rossislider

^^^ I think this is a big part of it, and hunters steeling from hunters is a very small percentage of the problem. Hunters tend to have a lot of expensive gear in camp. We leave early in the morning and come back late and night with little protecting our gear beyond a tent door. Word gets out on stuff like this and we become targets. I have the same fear about this as many of you. So for me, the only thing that gets left in camp are sleeping gear, clothes, cook gear, etc. All the expensive stuff (optics, firearms, bows, etc) stays on my body or locked up in my truck and goes where I go. It is sad and sucks, but it is the reality we face.

My son and I headed up to the high county late Friday afternoon for a little preseason scouting. Up till now it has been pretty warm up north and the bugling action pretty low. A storm from came in with us Friday night that changed everything. The temperature dropped with the storm, and the bulls went crazy. We were neck deep in bulls with bugling around us all day Saturday. I'll post a video later today of one encounter we had with a bull 6 yards from my son. It was a first for him at that close range. He got pretty excited. At this point MOST of the bulls weren't overly responsive to the cow call, but my bugle got them responding consistently. Very few bulls were herded up yet, with the exception of one really big guy that was already pushing a bunch of cows. Things look great this coming weekend for you luck archery tag holders.

I agree with everything Kevin said. Nice rifle!

How did you join the hoses? It ia a little hard to tell from the picture.

I would disagree. Nor would I assume to know what someone else thinks to make my own point. Furthermore, I don't have an elk tag this year and neither does my son. So I guess in your mind my son and I have no business in the woods "educating the bulls", and my son has no right to learn or have those experiences until he or I have a tag. IMO it is far better now than after the season starts. I'd hate to mess up someone's hunt or stalk. As far as educating this bull, he wasn't shot, harassed, or harmed in an matter. If he learned anything it is that there isn't a danger in coming into a call. What the video didn't show was him hanging around about 30-40 yards out for another 10 minutes before slowly walking off into the forest, he wasn't the least bit afraid or ADVERSELY educated. I had a chance to teach my son, and be part of an experience with him that he will remember forever. An experience that a fraction of a percent of people will ever experience. Anyone who would question taking a kid out to experience and do something like this lacks a basic appreciation of the importance of getting the next generation involved in hunting and conservation.

It has its place. That is what ultimately got the guy in the video to come in. Prior to the video starting we had been bugling at each other and raking trees for about 10 minutes. That cow call brought him on a string.

Here is a link to the video. https://www.facebook.com/sean.hatch.9/videos/1660575450633700/

Yep, I remember when this was a big discussion on here when he shot that buck four years ago. It went 16 pages before it was locked down. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/42868-another-toad-hits-the-dirt/

That is a beauty! Congratulations.

PM sent.

Final pictures have been added to the top.

Really want to get into this a some point, I just don't have the knowledge or the license to jump on this yet. Yet, so tempting! Good luck with your sale, and congrats on your little one on the way.

Would it be appropriate to ask the original poster to change the title to something recognizing Ray for any who might not know but will want to pay their respects?

Shared this on Facebook already, but wanted to post a small tribute and story about Ray here as well: The Arizona conservation community lost a great man today in Ray Evridge. This picture shows Ray teaching a wildlife identity class to a group of 6-8 year olds at Arizona Elk Society's Wapiti Weekend just over a month ago. The girl in the back (closest to the camera) in the pink tank top is my daughter Kembria. During the class she and Ray engaged in a battle of wills. Ray held up a bottle of fox urine to show the kids and jokingly asked who would like to have some sprayed into their hand. As expected, the kids were grossed out. But Kembria, not ever willing to back down from a challenge shot her hand in the air. Ray walked over to her, I'm sure expecting her to back down. Not this little girl. They stared each other down as he sprayed the urine out into her cupped hand. While holding the liquid in her palm, he told her to take a sniff. As she raised it to her nose her reached out and hit the bottom of her hand up sending the contents (only a few drops) up into her face. Well played Ray! She won't be forgetting that any time soon. Thank you Ray. Our children Kembria, Draysen, and Ronan, as well as the many others he mentored and taught will carry on his great legacy.

Sounds like a great adventure, even if you didn't get the buck you were after. Congrats and thanks for the story.

I don't own one yet, but tried one on yesterday (newer style) and really liked it.

Is the "Hunter Duplex Frame" you refer to the same one as the "Hunting Platform Frame" currently on their site?

Okay, I just watched the video again on the Kifaru website. I see what you are saying. Curse you! I thought I had finally made up my mind.Still need a picture or did you see it good from the video?No picture needed. But I do have another question for you. Have you looked at the Fulcrum? How do you think it compares to the Reckoning? Thanks

Okay, I just watched the video again on the Kifaru website. I see what you are saying. Curse you! I thought I had finally made up my mind.

Are you sure? They look like it to me? If not, it may sway me back the other way.

I plan to get a Kifaru in the near future. I have been debating between the Reckoning and the Fulcrum. I am pretty sure I will end up with the Fulcrum over the Reckoning because: The way the center cinches down without compressing the side pockets make it great for converting to a day pack. To do this with the Reckoning would require buying additional spotting scope pockets. The weight difference is only about a half a pound. But I seem to change my mind daily, so who knows. Please let me know why you are leaning toward the Reckoning?

Enjoy cleaning them all!

Just these ones in the link below. I probably should have specified cow elk quarters. Probably wouldn't fit a big bull unless it was boned out. You could buy blocks of ice if you don't have any 2 liter soda bottles, or will be out for a while and the bottles get too melted. But you have to be careful of the melting ice. We've used this method (2 liter bottles) with my son's cow elk each season for the past two years, and also brought 2 antelope bucks with capes home in one cooler from Wyoming a couple of years ago. Worked great each time. Just rotate the meat every so often. Costco usually has them every spring, but I think you can find them most everywhere. https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/Igloo-49144-MaxCold-Cooler%2C-165-qt.product.100191077.html

As other have said, Millers in Forest Lake is probably your best bet and they are just a couple of miles out of the unit. Not the answer you were looking for, but since I started doing my own meat a few years ago, I started taking oversized Igloo coolers and lining the bottom with frozen 2 liter soda bottles with a few extra for on top of the meat. It has worked great for cooling the meat and doesn't get it wet as the ice melts. I can get right around four elk quarters in one cooler.

With it being primarily pigs, sheep, and goats as opposed to the typical ungulates that are associated with "high fence" hunting, I can't imagine it will draw too much negative attention.