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Every couple of years I draw my December tag. It’s somthing I look forward to, preparing online maps and comparing previous hunts. I set off in the low country glassing along the way. My dads always been big on not walking past one just to get where you wanna go. But I knew exactly where I wanted to be, as most of us do by now. We know what tags we wanna draw , where we want to hunt and most importantly where those better bucks should be. It was December 12th and it was hot. The clouds we’re starting to form overhead and the wind had picked up, making the sun beating down a little more bearable. About then a small 3x3 had started working across the ridge next to me , exposing himself on a rock out crop he paused and looked back over his shoulder. The big fork showed himself, I could see his crown was tall. I almost immediately made up my mind. Thinking to myself “ are you really gonna shoot a fork?!?! But at 540 yards I could see his main beams coming around the front and his eyegaurds were as good as they were ever gonna be. I set up my phone scope, and dialed my rifle . The wind was picking up, confidence in my gear I settled into my rifle. The buck stopped broadside and I squeezed it off. Jumping to my phone I replayed and confirmed I made a good shot. My bullet had drifted forward, but it was in the shoulder and he was down. I’m awfully proud of the decision I made to take this old buck. I honestly tried talking myself out of it at one point but in the end he’s a trophy like no other I now have! The taxidermist has him at 6-8 years old and he went 93.25. it’s a passion I couldn’t imagine living without, Merry Christmas Coueswhitetail members , Happy New Year and God Bless! IMG_7259.MOV

I have the same issue. I can form a backside heel blister so fast if it were an Olympic sport I'd be the GOAT. A non-issue in hiking boots but in my Danner Pronghorns they severely limit my range. I want to love these boots for steep country as the ankle support is top-notch but they kill me on up hill climbs. My slip on cowboy/work boots are easier on me than those Danners in steep country and that should never be true. Don't waste your money on those gel wrap-around heal covers as I can never keep them in place. I also use superfeet insoles too but they don't fix the heel blisters that occur just below your achillies tendon. I think I need to learn how to tape them up without the tape balling up on the edges. The struggle is real.

I gave up buying boots online unless it is the same boot I have already worn. Best bet would be hit some high end hiking stores and get measured and try on a bunch of boots.

Saw one cruising and scraping this morning and one mature buck with does tonight. Couldn’t put an arrow into either unfortunately. IMG_1369.MOV

My family had some tags this spring and I made a video of our javelina hunts. Check out and let me know what you think!

I’ll take it if it falls through.

I bought a pair of the Meindls last spring and so far its the best boot I have had. They are really comfortable. I used them this year on everything from coues in AZ to caribou in Alaska. The only complaint I had was that on the end of day 3 in AK they started getting wet inside. The guys I was with had the same problem with Crispis.

My boot search never ends. I suffer from Metatarsalgia (ball of foot pain). I’m good until about mile 3, then the discomfort begins. Surprisingly, after I got back to the truck on a recent hunt, I threw on my tennis shoes and finished the hunt with zero pain! Support was lacking, but man, having no pain and discomfort felt great. I’ve pretty much giving up on hunting boots now. Just gonna go with a trail or hiker shoe that’ll give me a little more support than my tennis shoes.

kinesio tape then duct tape over.

Even when my feet are in good hiking shape, I'll get rubbing on my heels under a heavy pack, just like you're saying. So now before a heavy hiking/hunting trip, I'll put a piece of leuko tape over my heel where I know I'll have issues. It's a game changer. Ben

I am on what I call a boot journey. Ordered some Crispi Nevadas recently from Sportsman's Warehouse and they sent me a floor model or something. One boot, that is normally the one that is a little tighter, was way more loose than the other boot. I sent those back. I'll just say that their customer service isn't the best. Based on suggestions on my foot type I tried some Meindl USA Comfort Fit Hikers next. Those just showed up yesterday. I'm trying to decide if they are too small or not. Their sizing is funky. I had to size down about a whole size. They are made in Germany and have top notch craftsmanship, and although I usually go with something from the USA or Italy, these are great. Those and the Nevadas definitely have a lot more ankle padding than the Zamberlans I have been wearing, and the Meindl in particular seem to have a very padded achilles area. I think the Crispis have a little less flex in the sole than the Meindls. I have also noticed that over the last ten years or so my feet have gotten a little longer and a fair bit wider. I have skinny ankles, narrow heels, and bit wider than normal toe area. Keen probably fit my feet the best but they are more or less junk after about a year or so it seems. Their materials aren't the best I guess.

