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What was your most memorable Az Hunt

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I think about the hunts I've been on in the past and of course they were all a lot of fun wether we filled a tag or not. But some really stick out and I seem to reflect on them more often then others.

One that sticks out was with just my dad and I. We drew 19A Archery Antelope in 1998. I was 13. We had an absolute blast! I remember trying to shoot at camp the weekend before the hunt and my release would give about half way through my draw cycle and my dad was just cussing like crazy "keep your dang finger off the trigger" finally I say here dad you try and the same thing lol! We had to tighten and loc tight the set screw behind the trigger. I found a small white mulie shed from the road heading out of camp. We had an old single cab bench seat Chevy and picked up a couple hitch hiking girls on 89 later to realize the signs say don't pick up hitch hikers, the Mingus girls camp was right above camp. We had to search for our fold up toilet seat about a half mile from camp because a huge storm came in and washed it down stream. We stood on a ridge off of fain ranch road and watched antelope from all different directions run right past us, I shot at a big buck we called Jim, and my dad laughed so hard when I shot because that buck seemed to turn and duck right before the arrow got to him and it stuck in the mud. We flung a lot of arrows and never connected but for so many reasons that one sticks out as one of the best hunts I've ever had.

What's your most memorable hunt story as we prepare for another hunting season?

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1995, late rifle Bull in unit 8. We had 2 6x's, a 5x and a spike down within 30 minutes of sunset. My left hand turned into a knotted claw by the time skinning was done. I think I slept for 10 straight hours when it was all over. The rest of the week was pure debauchery. I loved every second of that trip.

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Two years ago with my dad for 19a mule deer. Sitting glassing a canyon with 15 does within 300 yards. I tell my dad I'm gonna peak over the ridge above us. I see a small 3x3 buck about 300 yards above. I text my dad and ask if he wants to shoot him. My dad's text back to me was "shoot him, I've never been with you on a kill." I take the shot and the buck drops on spot. I hike back down to my dad to see him packing up our stuff to walk up to me. He has a ear to ear grin on his face. He says "your 28 years old and I finally was able to keep up with you to see you kill a buck". That was buck number 10 for me, and the first with my dad. He just got diagnosed with brain cancer, hopefully that wasn't our last hunt, but if it was it is a great memory.

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My fav is a any racked deer youth hunt in 33 with my son (9 at the time) and he shot a small spiked coues buck at a lasered 401 yds with his .243

Took 2 shots to get him down but both shots connected 1st shot a little far back low and second shot was a heart shot.

I was totally impressed with his shooting.

He was using his Remington 700 LH in .243 with a Leupold 3.5x10 scope with the CDS turret.

Can't get over how excited a kid can get when he connects on 2 over 400 yard shots in a row.

Love hearing that bullet smack.

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Just over 9mo ago when my daughter got her first Elk and big game animal.

 

I loved every minute of it.

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Most memorable was my archery bull hunt in 2014 just cause the ups and downs of the hunt.

The most fun hunt was my archery Pronghorn hunt last year. Very short but a lot of fun.

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I can pretty much remember all of my hunts. Probably 50% of them were total solo hunts and some were concluded with me taking game which were reverent and fulfilled a deep sense of accomplishment, even though I was alone.

I think though that the ones that were more meaningful to me where ones where I contributed to with my skill and perseverance which resulted in another taking game.

Some of those were my kids first deer on the JR Kaibab hunt and my sons first turkey hunt and assisting a friend on his first turkey hunt.

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Mine was when I was 13 years old. My Dad had the brilliant idea of hiking up the mountain in the dark and ambushing the giant Muley he saw the year before. We got up on the mountain and my Dad and Brother got me settled in. Wrapped up in a noisy space blanket. My Brother went across the saddle about a half mile and Dad took off the other way. About an hour later I heard a huge pack of coyotes going crazy over where my Brother was supposed to be. I thought sure as heck he was getting eaten alive. I was hoping he was enough to satisfy their hunger and they wouldn't come looking for more.

Once the coyotes quieted down I could hear animal movement all night long. It seemed like 2 years went by before it started getting light. When I crawled out of that space blanket I spooked some does feeding by me (not sure who was more spooked). I glassed for a couple of hours without seeing any other deer and started still hunting toward where my Dad was supposed to be. Once I met up with him we headed to where my Brothers remains would be found. I was quite surprised to see my Brother heading our way! We headed back to the truck. When we got there we found a mountain lion had made a path circling our camper trying to get to our food locked inside. I dang sure wasn't sleeping out again the next night.

 

We didn't get a deer that year but still laugh about the memories made.

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Hands down my dads 13b hunt last year. We took on the strip DIY on will never forget it. Will never forget the excitement on my dads face as we walked up on his buck on the 2nd to last day

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My sons first deer archery a small forkie but will never forget it. Last year watching my 10 yr old grandson kill his first Javelina and Deer with a muzzleloader.

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Since I'm a sentimental old fool, I would have to say it was a hunt with my Dad, back in the 1980's. We were hunting mule deer in unit 27.We were at the bottom of a deep canyon where a creek from a smaller canyon joined the main drainage. It was a nice place to sit down for lunch. As we started eating our sandwhiches, and talking, 2 nice bucks jumped up about 50 yards across the creek. As these bucks were tearing hellbent through the thick brush, we jumped up and opened fire. We searched for quite awhile, but we realized we didn't hit a dang thing. Some of the best hunt's, are not always successful ones.

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Recently, each of the 3 elk my oldest has taken. 1 cow from a blind 107 yards after 5 days of hard hunting, 2nd cow spot/stalk at 87 yards with 2 bulls at 40 yards and his little brother tagging along, his bull last year at 170 yards in 12 degree weather. All 1 shot kills. Both boys have jr deer tags and is my youngest's first hunt. We'll only have a couple days to make it happen but should be fun.

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January 2015 my daughter and I packed into our area in our winter unit for a 4 day hunt, with the anticipation of meeting my buddy out there the following day. We hunted the first day and saw squat. That night, we were tucked into a saddle sleeping out under the stars when about 10:30 or so a storm came running in on us. My daughter woke me up from a sound sleep to a world that was being ripped up by 30+mph windgusts and pelting rain. I'd been sleeping through it. ;)

The weather forecast had called for clear skies, so I left the tents at home. There was no way to pack out in the dark, the canyons are too steep and rocky, so we made the decision to hall butt into a smaller saddle that had a good juniper to hole up under, it's a good hunting hide. We spent the night with my sleeping bag strung up in the tree to keep most of the rain off of us, her sleeping bag draped over our feet and my 14 year-old baby curled up against my side under my arm. It was a good night.

 

The next day we met up with my hunting partner and hunted, but again didn't see anything. The next day he had to hike out, but my kid & I went to another spot to sit ambushes. About an hour into it we hear whimpering behind us and turn around to see this guy staring at us:

 

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I don't know how long he'd been wandering around out there, but he was starved almost to death, all skin & bones. He wolfed down 2-1/2 peanut butter sandwiches in about 10 seconds and was working hard to clean out our water supply too. Needless to say, we called the hunt early and packed him out. Spent the rest of the day driving home & then getting him fed & flea-bathed so the next day he could go to the humane society.

 

That was one heck of a trip that I can't think about without smiling. :)

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