ready2hunt
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Posts posted by ready2hunt
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get some of that 3-d camo clothing. Its mesh and completely breathable yet can cover your whole body and keep the bugs off. If you are hunting in the desert then there is not much you can do about the heat however this may be a good option for you. You can wear shorts and a t-shirt underneath to keep cool. I like thermacells but they do not seem to work as well as they advertise....not to much else you can do about bugs...I know there is a desert bush that is a natural repellent as well. Anyone remember the name of it???
I would say check out 3-d camo cover clothing though. Bass pro, cabelas, sportsmans all carries it
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I appreciate your post but i disagree with your conclusion on why whitetail harvest has increased five fold over the last five years.
As a biologist who has hunted unit 23 for the last thirty years. I see many other possible reasons for the increase in whitetail harvest.
The increase of information available on the web, including forums like this one. If you read the success stories and listen to their years
Of experience, it gives newer bow hunters techniques that are proven successful.
the increase of information available by the use of game cameras. You can pattern whitetails without having to
Spend hours in the field. Five years ago this was difficult,imagine having to have all your picture developed
Instead of instantly downloaded to your ipad. Whitetails are easier to pattern than muleys for me on my cameras.
The availability of pop up ground blinds. Five years ago you had to commit to tree stands or build brush blinds
Now you can pop up a scent holding ground blind in seconds.
The increase in the technology of archery hunting equipment. Laser range finders with angle compensation,
faster bows; if you do guess yardage incorrectly the faster flatter shooting bows are more forgiving.
And my main theory on why the whitetail harvest has increased by so much...
The whitetail population in unit 23 is increasing. I have hunted unit 23 for 30yrs and i am seeing a definite increase in
whitetail numbers. I have been seeing whitetails in areas within the last 4 to5 years that only held muleys the previous
25 years. This is true for other units as well, 24a and 32 are both units I have observed this
Whitetail and javelina populations have been expanding throughout Arizona since the territorial times.
Elliot Coues was not able to obtain a specimen of a Coues during his stay in Arizona.
The species was named in honor of him even though he wasn't able to shoot any.
Coues were not as common as they are today even in the 1800's.
I haven't seen any current data on their expansion but I have definitely seen an increase in
Coues and a decrease in mule deer.
I do not hunt over bait, but my archery success has increased over the last 4 or 5 years.
My friends and i, all long time archery hunters, have seen an increase in success that i would
contribute to ground blinds and game cameras.
I'm sure Azgfd will want to ban these soon enough.
+1 And that's the rest of the story- Paul Harvey
Great info thank you-
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As others have said I appreciate the professionalism and the information shared however I do not agree. CWD may be a worry but it sounds more like a weak political platform to limit hunt numbers. If the CDC cannot even identify how the disease is actually transmitted why is G&F so sure baiting will curb the spread. There are not many documented cases as previously mentioned. If it is actually spread through saliva or bodily fluid then you would have to get rid of water, natural limestone licks and even keep the deer from humping eachother during the rut.
22 & 23 are a couple of the most popular coues units in the state...of course we are going to see more hunters etc especially with the growth in payson over the past 20 or even 10 years. Further more I agree that it is ridiculous to base solid game management off partial reporting numbers. Take any successful business....do you think a 40% accuracy benchmark in reporting will fly???? It wouldn't in my company and if I tried to convince investors otherwise....I'd be out of a job pretty quick.
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now that is a great spot! good luck!
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Awesome pics and story...congrats on the great hunt!
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Primos Hyperlip Single
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Looks like you guys had an awesome trip! That Dorado fish is crazy lookin'
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Those coues are huge!!!!!!!! Hope you get one on your wall this year. Looks like you got a great spot...that elk sure seems to like it haha.
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It was a great weekend. Got the wife and kids out for some fishing and looking for deer and elk. The little ones and the wife caught some fish during our picnic. Drove Unit 22 thereafter and saw about 30 cows and 3 bulls: two of them were 4points and then one spike. Saw a bear too and it's been haunting my dreams...too far to get too but he was a monster (his pic was taken through some swaro's at about a mile and 1/2 distance).
I can honestly say the outdoors are much for fulfilling when you got the family all with you. It was a great weekend and a great tease for the hunting season!!
Enjoy the pics, they are a little poor quality. They were taken through a cell phone.
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Great job!!! There are hundreds of deer thanking you
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Opticnerd: I will not speak for DesertBull (althout I imagine he would agree) but the reference to letting people hunt the way they want did not include illegal activities. My reference did include baiting however as this is what the core discussion is about.
You used an interesting analogy "Golf tournament." Suppose we do use this...when playing golf every participate has the option to use the club he/she wishes and it is up to them to judge what is most effective. I would not tell another person what they are doing wrong unless they asked or I felt that it could better their experience. In such a sitution I would do it in the manner that would not ruin their time of enjoyment.
