Coues79

I like this idea too. The paper applications help to weed out a few people as well. The online application makes it way too easy and convenient. However, it does have it's perks as well. The way that I read the bonus point system, it goes like this.... there is 20% set aside for those with the highest amount of bonus points. Say that out of a hunt with 400 tags, 80 tags go to these folks, but is it out of a draw basis whether or not they get tags, or rather start with the person with the highest and just go down the list? Anyways, once they are done with that 20%, those with high bonus points that did not draw, get thrown back into the lottery with everyone else. Then it's the luck of the draw. Is this how some of you read it as well, or are there different opinions how it's done? I understand what you mean about putting all the money up front, but this does make more opportunity for folks to draw. If you know you have to do this in the years to come, then put back 5 or 10 bucks a paycheck for a year. Then you'll be set for the draw.

Thank you very much Chef! Appreciate it.

So what's the deal? Is cabela's open to everyone or what? I have heard that it is and is not.

So if this is the case that tags get put over into the first come first serve, there could be some pretty good tags available on some decent hunts? That would be cool to sneak a tag that way.

From 12:07 p.m. to 1:18 p.m, 3 pages of replies. WOW! This is pretty cool! I still can't believe the wife drew a late Whitetail hunt. That's so cool.

I drew Nov. Whitetail. and a cow tag. Wife drew a late whitetail tag. That's awesome baby!!! woohoo. Dad drew October whitetail. It is a pretty good day. Thank goodness they are up.

I got hit for deer and turkey 3 of my choices for deer were for 31, late1, early2, middle3, then 27,28 late, and last choice 32 late hopefull I pull off a dec hunt, it would be nice to chase them in dec with a rifle instead of a bow. what about the rest of the saffordites any luck? Got 3 hits for deer on my cc. All 31 hunts. Late hunt, middle hunt were that order for choices. Those are the only two deer hunts I applied for, for my wife and I. My dad has, late hunt, early hunt as his choices. I also may have drawn a cow elk hunt for the 3 units down there, 28/31/32. Not sure how I feel about that, but I do get a week off from teaching during the hunt I applied for, so I can spend it hunting elk, and scouting for deer. Hope everyone drew what they were hoping for. I know 29 has taken a pretty big hit from the drought. I used to hunt it pretty hard, as well as my family. We have all since moved units. Some areas have been hit harder than others, but the last time I was down there, it looked pretty bad. A lot of dead everything. As the monsoon has been hitting, I have been looking at the radar quite often, especially on days that it builds up in the afternoon. It looks like there have been some good cells that have been popping up down there. At least on the radar anyways. I'd be interested to know how it looks down there as well.

It would probably be good to take a reciept or printed copy of your application for big horn if you need to make an inquiry about it. Hope you printed it out when you did the transaction, otherwise, there's no telling what could happen. My brother drew a tag last year that he didn't put in for. It was something like a Unit 10 Archery cow tag. I believe he called them and they said he had to have proof of the application he sent in by form of a copy of it. Don't recall exactly, but I think that's what happened. He didn't really want the tag, but he was stuck with it. Hope it works out for you and can find what happened.

I have thought the same thing. A lot of folks drawn. Hope it's all legit. It would be a major let down if for some reason it was a fluke.

Use to live in Safford.

Holy crap, this thread's getting the attention. I wish they'd just post the results, then no more guessing games.

Just got four hits. 3 @$19.50. Probably Nov. WT., but hopefully December. 1 hit at $78.00. May be chasing cows in the desert of 31, but I'll keep the hope's up that it may be a November bull tag for either my wife, father or myself. Either way, we are all going deer hunting, and one of us has the chance at an elk. I had to call and get the pending transactions on my card. It didn't show up online or calling the automation service. I was trying to figure it out for about an hour before I called. Everything was pointin' to not a thing drawn. I was bummed, especially after reading the posts of all the successful applicants. Then when I finally found out, as hard as it is to admit, tears of joy came to my face. I can't imagine a year without goin' huntin. Good luck to anyone without hits yet. I kinda think this way is pretty cool. You get two excitement filled times. One to find out your drawn, then another to find out what you really did draw. Cool.

