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Capt. Don Martin

Opening day archery Az Strip buck!

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All guiding aside....that is a pretty dam big buck for most of us DIY'ers...........................

Buck of a lifetime, no doubt. I love those big muleys!

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Being as it is only 1 photo, from what I can see, that buck is a giant. Take a look at the single photo.

Super tall

Looks from the angle to be wider than his ears, maybe 28" maybe 32"+, but without a front shot hard to tell

Good mass

Great back forks

Good front forks

Good main beam length

G4 on left side is a little short compared to right G4

 

Anyone that says that is not a huge buck is either:

1. Terrible at judging mule deer

2. Jealous

 

My opinion is anything that would make B&C is a big buck. And to accomplish that with a bow makes it even tougher.

 

Guided* or not, fantastic archery buck.

 

I would consider a person who guides for a living, even if he takes the buck himself unassisted, to still be a "guided" Hunt. Not many people can spend the time in the field to get this opportunity. But still, is it working if you are doing what you love and just happen to get paid for it?

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Just got back from a bunch of hunts and looked through all the remarks on this post, interesting to say the least.

 

Let me maybe clear up some issues.

 

I have been hunting/guiding on the Arizona Strip for many, many years. I'm proud to say some of our hunters have taken some great bucks there in the past!

post-11017-0-10285300-1475782262_thumb.jpg

 

My outfit, Arizona Wildlife Outfitters is sure NOT the largest outfit that operates up there, but our price ($4,500) for a fully guided 10 day hunt with pre-season scouting is surely among the best offered to those who don't want to go DIY on this most probable once in a lifetime hunt!

 

I have just a hand full of guys who help me, not the small "army" that some folks have. I don't have 200 trail cameras out there either. That's why my hunts are NOT $5,000 +.

 

I consider myself the "Blue Collar" outfit; the guys that assists hunters who don't have unlimited income and who have saved forever for the time they can go there.

 

Have never said we take the largest bucks up there, and I never will. If you, as a sportsman have the financial resources to pay for the large outfits and all the services they provide,then go wit them!

 

But some guys just don't have that kind of money or time available to scout and we at AWO seemingly fill that niche. A reasonable price for a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime buck! Nothing more, nothing less

 

In Cody's case, I went up there there with him on a couple of extended scouting trips to show him the country and maybe what to expect on his hunt. Cody had taken the entire season off from his business, if necessary to make sure he was taking advantage of this special tag he was fortunate to have drawn.

 

He in fact found this buck and told me, "That is the buck I want to take." And he did it a few weeks later.. Plain and simple. His skill and expertise resulted in that buck taking a long nap on opening day. A buck of a lifetime if you're an archer or even a gun hunter, in my opinion! It was green scored at 201 4/8. I didn't score it; I didn't take the photo either, but sure don't doubt it either. No matter the score, its a great buck!

 

Cody was NOT guided, he IS a guide and a darn good one. One of the best glassers I have ever been around. And obviously to get under 30 yards of this awesome buck is a testament to his skill and savvy when hunting mule deer.

 

So, I hope this clears a few things up.

 

I'm getting ready to go back up there ( my friends up there have been looking all summer) and get after it again. I was fortunate to draw a tag this year with 17 bonus points, but have decided to sign it over to my 14-year-old grandson from Oklahoma who has NEVER taken a buck deer in his life. He has taken just one deer, a doe that he took last year on a juniors hunt on the Kaibab.

post-11017-0-76342000-1475782850_thumb.jpg

 

We got just 5 days to hunt this year because of school; and I guarantee you I'm not going to hold him off shooting what will probably be the largest mule deer of his life! Does it have to be a 30" 200 inch buck? No way! My son Jimmy will be there for the hunt and having him and Logan there IS the hunt for me! I've got friends who are gonna help glass, so I think we'll find him a decent buck to try and take. He won't be using any fancy long range rifles for him to try and take a buck a long, long ways off. He'll be using Grandma Page;s 260 Remington and he needs to be able to shoot accurately at 200 yards! Jimmy and Logan are working on that project every weekend in Oklahoma.

 

We'll just see what happens; win, loose, tie or draw! And I'll share with everyone on this site the results of what is going to be a very special, once-in-a-lifetime hunt for the Martin family on the Arizona Strip!

 

Don Martin

Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

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post-11017-0-62727800-1484458979_thumb.jpg

Buck has an outside spread of 32 3/4 inches.

 

Here is my grandson's buck that he took on Day 4 with one shot at 164 yards!

 

We had decided that he would actually hunt a buck, not just snipe one, and he did great.

 

An old, regression buck, that was well past his prime.

 

I spent two weeks up there PRIOR to the hunt as he had just 5 days to hunt.

 

Thanks to the guys who helped make this hunt a success.

 

My son Jimmy, Jay Chan, Gary Martin, Colby Adams, Daniel Driggs and Bryan Beckstead.

 

I am pleased with the way the hunt turned out.

 

Have no regrets about signing over my tag to him.

 

Would do it again in a heart beat.

 

Matter of fact, putting in for bull elk and antelope, and IF I draw, I'll sign either tag over to him.

 

Yep, not bad for a 14-year-old kid from Oklahoma on his first ever mule deer buck hunt!

 

Don Martin

 

 

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