COOSEFAN

Thanks for your reply's, I told my brother and Craig that you guy's were gonna love their deer and have great reply's. They are probably on the site now reading them. Thanks again, JIM

Hi Bret, I was supposed to, but at the last minute he didn't know if he could go, so I had to change plans. I found out on opening morning that he had made it down and was camping out of his truck by himself! Craig and I drove the 90 miles over to 36B and helped him on Fri. evening with only a couple of spikes found. He camped with us in 35B and drove the 2 hour drive back to his spot in 36B on Sat. with the same results. Craig killed his buck that day so we helped Matt kill on Sun. in 36B. Thanks JIM

Is it any good? What are some specifics about it? I found one on a trail south of payson last week, it was snappin' pics of me while I was posing for the photo shoot! It was a Moultrie but I didn't notice any other model # or if it was even digital? I did notice it was only attached to the tree by two small bungee cords. Whosever it was, sorry for burnin' film or memory, it was fun though and my client got a kick out of it!

I don't think there's a canyon in 6A that doesn't have whitetails. I like everything around and in West Clear Creek. Can get into some big stuff though, no problem seein' a bunch of deer, but killin' one is a different story in a lot of 6A. Look not far off of General Crook Highway just out of Camp Verde heading east. You'll probably see several vehicles pulled off the highway during the hunt, and there's reasons why! I can't remember specific road #'s but take any road off the highway before you get past the powerlines, and glass. There's some easier country for kids, that you can see from the highway, and there is deer there. But any of the big, bad canyons in 6A, have the big, bad Whitey's! Best of luck to the kids!!!! JIM

Hey .270, That truck was 92' Ext cab. F-150, white with a big lift and 38" swampers. He actually told me he wanted it for outrunning Indians while cave-robbing! I think he was on the rez. His buddy bought a truck, for cash, just like it on that same trip to the valley. I figured that was where he'd end up or dead, His cash was green and spent well though, I just pretended it came from somewhere else to make me feel better. You said you never found anything of value, but it sounds like you have, just not monetary value. Good stuff! JIM

Hey MoreD, I'm an arrowhead nut, and have found 50 or 60 of em' all over the state, I've only found two pure white ones, both in unit 9. Both were same size, about 2 inches long and wider than normal, for me the rarity of the white ones make them special! Buckhorn, I'm jealous, thats awesome youve got to see those artifacts, I only find pieces of pottery and arrowheads. Did the arrows still have the arrowheads attached? what did the rug look like it was made out of? did the axe have chiseled rock for a blade? or steel? This stuff has always intrigued me. Thanks, JIM

Hey Scott, is that real? I mean was it authentic and not just put there more recently? I sold a truck, about 6 years ago, to a kid from Safford, for close to $20,000.00 dollars. He was 17 years old and paid me in cash! I asked what he did for a living and how he came up with the cash, and he told me him and his buddies "explore" caves, and found a full intact pot and sold it for over $20,000.! I'm not advocating doing that "I'm sure it's black market stuff" but a museum would take it and preserve it. A full intact pot is very rare. I know poeple from Page, that when they were in high school they would go party at nearby Indian ruins and shoot full pots like they were sporting clays! They regret it now! Back then it wasn't that big a deal I guess?! That is the "Holy Grail" of indian artifacts if it's real! Great Photo! JIM

Bill, it definitely is something you'll never forget every detail about. I was varmint calling with my brother, I went down by the wash and sat down under a Palo Verde when I looked over and saw the leg. It was the complete leg from the hip down. The tendons and a little flesh still held it all together. It wasn't dried up and looked real fresh but with the recent flooding at the time, I figured it had been dug up. I studied it for a minute before I started screaming for my brother. I kept telling myself it was maybe from a small bear or lion, becuase they look somewhat similar in structure, but a few toes were still there and were a dead giveaway! The worst part is that the person it belonged to probably wasn't tall enough to ride the big rides at Disneyland!!!! Sorry for getting graphic JIM

I've enjoyed reading everyone's finds, I'm usually very observant while in the field and find alot of neat things but nothing out of the ordinary. Except.........I know this really isn't a "neat" find, but I once came across a leg that had appearantly been dug up and drug under a tree by a coyote. It was several years ago by Lake Pleasant, and right after some big rains. There wasn't much left of it but it was all intact and there was no mistaking what it was. I took the Sheriff's in there, filled out paper work and never found out what else they found, they wouldn't return my calls. I would rather find a KNIFE! JIM

Bill, that sent chills up my spine just reading about you picking up that old knife! That would be something you'll never forget! JIM

That burnt area was the place to be opening morning! There were 3 6x6's on the ground in the first 1 1/2 of the hunt. I scouted for a week prior to the hunt, and found only small bulls up top. It's unfortunate about the first bull you shot, but in this instance, it was for the better! That's an awesome bull for a late tag, first or last minute of the hunt. Great job! JIM (I love the freak too)

The Dec. archery deer hunt is probably the most important hunt available to us. It is the one hunt that keeps us sane in this day and age of how hard it is to draw tags. We always have the archery Dec. hunt in our back pocket as a sure bet when all else fails and is a great reason to take up archery. For you strict rifle hunters, you'd better think about picking up a bow if you like hunting whitey's in the rut, it may get ugly in the near future! JIM

Hey Manny, My brother and I will be there> 7:30 at the Cow Skull, sounds good. Good luck to everyone! JIM

That explains it, thanks Amanda. Sorry for disputin' ya Desertbull, we were both right!

