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I prefer Dec/Jan hunts as they're more enjoyable! Both in activity and weather. There are 2 things that usually end my August hunt before tagging out: The heat and the bugs! This year, I'm going to move up a little higher in elevation to try and beat the heat. Bug wise, I found some odorless spray at Wally World I'm going to try. Although I'm a little weary even if it's says odorless. I haven't done much scouting this year due to work, family..etc, so going in somewhat blind. Fortunately I'm pretty comfortable where I'm going so I'll give it my best. Good luck everyone!

Maybe Amanda can come up with a Troll Symbol to add as a warning to the avatar of the three or four people who can't find anything else to contribute to posts. You know, the one who never actually start a topic of their own and think that since they have a bunch of posts they have achieved sentinel status. LOL

My wifes bison hunt from April is up on YouTube on The Mountain Project Page. Check it out and let me know whatcha think! Thanks https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K34Vz5e2tSA

Fishing was slow as expected but still got some good bites

As luck would have it I had the opportunity to do some bear hunting with the cousins last weekend. Combined my wife's cousin JW and I have killed over 20 bears in AZ between state land and the rez. Let me just say if it wasn't for the passion in are hearts I would sitting right under my ac unit at the house this time of year. It doesn't much matter where you go for bears in AZ, this time of year chances are it will be over 100 degree's sometime during the day of your bear hunt. And it was all that plus some you know it's hot when you are in the saguaro's and prickly pears for a bear hunt in August. Remember saguaro's do not grow over 3800' elevation. Between JW and I we have 8 kids in which 5 teenager's 2 preteen's and the newest hunter to the family a 1.5 year old. He has 4 and I have 4. As we get older are focus is certainly towards the kids getting out to hunt and us guiding them to success in all aspect in life. We started with looking up high 4500' plus and we located one bear opening day but are shooter was in school till 3 and wasn't arriving till that evening. Saturday was hot with no bears located. But we had the oldest teenager down in lower country and he spotted 2 bears. So I decided to move down to help him on Saturday evening. I found a nice black bear right at dark (as usual) with no chance to close the gap before time would run out. So we opted to go home and come back Sunday evening to get it done. So that was 3 we saw in the same area. We were able to close the gap Sunday evening to be in the heart of them and like clock work one bear showed up for the party. JW and his oldest were able to close the gap and get into shooting position I was watching from 1000 yards away on another ridge. I could see the bear and them in my bino's . Then boom and the bear just stood there then boom, boom, boom. The bear had enough and he booged up and move off to a deep canyon. the kid was heartbroken that he missed. So with about 15 min's of safe light left I started looking around and located what was to me a jumbo chocolate in the pears he was at 1124 yards and there was no way to close the gap in time but he was to be numero uno on the hit list. We called the bear line and unit was to close Weds. Between work for us and school for him we knew we were running out of time. I was able to get out Monday evening by myself and had a beautiful solid black one at 207 yards the only thing this bear was missing was about 150 pounds to match up the chocolate one I had saw. So I passed on him which is pretty hard to do. In my heart I really wanted the kid to get one first and I didn't want to booger it up in their. Finally the last evening of the hunt Weds we all were able to get in position for another evening And as luck would have it the same bear he missed came back out and the boy took it as a personal mission to seal the deal on that bear. He glassed it up him self then stalked it and was able to harvest that bear that evening at 150 yards with us old guy's watching . It was like passing the torch off or kung fu master when you snatch the pebbles from my hand it will be time for you to leave. Some of you older reader's will get this. 17 years old and pretty much did it on his own . He originally found the bears ,his dad and I where just their for back up. Now if you have ever taken a bear in the evening with no roads in sight you know how the REST OF THE STORY GO'S needless to say we arrived home around 1:30 am. And again I was happy too be part of it. And for the 350# chocolate I saw well my chocolate addiction will carry on. Thanks for the read, Pete

Sorry, nothing extraordinary...

smoking deal.

Great guns. Have had many 1100's and they all shoot great. Good luck with the sale.

