COOSEFAN

Are you smoking crack??? Not affected by the drought??? You and your buddies need to stick to your Coues and forget about the elk. I wouldn't doubt that you saw a 380 bull, I've seen them too, but they are not what they should be. The beam length and tops are not what you would like to see. There are a ton of bulls that are solid on their first 3 with ok 4th's and then dinky 5th's and are lucky to be pushing beams that are 50". Go take a look at this post http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/in...ic=3531&hl= It says it all there with pics. Is a 380 bull a great bull??? You bet, but it is bummer that we aren't seeing most of the bulls full potential. I'm sure you are seeing some big deer. Look at the timing difference from when they drop their antlers and grow compared to the bulls. It was perfect timing for the deer, but too late for the elk. When you read the post notice that your buddies at Mullins agree..... Just take a look at the Raffle tag bull that was just killed, that is a prime example of what happened this year. It is unfortunate that bull only had a 378" rack, I would bet that bull scored in the upper 390"s last year, the fronts are huge and stay big up past the thirds but peeter out and his tops are shorter than they should be and very weak mass up top. It's still a great bull and those boys did a great job getting that bull, but just imagine what he looked like last year! I bet they have comparative video from last year to this year on that bull also and I bet we'll see that video sometime next year! I would be careful this year on what I would hold out for as far as score, If a 350" bull steps out..........he's gonna get whacked! I haven't seen many that score higher than that. JIM> Hey Shortypants, I wish you would have just told me those pics were from our unit down South! That's about the size of the buck you are gonna find for me ...........right!

Thanks for the replys guys. In regards to the outfitter, I can tell you that I was very upset for the first couple of days I thought that our camp would already be set up and waiting for us, We also were told that our spot held alot of Caribou, and after my first hour of hunting, I was pissed that we even spent the extra money for the 'Bou tags, and last, they bought a boat for us all to share and tacked on the cost of the boat between us without any warning prior to the hunt. If all this stuff was spelled out up front, I would have had no complaints. Setting up camp sucked, it was one of those huge WeatherPorts and weighed a ton, carrying it on and off the plane and down the beach and up a hill.........no fun........especially on your first hunting day in Alaska. BUT......it was a very comfortable camp and we had an older gentleman who cooked for us and the food was incredibly fattening but was outstanding........Moose tenderloins smothered in gravy and mashed potatoes and corn As far as leading us on, making us think this was a combo hunt for Moose AND CARIBOU..... we brought the 15's and tripods and found the Caribou, the tags were burning holes in our pockets, and we almost executed a suicide mission to the top of the highest mountain to fill those tags. If we had the boat for longer, we would have done it, but thankfully, a couple of lost 'Bou came strolling by. I didn't shoot a 'Bou, I was the video guy on that one and had my mind still set on one of the bulls on the peak..........but then the Moose killed that plan later. And as far as the boat deal......I would not have gotten my Moose if it weren't for the boat. It was the only way we could get to a huntable area........otherwise it would have been about 4 miles of nasty shoreline to travel just to get to the area, and no matter where you hunt....you always have to ask yourself if your willing to pack a Moose all the way back to camp from there.......I was happy to pay for the boat......just would have been nice to have been told prior to the hunt. I feel things could have been much worse and all in all we were taken care of. I don't know of any other outfitters in Alaska so I don't know how my experience ranks in comparison to others. I do know that out of all the other hunters we talked to, it was a big accomplishment just to have gotten a Moose and a 'Bou, it definitely helps if you are already a dedicated hunter and had done your homework on calling Moose!

Great job Amanda, that was awesome to watch! Thanks for my button ad as well, looks great, and I did get the stickers! Thanks again for all you do! JIM>

Hey Allen.....I'm still here waiting for my ride......this is a great idea! Ever since I saw Coues Crazy's guided hunt he did for the organization on Exreme Bulls 3, I've been really interested. I love helping kids and especially with special needs, it does your heart good! Let me know what comes up or what is needed and My guided service and myself will do whatever we can! Again, great idea, let me know, JIM>

Well, I guess Bret never saw this thread.....I'm not gonna mention it either I'm off within the hour, just wanted again to say thanks to everyone for their info over the last couple of months. It has been very helpful and probably has eliminated problems I would have run into otherwise! I think i've already found one problem and I haven't even left yet......It has been planned that we were going to buy our tags on the 4th (Mon.) at the G+F office in Alaska...........Monday is LABOR DAY! I just thought about it yesterday and can't get ahold of anybody at G+F or my Outfitter to find out if G+F is open tomorrow! I can't imagine they are but if they aren't........then....I guess, I hope the plane waits for us to get our tags on Tues. and we lose another day of hunting! I have no clue, all I know is I'm goin to Alaska and hopefully I make it out to the Bush and not stuck at a Hotel the whole time wonderin' where my Outfitter is! ( I didn't mean the "Bush Co."! ) Thanks again...............JIM>

