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I put 4 stalks on this buck Friday but each time busted by one of his 11 does. Caught up with him again Saturday morning and made what I thought was a very marginal shot. Playing safe, I spent the rest of the day glassing, trying to find him with the optics to no avail. The following morning dropped into where he took off after the shot and found him within 200 yards. The arrow, although farther back then I would have preferred, did catch vitals so I'm sure he was done within a couple of minutes. Don't mind the long hair. It's Covid season and I'm living my best Tom Hanks from Cast Away.

I was up north by Prescott, Friday-Sunday and the rut was in full swing. Watched a couple bucks battle it out for a good 10 minutes and only saw a single doe group that didn't have buck(s) in tow. Wrapped my tag around a nice buck. Was tickled pink.

Not bad for a 4th choice tag 1 day hunt.

My Beretta A300 has served me well over the years for ducks, dove and quail. I saw that Dunn's has them on sale for $599. Might be worth a look? https://shopdunns.com/product/beretta-a300-outlander-12ga-3-28-barrel-black-synthetic-stock-semi-automatic-shotgun-j30tt18/

I recently bought a Remington 3.5" Versamax. Pretty sweet. I have yet to hit anything, but it shoots nice.

Here's my 2020 37a desert. Using the fish and game numbers, he nets 176" with my math. Using the fish and game's math, 174 1/2" 😳. The fractions were not added up right for the gross score and the deductions where done wrong. Will have him officially scored after the sixty days. He was aged at 11 to 12 years old. The class of sheep I have always wanted to harvest. It was a awesome hunt. And getting to experience it with family made it even better. I have been trying to draw a sheep tag for years and I honestly wasn't sure it was ever going to happen. Many thanks to the fish and game and all the people that keep our Arizona sheep alive. I spent almost four months scouting for this hunt and can see how people can get addicted to sheep hunting.

Spent the first few days getting skunked. Finally dug in and got further out there. One shot a piece with a 6.5 creedmoor at 590yards. First one dropped and the next walked out broad side, after impact it took one step then dropped in its tracks. The excitement that came afterwards is something I’ll never forget.

Like others have said, get the wife a 20 ga semi auto preferably with a softer or squishy recoil pad. Recoil will make them not have fun. For you a Beretta of some kind in 12 ga....A390, A391 or A400 is hard to beat. They also have shims for fitting the gun to you. You can shoot anything with them in 3" or 2 3/4". Another shotgun to look for is a Browning Gold Hunter. Most birds/clay targets just put Imp. Cyl. in and be done with it. Go to the skeet field and you will learn how to swing the gun.

My prediction: Oregon in the north; ASU in the south; ASU to the Rose Bowl. Write it down!! 😎

I'm a 20 gauge fan. Own a bunch of them. I love my benelli. It still has some recoil but not bad. The fit of the gun is key to shooting accurately. O/U's are cool but for hunting they drive me crazy. After you shoot one shot I'm always wondering.......do I reload or do I wait and see if something else fly's up at my feet. With a pump and semi you can add another shell or two without your gun being broken open. I shoot a 12 gauge for bigger things that need to die. I would think fur animals and geese. Everything else can be done with a 20 gauge. I only shoot 3.5" shells out of my 12 gauges. Normally I shoot blackcloud BB loads and I don't care if it is ducks, geese or dogs. They all drop like rocks. I've shot a ton of 12 gauge and any of the recoil operated guns are junk in my world. You need a gas operated gun. I've narrowed it down to the winchester SX 3. I think they might have a newer model this year. It is gas operated and that decreases the recoil by a ton. Now recoil isn't the end of the world but less recoil means you can shoot your second and third shots much faster. As far as chokes. This is very easy. 90% of the time you should be shooting a very, very open choke. Something like Cylinder or Skeet. I shoot skeet in my upland 20 gauge with smaller pellets and a modified in my duck/goose 12 gauge so I can whack them further out with bigger pellets.

I had Bear Mountain order me some in. I have granddads level action, fun rifle.

I use a Benelli SBE II for everything, great gun.

I own several shotguns and by far the most comfortable to me is the Browning Maxus with a 26in barrel. Shoots everything from light dove loads to 2-1/4 ounce turkey loads with no issues. The recoil is tight enough that my wife shoots it for turkeys too.

With a shotgun fit is everything. Another thing is how you mount your gun. Most rifle shooters will throw the gun into their shoulder then flop their head on the stock, with a shotgun your eye is essentially your rear sight so you have to mount it correctly. There are several you tube videos on the subject, just type in shotgun mounting. Gil Ash has a good video.

