AZP&Y

I was drawn this fall for an archery bull tag in one of the northern units, I have hunted this unit before for cow elk with my bow but was unsuccesful (no surprise there Ndaniel, I read this and started thinking about what it was really saying. First you need to have confidence. You may miss a bull , you may hit one and not find it. I killed my Pope and Young bull on the 10th day of the hunt. Remind yourself of the Javelina Kill and build on that experience and get rid of the unsuccessfull (no surprise here) thing. You were drawn for a archery bull tag and it may be years before you get the opportunity again. Relish the moment, get up early, stay out ALL day long. Hunt as many total days as possible. A good book that you can get on Ebay for about 6.00 bucks or so is Dwight Schuh's " Bugling for Elk" an Early Season Guide to Elk Hunting. It's been around for years and the information is true today as 25 years ago. Some of the topics include, Calls, and Calling, Locating a bull, bugle him in, Other approaches to hunting and the nature of elk hunting. It will offer you some strategy , when that MONARCH walks in at close range. Good Luck and hope you drop one! AzP&Y Doug

Younghunter, That first pick looks like an EGG-SUCKING LEECH? THe #1 FLY IN ALASKA>>>>>> I've busted of some 10lb rainbows on the that FLY. Welcome back to the 'lower forty eight' Tight lines- nice Fish = Did you get to battle any Silvers ? Nothing like those 'smolt' pattterns to get em' fired up! AzP&Y Doug

If you want send me a PM of your prospective dates: 1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice I'll call Duwane and see if he can do it. It would have to be a weekend time-frame. We'll see how many 'glassers' that we get. It lasts about a 1/2 day and is over by mid morning... AzP&Y Doug

Elkhunter- No he's got short hair (at least this weekend). Good luck with your Dec hunt. Sundevil- The cost of the class was $200.00 per person (total of $800.00). It may seem like a bit of money, but when you look at it over the life of your hunting career it's a bargain. Plus with all of the gear we buy as hunters- this isn't much in the real world. Also a class of 4 or 5 would be a good number and it allows for the personal attention and detail needed for glassing. I would talk to Duwane about that and he can let you know how it may work with more folks. Scott- You are right about that, he's got some incredible hunt stories. I told him that I really like your clear,crisp pictures that you post on CWT and he mentioned some of your hunting experiences and trophies that you've taken over the years. I was nice to learn some quality skills from THE PIONEER! Good Luck and Glass us some BIG BUCKS! and as Duwane says, " you can't kill what you don't see" Doug AzP&Y

Mulie Hunter, I just posted a seperate post (thread) that you may want to read, A day glassing with Duwane Adams- The 12x56 Monarch's are incredible. We spotted many deer and it changed my mind on glassing and strategy... You will be very pleased with the quality of the optics and clarity. For the price these binos are fantastic. Good luck and want to hear after your scouting trip in Sept. Doug AzP&Y

I believe it's in reference to all of the GREENERY in the pics. Coronado national monument (over to the east of 36b) got 8 inches of rain in 24hours. AzP&Y

Archery Headquarters in chandler. Not far from gilbert. 1 dozen blackhawk Vapor carbon 4000's about $75.00 bucks. Better go NOW as the shop has been off the wall busy with upcoming hunts. It's best to leave an arrow and they'll cut and fletch to your specifications. Good luck! AzP&Y

RR, PM sent. Thank you in advance for organizing and putting forth the time and effort to make this happen. I don't have any hunt prizes to donate, but I'll send some $$ your way for the shipping etc. AzP&Y Doug

Ran out of water and had to drink some nasty spring water. Not good. I really need to get a water filter. Those water treatment pills don't cut it when the water is green and there are little 8 legged swimmers in it. Desert bull, Can't go wrong with this - it weighs 1lb and is virtually indestrucable and can save your life. As you know water is everything in Arizona... http://www.msrcorp.com/filters/miniworks_ex.asp The MiniWorks EX is the best-selling filter on the market, delivering long-lasting, fully field-maintainable water filtration. Its durable ceramic element ensures protection, pumps water for years, and can be cleaned repeatedly for full recovery, with no tools required for complete disassembly. The MiniWorks is also lightweight, compact, and, thanks to its innovative AirSpring Accumulator?, capable of pumping one liter of water per minute. Thanks for the update on the bears...

