Kilimanjaro Report post Posted January 17, 2009 As I'm sitting here tonight getting my gear ready for a day of Mearns hunting tomorrow, I got to reflecting on the past year of hunting. So, how did the year pan our for you? Did you get the trophy you were seeking? I had several big game hunts in '08 (and ALOT of bird hunting!!) and all in all, it was a great year for hunting again. With that said, lets get a pic thread going of the 2008 trophies you took!! Jan. 5th 2008 found me freezing my keester off on the MT prairie in search of a big Bison bull to smoke.. Mission accomplished! had to skip my annual trip back home to TX for spring turkey hunting this yr because of work commitments.. Bummer. Right when the heat of an AZ summer was getting on my last nerve, it finally came time to head back to Africa! Had an Oct coues tag as well, but ended up not seeing anything I wanted to try for, and went home empty handed.. That's hunting! All in all, 2008 was definately an up and down year for me!! It was LONG!! But the hunting was good for the year for sure. Well, lets see how the year went for you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted January 17, 2009 Started the year with a Mearns hunt with my best friend and a friend from Alaska Caught some trout locally and at Big n Crescent lakes Watched the neighborhood boyz grow up Chased some Speedgoats near Seligman Searched for the elusive gray ghosts in the Baboquivaris Looked for monster bulls in unit 9 Finished the year with limits of Mearns with CWT.com friends and my best friend. Each adventure was blessed with splendor from the heavens Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted January 17, 2009 Scott, You had quite a year to follow up on other great years. Good luck in 2009. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted January 17, 2009 Didnt have too much going on this year. Started off the year with some predators: Then I went deer hunting and had a fun hunt! Finally had a 103-105" buck in my scope but it didnt work out. Ended up with a awesome buck on the last day. Then Scottyboy and I hammered the Mearns in 2 short hours. Now I am in search of a Javelina! Good luck to all in 2009 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ RANGER Report post Posted January 17, 2009 Jan. 08 began with this archery Javelina. This was my first time putting in for a pig tag, I did not know what I was missing. Chasing these critter is a blast. I forgot the camera in the field so this is the best picture I got. Then later in Jan an archery coati I had a couple close calls on nice coues deer in Jan. but never closed the deal. Spent countless days in the spring and summer scouting and waiting for archery deer to open again. The deer and elk draw go by granting me a bull elk tag but no deer tag. Opening morning of the Aug. archery deer season I shoot and miss a small coues. Three days later I connect on a buck, but made a poor choice on the shot and end up with a gut shot deer. I locate him again, but I was never able to get another shot at him. Archery elk finally arrives. I get to camp 4 days early(I was a little excited). I was basically learnig as I went on this hunt. On Day 4 I am starting to figure it out, and after passing on two smaller bulls I pull the trigger on a nice one, but I miss. Day 6 I am at full draw again but never get a clear shot. Day 9 I find the bull of my dreams and shoot over his back at 60 yards. (did not have time to range him). Day 11 I finally connect. He is a smaller 6x6 satelite bull, but day 11 ranks as one of the best days of my life. (after wedding day and kids etc.) I did not get my archery deer for 08, but it was not from a lack of effort. I think it will come together for 09. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted January 17, 2009 2008 was not a good year for me as far as being able to spend time afield. The drastic dowturn in construction and my new job has not allowed me to get out much, but I did manage to harvest a decent buck on the shortest hunt I have ever been on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25-06 Report post Posted January 18, 2009 My boy's javi hunt. Then my deer hunt... