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Had a slow start to the season. Not much movement for the first couple days, but we both had opportunities at very small bucks which were let to walk by. Then on day 3, my hunting partner Jeff had a group of three bucks walk by him about an hour into the morning. The biggest of the 3 was at the back herding the other two little guys in front of him. They passed by giving a 20 yard shot and Jeff double lunged a very cool, mature fork horn buck.

Honestly without proper signs or road blocks it's almost impossible to stop people from driving them. To be honest, it I drove into 7 East to hunt I would have no idea any roads would be closed. I would never think to look up the areas road closures, because that's not a normal thing to do. Plus in most areas if a road is closed to vehicles it's marked, therefore I wouldn't think to look. I know it sucks, but I feel the blame is on the Forest Service and not the hunters. That is of course if they truly didn't know.

After not drawing an AZ antelope tag for the 23rd year in a row, I got fed up and got a NM landowner tag. Big thanks to Zeke-BE for getting me in touch with the right guy late in the game. And his knowledge of the hunting area for a starting point. I got my wife Regina and Taylor to go along for the trip to keep me company. We left Saturday morning @ 3:45am to try and get to the unit to get some scouting in. My hunt started on Sunday, and with absolutely zero knowledge, I was nervous. Hooked up with Brandon, saw his buck and heard about a couple good bucks from him. Got out to the unit by about 3:30pm, and saw another pickup stopped in the road, and 3 bucks off the road about 250 yards. Guy got out, and got off the road. Antelope ran over a hill, so I pulled up next to him to offer my rangefinder use of he needed it. Really nice guy, NM resident named John. Well, I let him lead, and he didn't get more than 200 yards down the road while I stayed put, and he got back out. Next thing I see, is him take a shot....then another....then another. He waved me up, and I saw 2 bucks off in the distance. That was a good sign. John had shot the bigger of the 3. So I walked out with him to give him a hand retrieving his buck. I am really glad I did, because I thought his buck had looked pretty big from a distance. Well, it gave me a quick education on antelope. We dragged it back to 50 yards from the road, I wished his wife good luck on her tag, and we set off to find some speedgoats of our own. I glassed up antelope after antelope, and saw what I would consider two or three shooters. Now, I had hopes of a mid-70" buck, not expecting anything big. Also, not knowing really what a mid-70" buck really looked like. The weather on Saturday was moving in with cold rain, lots of lightning, and roads that turned into snot on a glass doorknob slick. We saw some beautiful country and got some nice scenery photos. Saw a big heavy, wide 4x4 muley way out in the antelope flats too. I would have never guessed it. Saw 113 antelope on Saturday afternoon in about 4.5 hours. We got to the hotel about 9:30pm, grabbed some nasty McDonalds for dinner, and hit the rack by 11:00PM. Sunday morning, up @ 4:00am, and got out to the unit by 5:30am, 20 minutes before legal light. I glassed up antelope within 10 minutes. 4 does and a small buck. Nothing worth going after though. I checked the spots where I had seen the two possible shooters the day before, but could not locate the bucks. I did see a lot of antelope, but most were 2-5 miles out. Saw a badger about 50 yards off too. Biggest one I have seem. I thought it was a javalina at first glance as it was waddling across the hillside. As the morning went on, I saw another shooter buck, at 880 yards, but he was having none of my peeping-tom antics, and hauled over a hill and down into some shallow cuts and disappeared. Saw some more beautiful country, saw some other hunters trying for a decent buck about 3 miles away. About 9:00am, I was glassing a huge grass flat when I picked out a bunch of antelope does.....and the buck I would name "Teflon Don". 1.5 miles.out, in an area as flat as a table top, with no cover bigger than a Gatorade bottle. I put Taylor set up on my spotter, and designed a plan to try and get close enough for a shot opportunity. I dropped down behind the truck and got in the only small draw around and cut the distance to 1300 yards. The antelope bedded down in the calf-high grass. Then to 1000 by duckwalking. Then, on hands and knees and cut the distance to 771 to the very last piece of cover, 3 small yuccas. The wind was ripping, and I had left my Kestrel in the stupid truck. So I got set up and waited for the wind to die down.....and waited....and waited. After 30 minutes, the wind was actually picking up. So, with not much to lose, I left my 15s by the yuccas, and stood up with my rifle in one hand, and my tripod in the other, already set at height for a seated shot. The 13 antelope had me pegged the moment I stood up. So I started walking directly at them. 750, 700, 650, 600, 550....still bedded. I thought, "If I get to 500, I am going to sit down and wait for that buck to stand up." 525, still bedded...521.....crap, they stood up in unison. I dropped to a seated position and got the buck in my scope right as a doe walked in front of