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This is my Son, Aaron Altaha Jr., 11 years old, this past weekend was the last weekend of his rifle hunt for deer and he tagged out his 1st deer the day before the last day on 10/30/21. And he was blessed to harvest a Awesome 7x8 Coues buck from the San Carlos Apache Reservation in AZ.

Got it hung up

I’m still going

Split the difference go with a 7mm rem mag

Pull start is ok to show it runs but I suggest you put a battery in it so people can see that the starter works. Just a suggestion. GLWS

With the decrease in doe tags and the new burns up there i would imagine the real results will stsrt showing in another 3-5 years. Also the rut usually kicks in on the second hunt. Hunt hard you will be fine.

Let's go Brandon! https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-ar-15-letsgo-15-stripped-lower-receiver-pre-order-ships-in-approximately-10-12-weeks.html

Call if interested 623-299-6724 Cell $500 calling or text is best

My little brother (zackcarp) and his wife found this buck. Unfortunately opening day we got the news that our dad had passed away so we left thinking we were done. Fortunately i was able to return with some friends a couple days later and make it happen. I know that I had my dads help getting it done. This buck will be known as my Dads buck from here on. I got my passion for hunting from my dad and am doing my best to pass it on to my daughters.

My 2 kids and my sons best friend all had 12awest early rifle tags. My sons friend only had 3 days to hunt and my 2 kids had the whole hunt off. We had opportunities at some really big bucks but due to the thick conditions in the oak transition where we were seeing them it was hard to get shots at them. Since my sons friend only had 3 days to hunt due to school at NAU he passed multiple bucks and finally decided to take a small bladed 4x5 on Sunday. We checked that deer in and by Sunday evening only 17 deer had been checked in. Come Monday morning We see a buck in the oaks and we can only make out antlers and we know 1 side had 4 points. My son looks at him for a while and decides to shoot we hear the hit and he goes crashing down the draw. We give him some time and get down to him and he is a decent 4x3. He was very happy and then expresses he thinks he shot to early cause he had 5 more days to hunt. We told him it was a beautiful buck and although he has shot bigger mule deer he should be happy due to the tough conditions and he agreed. Now on to trying to fill my daughter's tag. Let me just say I am very proud of her. She wanted a buck with 4 points. She probably passed 20 bucks from spikes to 3x3. Thursday morning we had a 200 plus inch buck with trash at 90yds and it was so thick she Couldn't shoot him. I was so bummed and she said dad I'm just glad we got to lay eyes on a deer that big she said that made my whole trip even If I don't fill my tag. The rest of the hunt we hunted hard for her and she never got another opportunity. She said I didn't lose any points on this hunt and I wanted a big one and I held out and I'm ok with eating tag soup. I'm so proud of her. I have hunted kaibab for 30 years and trust me it was tough for kaibab. But the most importantly we went 2 out of 3 and it's all about the experience and the memories. Just being in the kaibab is magical even if you don't kill a big one or fill all your tags.

OMG!! What a GREAT buck! Congratulations!

Mom raised a Baby face giant buck killer! Huge Atta Boy to the young man.

The full moon sucked. We hunted the west side. I thought the experience was awful. So much pressure and road hunters and hunters in general everywhere. I’ve usually hunted the east side. Less deer but less hunters too. It’s more intimate and less of a rat race. im going to shift gears and move away from the Kaibab. The late hunts are probably better with less tags but 375 guys racing around with multiple trucks on a ridge sucks.

If you have a camera with a fish eye lens just shoot the first 2.5 year old 3x3 you see and long arm the photo.

Darren Freestone has put together another calendar with some great Coues buck photos! The photos are excellent and each month of the calendar features the lunar cycle as well as highlighting any important dates regarding the big game draws in Arizona! If you would like to purchase a calendar, visit this link in the CouesWhitetail.com store https://store.coueswhitetail.com/coues-bucks-of-arizona-calendar-by-darren-freestone/

I’m from over closer to Pittsburgh. PA has done a decent job of improving the whitetail herd over the past 15 years with point restrictions. Lots of 110-140” bucks with 8 or 10 points now compared to 20 years ago and the occasional Booner, and the black bear population has never been stronger. Always a few 700# plus bears and usually an 800#er in there.

