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We had a blast, from the begining all the way to the end. Laughing all the time We crossed the border and like always no issues and very easy. We made it to the ranch. Arnie wanted to make sure his rifle was still zeroed in after his airplane flight...to make a long story short, after 7 or 8 shots at the paper plate guess what? A decent buck walks by the target and Arnie takes him can you believe that??!? Target shooting and a nice buck walks by the target! 😫 😊 Arnies with hes nice buck! On a different area of the ranch, Clayton made a great shot on this beautiful buck My buddy Kyle was after a very big buck that he and Clay had glassed about 1000 yards away. He did not know that the ridge where he glassed the buck was the same ridge I was on. I did not know that the buck he was after was only 200 yards from me. After talking to him on the radio I told him and Clay to move and hike the knoll what was infront of them so they can see down and have a better position to shoot the buck. The buck was at the bottom of the ridge or canyon. While I was waiting for them to get to the top of the knoll, I glassed the top of the ridge infront of me (same ridge where the buck they were after was) and OMG!! I saw a giant buck walking from left to right! I felt like if me eyes open wide open! Big main bean long tines I wanted to shoot that buck. I knew right away he was a shooter! I ranged the buck at 530 yards. While the buck was walking I kept saying, please stop, please stop, stop buck the buck keep on walking until he went into a little draw out of sight. I knew Kyle and Clay where going to be in a lot better position than me becuase they were going to be able to glass that draw were the buck desapeared out of my sight. I inmediately called them on the radio and asked them, are you on top of the knoll? We just made yes we are on top of the know they responded. Please I told them glass the top of the ridge infront of you, the ridge that is on the same side where the sun comes up in the mornings. Do you see on the top of the ridge the two tallest trees? The trees that rise above all other trees? Yes they said, -ok, a very big buck just walked 20 steps below those two trees; he was walking from left to right please glass that area and look for that buck it looked really good I told them. Like 30 seconds later they called me on the radio and told me Ernesto, yes we found the buck. Ok I told them if you like it Kyle, shoot him. Kyle and Clay were looking at the buck through the spotting scope and were trying to decide which buck was bigger, the one they were trying to shoot or the buck I just told them where it was. Whyle they were looking at the buck on the phoneskope the buck turned his head and they said at the same time double droptine! double droptine! Kyle inmediate jumped towards his rifle and got in position to shot that buck. Clay call me on the radio and told me, Ernesto, we are going to take that buck, its 350 yards from us, I told them, take it! Here is a picture of Clay and Kyle just moments before taking the shot.. And here is the result of a well placed shot After eveyone got their buck, now it was my turn to get a buck. On the last day of the hunt, around 4 pm or so I got this one What a beautiful hunt with great people, great friends. Waiting for the next January is going to be brutal on my....I can't wait for the next hunt. Stay thirsty my friends! Ernesto C.

As a kid I can remember visiting my grandparents and cousins in Idaho and Montana. We'd all be outside eating homemade ice cream and reminiscing about old times when the conversation would inevitably turn to the time Grandma got chased up a tree by a moose, or when one got a tire swing stuck on its antlers at the cabin in Island Park, or when one chased my cousin Brian home after he fell off the snowmobile. Still today at just about every family gathering just when things start to quiet down someone will call out in his direction "MOOOOSE!" These experiences and many others shaped my admiration of the largest member of the deer family. When we would spend summers at the family property in Clancy, MT, the most prized of all sightings was a bull moose. Their huge black bodies, contrasted by wide flat, white palms in the creek bottoms or black timber are mesmerizing. While attending college in Rexburg, ID I spent as many hours as possible exploring the Big Hole mountains just outside of town. I hunted elk and deer there but was always distracted when an 8' ungulate would cross my path. One day in November while looking for a cow elk I watched a behemoth bull moose peruse the timber apparently roaming for a second cycle cow and I promised myself that one day when I had the time and money I would be back for one of the beasts. Those lean college years didn't allow me the opportunity to trophy hunt, let alone do justice to a once-in-a-lifetime venture. But I took note of the favorable draw odds, especially for residents, and committed that the day would come. Before leaving my native born state again I scrounged up the few hundred dollars to purchase a lifetime license ensuring that the NR cap for such a tag would never become a barrier to entry. So this year, 10 years removed from my post-collegiate departure, I decided the time had come to begin the process of grinding away at the 18% draw odds. I figured that even without a point system in Idaho the expectation was that I would draw a tag within 5 years. So imagine my surprise last Friday when I was greeted by this

Been out walking the dogs every chance I get. This has been the best year for finding horns for me. Found my first confirmed lion kill, first match set, first nice deadhead (only deadheads I've found have been spikes 🤣🤣). Heres a few pics. A few of the dogs are locating sheds, one brings them back, one runs off with em, and my pup is addicted to them.