him. Dialed the 6.5SS to 1.5MIL, tried to figure wind was probably 15mph? Meaning a 14" drift. Then, they all turned and booked. They did stop and give me a big "Eff you" @ 992.......then poof....gone. I continued to watch the 360 view I had for them to show up a mile or three away, but they never reappeared. A 1.3 mile stalk over 2.5 hours....down the drain. Back to the truck 3+ hours later, we ran and grabbed a quick lunch "in town" (a truck stop diner). I figured the only place they could have gone and not been seen was to actually circle about 150° to the west, as there was a slight low dip that ran along the same direction I had last seen them. On the way back, I saw another shooter buck, not as big as Don, but still a decent buck. One of the 3 I had seen the afternoon before, but again, at 1000+, he was hightailing it for the draws when he saw my truck. So much for him again. By 3:30, we had driven around and found a two track that would get us closer to where I thought the antelope might have headed to. Low and behold, I stopped to glass...there is Don with his harem of 12 lovely ladies again....1300 yards out. And they are bedded again. So again, I got Taylor on my spotter, and I grab my gear. Rifle, rangefinder, Kestrel (wind was still whipping), bipod. I head 90° from them and head for a low cut that actually has 3 big trees in it that would get me to within 700 or so yards from them. Well, a big, ornery black Angus bull is eyeballing me with a bad attitude in the cut. He was actually pawing the ground as I was talking to him when I passed 30 yards from him, always keeping an eye on him. Finally got past him, and met his two buddies about 200 yards later, right by the trees I was angling for. Snotty suspicious bulls that came towards me. Talking quietly to them too, they let me pass...for now. Got to the last tree, and noticed one small hill that would get me closer. So crouching, I make my way through some waist high grass...when....bzzzzzz to my right, about 2-3'? Oh crap. I can't see him, but he knows I am there and telling me to back off. I hate rattlers when you can't see them. So move to my left and now paranoid......20 yardage later....I jump a stinking (literally) skunk! "PLEASE don't spray me" I plead with him as he scrambles off. So, I get to the base of the small hill, and would later find out Taylor had no clue I was that close until I showed up in the bottom of the spotter. The last 100 yards or so, is a belly crawl to the top in 6-10" tall grass. Get to where I can just peak over, and see one of the does still bedded. I find Don, bedded on the left side of all the does. So, again, belly crawl to the top, move 8' very slowly to the left and get set up on a badger tailing pile right next to the abandoned (I hoped) hole. Cactus in my belly and chest, but the only spot that offers a stable rest, decent cover, and a good spot to wait him out. Then....I notice the two bulls had decided to come over and make sure I was being a good boy....from about 30 yards off. So, I ranged Don a out 50 times, 428 yards. Kestrel telling me winds between 15-21mph. Dial to 1.0MIL, wind hold will be 9-13". And I wait. Scope set on 8x for a good FOV, but plenty of magnification for the shot. And I wait. And I check the bulls. And I ranged Don. Etc. All the while, saying, "Stand up and turn, Don". About 30 minutes later, Don stands up, facing direct away from me. "TURN Don!".....and Don walks straight away from me, as I count his steps "Turn, turn, turn, turn, TURN, TURN, TURN!!!" And Don walked over the rise and his girls followed suit. I let them get over the small rise, and I grabbed my stuff and literally ran 350 yards, then approached the rise...to see Don and the dirty dozen about 1.5 miles away and moving.......you got to be kidding me! Back to the truck, and drive around about 5 miles away, and glass Don back in the middle of the flat. No way to get to him before dark. So, tired, dejected, we start a trip towards the highway, glassing along the way. Glassed up another possible shooter, with about 30 minutes of light left....at well over 1 mile......of course. Back to the hotel, and in bed by 9:30. Monday, up at 4:30am, in the truck by 5:00, in the hunting unit by 5:40. Headed to try and find "Teflon Don" again, with 10 minutes until legal shooting light. We had found a 2-track that might take us to within a mile of Don's last known location. Well, 10 minutes into legallight, totally unprepared, I spot 6 does. So I stopped and walked to the back of the truck and grabbed my binos.....yep, 6 does. Get in the truck, and another antelope stands up.....the shooter buck that always ran off from 1000 yards away! So, I eased out of the truck, walk to the back, grab the rifle and chamber a round. Slowly, SLOWLY, walk 15' off the road, kneel down, BOOM. Send the 6.5mm 150 SMK @ 3117fps to the buck. Let me tell you, the "whop" sound that 150SMK made was impressive. The way the buck dropped was even more so. Not even a twitch or a kick. The exit was about 2". Insides were liquefied. Thanks to a hunting buddy and a fantastic daughter for helping me pack him out the 186 yards to the truck, my wife for putting up with my addiction, and to God for the opportunity to e hou my time outdoors with my family and putting these beautiful animals on the planet and on my table in the upcoming weeks.

