AZcoues_addict

Well here is another play on "substance", what about scents? It seems most scent-type attractants would be banned? It is not the actual bottle that attracts them, it is the smell not the substance? Are sound and smell so different? They are both physical in my mind. According to my logic, if calls are O.K. then scents should be too as long as they are on your person, and as long as a bottle isn't physically left in the field? Also decoys? I'd have a big argument with you if you can't use decoys. What are decoy manufacturers going to think of this? I know bird hunting is more specific, but how will this apply to big game as an "attractant". My point is just be careful with how you word things that might hang many of your fellow hunters, who have used attractants as hunting tactics for "eons", in your wording. The general intent might be good, but the overall result might not be such.

If this baiting law passes (which I hope it doesn't), then I at least want those to consider how it is worded, very carefully. Tony's example is excellent, there is an open mountain lion season 3/4 of the year, so chute planes should technically be banned whenever a "season" is open? Huh?

Well, either the right bidder didn't know about it, OR... its not worth 10K since nobody bid? I think its strange, but it is what it is.

Welcome to the site. Beautiful buck, congratulations and thanks for sharing! You've got some nice sheds too, thanks for sharing all the pictures!

I wouldn't buy any film trail cams, too much time and money. If you want a cheap one, Cabelas had the Wildviews in a double pack, 2 for $99. I think they are 2.0 megapixel, and are sd card cameras. Not bad for the money for a cheap one.

Trying to outlaw salt is going to be extremely difficult and I personally feel it should be allowed anyway. Its allowed in many other states, has been for years, feed too. Why do we suddenly need to reduce archery hunt succes even more? We've already instituted a draw for the high percentage archery kill units, itsn't that enough!? It should be all they need to properly manage their numbers. Discussion of reducing the season is also being planned for other units to further reduce archery success. The real question is what is the target, and where should we draw the line. 15% average success? 10%? I think its fine where it is and here's why: The numbers I'm seeing in the Hunt Arizona book show a consistent average of approximately 85000 rifle deer applicants over the last 3 decades. There aren't any more people applying for rifle, just less deer!!! The number of tags has decreased in about 3 decades from around 85000 to 37000. Meanwhile the number of archery tags has gone from somewhere in the 10000 range to 23000! That means archery demand is 21.3% and has increased 130% in 3 decades while rifle demand has remained nearly constant! The stats show approximately 12% of the total harvest is archery. They claim not everyone reports their deer, but even if we doubled their number of archery kills, it would only then equal the demand of 21%. This is with NO changes, and the archery draw is already on its way!!! Don't be blind, they want to confuse you and make you think too many deer are being killed archery, but its BS to me. More rifle hunters switched to archery for the "opportunity", and now they want to take away "opportunity" when it seems below the demand or right on target in the worst case scenario! The bottom line is tag sales are down and they want to bring them up. BS. Archery success is below or with skewed numbers just meeting the statewide "demand" that it should according to their philosophy. Surely some areas get more deer killed with a bow, and less with a gun, and the draw is in place to take care of those units. But what about the others? Should we cut the # of rifle tags in the other units and allow archery hunters to use crossbows to bring those archery kills averages up! Or reduce the rifle season to one day in those units and allow archery year-round? It ridiculous, just manage the heard according to best practices you know and stop trying to create computer model to show you how to maximize profits. OW, your example is exactly what they want, and its scary, more than triple the # of hunters in the field with nearly 1/2 of the deer of 3 decades ago? Think about it before you buy into it so quickly. We did have 2-3 times more hunters in the field a few decades ago, but there twice as many deer and the buck to doe ratios were slightly higher. There were doe hunts and archery doe was allowed too, but those are gone now because our heards are so stressed that we can't hunt doe anylonger (with the exception of limited youth tags). I'm so fed up with all conflicting information they're trying to feed us. Leave the hunts alone for the love of God!!!

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on a beautiful buck! You sure are lucky on those late tags, I've only drawn 2 out of 6, but not in very good units. I'll guess he grosses around 94.

Bidding starts at 10K, that means its worth what the final bidder pays!

NO WAY! You are lucky, lucky, lucky. Glad to hear you got it back, you deserve it with all those pics you've shared. Now get that camera to work! Haha, just kidding, well not really? I use a small walmart chain ($4) with an inline combination lock on mine. It won't stop those who really want it, but neither will a bigger chain, they will use bolt cutters if they really want it. It only prevents the easy temptation for those who aren't so honest.

Welcome to the board. That is just great, congratulations to your daughter and thanks for sharing. And archery, non-the-less, I love it! Hope to see more posts from your family's success.

Beautiful buck, thanks for sharing! Gross = 84, Deductions = 1.75

I'm envious. Congratulations on a huge, beautiful buck and thanks for sharing!

1. Rangefinder! 2. Lots of practice shooting (and stalking). Practice on smaller bucks if you can't stalk the big ones. 3. Thick socks or something VERY quiet to stalk in. Go SLOW, then slow down some more. 4. Pay attention to wind direction and lay of the land before stalk. Plan the details of the stalk, including key landmarks (multiple if you can, not just 1 or 2). 5. Have a backup plan and his retreat area(s) in case things change. 6. Be ready before he is. Arrow knocked, release ready, nearest landmark distance ranged. Wait for him to bed or be in an area where you can stalk him. If he's not, get as close as you can and wait in an area where you expect him to be headed. When he stands up and feeds, watch, wait patiently, and close the distance or cut him off if you can. If the stalk is blown, watch their retreat and do it again. Get up high and glass for him or track him.

