Red Rabbit

Instead of the black cloth over the head which may be hot in the early seasons, consider the Eyeshields for your binos. They are pretty nice to block out side light. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/bookstore/eye_shield.htm Besides glassing the shady bedding areas typically on a cooler north-facing slope around noon, also watch any trail heading to water.

We should all chip in some $ and buy Chris some Adidas running shoes so he can close the gap a little faster

Tina and Gino, Congrats on a nice buck and lion. You did well despite the weather you were given. Doug~RR

elk and antelope applications will likely be due the second Tuesday in February, so about the middle of Jan is when th eregs come out in print. I believe the commission will approve the guidelines in their Dec meeting. More info here. http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/NewsMedia/...endations.shtml

Scott, I had the same thought as Amanda. I do not believe you can get a leftover permit if you received one in the regular draw. Doug

Andy, Congrats on a couple of nice 6A bulls. You can have the hail; we did not have any in 8, just light rain and fog. Did you hear much bugling or hear other gunshots that may not have been coues hunters? Doug~RR

bump

Have you looked here? Bino Adapter

Could be due to AZGFD's Quantity over Quality program which tended to increase the number of early season permits by cutting December permit numbers. Also hunters may have more friends these days helping, thus increasing the number of people in the field. More people may have ATVs which allow them to penetrate further on bad roads. In 1996, there were 450 permits for the October WT hunt in unit 33. This year there are 670. But in unit 34A, October permits have gone from 1000 down to 650, and there are 100 less in 36B. So it may depend on which unit you are in. 36C is still 200.

Those with 6A mule deer tags may take note: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/news/2010...struction.shtml Construction and Delays on Forest Rroads South of FlagstaffDate: October 20, 2010 Flagstaff, AZ —Maintenance crews are repairing two popular forest roads south of Flagstaff; delays up to an hour at a time should be expected. Construction is occurring on Forest Road 700 behind Mountainaire for approximately 8.5 miles, and on Forest Road 240 behind Munds Park for approximately 5.5 miles. Both roads are located in hunt unit 6A. Work is expected to continue through the month. Travelers on these roads should use caution and expect delays. For additional information, contact the Flagstaff Ranger District at 928-526-0866

Might look at the units that offer the most hunt permits for all species combined to optimize sales. Probably 6A, 1, 7, 33, 23 ( i have not added numbers)

Devin, Congrats to your dad and you on another beautiful deer. Doug~RR

Contour lines Vegetation/timber/open area shading ( i do not think shaded contour relief would work well with vegetation shading also) ALL the BLM/FS roads with numbers (not just the few that USFS show on their public maps) You might have to wait until the USFS finalizes their travel management plans to see what roads are still open. All the earthen and trick tanks with names. Land ownership UTM and lat/long grids declination angle house/building symbols streams, springs, seeps, windmills, water tanks hiking trails wilderness boundaries

Scott and Rich, WOW and HOLY MOLY!!!! Doug

I saw that Cabelas will have a Cannon safe for 799 ($200 off this coming weekend) Some information-guide to gun safes http://www.6mmbr.com/gunsafes.html

Keep after him. Sounds like you have been close. Here's the solunar tables so you do not nap in the middle of the day . http://www.solunarforecast.com/solunarforecast.aspx

Here is another field photo taken from the left side.

Ilene, Nice job spoiling yourself on a great hunt. Have bobsa fun again next year. Cool forked brow tine too. Pike County isn't known for nice bucks, is it? Doug

Sehr Gut!

Thanks. It was fun getting close to the herd opening morning and seeing the two bulls filter through the trees. Later Friday morning we (Rica and I) pursued some bugles on another hill. Had 6 cows pass in front of us at 20 yards. Rica stood quiet and still as we were given the discerning eye. I never caught up to and saw the bull. He was unresponsive to a whiny cow call. Doug~RR

Glad it worked out to get a nice Coues. Was there need for concern on the border? ie How many IA and DR were seen? Will the wife be more at ease next year? Doug~RR

Tommy, Sounds like a pretty big camp with lots of camaraderie in store. Good luck to y'all. Doug~RR

Not the best of ideas to have a round chambered even if it is legal. Friend shot his transmission with a loaded gun in the cab. I can't relish the idea of carrying hot even while hiking.