I May be wrong.... but I've read through the link 3 times now and keep seein' where it says " Shifting archery elk tags from the rut to a later fall season", I have not heard af any changes to the Archery rut hunts for deer. If that were the case, I feel we would have an even bigger uproar of opposition to the changes.

Hey desertbull, calm down bud, it says " shifting archery ELK tags from the rut to a later fall season" I haven't heard anything about messing with our archery DEER hunts. JIM

I don't even have a real job?!

Yeah I just got it and saw you were on here

Only if you are buyin'!

There is a lot of meetings to go before there will be anything to file a law siut against. A lot of meetings where we can voice our opinions and opposition to the changes. I haven't heard anyone say that they WON'T listen or consider our ideas. Actually, from what Amanda said, the commissioners were WANTING our ideas and alternative solutions. The meeting sprung up fairly quickly, and caught most of us off guard and there will be better prepared attendees at the next meetings with plenty of ideas, opposition, and alternative solutions! Everyone who opposes the changes should attend! JIM

I use a Win. mod.70, Classic Featherweight, .270 and shoot 130 grain ballistic tips. I just put a 4.5x14 leupold with the B+C reticle on it and love the set-up. I believe the perfect rifle is one that you are most comfortable with and the most accurate with. Shot placement is whats most important! I've killed more with my 22-250 than any other gun becuase I'm very confident with it and it is pin-point accurate. You can develop that with any caliber/rifle with alot of trips to the range and in field conditions. I believe the longer the barrel, the better for long range shooting. If you get the Win. have the trigger lightened up! Don't know if it's common with all Win. but the trigger is very hard, accuracy really suffers. IMO JIM P.S. Using a small caliber gun, you HAVE to be more accurate, If i'm going to make a bad shot, I want to hit him with the biggest bullet possible! That's a good reason to go big! my 2 cents!

Those are great photos, Amanda and Josh! Makes me wish I took pictures of the stuff I've run across over the years. I've found more Indian artifacts, ruins and drawings in unit 21 than anywhere else. Any canyon seems to have something. The canyons around Sunset point are loaded with ruins and drawings. The Whitetank mtns. near Phoenix are loaded as well. I've found a lot of sheep, lizards, snakes and poeple images carved in rock there. I've never found any that looked like elk. I did find, and have a pic somewhere, two sets of dinosaur tracks in the flats west of Raymond ranch in 5bnorth. They looked like big raccon tracks except the toes weren't as long. One big set, about the size of your hand, and one smaller set, half the size, walking side by side. They were in a large semi flat rock area that was uncovered by a wash. I'll find the pic and post it here. Neat stuff! JIM

Thank you Amanda, for attending the meeting and standing up! The timing and location of the meeting was bad for most of us that wanted to be there. If anyone feels that strongly about the proposed changes, then they should voice their opposition at the meetings, that is the only place it will count! Those of us that couldn't attend and feel the same way Amanda feels are lucky she went and spoke out! Whether they are creating the change to increase revenue, we have know way to know for sure. It seems that way, but there IS alot of poeple who just want a tag of any kind and COMPLAIN every year if they don't get it. The commission is definitely trying to satisfy those folks, thats obvious, and the changes will happen if those who oppose don't attend in greater numbers and be heard. Thanks again Amanda and thanks for the report! JIM

I'm jealous you get to experience all that! I finally had my first invite to help out on a sheep hunt last Friday, but they killed before I got there! They were in the Kofas and I told him to hold out but he couldn't pass on a high 160's ram. Oh well, maybe next year! Good luck and hope you find "plan A"! JIM

I was guiding around the heck's Gate wilderness area, East of Payson last week. My client, who's not a Coues hunter, said he sees a bunch of monkey's in the bottom of the canyon? I found them in the bino's and could see at least 10 Coati's running around, in and out of brush! I couldn't believe it, and wouldn't believe someone if they told me they saw Coati's that far up the state. I thought they were only in the southern/south-eastern part of the state? I've seen a few in 32 and 31 and in the border units, but never up here. Has anyone else seen them that far up? I dug out my camera and couldn't find them fast enough through the scope to take pic's, but I have witnesses! I was curious who else has seen them. By the way, someone has pic's of me makin' faces at your Moultree trail camera just south of Payson. That's a great tank the trail goes to! JIM