RR, Good point, a couple of years ago i was chasing some trophy bulls -6A and caught em' eating shrooms. Turns out I went out and bought a book "national audubon society- pocket guide to familiar mushrooms". I wanted to see what kinds they were and key in on it as food source. Elk (not sure about deer) will tear em' up. Glad to hear the 'high country' is getting enough rain to perpetuate the spores. off 2 hunt the shrooms! Archery elk is 6 weeks away! AzP&Y other Doug

Per the AzG&F website: Refund warrants will be mailed to unsuccessful applicants no later than August 11, 2006. AzP&Y

Vegas jeep, The points will show up later ( actually sooner than later) , but here is the info on the AZG&F website: NOTE: These Bonus Points reflect the status after the 2006 spring draw. Please check back later for updated bonus points. Your Hunter Ed Bonus Point is included for each species if applicable.[ They keep track and it will show 1 for Elk when you log back in (after they've sorted out the Fall draw). Bummer on the Elk draw, another suggestion is to get your hunter ed point if you havent' it can be the clincher, between being drawn and not. AzP&Y

Other areas in Unit 10 also hold mule deer, but population densities are generally low and hunting will be more difficult. uh yep there are no deer in Unit 10 ( like he couldn't go on the Az game and fish website). Get real. AzP&Y

dds, I remember your great hunt story and excellent pictures that you posted after you took that buck. Thanks for sharing the mount pics...It's nice to see the finished product an it looks OUTSTANDING! AzP&Y Doug

Sheez them critters are all over the state.. Good job right before archery elk season and going to sit in some wood piles Better keep my eyes peeled ... This is the only thing i want to see... Thanx for sharing - Learned quite a bit about the different kinds.. doug AzP&Y

Ernesto! Outstanding Photos! looks like a great time had by all- Cool breezes and Trout waters in August- It can't be beat ! Nice photos! Azp&Y Doug

Nice pictures... I've lived my whole entire life in Arizona and never run into one those Gila monsters (except at the Phoenix Zoo) Glad that you're getting your fall deer spot info, was that pick taken in the Pajarito wilderness? Good luck on your fall hunt! Doug AzP&Y

Post office delivered my ELK tag to the neighbor 2 doors down... I've been wondering the last couple of days where it was??? The deer tag arrived, but I kept checking the mail box .. Turns out it was off by 2 #'s and the family delivered it . When she shook my hand I almost crushed her knuckles (oops).. If the draw wasn't already stressfull enough, you have to chase down your tag once you know (think) you've got one!! The 2006 draw has been a rollercoaster .... Nice to see there are 'honest' folks in the world. Doug AzPY

Mulie Hunter, I've been following your post and I fall into the same category, except I have a 36 B - December whitetail tag. I went on ebay today and bought (sight unseen) the Nikon Monarch ATB 12x56 binos for $326.50 shipped to my door insured. I called Nikon and this guy is a legit Nikon dealer. I have no connection to him other than saving between $125.00-$175.00 off of what they would cost anywhere in the valley. http://stores.ebay.com/Wilderness-Sports He had 4 pairs and they all sold today.. (bet he'll relist more).... Anyway thought you might want to check him out and save yourself a few bucks. These are so new that the retail alone was $430.00 plus tax... & they're not even in the shops... Don't they know it's time to Scout?? When they come in the mail I'll let you know more, but they were exactly what I was looking for Coues Country... Good luck! Doug Az P&Y

