Recent Vintage| Its been a very productive few years

[idgaf]

One of these days I will get my act together and actually take a camera with batteries on a consistent basis.Looking through some "old" photos I have had the priveledge of being on some really memorable hunts since August 2009. My daughter had a "spill" on our labtop in July 2009.

 

 

The hunt on this one was not the exciting part. My wife and I went after work one Friday evening in August of 2009 to try to call in the bear after about an hour or so we determined nothing was going to come in so we decided to get back early and get the kids a normally timed dinner. Well driving on our way out we see a bear on the side of the road. Altough its the general season I took at the time my new bow. I pull over with my saying something about hurry hurry its going to run. The bear sees me and starts running. I have a friend who once told me if a bear starts running run after it and it will run up a tree, so I do this and start running after the bear. What my friend did not tell is what to do when they stop. I am running at a good clip with bow in hand closing in fast on bear that is looking directly at me and not moving. When I get within 20-25 yards or so, something clicks in my that bear is not moving and I should be shooting. I stop put my first pin and release on a slightly quartering to bear. The arrow takes out one lung and the liver which means the bear takes off at a full tilt directly away from me. I call my brother and his 8 month pregnant wife come and help with flashlights and extraction. The blood trail is very good but goes an extended distance in pitch black darkness. The first time we my wife, my brother and his wife find the bear several hundred yards away we are within ten yards and she is standing on her hind legs, huffing and kind of lunging forward at us. After a comedy of errors we find her again a short time later and bring her out. A beautiful mohawked red 5 year old bear.

 

 

This little guy caused me to have several session of rabies shots. It was in unit 27 during the August archery deer season. I was sitting under a tree glassing when he came within 15 yards of me or so. I yelled scat it huddles up and gets in a pouncing mode. I stand and yell again it starts with a low erie purr/growl. I pull back and release realizing it is not going to leave. The next few seconds I find hard to believe. The bobcat "Matrixed" (jumped) my arrow at less than 15 yards and immediately goes back into pouncing position. I release another arrow as fast as I can and do the damage you see. It did make it about twenty yards to my left before expiring. I started skinning it and all the fur would fall off in my hands. I made a big mistake and without thinking touched my bloody hands to my mouth. I talked to G&F officer the next day and asked if this was normal behavior for a cat this time of year and then he told me the effects of rabies and I should get vacinated immediately.

[idgaf]

Next I go back to my home unit, 3c, after work once again to a roost tree I know to try and fill my otc turkey tag. I try to get there an hour before dark and stormy day. I get there right as the turkeys get there and pick the last one out within twenty yards and release no tracking on this one.

 

 

Next up was my daughter's and two nephews junior deer hunt in 27. My daughter missed a couple of bucks I was salivating over and I learned something very important, not to push two hard. We had to rotate my wife and her sister took my daughter I took my oldest nephew and my brother-in-law took his youngest son. Alot of shots were missed and fun was had by all. I had the greatest miss on the hunt "Team Diva" which was my daughters and there friend and I were glassing a hillside from where we parked the truck and I spot a mountain lion walking on the adjacent hill. I asked my daughter to borrow her rossi single shot .243 with two safety's, I get a bead on the lion pull back the hammer and squeeze. CLINK. I forgot the second safety. On the way down the hill I was pulled over on the way down from show low to the juan miller and the the DPS officer look at the what was about to me. (Two of my daughter and one of there friends) simply looked at and said your in for an experience and walked away laughing, no ticket given. Eventually the missing stopped for a short time and my hunter after the switch got his deer.

 

Next up was scouting for my wife's elk hunt, she had 3b muzzleloader bull hunt. Found some good bulls during scouting but unfortunely so did alot of other people.

After that my brother and I returned to our hold stomping grounds to continue our four year quest for a buck my wife named Mondo. We had him within shooting distance both bow and rifle between the two of us four or five times. Ending with him in my crosshairs at 80 yards or so and me missing. He was/is admirable competition that became my version of windmill chasing. I would travel 10 hours just to hunt him for seven. Here is pick of his antler and some not so friendly interferance. 35 males and one Female.

 

During my wifes elk hunt we hunt we saw cool things Like big mule deer and perched eagles. I also learned never ever push a tired women to far or she will consider hurting you. We had to back off a little bit on the intesity and she ended up taking a spike hitting it 5 out of 6 times with a muzzleloader

 

 

End of 2009, I think I went over my limit on pics so I cannot attach the spike pics

[idgaf]

I'm kinda tired of waiting for draw results. 2010(this is when my hunting adventures get interesting) starts off with my usual skunk on javelina and january deer. I learned in early spring that I was drawn for the inaugural unit 27 archery antelope hunt. Fortunely, I was able to do sales calls in Morenci to help with scouting and saw an animal or two that peaked my other interest.

