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Fun, exciting , nerve racking and life time memories . Rex could you please turn the pics over

Glassed this buck up Friday morning with 25 does, and 4 other bucks. Watched them do their thing for about an hour with no real way to make a move on them. They slowly fed up over a saddle as the sun was starting to hit them pretty solid. We made a 2 mile loop around them to get in the same canyon that they headed into. We glassed that spot for about an hour, but it was noon, hot, and nothing was up. We decided to back out and return in the afternoon. We drove in from a different direction that was actually a further hike, but a much easier hike. We arrived on the only rock pile in the canyon where you could see where we figured the bucks would bed. It took all of 5 min and we had the buck. We set up on him with the sun directly in our eyes and contemplated the shot. My son 19, wanted to shoot, but I talked him into waiting. The sun finally settled behind the Mountain, and things got serious… Go Time! We ranged the shot at 578 yards and 10 degree slope. My son Hunter said, "Dad that stupid ocotillo is right in my way"... I had to crawl down and move it so he could shoot. The buck did not like that at all and bedded down.... We could see antlers, neck, and bush and a small window of vitals. We thought about calling it a day, but my son felt very confident in the shot. One well placed 150 ab/ 300 wsm and it was over... Heart shot/ flop!!! The pack out in the dark was a great learning experience for him.... Great Father Son Time..... My boys have had one heck of a 5 year run. Whitey....

We went out opening morning and saw a few small bucks that she decided to pass on. We got set up on a hill to glass for the evening and the wife glassed up a coyote and then 2 bucks not to far off the coyote. After looking at the bucks with the spotter we made a game plan to get in range of the deer. Once we were close to where we had referenced the bucks we jumped them up at less than 80 yards. They trotted off over into the next small wash. We hustled over to try and locate them and saw them walking through the trees. I set her up and she made a perfect 210 yard shot and dropped this buck. She is super happy being her 2nd ever deer. I think I was more excited than she was haha. And of course the kids were excited to see moms deer they had to get pictures with it too.

I'm 42 years old and new to hunting in general. I was always interested since moving to the West in the mid nineties but it seamed too intimidating for someone to start having no family or experience with it. I decided when I turned 40 that I was going to make a go of it and figure it what I need to do to hunt Deer. I moved to Sierra Vista for a job at this same time so I started reading the regulations and talked to the few guys that I knew who hunt. My daughter's friends dad, Kevin S. knows a lot about hunting in AZ and was willing to show me the ropes. He showed me how to glass, what gear I definitely needed, what can wait and what not to waste my money on. I bought a used 30-06 with a 3-9 power scope on it and started to practice first at the range then in more realistic scenarios (sitting on the ground, prone position, etc.). For the next six months I spent a lot of days in the mountains, glassing, scouting, reading the terrain and setting up a game camera. I really wanted to be prepared for the first day of the season. Sometimes I would glass for an hour and not see anything and other times it seamed that the deer were everywhere. I ended up drawing for the first week of the rifle season in 35A which was my first choice. I took the whole week off from work, determined to do everything I could to get a buck on my first time out. Long story short, I saw more hunters than deer the first 3 days and then saw only Does and Fawn after that. I ended up seeing one spike and the third to last day but never had a shot, I was bummed out and felt like all the work I put in was not going to pay off. Me and two other friends who also drew tags went out the second to last day to find that spike. The little guy came into their view and they took a shot but missed. He bedded down behind some rocks then took off when we tried to flank him. I decided to give it one more try on the last day (Halloween) in the morning. It was just me and one other hunter who agreed to spot for me since she had an opportunity on the spike the night before. We start glassing at first light and see nothing for the first 45 minutes. Just as I'm thinking this is a waste of time she calls out "Deer" then two seconds later "I see antlers"! My mood inconstantly changes and my adrenaline starts pumping, "where" I asked, I don't see anything. Then just about 250 yards away I see a couple of Does and a Buck walking on the hillside and it's the nicest buck I've seen in person. I steady my rifle and try to keep calm, I tell my partner "I'm taking the shot". I pull the trigger then look to see where he is. My partner says he ran off to the left and wasn't sure if I hit him or not. I glass for a while and don't see anything but the two Doe that were with him. "I must have missed" I told her, but let's go over there to double check. As I walk and scan the hillside I don't see a blood trail or any signs of a dead deer. I walk around a little more and look over the valley floor below and don't see anything. I leave and tell my buddy Kevin that I missed my one and only opportunity. He asked me how the deer behaved when the shot went off, my spotter said that he jumped up in the air "butt up" then bolted. Kevin then says "you hit him, go back out and look, I bet he's there. I take a friend out with me the next day, looking for this deer that I think may still be out there. Sure enough, we spot him about 150 yards from where I shot him. It is a beautiful 8 point buck who is going to be mounted in the wall of my game room. I really appreciate friends like Kevin S. and people on this forum that are willing to teach and share with novices like myself. Hunting can be an intimidating sport for those who didn't grow up around it and some out there give off the vibe that they don't want new people in the sport in fear that it leaves less tags for them. I understand that logic to some extent, I spent the first couple days glassing up only other hunters, but ultimately I think more people leads to more money and resources going towards conversation of wildlife and habitat. I never knew all the things that AZ fish and game do to help maintain healthy populations of wildlife in our beautiful state. I have a much better appreciation for nature and the animals we are fortunate enough to hunt and harvest. I can't wait for the next hunt.

