Leaderboard

Hey all, I’ve been lurking on the site for a couple of years now. No idea why it took me so long to actually sign up, but I thoroughly enjoy the content. A little about me, my name is Brandon and I moved to AZ back in 2002 from Colorado. I didn’t get involved in hunting AZ until a few years ago, and have been addicted ever since (I’ll share that story first). I’m married with 3 kids, and a 4th to be any day now (all boys). My now father in law took me on an any antlered deer hunt in 2016 where I shot my first big game animal (a very small mule deer spike) that AZGFD aged at about 2-3 years old, and told me he just had bad genetics (insert milk on the lips jokes here). I had always considered myself an “outdoorsmen” until this hunt, when I realized how much of a city slicker I had become. My father in law had taken me on a couple of scouting trips before the opener, and asked me what I thought. I said” Well, I am having a tough time believing that there’s going to be a deer out there behind that cactus,” he laughed. Opening morning had me stumbling around the desert flats being taught a lesson with every step. I went south out of camp, my father in law went north, and his buddy went east so we had a good understanding of who would be where. Twenty minutes into my hike south, I make my way through a thicket and came face to face with a moo cow. Not knowing how he would react I backed out slowly, and rerouted. Come to find out I’m smack dab in the middle of a herd of moo cows now, and am really starting to feel like a city slicker. They don’t bother me, and I don’t mess with them and I scoot on out of the wash I was in. As I’m slowly walking through my new route, I hear the sound of hooves galloping behind me. I turn around and see a buck (appeared to be a decent 3x3 from behind) and a doe bouncing away up the side of a hill. I literally must’ve walked on top of them bedded, because to this day I am not sure how I made it through where they came from, to where I was without jumping them first in front of me. With my rifle slung over my head and on my back, I’m knocking my hat off and tangling my sling and binos together while trying to get to the top of the hill to hopefully have a shot at the buck. He was in the next area code by time I got my stuff together, and I regrouped from the adrenaline rushing through me. I walked countless miles that day, stopping and glassing, and learning and falling in love with not only hunting, but hunting the desert. As I tried to sleep that night, and replayed everything that had happened over and over, I began making my plan for the next morning. I had come across a water tank that I sat for a bit, and decided that I would head that way again in the pre-dawn hours. As the sun came up, I made my way south again. No longer having the rifle slung behind me, and noticing that my walk wasa lot different this morning, I realized that the addiction was in me now, and was spreading like wildfire. I spent two hours slowly navigating my way through the washes, towards my mark on the water tank. I was hoping I could cut them off coming from water as the morning sun began to rise. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, my first introduction to public land hunting, and another lesson was about to be learned. I’m ¼ mile from the tank now when I hear the sound of a vehicle driving down the road leading to the tank. I can’t believe it, two hours of slowly walking in, and here comes someone driving right down the road that I didn’t see a sole on the day prior. I stop and position myself behind a thicket to where I have shooting lanes should my new friends push anything out. As I sit there, the shotgun blasts begin to rain out. Well, there goes my plan entirely and I’m too new to have a plan B. So, I improvise, look towards a range of mountains in the distance and say that’s where I’m headed. Borderline frustrated, I start my walk that changes my life. Now, I am not wanting to interfere with the bird hunters, so I keep about a ¼ mile perimeter from the tank and walk around it. I’m to the other side now about to cross a wash when I catch movement up above me on the other side of the wash. I drop to a squatting position and identify the movement. I jumped two deer behind a bush. I raise my rifle and pick them up in the scope. The first deer steps out, and I see he has a tiny antler on his left side (literally about all he had) and a button on the right side. The internal debate begins. I don’t know my father in law well at this point, and I worry about the “size of the antler” razzing back at camp I’m sure to face if I squeeze. I then think about my late papa giving me my Winchester .270 that I am holding, and sitting with me through my hunter safety class at 13 years old back in Colorado. I think of how proud of me he would be if he could see me in this moment. As that last thought crosses my mind, he turnedquartering slightly toward me and “BOOM!” instinct took over and the bullet enters mid chest and exits his left shoulder. He stands straight up on his hind legs, turns and boogies up the hill with his girlfriend. I lose sight of him, and try to calm myself down and mark my shot location. I cross the wash and up the other side to where he was and begin looking for blood. No blood, anywhere. I walk to the top of the ridgeline, no blood and no deer in sight. Now I’m second guessing everything. I saw him stand, I was right on him from 45 yards, how could I miss?? Telling myself I have to find blood, I decided to criss cross down the hill side back to my shot location. I walk the ridgeline parallel from where I took the shot, and begin to criss cross down. The first zig of my zag, and I find him expired. I was so thankful and overcome with emotion. I never did find any blood at all other than where he lay, and believe that marking my shot location is the only reason I found him being solo and so green. I thankfully have cell service, and call my father in law, who sends my brother in law out to help me clean him up. Ironically he drives down the same road to the tank that the bird hunters drove out on. He actually stopped and talked to them on their way out, and they told him that they heard my bullet hit its mark after the shot. I thought that was pretty cool, and the first I had learned of that happening. My ears were ringing and certainly didn’t hear it hit. Anyhow, if you are reading this and you were one of those bird hunters at the tank in 37B that day in 2016, thank you! You pushed me around that tank and led me straight to what has now become a true passion of mine. From small game to big game, there is very little in life that I enjoy more for myself. My kids, my wife, and the great AZ outdoors. If you’re still reading, thanks! I look forward to sharing much more! I also have thick skin, so I’m not afraid to post these pictures that accommodate this story. The lessons I learned on this hunt, and the first spent shell on my belt of big game hunting launched me into this obsession and that was my trophy from the hunt. Now let’s all get back to idgaf’s thread, cause let’s be honest..that’swhat we’re really checking in on right now!

