bobbyo

Bojangles did a great job of pointing out the eliteism that is evident throughout this post, yet one point he failed to emphasis enough is how much more ethical us long distance trophy hunters are. Overall we are just better people. You see its ok for me to shoot at 700 yards, but not ok for you. If you were just educated in not being a slob you wouldn't be the disgrace to the hunting community that you are. If you were ethical you would limit your shots to 200 yards unless you do what I do. You owe it to the animal to spend $5000 on a gun, $3000 on optics and a grand on a tripod. Then you need to spend 1000 hours at the range. Don't give the excuse about working, that is for working slobs. To be really ethical the animal must be killed with one shot at over 500 yards minimum. When he is dead he really appreciates your ethics and benevolence for only shooting him once. Then you must have the specimen stuffed and placed on the wall where the animals thankfulness for your hunting values will be evident to all your guests at your next Pinot Noir party! So all you gut shooting slobs that are trying to do more than your abilities can handle, just get educated please! You are really giving hunting a bad name. Bob

Wow Scott! I just read this. Awesome man. Great Cape and story.

Now thats a great hunt. Congrats

The reason. FIRE. All we have to do is burn down all the dark timber on every mountain. Then suddenly every unit would be a coues hunting paradise. Bob

One thing I have to tell myself is to make sure to look close by first. I tend to fall in love with the 15 power and end up looking at a great distance exclusively. Leaving out the areas 200 to 300 yards. If you are in good coues country a deer could just as easily be that close. I use my 8.5 on the tripod to start out. You will be amazed what might be close by. My wife made me a sun blocker cloth that fits on the bill of my baseball cap. It is great and keeps the sun off my neck. I will take a picture when I get home. When I wear it I look like a bundled up Amish lady, but it sure does work. No glare. A great view. Bob

This pissing match of a post is ridiculous. I am going to give up the goods right now. 33 has coues deer in nearly every square mile. I cannot think of a place where there is not Coues deer. Even right next to the houses. Go ahead, I dare you guys. Reveal one area,just one area in 33 that does not have Coues Deer. You don't have to PM me. You can list the area's in 33 that don't have coues on the public forum. Bob

Are you guys just rubbing salt in the wound? That is a very nice video and a really really really nice bull. Yet I have a hard time getting over 340 and see a 330 ish bull. I know it is heart breaking, but in many ways a clean miss is a blessing compared to dirty miss if you know what I mean. This experience will just make the eventual bull that your son gets all the more sweeter. I wish him all the luck, Bob

Good topic, I have wondered what the norm is. What about items instead of cash. Range finders, binocs ect? Obviously if the guide is lacking these items. Bob

Great Story. Imagine if you got lucky on the first day and shot a humungeous bull. Would it mean anything compared to this bull, with all the trials, tribulations, effort and emotion. Experience of a life time. Congratulations. Bob

Awesome bull, Congratulations. Bob

Opening day, Unit 1 2008: I learned one thing on this hunt. During a storm with whiteout conditions you are not going to see elk. No visibility and the ELK are hunkered down.Of coarse, like a moron, since i am a take no prisoner hunt from dusk to dawn, extreme hunter dude I was out all day and didn't see a living thing except for those mean ravens that mockingly caw at your stupidity. If I wasn't afraid of scaring off the "ELK" I would of sent a 7 mag their evil way. If this happens this year i am going straight to Greer lodge to drink hot toties and watch soap operas. You are all welcome to join me. After the storm cleared i was expecting to see a great migration of elk to the low lands. Sort of like a buffalo stampede in a cowboy movie. To my disappointment this was not so, Seems the Elk could give a crap about the snow or cold weather. In fact they seemed to like it. We were seeing elk in the same spots you would see them in September. On the forth morning of the hunt I was able to take this 400 bull on one of the highest peaks in the unit. I'm sure many of you will recognize the spot. Bob

I don't know much about salt, but I think I read someone on this sight state that the Deer's desire for salt wanes once the antlers are fully developed, this might be the reason for a decrease in activity. A tree stand is better scent control and better shot angles and probably overall a better chance for success, but personally for me it is no fun. The comforts that a blind provide: cold drinks; chance to stretch out or lie down, protection from sun, rain and wind,;ability to wear shorts t shirt and sandals, no stupid camo; easier to use the facilities are all reasons that have kept me grounded permanently. I am going to leave the trees to all the hardcore diehard EXTREME BOWHUNTERS. I guess I'm lazy. Bob

