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Well folks. The 4th Coues deer has fallen.. 102 and change..

At least if you pay attention you have the option to come down here! If AZ keeps letting everyone come down here and kill deer for their instasham page our deer are gonna look like Colorados elk and antelope just a bunch of runts running around the OTC units, then it will be ruined for everyone. I hope AZ makes all OTC resident only, at a minimum they should make nonresident archery tags a draw and use their points when they get a tag. IMO

There was no quota prior to August 2022, so there’s no data to support the “filling up quotas before resident hunters can get out” argument because we didn’t have a quota system to even know if NR’s were “too successful”. Me thinks the AZGFD “person” was telling you what you wanted to hear to get you off the phone.

Hopefully out of states tags get cut more in the years to come 👍

Wannabe reserve fireman that is lol

The trail cam pics of it are incredible!

Not a huge coues guy and haven’t been on the forum really in years but I used to love scrolling through everyone’s success back in the day so I figured I’d share mine. Got in tight to this buck thanks to a good buddy and made good on the opportunity.

nah, but ill be getting down there at some point. hes probably pretty well booked up

I'm thinking it's time for some new cool cwt tshirt designs. No offense to whoever designed the originals but most look homemade with the exception of bottom left, 2nd from top on right and bottom right. Here's a link to the shirt page if anyone wants to chime in. Maybe a member is in the design business and could modernize some designs? I'd chip in $100 to the process. https://store.coueswhitetail.com/coueswhitetail-com-t-shirts/ Also wanted to upgrade my hoodie since mine has become a work sweatshirt covered in paint blobs but I did not find any the store. Any getting made? Still gonna order a couple tees and a new calendar though.

Just went yesterday and picked up a tag for my boy and I. Oh wait sorry this was for resident. My bad 😃

That last on is a beauty, congrats. Thanks for sharing the quest. I was rooting for ya to get 4 book bucks. Lofty goal to set and share.

Sounds like now is a good time for o.p. to start thanking the likes of Randy Newberg,the Hush idiots,Gritty bowman etc. For all of their shameless promotional videos that they got paid hundreds of thousands of our dollars to make.

Texas whitetail as others have stated. I just wanted to come on here and congratulate you on your restoration skills. The skull and antlers came out spectacular.

Dude that is freaking Awesome, What a hunt, story and Ram. Good for you

I heard it was taken by the power lines off Young Road by a former fireman.

Powerlines?

I heard it was taken in 4b.

Talked with a guide I know today and he just obtained a handful Goulds tags in Mexico. 3K each. I could't care less about turkeys but know some are oddly obsessed with them and I have absolutely no idea if this is a deal or not but if anyone is interested in them, I can put you in touch with him.

Met Noah today at Sportsman's Warehouse and picked up a couple of his plaques. Great guy and an awesome product. Works great on bear, pronghorn, and javelina skulls. Thanks Noah, Craig

I figured I'd share the story of how it went down. It was pretty amazing. I had the opportunity to hunt desert bighorn sheep in the Cabeza Prieta wilderness of AZ. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. The Cabeza is rugged, austere and dangerously beautiful. The only thing that really exists out there are the iconic desert bighorn. This story is filled so many nuanced connections between amazing people. From the moment the original hunter decided to donate the tag to me because he got Covid the hunt was meant to be. People that I didn't know I came from everywhere to help me make this a reality. I literally could not have done this without them. And for that I am forever grateful. When I hunt, I'm not the person who is always chasing antler length. I always have "the quality of the hunt" in mind. It's about the experience. This experience was among the best. In previous years of hunting I've had hard earned lessons, I've beat my body up and I've learned to deal with the frustration of failure often. On this hunt everything went perfectly. It culminated when I was able to harvest this 10yr old beat up and broken warrior at 220yds off the desert floor. I had prepared myself to climb on my hands and knees up these steep 1000' cliffs to make it happen. Instead it all happened at the bottom. I'm still in disbelief. The original hunter had 29 year's worth of bonus point for sheep in AZ. I've only been hunting for 4 years so I assumed I'd never hunt sheep. 2 days before the hunt he gets covid and donates his tag to me through Outdoor Experience For All. I was floored and quickly accepted only to find out that 46b west is a wilderness walk in unit. I called the preserve and they granted me access to drive in because of my prosthetic legs. I got out to the area a week after opening with some great dudes helping me. We glassed and saw some good rams over the next few days. On the 4th day we went deep into the unit and spooked3 rams that winded us when we got to the glassing knob. The rams went up a mountain and were not huntable for me. We backed out and drove a ways to a valley to glass. We glassed up those same rams a long ways a way from where they originally were. They ran up a mountain and down the other side then ran over 2 miles across the desert floor to a whole new mountain range. They were laying at the bottom in the sand when we saw them. I made a mile long stalk in to 220yds. Wind was perfect and we dropped into a wash bottom to cover movement. When I got there we couldn't see the big one but the second biggest one was in sight. I was considering taking that ram because he was pretty good but a little younger. Then the bigger on stepped into sight and I was able to take him 20" off the bottom of the desert floor. It was absolutely amazing.

Took this bull opening morning with a great group of fellas and my pops. What a pack out! Hope y’all having a good hunting season!

I get what you’re saying, but the opposite is also true when you think about it . I agree not many 300 yard muzzleloaders/ shooters thatre capable at 300…. Problem is that I don’t believe that has any effect on how many people are WILLING to take that 300 yard shot that they shouldn’t . out of range is out of range, and the people willing to take that 300 yard muzzleloader shot are the same people willing to fling arrows at 100 yards or 1000 with their rifle. Few can pull those shots off effectively and ethically, a whole lot more THINK they can. I don’t buy the more wounded animal argument for those reasons, a good hunter knows his effective range for the weapon he’s using, and the conditions,and sticks to it

Fair chase is not a “liberal mantra”, even though less and less hunters seem to honor the value of it, unfortunately

That reaction is a bit dramatic…because I’d be in favor of more of a primitive muzzleloader deer season? Other states do it successfully. I’m for the idea of a real traditional muzzleloader season vs 700 yard smokeless ml season. No offense, by your reaction you’re probably one of those guys.

They allow radios and spotlighting... you're good.... Ed F