Nothing on mine. Hope they're still gonna hit them later on.

Welcome. You picked a great site to get in on some great opinions, views, and infatuation with hunting.

Those are some cool pics and some pretty nice bulls too. Thanks for sharing them.

I have a Browning A-Bolt Medallion in the 7 Mag caliber. I love it. It's pretty heavy with a bipod though. In coues country it can get to you if you're not in shape. I don't think you can go wrong with a Browning.

Single Shot: You're right. Mace is good. I think anyone could learn a lot from hittin' the hills with him. I remember those pigs out there at Hackberry. I think they may have been the last herd out in that country. Too bad cause there used to be some hellaciuos big mulies out on that side of the road. Anyways, I remember showing some of the video of that pig that you and ol' Harry shot at out in the flats, to some of my baseball buddies from North Alabama. They were intrigued enough with the video, and the country, to come out on a mulie hunt a couple of years later. Unfortunately, that was the year that 29 took a huge hit from the drought. No monsoon, and no winter the previuos year. It was a rough one, but I did successfully call in a herd of pigs that literally almost ran one of my buddies over. I got that on video too. They thought that was the coolest thing they ever did see. They were some good times. Alright man, I enjoyed the pics' and good luck with the draw!! I might try and get a post of that big ol' bear I killed a couple years ago. I think he's worth postin'. Jeff

Hey (Single Shot) Those are some cool pictures. It's good to see some familiar faces on the site. Don't you have one of that monster bow kill? He's a toad.

I downloaded them and man did it take a long time. I did notice that the 2007 price increases are pretty steep and a lot different than the "examples" that were given of the rate increases on the game and fish website. They nearly doubled for deer, making it $42.25, went up nearly $40.00 for elk and up $72.50 for Bighorn. That sucks to be an average man trying to put all of his family in for hunts. It's starting to get pretty expensive.

Nice Buck!! I would have liked to have dumped him. Thanks for the video.

I know when I try to access the sight from the pull down menu, it says that I have a virus. I recently opened an email that said was from "amoors@cableone.net" and that is when I had all of my troubles. Dang anti's probably.

Hey Amanda, About that rental place, it appears that they have quite a bit of stuff. Is it pretty legitimate and do they have quality stuff? For some people this would be more realistic than dropping $2000 at the drop of a hat for a pair of binoculars or just about whatever they could get from this place. Pretty cool. I had no idea there existed a place like this.

I've used both of them. Don't own either pair yet, but I have used friends' glasses in both sworo and leica and after I used the leica's I swore the next pair of glasses I buy will be the Leica 10-15; their unbelievable in my opinion. But, it's really just an opinion thing and what brand your eyes like the best. With the 10-15, you can cut back on packing a set of distance glasses on your back and the 10 power around your neck. Also something to consider. www.wildernesspacks.com has them for $1795 on their website. That's the cheapest I have seen.

You could always send an arrow or round in their vicinity with no intentions to hit them of course. Make sure you're really really careful and don't hit em'. You know, just a warning to get the heck out of there or there might just be a good ol' country butt whooping coming their way. That could be a new way of enforcing the law.

That's the funniest dang thing I've heard in a while. I've tried the same thing with my wife about the binoculars. Doesn't seem to work real great. Fortunately, I can say that I never have stepped in my own crap and had that taint for the day. What didn't work Leupold Vari-x-II. Missed a monster Mule deer, decent 3 point, and took 8 shots to kill a freakin' yote' at about 50 yards away. Sighted it in before the season and it was 8 inches off to the left. After sighting it in and having all this trouble, went to resight it and it was 8 inches off to the right. Definitely not the reputation that Leupold has. What did work Leupold Vari-x-I. Killed a bull on the last day of the hunt with literally 30 minutes left of daylight. What didn't work, Pack mule frame pack. The thing just sucks. Too dang squeaky and definitely not fit for hard hunting and walking. I broke a snap and a buckle on the first day of my deer hunt and had to use a lubricant to keep it from squeaking.