No offense to FC80 but I held the Versamax and it felt like I was swinging a metal pool noodle. Had the same feeling with the Stoeger M3000/3500. Beretta A300s felt much better but still wasn't as good as my 870 I had at home that I was upgrading from. I found the right one on my 6th try and have NO regrets for taking my time. My point isn't to brand name drop, but to emphasize fit and that it is hard to take someone's word on the best shotgun without trying it yourself. Maneuverability = success. I'll also chime in that 3.5" shells seldom provide any advantage and I wouldn't focus too hard on a 3.5" chamber as a requirement. As to chokes without too many words, a full choke is a constricted pattern (farther shots, larger birds, often for a more skilled shooter), improved is a wide pattern (closer shots, smaller birds), and modified chokes are in the middle and ideal for most hunting applications. Most shotguns come with 3 chokes and the effect on lead is not the same as steel. Aftermarket chokes are often better. "Patterning" a few different loads and choke combos is a good idea for each type of hunting you might do.

Anyone that thinks a week of school is more important than hunting has been absolutely brainwashed

I resurrect this old thread. So Catfish, we're 10 years on from you not getting to hunt, how did life turn out? Take care, Matt

I called in this cat after glassing it up 1st. My son and I watched it until she left through a saddle. Then made a hike to get close. She came in after a few minutes but from behind us. I took this cat with a shotgun up close.

I did contact the Phx commissioner by email the other day, told him I support either outright ban or very limited season. My email was based on the following beliefs.. Camera use has gotten way out of control and extents beyond fair chase principles especially by some or most (not all) professional guides. I do not believe that game on AZ private land should be "marketed" by guide outfits especially on the strip. The outcome will be that some will break the law, this is always the case in some form, reduced hunting pressure especially from the out of state hunter and especially on the strip and consequently hopefully point creep will be slowed. I support the idea that those that want to hunt can put boots on the ground to make it happen and those who want to look at pictures can do so on instagram.

My .02 is This is a great win (the first in a long time) for the animals, habitat and even many hunters. This was never a problem until the privilege of using trail cams became abused (mostly by guides). I would have voted for a season or ban either way, but if you want to be upset about it, be upset about with those that have abused it to make in an issue.

The Boquillas is a good model, nothing wrong with hunting the way we did 30 or 40 years ago, if you have to have some camera use, January 1 to June 1

Maybe some of the guides who have alot of cameras can raise some quick money buy putting there trailcams on Craigslist.

Thanks guys. He is awesome. To answer some questions. I had 19 points. I know I got lucky. My ram gets his score from his mass. 108 5/8 inches of it to be exact. I tried to post a picture of the fish and game measurements. A quick note. The fish and game never claims that their score is exact. Sealing my ram was a amazing experience and one I hope everyone gets to experience one day. I only posted what he was measured because I knew someone would ask. Chris Harlow said he is at least 12 years old which agrees with what the fish and game aged him at which makes him the class of ram I wanted. Looked at a lot of rams and I can honestly say that was pure luck. I shot him because he looked as big as any ram I had seen and because Courtney was first to glass him up which was a dream come true. She is becoming a great huntress and I am as proud as heck. Tried to include a shortened kill video. Hope it plays. IMG_1013.MOV

"Let he who has no sin cast the first stone". So easy to judge and scapegoat. I, like many of you, have been blessed that my ocasional poor decision did not result in tragedy. What punishment is worst than having to live with the loss of children, and the rift that may exist between relatives for the rest of their mortal lives. The depression, physical and emotional pain. And how easy it is for those removed from the immediate circle to judge, scapegoat, and attack. As a society we have become nasty, judgemental and vindictive. Where does forgiveness, compassion, and sympathy fit in? Have we lost it as individuals, groups, societies, and nations? It is becoming too risky to bear and raise kids. Too risky to get involved donating time with youth, or helping anyone. What purpose does it serve to press charges against the parent(s). Now the rest of us can feel better? Will that change the helplessness felt by everyone associated closely with this tragedy? Does a history of high risk taking exist for the parent(s) involved? Have very many of you watched helplessly as someone died do to another person's momentary lapse in judgement witnessing the entire event as it unfolded? Even just once and it affects you for life! Several times and it still hits as hard every time. One learns to live with what they've witnessed, but it never goes away. Do you honestly believe the driver will ever stop reliving those final moments in those children's lives, or the seconds, minutes, hours, days after? There could never be enough booze, drugs, or punishment that could change those terrible memories. And not just for this lifetime, but for any potential life or eternity hereafter. I pray and feel for all involved. There will be nobody who knows of this event who won't be affected by it. Be careful how you let it define you.