 

Archery season begins and meet some of the other four hunters all focused on the beast that was little north of the main herd. With such focus I decided to go after the second biggest animal for the area instead of the largest. I had a few animals within range that in hindsight I should of not passed on. After passing on the animal below it runs across the road into a hidden valley and meets his demise in a way I feel responsible for.

 

 

My hunting party (brother and friend)and I hit the hidden valley that afternoon and just missed the kitty. The antelope was still flexible. For a second I considered putting my tag on it, but decided not to. This changed our plans for the next day and 1/2 our plans. We played tag with the kitty just missing him/her several times. One time a heard of javelina came to feast on the antelope and only left after a brief fight with me using an arrow as a club/whip and rocks/boulders as projectiles(if a game officer is reading this I felt endangered for my safety and no pigs were hurt). Apparently they had a couple of unseen piglets that they were protecting or they were really hungry and wanted to have me as a snack.

 

I ended the hunt with two more opportunities. One of them I had the biggest buck at less than twenty yards and no shot, because all I could see was from the neck up no view of the vitals. The second was a 62 yard shot on the second biggest buck which ended up with a complete pass through and me following the wounded animal for two days to determine that it was a non-lethal hit. I ended the hunt out of frustration early and went home.

 

I caught my breath after that very trying hunt and decided to go close to the house to try my luck around show low on labor day for deer. I got a slightly late start with the sun starting to break I hit rim road in hopes to speeding to my spot to start hunting. Trying to get to my spot I got behind some road hunters in a dark colored new silverado. My best attempts at tailgating they would not let me pass. They see deer and would stop in the middle of the road to check to see if they were shootable. I fully expected to get an a fight with at least one of the passengers but there solice held solid and the did not let me pass and I followed for what to seemed like an eternity. After frustration setting into the point of near no return, I take the next turn which happens to Joe Tank road and go to my old archery target shooting spot. I climb the first hill I see get accidently get within first pin range of a buck and release. I did not see the rack completely until after I release the arrow and the buck falls down within sight about 50 yards from where i shot. The buck was so close to town my extraction team was at the parking area with 15 minutes of me calling them. I need to thank the diehard road hunters for making me not overlook the obvious.

 

This is where 2010 gets cool. My brothers grab left over tags accidently for separate units one got 36c the other 36b. I tag along with not much to do but glass and cook. I call my brother that lives in Tucson the Monday before the that we will go down to 36b Thursday evening shoot a branch antlered buck and be in 36c in time to glass for the evening hunt. We arrive to a spot I had not been to in 20 years or so make camp about ten o clock or so and climb the nearest hill just before sunrise. We sit and glass until about 8:00 am until my brother sees a branch antlered buck misses the easy shots the makes a great long distance shot on this buck. He was tagged out and we were headed to 36c by 10:00 am opening morning.

 

36c was a little more difficult that evening my brother and I did not see a deer that evening and 9 illegals one of which was very daring and flipped us off before disappearing. Seeing this and realizing that this brother will take an incredible effort for him get an opportunity. We decided that we would have to go to the farthest part of redondo canyon inorder to be successful. The climb and the wrong turn through a cactus field made this memorable and painful. We get to the top and see absolutely nothing except an illegal camp. We keep glassing to no avail and start heading back around 3:30 or so in total disbelief of not seeing one deer.

Minutes after taking the last picture we get edge of the mountain when a 100 inch buck jumps out at thirty yards and runs to the canyon to our right. With no shot opportunity and the buck running to the right, my brother runs straight down a cliff nearly comparable to the edge of the Grand Canyon and starts shooting at an unseen animal. After a few moments we here three shots in succession from my brother and see something rolling on the opposite cliff. It takes us literally ten minutes to get the hundred yards that he traveled in just a few seconds. After a brief discussion we head to the downed animal which is another twenty minutes to travel 150 yards or so on incredible lose rock.

 

After field dressing and pictures I became witness to the greatest exhibition of pure endurance that I have seen. We our a Gps'd 4 and 1/2 miles from camp in very steep terrain. My brother puts the deer on his shoulders and starts the hike out stopping only once making it back to camp twenty minutes before the rest of us get there(rather embarassing).

[azbowhntrs]

Ummm...wheres the 100" buck?

[idgaf]

Ummm...wheres the 100" buck?

The 100" buck ran over the hill my brother in his infinite wisdom went after the smaller deer while my nephew my other brother and myself stood there wondering what the heck is he doing the deer ran to the other way.