I have debated about what to say about this as I know some have mixed feelings about these highly sought after tags being donated. But after thinking about it I hope that if we are able to share the story that more people might enjoy the experience this increasing the good that has come The selfless decision someone made to donate the tag. A little background. In April of last year my son Hunter (9 at the time) was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Toothe. CMT is a degenerative neuro-muscular condition that causes muscle atrophy and reduced sensitivity in the extremities. As a result of this condition Hunter also had hip dysplasia in both legs which led to two separate reconstructive surgeries last year. He turned 10 in August and we squeezed in a youth Kaibab hunt as well as a cow elk hunt (from a donated tag) between surgeries. I was proud of his effort as he did whatever he had to and filled his deer tag and stuck with it through three cold days for his elk hunt but that tag went unfilled. He goes to PT twice every week and probably will do PT//OT until he is skeletally mature. We are blessed that his lifespan is not impacted and for now he can walk and ride a bike likE his friends, other than limited strength and the unknown of when and how fast the degeneration of his nerves will occur. Well a couple week’s ago Eddie Corona from OE4A called and asked if Hunter would be interested in an antelope hunt. This has been an aspiration of his for several years since accompanying me on scouting trips for my antelope hunt in 2014. So the next day, after going to PT, and the dr and getting x Rays we met Eddie Corona and picked up the tag. It’s been his top choice every year since so of course we were in. Then to find out it was Unit 10 tag, well, we were over the moon. I hope to share this experience with as many as possible and want to make sure that those involved know how much this means to a kid who has not had an easy past 12 months. Thanks to Eddie and everyone who helps OE4A in anyway and also to Darren Couturier who donated the tag. We can hardly wait to share the journey with everyone.

Took my buddy and his daughter out pig hunting this past year. First day was a snowy mess yielding no pigs. The following day we were able to turn up a group of pigs about a mile away. Took his 12 year old daughter and a pretty steep hike to get her 290 yards from the bedded pigs. One well placed shot from her 6.5 Grendel and the rest was all smiles!! Good day for sure Whitey Raegan_pig.mp4

LNIB Ruger SP101 4.2” 357 mag. Model 05771. Comes with box, manual, lock. Sorry no trades. $500. 480-382-0493 Located in Queen Creek

Good luck to your son, hope he tags a brute!!

Yeah, this is why I was hesitant about posting. Lots of people question the system and start getting sour grapes when an 11 year old kid gets a world class tag. The tag is donated by the hunter to a qualifying charity. The charity has a list of qualified individuals who have submitted paperwork from a doctor who confirms that they meet the requirements. In Hunter’s case he has a permanent disability but children with life threatening conditions also qualify. Veterans have different requirements around combat injuries of certain severity. But I can tell you that the kids we have met at OE4A events are sick. At the OE4A banquet they have pictures in their slideshow of the kids who have passed away since their hunts. The wounded vets organizations sometimes have a hard time finding vets who meet the requirements but are still capable of the physicality of the hunt. The organization appoints the tag to a qualified recipient at their discretion. Last year Hunter received a late rifle cow hunt. This year the organization knew that he was better suited for walking and was really excited about antelope hunting. When Eddy called about the tag he said the donating hunter said he would like it to go to a kid if possible because it was a father and son who both donated their tags. The other tag went to a 17 year old boy. Hopefully that answers questions and people will continue to support these organizations. I know last year when we were driving home from Hunter’s elk hunt, he asked me if we could hunt again the next weekend. I reminded him that we were going back to CA for his next surgery that week. His response “Oh yeah, that is coming up.” We didn’t kill an elk on that hunt but for a few days he forgot all about surgery and the half body cast he would spend Christmas in, and the PT after that. He didn’t have to go watch his little brother play on the football team that he couldn’t be on. He just went hunting with his Dad. I can’t tell you how much that meant to that little dude and especially his Dad. So I am grateful for everybody who provides a tag or volunteers or spends 200+ nights a year helping or scouting or guiding these hunter’s. It means a lot.

