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Couestracker

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Posts posted by Couestracker

  3. Posted · Report reply

    Real nice speedgoat! Congratulations on your success. Would like to hear the story.....

    I've been applying/accumulating points for the red desert area-hoping my time will come this year. How many points did you have and do you mind telling us which unit you drew?

    Thanks, Couestracker

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Great hunt TJ, way to get 'er done! Sounds like one of those never-forget hunts that are made extra special, being with friends and encountering difficult conditions/situations. One you'll always remember with fondness I'm sure. I have yet to get one with a bow...going to try again Feb 8th.

    Couestracker

  8. Posted · Report reply

    I just got back in time for Thanksgiving after hunting whitetail deer in New Mexico...no luck on the deer hunt, but checked my draw results this morning-I DREW A GOULDS TAG IN 29/30A!

    How cool is that?

    Couestracker

    • Like 1

  9. Posted · Report reply

    I got a large piece of leafy wear remnant from SAS fabrics and clip it on tree branches or bushes with small chip clips or spring clips for shade. If necessary, also tie string out between branches/brush to drape it over. It's fast and easy to setup and take down. Cloth stuffs in backpack and keep clips in small pocket of pack. Very light and doesn't take up any room.

    I've also just set deadfall around where I want to sit, leaned against tree, etc, and draped cloth over that in front of me. Makes a great blind just about anywhere. Whatever cloth you use, don't forget to wash it in UV free soap.

    Good luck on the hunt!

    Couestracker

  10. Posted · Report reply

    WOW, I drew 1 of 6 NR whitetail tags in unit 23/November rifle!! This is my second time drawing that tag out of two tries (usually go for muley/carp). The first time I never found a whitetail buck, but since then while turkey hunting I learned where they hang out. I am stoked big time! Good luck to everyone else on drawing your tag.

    Couestracker

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Just when I thought the draw "process" couldn't get worse, I finally get to looking at the leftover tags (nope, not drawn), several of the hunt numbers are non-existent-try to find elk hunts that begin with 38xx ?? I figure they'll fix this sooner than later, but REALLY?

    And oh, yea, what happened to announcing the draw results via their G&F News e-mail?? That worked well too, right? Kinda fed-up with this mess............

    Couestracker

  12. Posted · Report reply

    A friend and I were out calling and around noon on a warm spring day, decided to break for lunch. We were looking for some shade and saw a thicket near by. When we got close to the thicket, we decided to call fist. We sat back to back, each holding a shotgun. I called in a triple! 3 coyotes came in at once, side by side (by side). I was as surprised as them! I raised my 12ga and started shooting. Got one, wounded another, third one got away clean. Tracked the wounded one but couldn't find it. Could have been the hero IF I could have got all three, right?

    Moral: they can come in to the call any time, and aim that shotgun!

    Good luck, Couestracker

    • Like 1

  14. Posted · Report reply

    Just so you know, 36C is not a unit with "daylong hours" for Mt lion hunting (wished it was!). It is cool that they changed the regs to allow shotgun shooting shot for big cats though. I do a lot of varmint hunting (ok, some anyway) and sometimes you set-up near rocky areas for fox, usually holding a shotgun (or a combo gun). Never know what's going to come to your call........

     

    Good luck hunting,

    Couestracker

    • Like 1

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Day 4-Bucks spotted in meadow.

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    On opening day I didn’t see a single deer. Now that was discouraging. Between the second and third days, I saw 15 does/fawns. Almost every doe had a fawn. Finally on day 4, at around 8:30 I see a buck standing in this meadow. As I’m watching him, I see two more near him. Looks like a spike, a forky and maybe a bigger forky or small 3 point- hard to tell as they were 900 yds away.

     

     

    My glassing location.

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    This is where I was when I spotted the bucks. This view is from where the buck was eventually recovered from.

     

     

    Deer bedding area.

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    I watched the bigger of the 3 bucks meander over to these trees. While watching him, I saw movement behind him, “are those antlers” I said almost out loud….yep, they are, and they are big! So this other buck moves into view and is noticeably bigger, both the antlers and body. I’m really stoked now! I watch this buck take what seemed like forever to move back towards my right. I quit watching the other bucks because I didn’t want to lose track of this guy. He kept standing there, looking at whatever, hardly moving at all.

     

     

    Buck bedded down.

