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COOSEFAN

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Everything posted by COOSEFAN

  1. COOSEFAN

    SnugTop truck shell

    That's a good deal, especially if it comes with the Mullins Outfitters stickers that I can see on there! I can attest to the quality and condition of that camper, it's very nice and looks brand new. JIM>
  2. COOSEFAN

    Last Years Turkey Hunt Video

    Howdy all, tis the season for Turkeys! I was just day dreaming about my upcoming hunt and re-watched my video from last year. Even tho it wasn't a text book Turkey hunt it still gets me excited re-living it and figured I'd share it here again. I was by myself and video taped the whole hunt with a GoPro cam so it's not very good. I had the second hunt last year which was very tough and the birds were quiet or non responsive most of the time but it was still a blast! The bird at the end appears to be WAY out there when in actuality he was less than 15 yards! The very wide angle lens on the GoPro makes it deceiving but it's really cool none the less. Also, I didn't realize how tight the choke was on the borrowed gun, hence the first 2 missed head shots, but thankfully that Benelli shoots fast! Good luck to all the tag holders this season, I look forward to the posts and pics! JIM>
  3. COOSEFAN

    First Hunt Unit 9 Turkey

    LOL! Good luck TJ!
  4. COOSEFAN

    First Hunt Unit 9 Turkey

    Anybody here have the first hunt in Unit 9?
  5. COOSEFAN

    First Hunt Unit 9 Turkey

    I wish I had the first hunt! I've got the second and will be picking up the scraps like last year. I've been up there a bit recently and even drove a ton of roads looking for elk tracks and never saw a bird or even a track! They've got the count wrong in that unit and should let the population build up. I know, just like they do elsewhere with different species, they counted the same birds multiple times over and then with some mathematical equation came up with an imaginary population total! Oh well, there are a few birds there and if I don't use the tag somebody else will, I'll give it my best shot! It's always a great excuse to be in the woods anyways! Best of luck Doug, look forward to the pics and story! JIM>
  6. COOSEFAN

    some More brown!!!

    Awesome! Great pics too! JIM>
  7. COOSEFAN

    Took my kids Roosevelt Lake and they Smoked me!!!

    You are a very lucky man and your kids are lucky to have you! They'll remember trips like that for the rest of their lives. Outstanding job and thanks for the awesome write up and pics! JIM>
  8. COOSEFAN

    Bird Down

    Way to go Mark, loved the write up and what a beautiful specimen for the trophy room! I love the quick "one and done" hunts, but to get to drag it on with multiple opportunities, many more experiences and to finally seal the deal, I think is much better and will stick in your memory for much longer! Congrats on an awesome trophy! JIM>
  9. COOSEFAN

    Bird Down

    It would be a sweet looking Merriams but it's a classic Goulds!
  10. COOSEFAN

    Coconino travel managment

    On a more positive note... I recently downloaded all the TMR maps onto my iPhone and it works awesome. You can follow the instructions off the FS websites and they provide the QR codes for downloading, it's really easy and WAY easier than trying to figure out where you are on the paper map. With the map on my phone, it'll actually place a blue dot on the map showing my exact location and I can even add place marks. This is very helpful as the maps aren't very accurate and there are roads that are open on the map but don't exist anymore in the forest which can get very frustrating and confusing! The maps work regardless if you have service or not, but you need to have cell service for it to show your location on the map.
  11. COOSEFAN

    Coconino travel managment

    I, unfortunately, have to follow the rules and it is VERY frustrating knowing there is little to no enforcement and very few people following the rules. I've had different stories from different WM's, one will write a ticket while the other won't! Same thing with FS, It all depends on the individual and what side of the bed they woke up on that particular day, some will enforce it and some won't. I think it's BS that there is no consistency, rules are rules, if I have to follow them, everybody else needs to follow them as well, and I want to see FS and G+F out there enforcing it! Sorry for ranting, this one get's me fired up. You should see how pissed I get while having to ride a peddle bike down a closed road and have somebody come drive past me in a truck or quad and say the WM told them it's OK!
  12. COOSEFAN

    Coconino travel managment

    I was at Apache Maid about a month ago and there was a Forest Service LEO parked just south of the mountain. It appeared he was out on a quad but I never seen him. I was hoping that he was out enforcing the TMR rules, but he was probably out trying to catch butterflies or something.
  13. COOSEFAN