Game and Fish might kill it like Macho B...

My hunt started around 6 weeks ago when my son and I decided to hike some cameras and treestand into some remote country. A couple weeks after that him and a friend dove in and checked pictures and hung another treestand for me. We had several really nice bucks hitting his stand area and a couple good ones at mine. We could not head in until opening morning so we spent the first 3.5 hours of friday hiking into camp. My son passed up a decent buck that first evening as I sat around camp recuperating from the hike in. Day 2 my son missed what he called a giant and from the scouting pictures if it was the buck he thinks it was he is right. On Sunday morning I shot my best archery Coues buck as it is my only archery Coues buck. After a few more chances we packed out after 7 days spent in the Az back country. The trail cam pic is one of the bucks he missed (we think).

I can't believe on a hunting website, someone would say call the Arizona Game and Fish for a person's escaped pet.

from 2018, i just picked up the cam. majestic af

I seriously am befuddled by you guys that can go out wandering around.......taking pictures and video of incredible bucks.............fixing flat tires............taking pictures of the sunset....................casually waiting for that monster buck op! I would have already launched every single arrow..........missing due to buck fever.................lost my camera................panicked every time I took a step, stepped on every dry branch and rolling rock. Pretty dang fun to read your ventures...........thanks for taking the time to share!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm plenty old enough to remember when hunting and fishing had its own full "outdoors" page in the Phoenix Gazette (now defunct) and AZ Republic. Slowly over the years it shrunk and eventually was shut down. I believe the last outdoor editor at the Republic was DeWayne Smith. Edited: After some thought, I seem to recall Barry Burkhart, not DeWayne was actually the last outdoor editor.

I think it’s pretty cool they put hunters in the paper though

I am a pretty average hunter and a below average gear guy, I use 150 dollar binoculars that I bought ten years ago. I usually use the two second rule in judging if its a shooter or not. Listening to Jay Scott Podcast, I hear him use the term 'cream' quite a bit. If Jay is the cream, I am more like grounds. To use a fishing analogy he would be in the private boat with a captains chair and my preference would be swigging coors lights on a party boat learning from other guys swigging coors lights. For the most part I do not like waiting for tags with this exception, I wanted to hunt the AZ strip once in my life. I will post daily as cell service allows my views and pics from 13b. People keep telling me I need to get a guide or buy a scouting package. Although I am sure it would help with my success, I consider hunting to be a test of what I know and what my intended quarry knows, (that and two daughters college tuition payments pretty much rules out buying anything) Here are some pics from my scouting. Big shout out to shane koury for helping me decide what a shooter is this year and pointing me in the right direction to check. First Buck seen Too cute not to stop and take a pic First real bucks A big three in the afternoon MY bison hunt sucked the majority of my vacation so my intention is to hunt the first few days then ten days starting just before labor day weekend. either my failure or success will be epic.

