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I drew my first AZ antelope tag this year with 17 points (15 pts + HS +loyalty). I still feel very fortunate to have drawn with 17 and personally know of others who didn’t with more. I started preparing immediately. I spoke with some of last years tag holders, AZGFD officials, guide friends and internet searched all I could. I purchased maps, OnX hunt chip and the premium membership and drove the unit marking areas. I became a member of the Arizona Antelope foundation and attended their online webinar. I even sweet talked the wife into some new NL 12x42’s. I was all in, putting everything I could into this hunt. Who knows if/when I could draw again. I spent over 33 days scouting and put 6,500+ miles on my truck, not to mention 2 new sets of tires. I’ve hunted Wyoming a few times for antelope and have looked over plenty, but judging them is still tough for me, especially from a distance. Anyhow, I made a list of the best bucks I saw and named a few. Some of them I had patterned well and saw them often, some I only saw 2-3 times. My biggest hurdle would be finding one on public land during the hunt. I arrived on Tuesday before the Friday opener and camped on a piece of BLM 6 miles from Holbrook. Not wanting to mess up any archery hunters I glassed from camp, the highway and once from Denny’s when it was raining, Hee Hee. I did manage to find one of my top 5 bucks on Wednesday but never saw him again. Thursday afternoon I spoke to an archery hunter headed home. After talking and looking at a few pictures I found out the best 2 bucks were taken during the archery hunt. Opening day- I’m in my target area but only see some small goat bucks and a few muley bucks. I head to another area for the afternoon hunt and spot a tall and wide but thin buck I had on my list. I watched him until dark and headed back to camp. I had several friends come up Friday night to lend a hand glassing or to deplete my supplies. We had a quick dinner, a few spirits and went to bed. Saturday- Two buddies and I are looking for the buck from the night before. We see a small buck chasing two does. We move to a little knoll an spot him glowing in the morning sunlight almost a mile away. I check with OnX and we are both on state land. We watch him feeding for a few minutes until he beds. I make a plan and we go over some signals. I head off west with the sun at my back and the wind in my face. I’m at a brisk walk while below a small rise trying to make up time. I stop occasionally to look at my buddies for instruction and to look at OnX for location. Before the last knoll I turn for last direction. They indicate the buck is walking towards me. I creep up towards the top of the knoll, lay down and start crawling forward to a bush. After a minute or so I see the buck through the brush feeding towards me at around 600 yards. I decide to crawl another 30 yards to a rock outcropping for a better shooting platform. After reaching it, I see the antelope feeding to me around 500 yards. I get set up to shoot, ranging several trees and bushes along his path direction. He should walk within 300 yards or closer. Naturally, at 445yards he beds down looking in my direction. I decide I will wait until he stands back up. I check my ballistic calculator and decide on 34” of hold over. After 15 antagonizing minutes and several trains horns later I feel the wind start changing direction. I afraid he may not stand but instead bolt from his bed. I decide to set up on the gun, blow a call and hope for the best. With a great rest I blow the call and watch him stand up broadside facing to my right. I find my hold over, settle in and the recoil surprises me. As I’m cycling the bolt I hear the impact and watch the goat run from left to right FAST !!! I watch him pile up in a cloud of dust and rocks. He must have slid 12’ or more and broke off a prong that we never found. I collected my brass and walked back to the top of the knoll. I flagged my buddies, sat down in the shade of a juniper and started shaking. I dug out my tag and some water from my Fanny pack and texted my wife and kids. Soon my buddies arrived. We hugged, high five and shook hands. I tagged my buck and took some pictures then we headed back to camp. We skinned/processed the buck and got the meat cooled. Soon we started celebrating and with Holbrook being so close, everyone got dilly bars from DQ.

Very nice buck! My dad and I also tagged out in 4b also. I guess there's 3 tags out of 25 in 4b.