    Minox DCM

    PM sent to ya
  14. Hey all, I'm home for just a few days and have already been on successful archery bull hunts in AZ and NM all in less than 1 week! My first hunt was in northern AZ and it was by far the fastest and shortest archery bull hunt we've done! My hunter flew in from Georgia the night before opening day and had a fatal arrow in our target bull 20 mins after first light on opening day! That's what some serious scouting will do for ya! We also had another hunter take a great bull that's been a legend for many years and had been chased by some of the best hunters and guides in the state over the years. I've got a set of sheds that I found from this bull and when I get time I'll take some good pics and post up a post dedicated to the life of that bull! For now I'll post up some pic's of my first hunter's bull from opening day! Craig waited for 15 years to draw his coveted tag and trusted me with his hunt! I had to apologize to him for the hunt only lasting 45 minutes, but we just couldn't pass up a 388" bull! LOL! When I get some time I'll post up the video as well! Congratulations again Craig on your huge trophy bull!!! Thanks and best of luck to all still out hunting! JIM> View the full article
  15. COOSEFAN

    which bino

    Hey, sorry, just saw this and will clean out my PM's and send one to you as well, sorry and thanks for the heads up! JIM>
  16. COOSEFAN

    17 points or more?

    Just food for thought, based off my experiences, I would rather have 1 week on the archery 9 hunt than 1 week on the muzzy 9 hunt! Lots of people think that just by getting an early firearms tag in a premier unit you are almost guaranteed a really big bull, that's not the case and it's risky waiting almost 20 years thinking it'll definitely pay off with a really big bull! There is typically some serious pressure by archers prior to the early firearms hunts and those older smarter bulls can disappear, get killed or have enough points or beams broken to kick em' off the "shooter" list. Lots of the "premier" units, especially 9, are bordered by "no trespassing" areas and that's one of the reasons those units produce bigger than average bulls, those bulls have "sanctuaries" where they can escape to and ultimately reach older age and grow to full potential. By the time the early firearms hunts arrive, lots of those older bulls that have dodged the arrows have been pushed into their sanctuaries. They sometimes come back during the early firearms hunts but it's definitely harder to find them after 2 weeks of pressure by the archers. I'm not saying the early muzzy or rifle hunts are bad, they are blast and it is easier to kill a bull obviously with a firearm, but you'll have a better chance at a really big bull during the archery hunt, even with only 1 week to hunt IMO. JIM>
  17. COOSEFAN

    Unit 9 archery bull

    Congrats on the tag! I've yet to have one personally but hopefully in the next year or two I'll get to know what it feels like to have that tag in MY pocket! I know a little about that unit and those early hunts. There will be multiple people for each tag and it can be very frustrating when those folks interfere with your hunt. If you plan on sitting water, plan on getting frustrated! 1st problem with water is guys will go up early and set up multiple treestands or blinds on multiple tanks and "think" they own them. 2nd problem is guys will have their "non-hunting" friends sit their other stands in order to keep other hunters from sitting there, you won't know if the guy in the blind has a bow or not and that's not fair to the respectful tag holder that turns around and leaves thinking another "hunter" beat him to the tank. There are a bunch of water sources in Unit 9 that most people don't know about and if you scout hard enough you'll find some and have a better chance at not having any competition over it. I HATE sitting water but sometimes it's all you got! Every year there will be evenings during the hunt when the bulls just won't talk and it's a bad thing to go bumping around in their bedrooms, this is when sitting a tank is best. I don't know which year or where Metau hunted in 9 but I must've missed that one or was in the wrong spot! Rut action like that in Unit 9 isn't common and I definitely wouldn't expect action like that, but it can happen if you are in the right spot. Overall, lately the rut has been decent in 9 but there will be areas where it turns on and areas where it flat out turns off! So remember, just because the rut action is slow where you are, it may be on fire somewhere else in the unit, sometimes just changing elevation can change the whole hunt! One thing you can do is drive to other areas at night so your not burning hunting time and listen to find better rut action. Like was said before, there will be areas with a lot of hunting pressure i.e., cameras, blinds, traffic etc. Those areas are typically the "famous" spots, not because there are a bunch of big bulls, but because there may be 1 or 2 really big bulls there. The truth is, this is not the case for the whole unit like some believe. There are areas with big bulls and even giant bulls that get overlooked and will have little to no hunting pressure. Having to compete with other hunters or guides takes all the fun out of the hunt and if your willing to shoot any 350"+ bull you'll have a much more enjoyable hunt elsewhere and you can find that class of bull anywhere in that unit! If you are only wanting a 400" bull then seek out those areas with all the cameras and traffic, put your game face on and be willing to go home frustrated and quite possibly empty handed! Those 400" class bulls are big for a reason and it's typically because all that scouting/hunting pressure pushes them to areas where they can't be hunted. Thus, all those hunters are wasting their time trying to kill them, happens every year, I know this first hand! If SirRoyal is offering to help for free for a few days, take him up on that offer! He knows what he's doing and that's basically a tag of a lifetime so use all the help you can get!
  18. COOSEFAN

