AZcoues_addict

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

g1 1 2/8 1 2/8 g2 4 2/8 4 7/8 g3 5 3/8 5 4/8 Beam 15 15 2/8 h1 3 3/8 h2 3 2/8 h3 3 3/8 h4 2 4/8 2 3/8 Spread 12 5/8 Total 90 2/8

Very nice buck Tony! I love the tine length and symmetry.

Wow, what a 1st buck! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your family's success.

One of the best histories and coues stories I've heard. That is just great stuff right there. A big congratulations, with a bit of jealousy! Thanks for sharing it all, including the preseason trail cam pics!

Awesome tine length, and symmetry. Beautiful buck, congrats!

My new guess is 1 1 g1 3.5 7 g2 5.25 4.75 g3 13 beam 11.5 spread 3 4/8, 3 1/8, 2 7/8, 2*2 = 27 mass total ~ 87

Great bucks, congratulations and way to stick with it! Thanks for posting!

This is why I said that the gear should be there no more than 14 days TOTAL. That way you are not "camping" more than the 2 week limit.

Very nice archery buck. Looks like he might have gained a little and still growing? Congratulations! Other trail cam pics!!! I can't wait to see the big one!

Awesome double! Great character, thanks for sharing!

There is a BIG difference between chearing for your team, and bad-mouthing another's. If you want to bad-mouth my team, you better at least bring some facts or numbers to the table for discussion, then we can talk sports like adults. Don't just say they suck, or call them scumdevils, that's so un-sportsman like and childish. I can understand kids doing that sort of thing, but when adults and students do it, its so negative and personally distasteful. Hopefully the parents can teach their kids a little better manners and sportsmanship, they need to set the standard and be the example to follow. In fact, we all should for the sake of the youth of this country. GO SUNDEVILS!!!

I think its totally legit if their equipment is there a total of no more than the 14 days. They obviously did their homework and found a spot before the season. Not everyone can take extra days off work to get there early like you did, but they want to stake their camp before someone else pulls in. I've had hunters just blindly pull in early on Thursday before I can get off work and get to camp. Also, sometimes I have to work late and finish projects before I can take off. Others have taken my spot that I've camped in for 15 years, just by dumb luck, never even stepping foot in the unit until the night before. So yes, now I've done exactly what you're describing. It does suck for those who have also done their homework like you, but its good against those who haven't done any, which is oftentimes the case, especially if you know you're going to be pulling into camp late at night!

102 7/8 gross.

Nice bucks Blake, there's nothing like tagging out and spending some time with dad! Congratulations. Jason

Very nice bull, big congrats! I saw this bull a few weeks ago, I work with your cousin Richard and he forwarded them to me!

I've done some research and implemented carbon filters for work, where extreme odors are filtered and remove nearly all human noticeable odors as well as harmful odors. With that said, I know a little about how carbon and odor elimination works, so this isn't all opinion, but a little more insightful. In my opinion, these companies are WAY overexaggerating their claims. Carbon filtering has to be controlled, and the fact is that all odor is not going through a pressurized carbon filter and out the other side. Odors escape through your head, open clothing, and through the clothing as mentioned, not to mention the clothing itself is not capable of holding enough carbon to remove all scent. The carbon does work though, so the product does reduce scent. Yes carbon works but it does have to make contact, and the odor molecules cannot simply race by at extremely high velocities, else the efficiency is very, very low. The concept is to trap odors near the body and within the clothing, not allowing it to escape while SOME of it is absorbed. If your clothing is loose, it is not used as intended. Some odor can and will pass through the clothing, some will escape, and some just plain and simple won't be absorbed. Carbon will never be at its full capacity, since everytime you use it some of the bonds will not be able to be broken. Also, once the carbone is reactivated some odorous bonds may rejoin before making it to the field and hinder the carbon efficiency further. Of course it will not eliminate scent, but I guess they should have a disclaimer now shouldn't they? Whether these individuals were educated enough to know the difference between advertisement or exaggerate claims, that's where the issue is, and companies should not be allowed to market so convincingly to unaware consumers (opinion of course). The major claim they have going for them is the dryer temperature and reactivating the carbon. I think these companies have been misleading people, and fraud is more of a concern in my mind, especially since this is not such a clear yes or no answer. The bottom line is that carbon does reduce scent but nothing will completely eliminate it, only trap, reduce or move it elsewhere. I think these guys should have better scientific proof or testing before bringing such a big suit, but maybe it is the first needed step to haulting such exaggerated claims.

Awesome story Christian! Congratulations on a very nice bull, all the hard work paid off!

Way to go! Awesome bull, superb pics as always.