Beautiful 1957 Colt SAA Buntline special 45LC with buttstock . Buttstock is stainless steel I believe. Non magnetic .Early 1st generation were bronze and plated. $2800

Scare some libs and put a bayonet on it

BTW I thank you all for not forgetting! My crew and I observed a minute of silence gathered around the flag yesterday morning once for each tower. Afterward we were chatting about the riots in Portland and how the cops there and elsewhere are being treated and we all agreed that people had forgot so I thank you!

He ended up getting it

I have an illness. I had to have this. Convert, or leave it alone?

Myth.

Sorry let me explain more ... if you take a picture holding your phone vertical i think it flips it depending on what phone you have. IPhone.... Droid...etc

I have 99 horndy once shot if anyone else is interested? SOLD Im in Gilbert

It has to do with the way you took the pictures on your phone

What were you doing 20 years ago? Never forget.

Thanks for all your kind words of congrats. It sure was bittersweet to be tagged out so quickly into the hunt but awesome I got a respectable buck. 2 things that I will take on all my hot weather hunts from now on is a bug-a-salt gun and a bucket misting fan. Made it fun and cool.

I was driving a semi for a local dairy outfit, was pulling off the freeway in Cottage Grove Oregon by the truck stop and I saw several middle eastern drivers celebrating in the parking lot. I had no idea what was going on and continued on to the small convenience store to make my delivery. When I got there the store owner was standing at the front of the store watching TV and crying. I asked her what was going on and we both were standing there when the second plane hit. I am now a senior career firefighter/paramedic for one of the largest deparments in Oregon.

Ft. Benning Ga M16 qualification range .

My friend waited 20 years for this tag. After some lack luster scouting trips. Him and my brother called me. I told them because of the giant deer I will be there anyway so sure I will help. Day 1 they are on the west end so I go to east end. From the highway I see this guy they see two does. I text a couple of pics and go to an undisturbed spot and catch 5 more small bucks The afternoon we go together see some small far off bucks Next morning they are back to the west and I go to east end. See the same buck from the morning previous and after a couple of fruitless hours he decides to make a play on it. We get to 423 yards and the wind changes. Than it's a track race that we lose between the antelope, a jeep that see the commotion and a herd of elk. That evening we find a giant after watching 3 sxs trying to herd a group to their hunter. Sunday my friend and brother look for that big one and I look for that original buck (now missing) and then take side roads from Heber to Holbrook. BTW you would be surprised at the amount of elk by Holbrook. Monday rolls they go in the big ones area and I look for the original buck. They find some antelope and more hunters the meet me mid morning. We sneak in to 318 yards and nerves get the best of him We track them for about 3/4 of mile than they spook into the trees By luck we get to 180 yards. I thought rifle hunting would be easy 20210906_105615_1.mp4

If anyone needs artifical velvet applied please give me a call.

You think it’s tough with a rifle…I had and archery antelope tag this year. Killed a small buck on the 10th day.

Tuff crowd

My guess is that you shot her on the wrong side of the fence and then took some trophy pics of her under the power lines in the background.

My wife and I have been wanting to do this. I went out 20 years ago and we missed the tuna run. Still a good time. I fished off the back of the boat. There must have been 30 people up front fighting for position. More money but small group is the way to go. I get sea sick, but every time i throw up i caught a shark, so i guess its worth it.

Found out where one of the bucks in your first post ended up.

After ranging twice I settle my 3rd pin (sighted exactly in at 45 yards) on him and I release. I hear the thump of a hit. I notice a smaller buck running along side monica as chaos breaks loose, like I tried to assassinate the president. Bucks are running everywhere. I keep an eye on monica making sure I dont lose site knowing he/she will go down any second. I go to where I shot and look for my arrow. Nothing. no blood. I go to where I last see them and find a piled up deer and say to myself finally. I look at the horns and go where is the rest of it. For a fleeting second I wont lie to you and say I didnt consider going after the big buck. Apparently when I ranged the second time and the seconds it took to reaquire the target the little guy stepped in front of his dad enough to take an arrow to the face. I sat there reminiscing over the past couple of weeks. the bucks I missed, passed and seen and just laughed. Here is my monster strip buck. Hope you guys enjoyed the ride. the ending wasnt what I expecting either.