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    He finally got over to this tree. Again, he stood there motionless for a long time. Eventually it looked like he bedded under this tree, but it was very hard to tell at 775 yds away. I decided to go after him. I left my non-essentials where I had been glassing and moved on down the hill to the canyon bottom.

     

     

    Stalk is on!

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    I stalked my way up the canyon, staying low, but every little ways I’d pop up to see if he was still there. Story of my life would be that he’d be gone! He was still there though, in a quartering position, but I couldn’t tell if he was facing me or away from me. Eventually I got close enough to see he was quartered away, which was a good thing. I was worried the other bucks would bust me as I did not keep track of them. I just stayed low and behind ridge lines, rocks, trees, whatever, and made my way to the trees in the photo. I ranged him at 205 yards. There wasn’t any cover left to get any closer, but I was comfortable with 205 anyway.

     

     

    The shooting spot.

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    This is where I set-up for the shot. I had to try to chill-out, as I was high on adrenaline and breathing hard. The wind was a little gusty as there was a storm brewing nearby. I had a bipod, but also braced it against the tree to be extra steady-I didn’t want to start cussing after the shot! I had my scope set on 16x, he was on his stomach and legs, head upright and looking away. I aimed for behind the front shoulder.

     

     

    Got him! The buck as he laid.

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    This view is looking back towards the shooting (and glassing) position.

     

     

    I moved him out from under the tree for this picture. His right G2 is pointing up towards the glassing spot on the ridge.

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    I've never seen a coues rack that's jagged or segmented like this. Anyone else seen one?

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    Me and my biggest coues yet.

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    I carried him on my shoulders off that mountain to the valley floor. Back at camp, the buck weighed 88 pounds! That’s an estimated live weight of 113 lbs. No wonder my back was killing me! He taped out at 74 7/8 gross, 71 7/8 net.

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    No, I wasn’t dressed like this during the hunt.

    • Like 1

  17. Posted · Report reply

    Well, better late than never! After reading other success stories (TJ and Scott's) I thought I'd finally post last years hunt. Getting anxious for my next hunt in 4 weeks.

    My friend Jorge and I really did a lot of stomping around looking for some without much luck. We glassed up a herd one day and went to "head them off at the pass" as they used to say. Long story short, we lost them. There were some big ones in that group too, but they must have zigged while we zagged.

    We went back to stomping around were we've had success before. I was on one side of a small ridge and Jorge was on the other side. I stepped out from behind a palo verde tree and saw a pig feeding. I backed up behind the tree to see how many there were. I couldn't radio Jorge, as the pig was too close. I could only see the one, I ranged him at 55 yds, so I stepped out for a shot.

    He presented a broadside shot, so I aimed my .44 mag Desert Eagle and dropped him in his tracks. Another pigalina was bedded near by and ran up past me. Jorge came over the ridge after hearing the shot and went after the second one, but it got away.

    After dressing him out and getting back to camp the boar weighed in at 54 pounds.

    This year I'm going to get one with my bow!

     

    Good luck to those that are still hunting.

    Tommy

     

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  23. Posted · Report reply

    A good place to learn the answers to your questions would be to join Phoenix Varmint Callers (PVCI). Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month. Of course, it's the end of the season right now, but there is still a lot to learn by talking to veteran varmint hunters that are on hand. We have guest speakers at most meetings that cover related items of interest. It's a family oreniented club and it's a lot of fun.

    Also, the Sept meeting is aimed at teaching novice hunters the ropes. Experts bring in their gear to check out and speakers focus discussions on basic varmint hunting techniques, such as camo, setting up stands, calls/calling, weaponry, tactics, etc. The club hunts are the weekend after the monthly meetings. The first hunt will be in Sept after the novice meeting and is the novice hunt. Each member must have a novice on his team to qualify. It's how I learned and became addicted!

    Also there is a novice bootcamp (seminar) in the fall, which is a weekend event held in the field. All aspects of hunting predators will be covered. Feel free to PM me if you want more information.

    If you (or anyone else) are interested, the meetings are held at the F.O.P. lodge #2, 12851 N. 19th Ave at 7:00 P.M. first Tuesday of the month. (No cost to attend the meetings).

    Couestracker (Tommy Martin)

  25. Posted · Report reply

    It's a Rock River Arms A4 pistol, 5.56/.223Rem, 10.5" barrel with an EoTech red dot sight. It's manufactured/sold/registered as a pistol and it is fun to shoot. I see now they make them in 9mm and .40 S+W also.

    CouesTracker

     

     

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