That's odd! Most people seem to drive their quad around the tank to look for sign/track.

RIP, and oh thanks Mr Mccain for being the sole reason Obamacare wasn’t repealed. He was in Government “service” way to long. Poster boy for term limits.

Was able to fill my tag yesterday morning on this goofy buck. 55 yard shot.

The only way people know about it is by hearing of it on sites like this and being informed. Maybe 1% of the hunter in this state are on here. Maybe not even that so how is John Q Public supposed to know there is even a travel management plan if it isn't posted with signage? There is nothing I have seen in the Phone Book sized Hunting Regs mentioning it. Not that it would matter since nobody really reads them anyway and why would you, since now everyone puts in for draws online. I tried to follow it the first year or so when maps were out but now I don't waste my time, fine me. I'll see them in court. It the road is marked closed or barricaded I'll comply but that's it. Rant off.

Ever since the implementation of the MVUM travel restrictions, I have followed the maps and stayed off the closed roads. While in 7E this last week, it seems few know or care about the restrictions/closures. Many many camps set up on closed roads and campsites. It is so dang annoying to hike in over a mile to a great spot only to find 2 quads and multiple trucks driving around. The 2 trucks just creeping along road hunting with several hunters in each. There was even a traffic jam and I made a comment to one guy that was pulling over to allow the other truck to pass about how it really sucks to have these traffic jams on closed roads. He was either too stupid or embarrassed to do anything other than crack a stupid smile. I think next time I will just keep walking down the middle of the road and not move over to let him pass. He can follow me out at walking speed. And if he wants to get pissy and do something silly, I'll gladly play along. This and finding other people driving down EVERY SINGLE closed road that I glassed is just stupid. I have no problem with the FS closing down roads as I feel there are too many now. I do however have a problem with them doing it without any type of enforcement and not placing any type of signage on the roads so Joe Blow and his freaking flip flop wearing family has some idea that it's a closed road. From what I understand, they can't afford to place signs on the roads. So they can put up signs that say "Don't drive on road when flooded" and "Don't drive on bridge when underwater" but expect people to read a single sign when entering a forest and reference a map that they don't have to determine what roads are actually open? C'mon, people are stupid! Hence the previously mentioned signs. The truly ignorant ones I don't really blame as when a heavily traveled road with a posted forest road # is an option, why not go down it? Everyone else does.. If they truly need the revenue for signs, start issuing citations to all the people on closed roads. One person could have issued thousands of dollars worth of them in the small area I was in. I am very close to saying "Screw it, I'm goin in, up, on and over." Anyway, it was nice to be up there even if half my time was wasted by hiking into areas that I could have just driven into as so many others did.

That's pretty pathetic, even for you. Have a little respect.

Not much to go on, looks like two guys checking for tracks at a pond. What did the do?

He is poster child for term limits. +10000!!!!! I’ve lived in AZ my whole life and can’t list 3 things he’s done for AZ. The VA debacle is exemplary of his senate record. With that said, no sense in kicking a man when he’s down. May he Rest In Peace and condolences to the family.

lee elbert 500 w reidhead show low AZ why don't you just stop by the house sometime you silly, mouthy little twat? lee

So I guess that makes me American hero too. But does not change the fact he was a RINO.

Catch me in a few days. His service is today, and his family is grieving.

Whatever gun you have the most confidence in and shoot the best!

Did they steal something?

I wouldn’t even think twice about it. He’ll be with you hunting with a tag not walking through the mall or something.

archery antelope is difficult

rino is what he was.....

That's about what we had figured we might have to do. I also found an alternate on youtube that will work without needing the flexibility in the pipe. Involves using a ball valve with 1" FNPT threads, two 1" MNPT/Fsweat fittings, two short pieces of 1" pipe and two no-stop 1" couplings. That way we can cut out just about the same length of pipe and slip the replacement assembly (about 8" long) in with the two couplings all the way back on the short stubs coming out of the valve. Once in place, it's easy to just slide the couplings over the other ends. Then it would require soldering both ends of each coupling rather than the valve itself. Thank you and everyone else for the help.

For anyone on pins and needles steeped in anticipation awaiting conclusion I think the issue is resolved. Archery headquarters in Chandler fixed me up. They timed the rest and helped me with vein alignment and we were punching bullet holes in paper in no time. No more contact. Whew.

Sounds like good eatin! Redneck caviar! I keep the bow in the truck Incase I catch a buck off the road driving home. I’m not hardcore but might get lucky.

I had to read that! while I am sitting here eating Baked beans!.......LOL .........BOB!

I had to work. So while masking a skylight for painting a fly got stuck between the skylight and the plastic. I smooshed it with my finger and a bunch of baby maggots squirted out of its anus. Better then nothing I guess.