Great shot placement. Awesome buck, I'd sure be proud of him too! Congratulations on a trophy buck, and thanks for sharing!

Wow, that's an incredible buck, congratulations! Can you say expensive year / taxidermy bill? g1 1.75 1.75 g2 10.5 10 g3 8 7 g4 0.5 0 Beam 16.5 16 IS 14 Mass 26.5 Total 112.5

Freak of Nature! That tine length is unreal, I still can't believe it and its the third time I've viewed this post. Congrats to the hunter and thanks for sharing your trophy with us!

That's a dream archery buck right there! Congratulations to the hunter and thanks for sharing!

Awesome buck! Congratulations on such a trophy!

Nice, I love the wait and the progession of pics. Good buck, congratulations. I love archery hunting this time of year, can't wait until the 1st of the year, I've been waiting since last January and I can't hardly stand it any longer!

Those are a couple of beautiful bucks, congratulations and thanks for sharing!

I didn't get this impression at all. I got the impression that he merely states the mule deer population and in some areas the bighorn sheep decline was in fact predicatable, not only due to mountain lions, but more importantly due to poor wildlife management combined with drought and terrible forest and land management. All of these lead to a further increased decline in mule deer numbers and bighorn numbers today. If it was predictable as he states, then I assume there is some blame being implied and hint pointing at the G&F for not adjusting accordingly. He says that the drought caused cattle to be pulled from the land, which seemingly increased the lion population to begin with. Then with less cattle, the lions fed more on deer, then with more dense forage due to fire suppression the lions were possibly able to get closer to their prey and be more efficient, and again a shift in lion population. Also, with hunting during prolonged periods of rut activity, the rut and fawn drop was possibly shifted later in the year when there is less forage and thus making coyotes more efficient at killing fawns. Also, the more coyotes in the area to find the lion leftovers, the more deer the lion must kill to sustain. To me its a basic predator: prey scenario, which he says has shifted more toward the predator's favor with all of these factors. In most cases the predator population is the last to be affected, where the alternate prey is first, and he enforces this idea. The predators will merely shift their diet or methods and adapt, where the prey is more affected by the habitat, cover, food, and predators (hunters included). Of course the wildlife management has been (argueably) horrible on top of all of the factors he mentions. This further states that this was all predictable, just not so easily by using simple computer models and data that some agencies would like you to believe is accurate in predicting this sort of outcome and properly managing the resource! Hint! In the end, I hope it was more of an eye-opener for the G&F to consider more accurate and detailed models if anything, in their wildlife management tatics. Yes, less hunting deer hunting pressure in certain areas is necessary, but he says it was all predictable, so that hopefully it can be reversed and avoided in the future. I don't think he wants you to go away thinking that by simply killing more lions or not hunting deer we will solve the issue!? At least that's some of what I got out of it between the lines.

My guess would be that it was a small buck and not a doe, and the mother had been killed by lions, but then again who knows, anythings is possible. I've seen coues fawns down there mother up with muleys, but never an antlered deer. Make sure you buy a lion tag before you head down there next year, I know of lions that are shot almost every year in that unit by coincidental deer hunters.

Great job with the family on 3 bucks, Congrats! Thanks for sharing your family's success. Is that a leftover tag unit? Those ridges look very familiar!

I second BML's comments. Blake got it right, you need to shoot the right bow for you. I feel that it is extremely important that archers have confidence and enthusiam in their bow, meaning they want to shoot often and practice more, and are confident in it! For this reason, you need the right bow that you feel comfortable in; if you want to practice then you will and you'll enjoy doing more than in the past. I'd look at Hoyt, Mathews and Bowtechs, maybe PSE and maybe a few others (not really a fan of Parker). I'd first narrow it down to try and shoot the top 2+ models for each manufacturer, then probably make my decision. You might have to go to mulitple archery shops to shoot all these models. You'll be able to quickly eliminate 75% of the bows after a couple shots. I still love my hoyt, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't feel the same way about the bow. Also, Younghunter you're right about Hoyt's being a little heavier than the competition, but I believe its at most one pound and in most cases less! Mass can help stabilization and durability (so the limbs don't explode - yes I know a guy that has had several sets of bowtech limbs!, so mass isn't all that negative if in the right places. If you'd build up those arms of yours then weight wouldn't be such a concern, weight is about last on my list. Speed, vibration, and noise are my top 3.

Another Nice Buck for Dad! Well, since I've already tagged a deer with my bow this year, I was unable to draw a tag this fall so I was going to go help my father on his coues hunt, but couldn't make it at the last second. Well he came home with another nice buck out of one of our old honeyholes! My father spotted this buck and a doe heading into a thick bedding zone. After a few hour wait, he couldn't wait any longer and wasn't even sure the buck was still in the area or not. He then did some tricky stalking techniques to run him out of his bed, and keeping the high ground. He remembered a very large buck that I chased with my bow a couple years back in the same bedding zone, so he approached with hopes that this buck would retreat in the same path, which he luckily did, and he shot him on the run. I think its his second best (I still need to measure it), and he was very pleased with this buck. The pictures aren't the best for scoring, but he was by himself. What do you think he'll score? I'll post the measurements in a few days if anyone's interested. Jason