    AES Banquet Article In AZ Central

    TJ, yeah I was there and was usually running around with my little orange apron on! Several folks got a laugh out of it at least. I saw pics of you and Peg and was surprised I never ran into you guys, would've loved to have finally met you both! I did get to see Justin and finally meet Colleen as well. When working those banquets it's usually very hectic trying to anticipate what's needed or coming up next so I rarely get to hang out and visit with folks. Thanks for helping them tear down, I would've been there but had promised the wife I wouldn't miss church with her. It was a great banquet and one of the best ones we've had! JIM>
  19. Hey all, I just saw this nice write up in AZ Central and wanted to share it with you all! We had a great banquet and raised a ton of money, thanks to all that came out and supported the AES! JIM> AZ Central AES Article
  20. COOSEFAN

    Drew a Unit 7 Antelope Tag

    Wow, sounds like CWT.com members own that hunt! Congrats to all of you! HICAP40 knows what he's talkin' about and I was about to say the same thing, a lot of the antelope stay in the trees! The biggest bucks I've seen have been in the treed areas and it would be very hard to find or kill one of them. If I had a tag I would bring as many friends that I could round up and put them on high points out in the flat cedar country or even in the pine tree areas and hope somebody turns up a big buck. If you do this right before your hunt and a big buck has been spotted, he's probably staked the area out as his home turf and will still be close by. That's when it takes a ton of patience and perseverance in the treed areas because you'll get frustrated and want to run out to the meadows but stick with it and you'll find em! Best of luck to you all! JIM>
  21. COOSEFAN

    which bino

    The 12x EL's are the absolute best big binocular on the market right now, no question. Like has already been said tho, if you had both the 12x EL's and the 15x SLC's you most likely will find out that your 15's will start collecting dust and never get used! The best set up is either the 12's or the 15's, the spotter and a smaller pair for around your neck. I'm actually thinking about selling my 8.5x42 EL's and might post them up soon here. I just got them back from Swarovski and they made them like brand new again. They are the best small bino you can buy and with the age and cosmetic wear that mine have they will be at a great price! If I was you, I would buy the new 12x EL's, sell your 15's and buy a used pair of smaller power binos for around your neck. You'll probably have money left over too! JIM>
  22. COOSEFAN

    Feb/9/2013 Mexico Hunt

    Congrats on a great buck!!! I've got several ranches near Querobabi and have hunted there a lot over the years. It can be a tough area to hunt because the deer densities are low but as is evident with your buck there are some giants there! It is weird that it looks like your buck never rubbed much and still has dried velvet all over it, none of the muleys we've killed there were like that. Here's a pick up head from just outside of town there.
  23. COOSEFAN

    suggested Outfitters?

    Hey Gut Pile, I'm envious you get to hunt with your Pops, that's awesome and congrats! Just so you know, I'm always willing to custom tailor hunts to meet the clients needs or price budget if I can. It would depend on what tag you have and if I have a guide available. I only employ friends and family so I don't have a big network of guides available but depending on what tag you have I may be able to put something together for you that fits your budget. There are other guides that are sponsors of this site that can provide a great service to you and I'm sure some of them would be willing to work with you on price as well. I would definitely call several of them and see what they can offer you at a price you're willing to pay. I would be careful though and be mindful that for a guide to give you a great hunt and do a great job for you, it usually takes a lot of money to accomplish that! You'll typically get what you pay for in the guiding world! Best of luck and congrats again on drawing! JIM>
  24. Well unfortunately I failed to notice these bumpers won't fit my Ram 1500 unless I buy new brackets which are crazy expensive! So these bumpers are still for sale! After researching them I realized they are one of the best heavy duty bumpers out there and well worth the asking price here! If I had a Ram 2500 they would already be on my truck! Lastly, Brandon has been awesome to deal with and hopefully somebody will snatch up these bumpers before I decide to get on my knees and beg my wife for the extra money to buy the brackets!!!
  25. Awesome! Brandon has been great thus far and I look forward to meeting him today hopefully! Thanks!
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