The gun shop in payson had quite a few I know its a drive but you could make a run up and then have lunch at mackies.also don't underestimate the local pawn shops my friend got a real nice one outa one on the west side of town

Found this southern az buck today

4 groups of does for me today but saw 8 healthy fawns within those herds....cool velvet/stripped before and after of a tall 4x4. Friday is going to take forever to get here.

So I wanted to wrap up this thread, I hate a thread with no ending. I wound up getting Covid in September and so did my wife. She actually spent 11 days in the hospital including 6 in ICU (I stayed with her for the last 9) and got out the last week of September. I had decided to not come to the Kaibab as she came home on oxygen and was still weak. Well we have two adult daughters at home, and she said bull-sh&#, you are going. You might never get this tag again. So Tuesday afternoon, 2100 miles later, I landed in Jacob Lake in my maroon Ridgeline with the white cap. Several members were kind enough to offer some advice and one even tried to go along with me for a couple days, but it just didn't work out. I spent a few days driving, scouting, glassing and talking to some other guys. Friday AM found me high in the burn along with what seemed like the other 374 tagholders. I saw some smaller bucks on Friday and a ton of people. Saturday was more of the same, and by Sunday I was pretty discouraged. The burn was producing a lot of hunters but based on the shooting, not many bucks. I had continued to check in with one other AZ hunter I had met on Tuesday and he wound up tagging out Sunday afternoon. With weather on the menu for for Monday night, I was feeling a little discouraged but my new friend offered to help see if we could find a buck on Monday with his friends who were glassing for him. I jumped at the opportunity. We checked out several places, found a few bucks, but still hadn't connected until I got an opportunity with this guy mid afternoon. My first mule deer, and I was tickled! We all went to the Inn for dinner afterward the I spent the night in the tent before heading home Tuesday. I made it home today. A few comments for other nonresidents - first, I way underestimated this hunt. I was too one dimensional, thinking only of the burn. What else was there? While I did see bucks there and up high, there are deer in the whole unit, and my deer did not come from the burn. Without my AZ posse, I would have been completely lost (and probably still there). Second, mule deer are huge. I'm 6'5" and 280. The buck I got was huge bodied, at least 50-75# bigger than me or the biggest IA whitetail I've taken - the pic speaks for itself. Third, as is always preached, be prepared for anything weather-wise. Fourth, bring extra gas cans for sure - unless you want to spend all your time running for gas. I camped close to Jacob Lake to get cell service so I could check in on my wife, and I put on a lot of miles every day. AZ hospitality was really nice - as a NR, I never felt like I was out of place, didn't belong, or was looked down upon. My AZ posse was just so welcoming. Helped me glass, extract, cut up, etc. It was like we were friends who hadn't seen each other in 25 years, not guys who only knew each other for 5 days. In the end, I had a great time, and thanks to the posse and all the CW members who helped me.

Only a loser will drop their only grand on a bino upgrade. When you save up ten grand let’s talk. For now what you have is perfectly fine. Take 500 and invest it. Save 500 for emergency your biggest asset is your youth not your glass. Cover ground. Don’t try and keep up with the Jones. You can’t as a student.

I did the opposite of you with same result in 2016 killing a 320 bull. Killed the first bull I got in range on the 2nd day. Saw some monsters I could have held out for and always wonder what if. Continued to see good bulls even on the multiple packs out. Drew the hunt with 6pts.

I guess “good bull” is in the eye of the beholder. Admittedly, I had set my sights on a bull north of 370. My bull didn’t come close to that! Would I trade my 320ish bull and the experience I had getting him for a 400” bull that I showed up and shot? Not a chance!

You’ve been putting in for this hunt for at least 16 years, and as stated, you will probably never hunt this unit again. I had the early archery hunt in this unit last year, speaking from experience, you are in for a treat. I’ve heard this unit described as the Jurassic park of elk units, it lives up to the name. When it’s all said and done, I’m not sure you’re looking for the above described hunting experience... essentially, show up and shoot an elk. I did not hire a guide, but am not opposed at all to them. I would just make sure you get the full experience from this once in a lifetime hunt. I hunted my butt off last year, and to be honest, mid way through thought I might give up hunting all together. I filled my tag with minutes to spare on day 14. It was a roller coaster from start to finish, looking back it’s one of the greatest experiences of my life. One that I will never forget. I hope you get to have the same experience I did, guide or not. Good luck

Ground and pounders being mentioned already, don’t overlook Jeremy ulmer with chasin a dream. Both local guides.