The California communists of San Francisco vote to label the NRA a terrorist orginization, which will likely get overturned, yet they created a sanctuary cesspool, full of lawbreakers, needle pushers, and all types of homeless riff raff.

And yet they let Antifa run amuck all over the western seaboard, and the grass roots organization that has protected our rights to protect ourselves from these zealots is a "domestic terrorist group"? Only in Kalifruti. Come on earthquake to sink that crap hole of lunatics into the ocean Walmart can suck it, the only reason I go there is to get paper GF regs and OTC tags.

Why?

fun evening. WARNING PICTURE INTENSIVE!! i found a the buck that makes me lose my breath. I get back from St George and try to check out a spot on Mudd Mountain. I can see where camping was extensive and the place was hit hard. I go back up top and see the husband and wife team. Hes going after that 5x6 he has on camera. Not expecting to much I go high vantage point and start glassing. Nothing. I am thinking I should be at the waterhole I was at this AM so I pack up my bag and start moving than that same hard horn 2 point pins me. I dont move and they go back to what they were doing than 150/160 class "dink" gets to 25 yards and doesnt take his eyes off of me for 5 minutes. I dont even twitch. The three small bucks eventually pass. I know they are part of the bigger herd so I creep up and startle a few bucks they scramble 50 yards to right, 75 yards away. I figure well they have me busted so I'll keep trying. I inch forward and see this. I dont move and they go back to chewing there cud. I see big horns and inch closer. I am judging him and strongly considering. If I had any other tag I would have emptied my quiver. I put my bow down to resist temptation some more gratuitous 3 point pics I inch closer, im now within 50 yards of the two 4 points and the big 3. Then some more bucks move in. I first see this guy then this little fellow pops out. Im thinking where is the big guys at? then the boss shows (not sure if the side view is the boss or another buck) I snap a couple of blurry pics and then I think I should be freaking shooting my bow. right then canter off. I get to 35 and trip on a rock and they bounce. they will be back tomorrow (I hope and I will focus on this guy) his main beams are freaking sic and he made me loose a breath. I may even wear camo tomorrow. Keep in mind a strip buck ear to ear on average is 26". the average south of here is 24"

●Soak in Italian Dressing for several hours to 1 day. ●Add add jalapeno and wrap in bacon. ●Now SOAK in A1 sauce and BBQ. Cook until bacon is done. The A1 sauce caramelizes and turnes into a sweet bbq flavor. Each dove bite will now taste like a miniature steak. Absolutely delicious!!!!!!

Not much of a modern day country music fan, but that"s a good one.👍

A big Dick(s) move.

So your saying Walmart made a dick (s) move?

Walmart pulled a Dick(s)....

Very few people open carry anyway. I work there part time and see maybe 2 or 3 people a month open carrying. I would almost guarantee nobody would say anything to anybody open carrying, they are scared to make customers mad at them.

I make a decent living selling light bulbs, oh I mean outside sales for an electrical distributor. I'd have a lot more money if the cartels that run state colleges didn't know how to suck every penny from you. I know drug dealers with more ingritity than those guys. Got into the smaller guys of the herd this morning after breakfast (an orange and beef jerky)I'm headed to the bosses bedding area for an all day sit

Well it’s been a while so I thought I would post a pre-hunt update. Hunter has been shooting his 7-08 and we will be shooting non-lead because 10 is technically comdor country. He is still a bit gun shy, so range sessions are always interesting, but he always ends up shooting a nice group. Come go time he never hesitates. We spent last weekend camped near Williams, driving roads and glassing. We didn’t see tons of antelope, but enough. We were able to meet up with another OE4A hunter who took a buck with his crossbow. He had great stories and was a great example to Hunter. We will head out tomorrow mid day and hopefully make it to the unit in time to get a look at a buck or two for opening morning.

So horses are protected and bison are not. We can't corral and ship of the horses that are destroying the land, but bison is all good.

Thank you for all of the input everyone, now let’s get this truck a new home!

the'Nomad Hunter' just might need a protien recharge at a vegas casino. heat can mess with you just like cold. a couple pounds of crab legs and a filet mignon or 2 will get his mind right. an army marches on its belly. take your time and good luck! lee

There’s an old saying I’ve always heard about work travel...never come home early without calling. This gives all new meaning to that. LoL