Couestracker

Great job against bad conditions=fond memories. Way to go.....congrats to you both.

Awesome hunt to share with your daughter. Sincere congratulations!

Give Sven at Wildlife Wings and Designs a call. He's not a sponsor on this site but birds are his specialty. 623-451-7836, www.wildlifewings.com. Couestracker

I got a javelina tag and a turkey tag in the mail, each cost $38. The same day I got the tags, I got two checks, 1 for $27.50 and the other was for $25.00. Take the $13 application fee off one tag cost, that equals $25. Don't know why the other check is for $27.50. I'm calling them Monday and see what they say. I'll give the money back, they need it! Just hope the problem isn't huge or it's going to be ugly for them. Couestracker

YES! Tag and refund, less the $13 application fee. Anyone else get both? Couestracker

I admit I've had it back for a while now, but I have been very busy the last year. The original post was "Oct Hunt Sucess" http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/29897-oct-hunt-success/ I enjoy writing up my hunt stories, it's fun putting the events along with the pictures I wind up having afterwards together. I was inspired several years ago by Josh Epperson's hunt he posted with pictures and verbage telling the story. I very much enjoyed reading it, as it was like being there myself, living the hunt along with him. That was cool! I like reading other peoples hunt stories, so I gave mine a shot. From the favorable responses I get from CWT members, I do a fair job of putting the story together. Thank you all for your nice comments. Ok, back to the mount story. The buck isn't record book by any stretch, but is unique looking because of the jagged frame and rack. No matter, it was my biggest buck (up to then) and my hardest and most satisfiying hunt, so it is a great trophy to me. The mount turned out tremendous too. Thanks for looking! Couestracker

37B HAM hunt again for me. Good luck to all! Couestracker

Tried for my second Gould's tag....got my second choice, early 27! First time back since the fire...have 5 birds from in there prior. Good luck everyone! Couestracker

I'd take both handguns with you and alternate each day! I've taken my bow out some times, but all my kills were with handguns. Ruger .44 mag, Desert Eagle .44 mag, Rock River .223 pistol and last spring took I one with my "new" LAR Grizzly .45 Win mag, which is a big 1911 style pistol. Got drawn again for 37B and will try the bow first again, with the .45 mag on my hip. Whichever one you carry...good luck! Couestracker

The Phoenix Varmint Callers Inc. 7th Annual George Knox Memorial Predator Boot Camp, in conjunction with Youth Outdoors Unlimited, NWTF, Arizona Elk Society, Arizona Game and Fish and other Sports Groups (or contributors) had a great turnout again this year. Attendance totaled 124 at the camp, including 67 adults, 42 youths and 15 volunteers. Out of that total, there were 18 hunt mentors that took out 38 adult and 30 youth hunters. There were 3 coyotes taken during the Saturday evening/Sunday morning outings, 2 of which were called in by novice hunters and shot by other novice hunters. One was called in by a mentor and another shot by a mentor. Gotta love the enthusiasm of those youth hunters! Hope to see some of you guys up there next year! Couestracker

Just got back from the free Predator hunting camp at Vincent Ranch....my Oct whitetail tag was in the mail box. Couestracker

Phoenix Varmint Callers, Inc. (P.V.C.I.) is teaming up with Youth Outdoors Unlimited (Y.O.U.), The Valley Longbeards Chapter of The National Wild Turkey Federation (N.W.T.F.), Arizona Elk Society and Arizona Game and Fish Dept. again this year to hold our 7th Annual George Knox Memorial Predator Hunting Boot Camp August 10th and 11th. This is going to be the largest predator hunting camp ever held anywhere! Learn how to call in and hunt coyotes and other predatory animals from seasoned hunters and callers. IT'S FREE! Registration required for planning purposes-space is limited, so register soon. The camp will be held at beautiful Vincent Ranch. All in attendance will be feed breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. PVCI members will give a predator hunting seminar Saturday morning. Volunteer mentors will take out hunters Saturday afternoon/evening and/or Sunday morning. Lots of door prizes! PVCI will be raffling off a scoped Savage Axis bolt action rifle in .223 cal.-just join PVCI as a new member to recieve a raffle ticket. The drawing will be held Saturday night. Mentors needed to take out hunters. All camp volunteers and mentors will get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a custom knife hand crafted by Ray Evridge. More info on PVCI's website http://www.pvci.org/7th_Annual_Predator_Camp.html. Map to Vincent Ranch and registration for the camp is on Y.O.U.'s website http://www.youthoutdoorsunlimited.com/upcoming_events/index.html Couestracker

My truck plate The old Ranger plate The new Ranger plate

Nothing for me either. 4 points for next year though! Tommy

AWESOME! Way to go Peg and TJ. Sounds like you two had a blast making it happen. A huge congratulations on both your success and determination. Good write up too TJ! Can't wait for the pictures...free computers at the local library . Tommy