I keep readin' about all you guys going huntin' this weekend and at first it makes me jealous.... but then I remember ....... I'm headed to Alaska on Sunday At least you guys don't have to watch your backs for Grizzlies or hope the plane comes to pick you up after two weeks of being alone! I'm excited but not yet ready I have changed my mind on weapon choice from the .270 to the .300 Win mag., but, I am shooting the 180 gr Fusions and can kill a basketball at 300 yrds consistently off my tripod/shooting-stick set-up! All I need is for the Caribou to be there and for the Moose to be big enough! I am hunting in Unit 17 about 100 miles north of Dillingham. My Unit is a trophy unit where the Moose has to have 4 brow tines on at least one side or a 50" spread, so IF I kill a Moose.........it'll be a TOAD! My outfitter said we have a second camp set up so if the Caribou aren't in this first area, we can relocate and hopefully find them there. We are focusing on getting the Moose first though, because my buddy and I have no real experience hunting those beasts, and they seem harder to get than the Caribou. I have watched every movie made though and I think it will help! For those who have the unit 9 archery tags....I will be back on the 18th and will be up there on the 19th-26th, so let's do that meet-n-greet in Tusayan one night at least for pizza! Like I said before, I will buy the beer/soda. There is ALOT of guys from or affiliated with CWT.com that have that tag or are guiding up there, so pass it along and pick a night to do it! One last thing, I am finally an "Official" supporter of CWT.com and Amanda is working on my ad and it should be up next week! I'm excited as heck and can't wait to see my ad on here when I return. Thanks guys, JIM>

Someoen else already said this, but......"Nets are for FISH!".......I agree

That's what I've been telling him......and I know I can outrun him too! That is why Bret doesn't hunt the San Carlos.......he believes Lions will take out the "lesser" animals in the "herd" cause they're usually weak........You will never see Bret last in line when we're hiking out of the mountains in Lion country! Hey David, Bret actually gets on here regularly, but doesn't post.........so......We are just kidding with you Bret.......Being "vertically challenged" does have it's benefits: cheaper clothes cause you can shop in the kiddie section....you don't HAVE to ride the big, scary rides at Disneyland cause you don't make the height requirement.....and...best of all.......you don't have to buy the " Tall " Outdoorsman's tripod, the "Small" one works fine, and saves a ton of money! See.......there is benefits. If you read this Bret, we love ya! Hopefully this makes him wanna retaliate and gets him to actually post on here! Thanks, Jorge Gonzales

I'm not a great scorer by any means, but I would think that buck wouldn't NET score very high, but there is alot of GROSS bone sitting on top of that buck's head! I would just sit there and scratch my head if I had to score that thing! JIM>

That is awesome Scott! I think its very cool how you and Amanda do that," this is where they are", pic with the arrows! It really gives us a better sense of the "play by play" experience as though we were there with ya'. Thanks, JIM>

Hey Allen, I have a couple tags that I'm trying to sell for a guy in CA. He bought them from us for $4,500.00 each, and then decided he can't go! He is unfortunately gonna have to "eat" the tags if they don't get sold. I have been trying to sell them for him and have posted the sale on Garth Carters site, but no takers yet. I bet these two tags could be bought for a great price real close to the hunt (OCT. 15th) if they don't sell before then. They are Muzzy Bull tags in the rut, in Unit 15. We will be there at that time also so there would be free help and a place to camp for anyone that buys these tags. I will let you know how much the price drops, closer to the hunt. JIM>

me too! That guy is sitting back aways...but oh my........there is some serious length on that toad!

.......I have no worries about the business stuff, you guys got er' covered.......as far as the ol' lady......That would be great, better yet....since I live so far from you...why don't you just stay the night when you come out, I'm sure that would make her feel safe while I'm gone. I appreciate it buddy, you're the best! Thanks agian guys, and I hope we all do meet up on the Elk hunt! ............Shortypants might not be able to make it though

I was wondering the same thing, pretty cool idea if they are growing to create a fence! That is Mr. Reynolds' photo, so I don't know.