Furthermore, just like hunting I do not tell other hunters how to hunt. Whether it be over water, in a treestand, over salt or even a pile of corn. It is up to them as long as it is done legally. In addition to this we (in the West) we have a different culture of hunting versus that of the East. We have an abundance of open area and networks of roads for access. Many area in the East hunt exclusively over bait, plots or farm fields....are they any less ethical than we are? I would venture to say no they have just adapted a method of hunting that suits the area and they do it quite well.
There is law and case law to everything....I think we can agree its not all black and white.
As for your baiting effectiveness question....I love putting blocks and corn out and have never seen a difference nor has my family who run cattle ranches/hunting outfits. Animals may become wary of areas perhaps there is excessive calling or hunting pressure but they will always come to food eventually especially when it is scare. Just like the watering hole concept.
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I'd say its on about a 1/3 of the patrol vehicles but that is only city. I do not know if highway patrol is equipt with them. I would venture to say less than 400 yards is the effective pickup range.
No offense but putting a lo-jack system (as is) is basically worthless especially for game cameras unless you have the receptor, have the sytems constantly activated and stay close to the camera. You would be better off putting in your iphone and picking up the gps signal from a desktop computer.
It would be funny though to see a swarm of patrol cars converge on a home thinking there is a stolen vehicle in it only to find a trail camera that a theif picked up.
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Use a helicopter???
Using a helicopter to scout/take game is illegal anyway in AZ.
+1 DesertBull
Although I might still voice my opinon I would voice it with the understanding that it is worth what it cost me to give $0.00 and would be mindful not to ruin another hunters experience.
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My money is on a mt lion. Great buck though...good luck!
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Like huntjukie I agree that gay marriage is a distraction issue when it comes to politics however for me it is fundamentally important. To each his own but as long as the fight continues I firmly support that the family unit consisting of a Father & a Mother and will ensure that my children understand this as well.
Yes, there are many issues like our poor econmony, hunger and health care but none of these compare to the breakdown of the traditional family unit in my eyes.
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Great info, I appreciate you sharing this. I have been looking into the Vortex PST myself but it'll take me more time before I can afford one.
Thanks
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Here is the next scope i am getting. It has the ED glass, which is substantially brighter than the regular glass. I am going to order the custom turrets for it also. David
If you plan on shooting over 700 yards I would look closer at a 75+ MOA adjustment. This nikon reads as follows: Max Internal Adjustment 20 MOA
Thats not alot. I have a vortex viper 4-12x40 and it has 54 or so MOA and I can't get out past 600 yards so I upgraded to the PST 4-16x50 EBR-1 MOA that has 75 MOA adjustment and put a 20 MOA base with Nightforce rings so maybe I can get past 800 now. My .308 requires 20.50 MOA at 700 yards and when you mount the scope you will use some MOA (i used about 30) just to sight it in to a 100 to 200 yard zero leaving only around 17 or 18 MOA for me to adjust.
Look at the MOA adjustment if you are wanting long range that will make or break you desicion.
This is a novice questions but you brought up a good point- Can you just buy different Turrets which can give you 75+ MOA or is this something that is built into the scope itself?
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I really love your funny sarcastic answers, BUT I would like to know if this is factual or not. Here are some shots from other areas.
Ohhh now I see..... Its Roswell New Mexico...no doubt. You see, in pic #2 the deer is clearly eating the alien inside the spaceship. Then, in pic #3, the deer is now possesed by the alien- note the glowing eyes.
Hope you bag one of those bucks this year! Leave some for me though....want to start hunting down there next year!
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great post. I hate how hypocritical the libs are. They cry that they have the freedom of speech and can say what they want yet they pounce on anyone who speaks out against gay marriage.
I am sure that all the tree huggin' hippies in the media have a role in this.
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It sounds like a "gadget" you would buy at Castle Boutique.
Everyone is thinkin' it but you had to say it! hahaha
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yes 55 to 58 grains.
+1
I have used those exact bullets with 56-58 grain. Great load although my experience is limit. I am just getting into loading. Good luck
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When any one claims that a spot is "theirs". That probably bugs me more that most things. We all share the forest and the only time I consider a spot "owned" by someone is when they have paid for the land and have the rights to it.
I heard this from a few people over the weekend during a hunt (it was not directed at me) and think it's petty. If you want the trophy shoot it first...it's that simple
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it looks like their antlers are darker than what I'm seeing in other units. is it because of the different nutrients, soot, etc, in the soil from the fire?
Probably becuase they are rubbing their antlers against burnt trees. Saw some last year that were black as night for that very reason.
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I log on and off this site when I am at work and enjoy seeing all the pics everyone posts up, makes my work day more bearable. Thank you.
Keep em' coming!
"If you don't re-elect me, I will not put the sun back where it belongs."
in Political Discussions related to hunting
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haha nice.
He looks more like Golem from Lord of the Rings holding his Precious