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25-06 Report post Posted January 18, 2009 And then my lil'Molly Girl treeing a critter in the back yard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted January 18, 2009 Thanks for sharing your hunts and pictures with us and congratulations on everyones o8 success. Here is how my year ended. Shot with a crossbow due to my rotator cup surgery and wasn't able to shoot my bow. Shot this one on the fly as it flew across a canyon after we ran into each other. Not the one I was after but couldn't resist. Day after I shot my deer while sitting in my double bull blind with Dad. I wouldn't have gotten this if Dad hadn't seen it. The only picture of my 6x5 archery bull due to me feeling so miserable after rolling my quad and brusing my ribs and having to wrap my ribs with ace bandages to get thru the hunt. 15yrd shot from my double bull blind. A crappie trip in March with Pa. Trip to Lee's Ferry on the 4th Day on Saguaro with my fishing partner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Payne Report post Posted January 19, 2009 You guys had a great year! Thanks for sharing. I am jealous how much opportunity some of you guys have to hunt. I was pretty pleased with my year. Was lucky enough to draw my first choice on elk and deer. I am sure that won't happen again for awhile. I was able to take a 353" bull and a 97" coues. Here are some pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted January 19, 2009 Awesome pics guys and congrats to all on the success! This is a great thread and it really made me sit back and reflect and even though I didn't get to hunt Coues as much as I wanted to, I still had a great year! We took some giant bulls and spent a ton of time in the woods with friends and family! In thinking back, I think my most cherished memory from 2008 was seeing that Jaguar down in mexico with my buddies Craig and Steve, that's just something you never forget! Instead of posting a link to my photobucket account which would be easier and cover it all, I'll just post up my most favoritest pics of 2008..... Quite possibly my favoritest of all favorite 2008 pics were these TCam pics which pulled my spirits out of the gutter just prior to my opening day in Kaibab.....ultimately the #1 factor in my success! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flash Report post Posted January 20, 2009 Cool thread. Keep it coming. Made we rethink my year and enjoy it all a bit more! Hey BML, do you think this is the same buck you have a picture of? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flash Report post Posted January 21, 2009 My picture was about a week into the archery season and he was king of the heard. My buddy wanted to shoot him but we could never get close enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Great thread! Well, I had some great tags this year but didn't kill a deer or elk on my hunts. Guess I was being a little picky. Oh well, had a great time with some fun people! Some pics: Rica lizard hunting at camp: Took my non-hunting friend along for several days of my elk hunt and she loved it. Here she is with the elk decoy. We had some great times with some very close bulls. a sunset during my archery elk hunt: One of the biggest elk rubs I saw: My deer hunt with Scott was a great time with some backpacking hunting and day hunting trips out of his house. Saw a buck I wanted but couldn't get on him before he bedded. Scott with his new custom rifle in some gorgeous country: Also did some squirrel hunting on the San Carlos. Had a great time with my friend Barbara and her two boys. This lady had never hunted until I took her two years ago, so this was her second time out and let me tell you, she is deadly with that rifle! She was introducing her boys to the outdoors and we got to hear bugling elk all around camp, coyotes howling, turkeys gobbling on the roost near camp and all kinds of other great stuff. her and one of her sons walking in the early morning fog along the lake. and Barbara and son with some squirrels Had some excellent camp food including these perfect bisquits I made in the dutch oven: My old dog Molly likes to chew on the squirrels a little bit. She gets upset when I take them away from her! One of the elk I saw up close out there: Also saw some nice WT and elk sheds/skulls during summer owl surveys. That's always a treat! It was a great year even if I didn't come home with lots of meat. I spent a lot of time hunting and shared some great times with my husband and friends. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bchoitz Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Short and sweet, this was a great year for hunting in Arizona! 2 Jr hunts, Elk in 4A in October with my son Curtis, Deer in 12A West in November with my Son Curtis and my daughter Carolyn. Unfortunately Carolyn didn't get a shot opportunity due to wanting to sleep-in the last day And my wife and I had another frustrating December hunt in 35B. I tagged out, she hunted two days, then made a "quick" trip to Idaho and Oregon to help my daughter move, which lasted through some great snow storms and took 13 days instead of the planned 5. The spring and summer were taken up with several fishing trips with my kids. Crystal River, Colorado East Fork, San Juan River Looking forward to another great year in 2009! Bret Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