Terry, Why were you getting pictures in the first place. Did you have salt? Were you on water? Were you on a trail. I think the reason you saw a difference in animal sightings was due more to changes in the environment then you. Different water source, different food ect. Late Monsoon is a transition time for animals, they probably just changed their daily patterns. Now obviously your blind with you in it was not in an ideal place. 20 yards is awfully close and all the scent lock and scent control crap is not going to work worth a hill of beans if the wind is not in your favor. When setting a blind wind patterns are as important as shooting lanes and probably more important then brushing in. In addition I set the blind up to forty yards from deer trail or trick tank. I know I probably set up a lot farther than most, but have modified my methods after having the same type of frustration that you have had on this hunt. I think at a farther distance you get less hangups, less deer snorts and in my case a calmer hunter. When a deer i want to shoot is 20 yards or less i am a marshmallow. In addition if the wind is not right I will get out of the blind and move to a more wind friendly position. A quick makeshift natural blind with my lawn chair works. Just need a hiding place to draw your bow. Bob

Congratulations, I think it would help others if you can give us a distance he traveled from where you arrowed him. I am also interested in how far he traveled after jumping the fence. You really had bad luck on that blood stopping on a low shot. That really confounds me how it could stop flowing with gravity and cavity filling with blood ect. I am sure it is a relief getting closure. I lost a big mule deer 10 years ago and even though friends saw him alive weeks later I still wander around looking for him as if he will magically appear when ever I go back to that area and ten years from now i will probably be doing the same thing. I'm happy for you. these situations can haunt you. Bob

Why did Gavin put Mule deer antlers on a Coues mount? Isn't it ironic that someone named Tines shoots something with such long tines? I'm changing my handle to Tines2.

Gee wiz Coach your math lesson was a real downer. Is this how you inspire your team at halftime? With all this 380 or 400 talk I was planning on holding out for a 420 bull on my late Unit 1 rifle hunt. Now I'm so depressed I am liable to shoot the first spike I see. Thanks for nothing. Ex 420 inch Bull Hunter, Bob

Congratulations on a great Bull

Is this post some kind of joke? It really cannot be serious.

Chompy all Apologies, My post came off wrong. I was just trying to say that each elk kill is independent and needs to be assessed on its own. You can't really say in hunting that one action is ALWAYS right and one is always wrong. In addition when i say a person can easily tell it is a good hit I definitely don't mean from the shooters perspective which is very distorted in the excitement. I mean from the evidence on the ground added to the shooters perception of the hit. If you have video evidence like they did on the show all the better. You know as well as i do. A double lunged elk is dead with in a couple minutes. Why wait 12 hours to recover it?Of coarse you are right about waiting on marginal hits, but a rainstorm puts it in a dicey situation either way. By the way we give Cameron sh-- all the time about his $10,000 dink. Bob

That one G3 is the longest i have ever seen. Nice bull Congratulations

Yes. The elk you shoot are usually at the end of the blood trail. Dead or alive. I believe that was your bull. Bob

Ryan, You need to go back to last blood!!! The blood trail or speck trail as it may be is your best shot at finding him. I would keep one scouting ahead circleing looking for blood. and one constantly on the blood. You might think there is no blood, but if you have two holes in him you will find specks of blood some where. Hands and knees are the best way to look. If you lose blood start looking at ever increasing circles around the blood. A change in direction is hardest to relocate blood, but usually rewarding when you relocate it. Good luck. Bob

I use to hunt 32 it is a great unit. I stopped when I realized I needed a new set of BFGs after every hunt. Tough on tires. That is why I will only hunt 22 the best unit in the state. Everyone should put in there. Good luck on your hunt. Bob

I have hunted/glassed the exact same place that Bellota sited on three different occasions. Although it looks choice I didn't see sh--. Maybe he is not really giving an actual hunting spot . Bob

DB. You have to give them credit for the ability to load whole elk. Could you imagine if one was just 100 yards from the trailer. Wow that is impressive. Bob