I've used a lot of boots myself. My go to for average hiking are Solomon GX4 for instant comfort and the Lowa Zephyrs for longer and heavy packing. There is a lot of heel cushioning in the Zephyrs.

ditch the boots and go with a trail runner. Try on a pair of Hoka One One Speedgoat 4’s. best trail shoe i’ve worn and I’ve worn a lot. Altra’s are good too. They have so much padding your foot won’t get beat up, yet very flexible I have some minor plantar fasciitis. Similar symptoms as you I went to the foot doc and he said my bands are tight and I need to work on stretching. https://www.hoka.com/en/us/mens-trail/speedgoat-4/194715327986.html?source=shoppingsite_PLA_1106528-FPBL-10EE&kpid=1106528-FPBL-10EE&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj56LhpiJ9QIVSxitBh3qcQBpEAQYASABEgIbq_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

+ 1 on the green Superfeet insoles. I immediately swap out the factory insoles with green Superfeet insoles on my light-duty hikers and I'm good to go in the deep, steep, rocky stuff. I recently picked up a pair of Oboz "Bridger" hikers and didn't need to add the Superfeet insoles because the factory insoles were so good. They've been great so far but the mile count is not high yet. Good luck.

I would try Superfeet or SOLE boot insoles. You didnt mention what boot was giving you trouble?

I have Crispi Nevadas, and love them. They are not super stiff, but are not a light hiker. They are a midrange boot I think. I use redwing insoles in them with arch support because I have flat feet. I am not a super heavy duty hiker, but at the end of the day my feet aren't feeling bad. The rest of me might, but not my feet. I am big and heavy too. 6'4" and 315lbs. When I hiked out my elk this year I bet I was over 440-450lbs with my gear and meat onboard. It was a 2.5 mile hike out, and I covered parts of it twice to retrieve meat my buddy had to put down.

I would say I agree with you

Coues deer are so amazing in so many ways, highs and lows that can only be explained by those in the pursuit. It wasn't the biggest buck on the mountain today, but this buck was the most dominant. I received the rut experience I was after, all under 400 yards. This guy beat the tar out of a 3x3 that was reasonably larger. I've yet to see and shoot a 4x2. With the weather rolling in, I couldn't help but shoot this buck on the stalk to more distant, far away action, and I couldn't be happier with December 2021'

Seen bucks fighting yesterday chasing a single hot doe .

Glassed up a southern Az muley last Friday that was completely broken off on his left side and also snapped off on his right side main beam after the g2. Must have been rutting pretty hard to get that destroyed. Unfortunately I never saw the buck that did it to him. Looked like he might have been a solid 150-160 type deer also.

Thank you all for another wonderful year. May you all be enjoying good health, finding happiness, and be kind and considerate to all fellow human and animal, kind. Peace and great joy be yours. Best wishes always! Russ

I think you and I agree on a lot of points here. I guess the one thing that keeps coming around that bothers me is the whole “cut them out of the unit if they don’t comply thing”. I honestly agree with making it it’s own unit (essentially like the Baca float) but they need to be provided with some tags just as the multi unit hunt on the Baca is. Every other state out there provides some sort of tit for tat landowner system that shows appreciation for protecting and managing big game in exchange for access. Some are more favorable to the landowner and others the public, but completely shutting down all big game hunting (because they won’t play by the “rules”) on a ranch that’s larger then most big game units is overreach IMO. I can’t imagine owning a ranch in AZ and never having been able to kill an elk on it due to inability to draw a tag, let alone not even allowing hunting on it because they didn’t follow the governments forced hand at access. The game and fish’s job is to manage the herd, and just deciding that a giant piece of land doesn’t need any big game harvest sets a scary precedent about big game management in the future. If the antis get ahold of that nugget of info (that it’s OK to just not hunt entire units) that gives them major weaponry against any and all claims that legal hunting is a management tool. Thin ice if you ask me.

More gov is definitely the logical solution.

Thanks to everyone that gave some guidance on my sons first elk hunt. Was a tough hunt for us as it never got cold enough for the elk to move down and the country is just big. Seen a few good bulls but with no way to close the distance and not wanting to shot a 1000 yrds, we did not have opportunities to shoot the first half the hunt. On Monday morning he was still hopeful of a good bull, he decide to pass on 2 rag horns and a spike that were within 400yrds. Monday night this 5x came within his range as we where glassing cuts that led to water. Cody decided he was the bull as it was only the second one he had ever glasses up. Made a great shot and we were able to find him that night. Got him skinned, guartered out and hung in a tree till the next morning. Pack out was great being the first time we were able to use our two mules on elk. Can’t wait to do it again.

Recent? Like sometime within the last 8 years since he made that post?