Well I wish I could say I hiked to the top of a huge mountain, through a blizzard of snow and ice and found this Monster Coues skull......but I can't......I was sitting at my dang computer when I found it. Thanks to our very own Jim Reynolds (CWT.com supporter) he was selling it on ebay and I snatched it up. I've been trying to find a good skull to mount one of my Coues bucks on as a free-standing pedestal ( I have an Antelope already done this way) and the skulls I find are too old, broke up or too small so when I saw this one I had to have it. Thanks Mr. Reynolds, can't wait to see it! JIM>

I have always just used common sense, if the skull you find is bleached out, doesn't stink and doesn't have any hide left on it, I would take it. If it is even remotely fresh, you can't take it. It used to be not that big of a deal, but now that big bucks and bulls are becoming profitable and there are so many more sneaky idiots out in the field, the laws are more strictly enforced on this issue. I have already bought the table for my mount and my tanned capes just arrived at my taxidermist last week, but my taxidermist has an Archery 10 bull tag and is going to Alaska with me.......so I don't think my mount will be done any time soon! I will post pics of it when I get it done! Thanks, JIM>

Yeah time has flown VERY fast. My business has been extremely busy ths year which has made everything very hectic as well and I just can't wait to get away from it for a couple of weeks! I'll only have probably one, maybe two days a month from here until the second week in December to see my wife, so all heck is going to break loose when I return 'cause she doesn't know about my schedule yet So I really hope this trip is enjoyable at least regardless if we tag anything. I will take a ton of pic's and video, which reminds me to buy more memory cards! Hey Jamaro....we have a couple of those "ABCO's" here, brings back some memories from our young and dumb days! Do they actually have one up there? Jazzmine sounds like a very nice, prim and proper young gal I would look forward to meeting her Hey Scottyboy, I don't know what they would think when they found out I was smuggling a BP agent on the plane? I would love to have you there though, you could show us how to hunt BIG critters! And Mike, best of luck to you in the NWT, I also look forward to your success pic's! Thanks to all you guys for your info, I posted several topics here over the last couple of months in regards to things I knew nothing about and you guys always had answers and ideas for me....I appreciated it, and never had to go anywhere else looking for it! Thanks, JIM>

in my opinion, you now own the best spottin scope on the market! Good choice...you'll never have the need to upgrade or buy another scope! Them deer down there don't stand a chance! Congrats...JIM>

That would be a dream buck for me with a bow! I also don't think 90" but I do think he's closer to 90" than 80"! Actually, I shouldn't even care...... the arrow would have flown over his back and I would have told Shortypants later that he was a 100"er!!!!

Thanks elkhunter, glad you checked it out! JIM>

man....that is one old, ugly a$$ pig and that is one midget-of-a coues! Great pics! JIM>

When people have mounts that they transfer racks on and off, the mount was initially mounted with removable antlers. This way you can add the mounting studs to the new antlers and just slide them on and off. Most taxidermists can add this feature to your mount for you for an additional fee. I'm sorry guys, I got a little excited when I read elkman's reply. It was selfish of me to try and snag those sheds. Ebay would be the most fair way for elkman to sell those. Hey elkman...You put them bad boys on ebay and I guarantee you will not be sorry! You just have to do it before I leave for Alaska this Sun. JIM>

I was trying to find coues sheds and skulls on ebay and cant find them. What category are they in? Maybe i just don't know what im doing. Whaat do they go for. I have a matching set of sheds that score 122 without spread Its a typical 4x4 with a lot of mass. What would they be worth. I want your sheds! Talk to me before putting them on ebay or let me know when you put them up for sale! Are they fresh....what condition are they in? I think the problem with ebay is people all over the world look on there and most poeple don't understand our little Coues deer. They just see a little rack when compared to a 170" Eastern. So with that in mind, the Coues antlers tend to not go for as much as I would think they should. You need to find the right buyer and I just might be that guy for you! Lets see them sheds! JIM> Hey Dan H, if you are talking about that skull, some people will stain them but I personally don't like adding anything artificial to any antlers, I like them as natural as possible. This skull is going to stay just like it is, but I am incorperating it into a base for one of my pedestal mounted Coues bucks. I won the auction for $107.00 for that skull and would have paid more for it. JIM>

Thanks alot for checking it out Christian! I have had alot of trouble with the web designer not updating the site lately but he just finished yesterday. I also help promote Howell Wildlife Outfitters and have a page on my site for him. He is a supporter of CouesWhitetail.com and we highly reccomend his service for Mexico Coues hunts, check it out. Thanks again Christian! JIM>

It's funny you mentioned about me sreamin' like a school girl.....my wife just yelled at me to find out what the cats were going so crazy for by the kithen table......it was a damned SCORPION.......guess what I did. My wife is still laughing at me for screaming.......and for making HER catch it and kill it. It probably didn't help that I showed her Shortypants' reply either. JIM>