First, a thank you to Mark (125Coues) for sharing his knowledge of the unit. I have been in the unit many times, deer and varmint hunting or just camping, but I probably wouldn't have picked the camp spot I did if it hadn't been for something Mark said, so again, thanks Mark! My Gould's turkey hunt was very different from any of the other turkey hunts I've been on.... I parked the truck/trailer to walk up a side road and check for a camp spot. When I opened the door to get out I heard yelps from nearby. As I got out of the truck I heard my first Gould's turkey gobble-this was at 2 pm. I walked over to the sounds and saw him strutting around his hens in the shade of some trees. I was about to take his picture through my binoculars when I got the dreaded "change batteries" window. I watched the birds a few minutes and thought I'd better leave them alone....might be hunting him in the morning. I walked the side road and found a nice camp spot about 150 yds up, so I drove in and set up camp. Then I took the Ranger for a spin to look around and do some scouting. I got back to the gate near camp and was opening it when I heard another gobble. He was roosted 100 yds from my camp! After getting to camp I had happy hour and then dinner. He gobbled until after dark. At pre-dawn light, I hiked over to a clearing near the bird-he was gobbling already. From where I set-up, I had a full view of him in his roost, his beard was hanging well below the tree limb and his feet. I heard vehicles driving down the main road nearby and figured I'd have some company soon, because this bird was gobbling constantly. Sure enough, I saw two hunters come in from behind me and to my right-I signaled my presence with a flash from my headlight and they withdrew (thanks guy's!). The bird gobbled continuously from his roost until way after light. I tried to coax him to fly down by slapping my hat on my thigh and cackling with my mouth call, but he stayed put, gobbling and going in and out of strut pose. Finally he flew down to the bottom of the hill away from me and then I heard his hens fly down too. He would respond to my calls, but the flock continued to move away from me, towards my camp actually. I moved closer and saw they were heading up the hill behind my camp, so I kept following them, but not too close. I climbed this steep hill that was loose dirt and rock hoping to get a shot at that tom, all the while thinking I must be nuts-a few minutes ago I had him roosted. I heard what I'm sure was another hunter using a slate call, apparently climbing the other end of the hill, so I was worried how this was going to turn out as well as nervous that we were pursuing the same bird from different directions. But I kept climbing, trying to be quiet (yea, right). Nearing the top of the hill, I scanned up looking for the birds, and then I saw him, 40 yards up above me. I raised my shotgun and let out a yelp from my diaphragm call and as he gobbled to it, I saw a clear shot, no hens in sight, so I shot....bird down! When I climbed up to him, I looked down the steep hill through the trees-there was my camp! It was so steep I decided to climb down there to clean the bird on flat ground. I weighed him first, 21 lbs 1 oz. He had a nice long beard, 15" before that hair came out, but a good 14". Then I changed the batteries in my camera, but still got the "change batteries" window. I couldn't get it to work even with known full charge batteries. About then, someone came along and I asked them to take some pictures with my cell phone, so those are all the pictures I have. Oh well, I have the memories and I am having Sven from Wildlife Wings mount him in a strut pose that'll last a lifetime. So now I realize I have 4 more days off, a full complement of food, drinks and gas and 2 New Mexico turkey tags in my pocket that I couldn't fill on the first trip there. I broke camp and was out of there by 11:00. I hadn't even been in the area 24 hours! Off to New Mexico I went, but that's another story. Thanks for looking, Tommy

Does anyone know if there will be an antlerfest this year? I couldn't make it before, hoping this year? Thanks, Tommy

Thanks for the nice comments guy's. I drew this Gould's tag after 5 years of trying with only the minimum bonus points (2) as I drew a Kaibab tag last year (tag soup). I have been extremly busy this past month. I had 5 turkey hunts, which included 3 day's I mentored at the NWTF youth camp on Colcord Ridge, the San Carlos Reservation hunt, 2 trips to New Mexico and the Chiricahua Gould's hunt, for a total of 19 days! NOT complaining mind you, but wow, maybe too much too soon...but FUN. Thanks to my wife Julie for being so understanding. I'll post my New Mexico hunt story soon, I have to catch up on some other pressing matters. Thanks, Tommy.

They're on line now...http://www.azgfd.gov/regs/mainregs.pdf Good luck with the draws and happy hunting! Tommy

WOW, nice job and an awesome bird. Congratulations to your son, I bet he was VERY excited right about then (the gobble)!! Tommy

Congrats on an awesome hunt with your folks, a beautiful turkey and a cool find! Tommy

I put in for antelope, bull elk, oryx and deer ($3,000 total).........and drew a mule deer tag in 23. Whats it take to draw elk or oryx-besides luck? Is it better to have two or more on an application? Good luck to all who drew! Tommy

Yes, it's a great and rewarding experience. My second year in a row mentoring. Wished I could have made it happen for the girl and her father I took out. They (and I) had fun trying. It's about learning anyway, which did happen. Tons of effort from many volunteers from various hunting organizations, heavy on the AES and their equipment-not sure where the funding came from, but it was substantial. Key to keeping the tradition of hunting alive, while teaching ethical and responsible behaviors to our young ones. Bravo to all who contributed. Tommy

Nice bird and nice camo! Is that a rio, as Vowell asked? Would you share the story/facts with us please? Congrats, Tommy

Congratulations to your son (and you) on a nice bird! Good job keeping with it and scoring! I bet he was a happy camper. Was it his first bird? Tommy