Congrats to your son! I hope you both have an Amazing experience together!!!! Take a LOT of pictures!!!!

Priceless. Hope the kid kills a brute.

Looking forward to the thread. Good luck, Hunter!

Sounds like a win for the good guys! Congrats and good luck!

Hunter, I sure hope you get a beautiful buck! This is gonna be a great time!

This is fricken awesome!!! Keep us posted on it!!! Busy fall for you guys!!!

Best of luck.... Shoot Straight..!

Go get 'em, guys!

Go shoot a bigger buck than your dad Hunter!

Well the tag came in the mail today. IDFG also included a nice letter outlining the requirements for reporting, all moose must be checked in with F&G, and suggesting hunting methods and explaining moose behavior. Also got the camp situation figured out today. Picked up a new-to-me 2006 Nomad camper. Should keep us dry and warm. Should start testing moose loads next week while also setting the bow up with heavy arrows/heads.

Awesome bow free bump

Another pic floating mine out. I’m so jealous of you right now!!! Literally the funnest hunt I’ve ever been on!!

Since this tag is once-in-a-lifetime and I will likely never experience this again, I want to share my experience with those who might be interested in following along. For those who do not know, Idaho is a pretty well kept secret when it comes to trophy species. What I mean by that is not that they have a lot of trophy caliber animals, but when it comes to their once-in-a-lifetime species, they have a unique combination of circumstances that keep their draw odds curiously reasonable in a time when point creep, draw strategies and ever-slimming odds are the norm. There are three factors at work here that keep this phenomena intact: First; although Idaho is growing rapidly it is still one of the least densely populated states in the west. Second; There are no bonus points, your odds today are very likely going to be your odds a few years from now. In the ten years since I left Rexburg, the resident draw percentage for this hunt has only reduced from 20% to 18% despite a consistent success rate above 90% and maintaining an average bull spread near 40". Third; Idaho requires applicants to choose to either apply for any one of the three O-I-L species (Moose, Mt Goat, Sheep) or to apply for a limited entry for deer, elk and antelope. Because deer and elk both have OTC general seasons in much of the state residents can be guaranteed plenty of hunting without a special draw, but Idaho is as much mule deer country as it is potato country. So many residents are reluctant to pass up a chance at a rut/migration carp tag to apply for other tags many residents consider a novelty. Just as impressive as the draw odds are the resources that ID has available on their website. Along with harvest data and draw odds there are also interactive unit maps with surface management layers and boundaries. They do a top notch job of making it super easy to research and explore your options, even if you aren't previously acquainted with their regulations and systems. After calling some family and friends, I wasted no time in reaching out to an old friend who was the wildlife manager for this unit when I lived there. It didn't take long to find our that he was still in the area and happy to help get me pointed in the right direction. He even gave me the address of a bull he knew of in the unit. With that connection made its time now to start the process of figuring out gear, times, methods and locations for the hunt. I will likely only get one scouting trip in July, other than that I will be running off of what I can remember from a decade ago and a few dropped pins from my game warden buddy. So if you are interested in seeing how this turns out, check back and I will update the thread with gear prep, e-scouting, and other updates along the way. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experience if you have any. Thanks for checking in.

Based on the 2018 BP report, I am slated for my first late December coues hunt in 2019 and I've been scouting new area since archery ended in January. I set new cameras Sunday and saw 15+ bucks with buds and at least 60 doe. I also found a nice deadhead on an unmapped water source and a "white" coues at 1.1 miles away. The weather was incredible, it was a glorious day in new country.

I’ve got no idea if Azgfd is out to get him like you say but I believe the county attorney is a buffer in that. I find it hard to believe a county attorney would possibly put their job on the line by offering a deal with no evidence. The attorney has to believe they have enough evidence to take it to court. They may not believe they have enough to win but have enough to take in front of a judge. If he hasn’t seen the evidence maybe your brothers attorney is not doing his job properly

My neighbor wanted to take some pictures of their newborn and asked if he could borrow a European of one of my bucks to use. He didn't tell me his idea or anything but the set up and picture is one of the coolest I've seen.

They should make the same laws here dudes shooting 450 yards with a muzzy ain’t very primitive