Bells and Crystal Mill, and also enjoyed taking telephoto landscapes after a few snowfalls. This is just a sampling, but more from the photo trip can be seen on my website: Colorado Fall Gallery Thanks for looking.

I recall the bison in Hayden Valley from my summer fishing trips to Yellowstone back in the 1980s. Guess they are still causing traffic jams?

Your son's hunt is good stuff to read about. Congrats to him.

With Labor Day weekend upon us, the summer is seemingly over and thoughts of autumn colors wax. Here is a photo-summary of my summer photography. While there were no major out-of-state ventures, I did maintain a steady stream of trips to locations in northern Arizona. No summer would be complete without a trip to the Grand Canyon to test one's remembrance of high school German and hope for monsoon rainbows. Summer rains also mean runoff into the Little Colorado river which flows over Grand Falls, just a few feet higher in total then Niagara Falls. The rains also filled some potholes in an unknown area of sandstone formations. The Super Moon rose above the San Francisco Peaks West Fork of Oak Creek near Sedona warranted a couple of hikes. The Kachina Wetlands on the edge of my neighborhood reflected many sunsets. Flagstaff tied the record in July for total rainfall. That meant plenty of grass and flowers. In only a few weeks, the aspens will be changing from green to gold and the Colorado Rockies will call loudly.

Looks pretty good Tony!

Been raining pretty good in the northland since Labor Day. Lucky archery elk hunters might be well-advised to bring tow straps, tire chains, shovel, boards, jack, just in case. My neighbor lost a front hub last weekend scouting and was not going anywhere in 2WD.

Thanks for looking and commenting. It'll be Rica's turn next weekend for grouse on the north rim. Heck, I may even get some hunting pictures

Looks like a good deal on a great bino for some coues hunter needing quality optics.

I have the peccaries located for ya.

Taking Trophy Photos of Your Coues Buck You have spent months preparing for the hunt. Spend just a few extra minutes to take some quality trophy shots to preserve the moment. You want to feature the animal and you, the hunter, in a pleasing manner. Mostly, you will want to showcase your trophy, so get him prepared. Prepping the animal: Move the deer to where you want to take the photo. Atop a small rise will allow him to be skylined in a photo taken with a slight upward angle. Consider any background you may want in the photo. Wipe off any blood around the mouth, nose and body. Use water, TP, or carry some Wet Wipes for this purpose. You may need to put some toweling way up the nose so it doesn't show to stop any blood drainage. Wiping the bloody areas with dirt and brushing the dirt off may help. Cover any visible wound with foliage or rocks, or turn the animal so the exit wound is on the off-side. Tuck the tongue back in the mouth, or use your knife and cut it off. Fold and tuck the legs under the body and keep the animal upright, not laying on its side. Cover any blood on the ground that will be in the photo with dirt, rocks, grass. Body Positioning: Having the antlers show against the sky or clouds will highlight them. Antlers will also show up well against a grassy hill. Don't choose a tree for a background whose branches will camouflage the antlers. You will most likely want the deer's body sideways to the camera. You can sit behind the deer so only your upper torso is visible, or sit next to the buck's head. Sit with your legs folded and tucked also, rather than sprawled. To highlight the antlers and put focus on the deer, have your head below the antler tops or the same height as the deer head. You can have equal billing with the deer if you have your head even with the antlers. You can enhance the size of the antlers and head by sitting further back behind the body, and using a closely placed camera with a wide angle and high f-stop setting (ala Chuck Adams). Having the head pointed directly at the camera will accentuate the rack's width, but may hide some points. A slight quartering turn will show the points better. Have the head level or tilted down slightly. Having the head tilted back will hide the rack and make one look up the nasal passages. Hold the deer's head up with one gentle hand. If possible, hold behind the neck or offside jaw base to hide your hand, or under base of the chin. Try not to have a mangle hold on the antler beams. Remember the rule of thirds. Don't center the deer exactly in the center of the photo. Smile! Look at the camera or admire the deer. Camera Positioning: The camera should be near eye level with the deer. Have the photographer kneel or lie low, or use a tripod. Taking photos from above the deer and hunter, with the photographer standing, diminishes the stature of you and the deer. Too much of an upward angle by taking the picture from well below is undesirable also. Lighting: Morning or evening lighting provides great lighting for warmth, color and detail. Midday sunlight gives poorer colors, harsher shadows and will wash out detail. Use a fill flash during midday. A polarizing filter will help eliminate glare that hides color and detail, and make the sky appear a darker blue. A fill flash will help illuminate the shadows in the deer's and your faces. Tilt your cap back a little to help eliminate shadows. The flash will make the deer's eyes glow bluish green. A set of glass eyes from a taxidermist or a piece of electrical tape will stop this possessed look. A fill flash in the middle of the day will also highlight you and the deer by illuminating you. Take some photos both with and without a flash. Be sure the sun is not casting any shadows from the antlers across your face, or your shadow upon the deer's head. Be aware of the shadow cast by the photographer or tripod. Camera Settings: Using the aperture priority mode, set the aperture to a low f-stop, like 2.8 Or use the portrait setting which usually chooses a wide aperture. This will give a shallower depth of field. The background and foreground will be out of focus, and this will draw the viewer to the sharply focused deer and you. Choosing a high f-stop like f-16 will give a greater depth of field and allow both the deer and background to remain in focus. Focus the camera on the deer's eyes, as you would on a person's eyes for a portrait shot. Zoom in so you and the deer fill the frame. You can crop excess fore and background and then enlarge on the computer, but photo quality will be sacrificed. Set the digital camera's picture quality to its highest setting. If you are still using film, choose a film with a low ASA like 64 or 100 for finer detail, better color saturation, and less grain. Use a partial flash setting, rather than a full flash setting if you can, so detail and color are not washed out. The flash is to just fill in the shadows. Use a polarizing filter to reduce glare and enhance colors. Use a tripod to get a steady camera. Use a remote shutter to allow you to have the proper position. A self timer may not give but a few seconds to scurry into place. Utilize the white balance setting to match the sun, shade, clouds or snow. Other Tips: Remove blaze orange as it will mess with exposures and the bright color will attract the photo viewer's attention away from the deer. Pull or bend over any grass that sticks up in the way between the camera and your and the deer's heads. Bend down next to the camera and look for obstructions. If you forgot your camera in your pack, or had no time right before nightfall, set the deer up outside of camp the next morning and take some good photos. A head and cape on a rock or log can still make a good photo. To highlight your rifle, hold it in your hands, across your arm, or lay it against the deer's body. Don't have the muzzle pointing at you, even if it is unloaded (and it should be at this point). Don't lay the rifle across the antlers like in a gun rack. Please, no tailgates, tree hangings, garage floors, hanging tongues, or blood. Don't sit on the animal. Look at various quality hunting magazines like Eastmans, Muley Crazy, Trophy Hunter and look at the good and the bad of photos and get some ideas.