The Foggy Mountain Elk Hunt- (from the beginning ) When the 2010 Arizona elk hunts were published, I noticed that there were a few units that had a rifle bull hunt starting October 22 and running for only four days. Units that had these hunts supposedly have a bull:cow ratio that is above the management objectives. I was going to apply for this hunt anyways in hope that they may be overlooked to some degree, as this was the first year and maybe the last, these hunts were offered. While not trophy rifle hunts about the beginning of October, these had the good chance that they would be right at the peak of second estrus. Most likely the elk would still be bugling, but a question would be if the dominant herd bulls would still be with their harems or would have gone into seclusion. Surprisingly, I drew a permit for this October hunt. Knowing that the bulls may relocate several miles from their summer area when the rut starts, I made only a few trips during the summer to the unit to look at new areas, but not to locate any specific bull. When I returned from my antelope hunt in Wyoming at the beginning of October, I spent the two weekends before the hunt looking for a good bull. On the first weekend, I glassed up a nice 7x7 and a 350+” 6-point together with a few smaller bulls and many cows. This group was seen from over 2 miles away coming off a small tree-covered rise and into a grassy opening. However, there was also a flock of woolly range maggots (aka sheep) about half a mile away that might eventually alter the elk’s behavior. I did not see the elk the next morning, but I did locate another herd a few miles away in another direction which was moving from a feeding meadow to a bedding ridge covered in cedars. The following weekend, I went to relocate the larger bulls, but only saw the hundreds of sheep occupying the draw that the elk herd was in the previous weekend. As the sheep and the herd dogs seem to spread out over a quarter mile wide and sweep through the meadow and trees as they bleet, feed and ring their bells, I figured that the elk in that area would may pushed into the canyons and come to the meadows at night to feed. One evening I climbed up a small peak that offered a view into a nearby canyon, but it offered just another nice elkless view. Trucks were packed with gear and I arrived at hunting camp with friends Ryan and Lindsey Wednesday afternoon for some last day scouting before the hunt began on Friday. Wednesday night, we went to the glassing hill and were only able to locate the second herd of elk, but it only showed spikes and a raghorn. The 7x7 was still invisible. After a light rain Wednesday night, Thursday morning broke with fog encapsulating our glassing hills. Fog More Fog And still more Fog After a few hours, the clouds broke enough to reveal the second herd on their bedding ridge, but no sign of the bigger bulls. One solitary spike was also located to the west of the hill moving along a fenceline. Of course, the white range maggots were still present. Ryan tries glassing through the fog onto the sparsely-treed flats below. Thursday afternoon in the drizzle, were went to another area and found a promising ridge and hillside that was glassable. While checking out another draw that the topo map showed having a clearing and tank, a couple of large rubs were seen. There were a few elk tracks in the mud, but mostly sheep track again. I checked out another draw but found little sign so I returned a ridge overlooking the other draw with the rubs in hope that a few elk may show at dusk. Rica looks down into the draw, seeing no game either. Ryan and Lindsey went to a different hill to glass for the bigger bulls again. The only things making an appearance that evening was the full moon peeking between the louds and an orange sunset. With opening morning a few hours away and the two big bulls not located, I decided that I would be in the second herd's bedding area for when they arrive in the morning from their feeding meadow. Ryan and Lindsey in the meantime were going to another hill to glass for bulls. But Dawn of opening morning broke with a fog covering the hill and mountain tops which prevented any serious glassing by Ryan and Lindsey for a few hours. Lindsey waits for the fog to clear. I heard a couple of bulls squeal and bugle lightly as the herd approached their bedding area. The singing was coming from a raggy 3-point and a 5x6. The bugling held Rica's attention while she was leashed to my belt. Oh well, the 7-point was not around with this group. Ryan, Lindsey and I met together and then headed to the south side of the canyon where we thought the larger bulls may be in seclusion. Through the light rain, we walked the edge hoping to find an opening that would enable us to see across. With more rain and fog coming, we went to camp for a short period to warm up and have lunch. After the rain stopped, we headed back to the canyon point, but we were going to be optically thwarted by the fog that filled the canyon. But on the edge of a clearing only a hundred yards away stood three bulls in a cluster. When they separated and the chosen bull stood broadside, the rifle barked once. As they ran into the fog, I thought I saw him make a teetering run. A few moments later we could hear his last moaning breaths. So ended the elk hunt on Foggy Mountain. This bull had ivories that are much darker than those I am used to seeing from most bulls in northern Arizona. Ballistic note: The 300 WSM was handloaded with 180 grain Swift Scirocco II bullets. The bullet entered about 6” behind the near shoulder, passed though the offside shoulder and was found right underneath the hide. Retained weight was 163 grains with a nice mushroom.

Give Seth Staples of Rim Country Rifles in Parks a call. PM sent with his cell number.