As you can tell from the posts. Garmin is a BIG seller. I went for the Venture, between the base model and the Legend. It has been bulletproof for the most part and I've carried it for almost 5 years. It had a few issues recently and I sent it back this week to Garmin. They are going to download my GPS coordinates and send me a new (refurbished) unit , with my data loaded for $79.00. Not a bad deal. If you want to learn about how GPS works and take a quick course, Wide World of Maps, has a GPS class. I believe it's the first Saturday of the Month and cost is nominal. They explain how the gps functions and the features of the GPS in the real world. The bottom line you will be able to venture farther with greater confidence, but as someone said in an earlier post, there is no substitue for map and compass navigation. Because as i've done it more than once, the GPS has hit the ground and I went , "uh oh". I would most definetely buy the the velcro/clip case for any GPS you buy..... So it doesn't hit the ground (too many times).. AZP&Y doug

It's always good to 'recycle' the gear and look at new and innovative options. I also sold my North Face Trek Bivy, too confining and just not enough room to stash gear and sit up. I went with the MSR Trekker Tarp and Insert.. 40 square feet, 7 foot length 5 foot wide and weighs 2lbs. The top shelter (rain fly tarp) weighs another 2.3 lbs and sleeps 2 comfortable with vestibules and zippers on each side. Add 2 trekking poles or MSR's wing poles and for around 5lbs you've got a bullet proof 3 season shelter with enough guy lines and points to withstand a winter storm.... I've heard nothing but GOOD things about Eureka tents and the Exo line. I have the MSR pocket rocket and have heard good things about this brunton stove: http://www.brunton.com/product.php?id=244 Iso pro fuel can be a bit tempermental at really cold temps , but lights without all the priming and burns with the same fury as white gas. There is nothing like saving a few pounds when you climb in steep coues country for a backcountry coues experience! Doug AzP&Y

RR, What are you 'upgrading' to? I see you're releasing your're backpack gear for sale. With all of the ultralight - waterproof shelters on the markets, bivysacks, single wall tents, wings, tarps and freestanding shelters the hunting overnight world is the limit. One lantern I picked up has been fantastic, the brunton mantleless liberty piezo ignite. No more mantle issues and it works even after it's been wet. It weighs in at 8oz and used iso/propane fuel. Great tracking lantern if you've hit an animal and need some quick reliable light. It does give off a bit of a yellow hue though. Nice elk pics..keep em' coming... Doug azP&Y

Just picked up my cow mount a couple of weeks ago @ Signature in Flagstaff. I thought they did an outstanding job- I poked my head in behind the scenes and they had some AWESOME BULLS that were in the process of mounting. Not to mention a lion taking down a Mule Deer as you walking in the shop (life size). Good luck with your hunt and hope you get the MONARCH of the woods. Doug AzP&Y

Just walked through the edge of 5BN 11 miles doing a section of the Arizona Trail. Found a nice 6x6 bull elk shed and tracks along the trail itself, but didn't see 1 elk that day (about 2 weeks ago). Horse Lake, Vail lake and Prime lake all had water in them. - Everything about hunting starts with water in AZ Nice pile of fresh scat up at Horse Lake (Big Bruin in the area) ? I spent a couple of days at Marshall Lake and that is where I saw the most elk, in fact about 20 of them came down to feed right at dusk. The bull wouldn't budge, but I could hear him in the trees talking to his harem of cows. Marshall Lake was full last year (see picture 1). But now it's down to a low marsh. I would go buy the 6a hunt map , ( i know you're hunting 5bN) but a decent part of 5BN is contained on this map. It's worth the 12.00 bucks or so & gives you a good lay of the land. I'll be hiking the next 18 miles through Walnut Canyon probably before the end of summer , I think Desertbull may be right on also I'll be across the pond (lake mary) hunting cow Elk in 6Anorth so we'll push a bull your way. Good luck and aim for that heart or lungs! Doug AzP&Y

December 36b late - December HUNT ! 1 of 200 lucky souls. Casey my "dream" did come true 6A Archery Cow Elk Tag - That's 6 years in a row drawing an Archery Elk Tag! 5 cows and 1 bull... Bring on the RUT! AzP&Y Doug