Right on. Don't overlook 22 since you will be in it. Enjoy! I do think you will find our state a bit more appealing as long as you stay out of the valley. 🔥🔥🔥

I asked a coworker who was my supplies person for a box of triple A batteries. She starts to walk away, turns around, and blankly asks me “is that the ones with two As or three As?” Here’s your sign.

I've seen it before it happens all the time. Oh! Thats a song, but your correct, we're in trouble!

I think this was around the time chopper tactics were employed

Hoghntr, I've received a ton of awesome information from guys on here despite the little bit of internet drama. I definitely won't be vanishing from the site and I'll be sure to post pics if I have some success. Thanks for the support! Josh

Saw this online today http://www.giveitlove.com/trail-cams-capture-the-most-amazing-things/?utm_source=ao&utm_campaign=tcg-dtm-us-n-0-0-180710-gl-ao-a0&utm_medium=aol-ao&utm_content=378&utm_term=4477&chrome=1

I would’ve done the same. Congrats to her.

IMHO---Get yourself a Forest Map and start looking at it . Plan out a place to go and have an adventure and go from there . The unit is very large , time and effort will get you what you are looking for . Even if just for a few days so much country to look at . Best of luck and be safe......

Smith, that's a great buck your dad shot. Bill

Glassed him up a couple years back from a long ways out. Didn't know if it was what I thought it was but decided to make the hike anyway. Well worth it.

Its been almost 21 years since events posted above. Quin has been out of the Army for couple years and now settled enough to go on our first AZ Coues hunt in 12 years. Here we are at a PRS match getting him checked out on the rifle he will hunt with. Praying I can keep up and hoping he gets a Coues buck to match the Muley buck we took way back when.

I was living in Utah and between a Colorado Elk hunt and an Arizona Course & Elk hunt. I asked boys Mom if I could take 8 year old son deer hunting for a day and she was all like, Get Him the F out of here for a day? Yes Yes Yes take him and leave me in peace. I told my 8 yr old that we would head out at 3:00 AM. He was all for it and I had truck all loaded and ready, but decided alarm at 3:30 was good enough. At 3:20 my son woke me up and said "Dad you told me 3:00 (WTF) so we headed out and drove 1:45 to trailhead. Only squack from boy was that he wanted to go in front of me down the trail. I got it, boy wanted me behind him going down forest trail at 0 dark thirty. It was another 1:50 hike into hunt spot. When we had enough light I started glassing as we slowly walked down the trail getting closer and closer to our area. Right when we got to the center of basin to hunt I glassed up a nice 4X4 buck. I ducked down in the oak brush and dumped my pack and told Quin I had to stalk a bit for my shot. He sat in the twilight quiet as a mouse as I worked my way closer to my Muley Buck. Finally the brush got so thick I had to stand up and take a 100 yard offhand shot. Buck Down and went to get Quin and gear. I told him I was impressed he stayed quiet in the semi light and he told me he knew he had to stay calm/quiet as I stalked closer (very proud Papa). Got deer broken down and lashed to pack frame and had my hands full with REM MOD 7 708 and 4X4 head. Looking at Quin I told him I need his help, needed him to cary lite day pack with our fleece coats 2 qrts water and also binocs and belt with knife and extra shells hung over his neck. He rucked up and helped out. It was a 400 yard hike up slope to trail and another mountain trail hike for 1:50 back to truck. He did mention how spectacular the fall colors looked but nothing more than that. When we got to trailhead and rig, I was like "man I am glad thats done" my boy said "me to". That was 20 years ago and one of our best enduring memories.

Average size chocolate boar from sunday on the san carlos. mostly kind of chocolate with a mohawk of blond down the spine.

Coues do not migrate. Most live 75% of their life within a half mile area. Coues can be found from 2500 to the pine covered mountain tops. Mature bucks wont spend significant amounts of time with does until the rut starts to kick in. Usually the heat of the rut is mid January for that area. There might be some pre-rut and mild rutting as early as the last 10 days of Dec if conditions are right. Methods are glass until you find them. Hike until they are in range and then shoot until they drop.

pack into the wilderness