Been scouting this unit for the past two months. Seen only one bull while out hiking and cameras have picked up quite a bit of activity. Are the elk usually way up high in the aspens because of the lack of water and warm weather? Will the kachina wilderness hunts affect locations? Looking for some help due to my lack of elk hunting experience. We are the rifle cow hunt starting the 18th. Thanks, Justin

Hello All, I have been gifted a pair of Justin Boots and am trying to find out more information about them. I called Justin direct. Justin informed me that the boots are made of Sea Turtle. The color is "Honey Sea Turtle" and the shafts are "Beech". These are really neat old boots. They don't fit me (size 11D), and I'm not interested in keeping them around for decorations. I guess my question is: Does anyone know what type of sea turtle these are made of? Also, my understanding is that since they were manufactured before the Sea Turtle ban that these are legal to sell within the state of AZ, but illegal to sell across state lines. If you have any information on this, please let me know. Thanks!

Opening day I was able to tag out by 8:00 on this deer I had been seeing on my cameras since August. He was a very heavy bodied buck. I was luck to have a Buddy watching in the glass to give me a hand down off the hill.

Well, had a really tough hunt this year. Turns out I wasn't the only one that knew about my target bucks. After dealing with people shelling off artillery rounds at the bucks from over 1000 yards every morning i decided to back out of the area for a couple of days and let the pressure die down. I snuck back into my perch on Tuesday evening and was able to knock this buck down. He was about my "plan D" buck but I'm happy with him. I've always wanted a big two-point and i think this one qualifies. He's a really old troll of a deer and was the dominant buck in the area. A good one to get out of the gene pool. Sorry for the disgusting decapitation photos. He was a long ways from a road and didn't get to him until well after dark. The field photos were terrible.

Heading up Friday for final scouting trip before my hunt starts on the 29th. Eddie

Angry cats final moments

I haven't read your last post yet evause I don't have time and but I keep checking on this thread just to see. That lion pic is insane. I'm blown away by how cool this hunt has become. Can't wait to come back and read about it.

Got a bit older that evening , and thru the night hoping he was were we left him..

Ended up getting lucky and found a decent buck. This was my first time ever in the unit other than some Google earth scouting and reading previous posts about the unit. Oh and it's my first coues. Thanks for all the help everyone.

Well the wife shot a 3 point this evening at 500 yards. Shout out to muledeerarea and kaffer for the pointers. Was a good first coues hunt id say. Hiked alot and glassed even more, but it worked out for her and she's stoked.

All different cats in a month, had even more too in a month on some other cams

I agree on picking out landmarks. The more I have reflected on that moment makes me realize how I forgot some important steps after the shot. I should have waited longer to go look, should have asked my spotter more questions i.e. how did the deer react, did you see a hit or miss etc.. also, i probably walked within a few feet of where he fell down that first morning, crazy how hard they are to spot even when you are right next to them.

Way to go B-Rad! For a guy who would have been happy to shoot a spike that is one heck of a first deer!

60 or 70lb? Also what is current draw length set at?

Alright well here goes nothin... Here is a few with the rifle.. And here is a few archery...

I killed a decent buck there in 2012 on January 2nd during the archery season. It is my first and only muley buck with a bow. It was super windy that day and it had the deer all messed up. I was able to approach to around 60 yards then waited for a doe to get up and move, taking the buck with her giving me a 40 yard broadside shot. I hit him slightly high and back but still got both lungs. He ran about 150 yards and hit the dirt. I was a happy camper! I was about a mile and a half from the truck so it was a pain in the butt to pack out the first load but I had help with the rest.

This one really shows it. His prong went more sideways than forward.

Colorado, Utah, Nevada. I've seen more big bucks in CO and haven't spent that much time in that state. You can get tags really often if not every year depending on unit. Better yet. Hunt MD in the rut with a rifle pretty much every year in MT. Lots of opportunity out there.

Not sure I could shoot her, but not sure I couldnt. That would be a hard one for me. Congrats to the hunter who did!