Leaderboard

The dogs run the house around here, we just pay the bills.

A view from my couch.

the two on the couch look like they just had an argument....

Drew an early rifle tag this year! Had written and tried to post but it kept fighting me trying to post pics. My first rifle kill. Only my 2nd elk tag. My brother in law Scott and my wife came up to help me. Went to a spot we know on opening day. Bulls beat us there. We tried to follow but they can cover a lot of ground when just walking. Hit another spot on the backside of the hill. Heard some bugles going away and getting distant. Back to camp for lunch and then took a drive to check out some canyons and possibly glass some. No luck glassing up any bulls. Decided to just chase bugles. That afternoon we went to a spot hoping to hear some bugles. None heard. Got lost on the way back to the truck. I had forgotten my gps in the truck and google map sucks butt. Sent a pin to a buddy and he was trying to help out. Then a couple dudes out getting wood stopped. “You see a white F250?” They laugh and said yes. Gave us a beer and a ride! They were young dudes, I was thankful for the ride and being handed a beer that wasn’t bud light 🙃 Back to camp in bed around 11:30. Saturday woke up a bit late. Bulls were on the mountain already. Bugle up a different bull. They moved thru a draw below about 137yds. Nice 6x6. We passed and moved on. Been windy both days. My wife felt ill with altitude like sickness. She tried to stick it out but had to run her home Saturday evening. In bed after 11 again. Scott said some chick was coming up Thought he was kidding. Got to camp and there was a Nissan Sentra!!?? How the heck she drove in there without tearing off and oil pan or something?! I get up a bit late don’t wake Scott. Coffee, heat up the burritos and boogie. Back to where we seen the 6x6 because I lost my cow elk call. Took 15 minutes and finally found it. Walk down in the draw a bit and sit to listen for bugles. Blow my bugler(Phelps easy metal bugler awesome call for people that can’t use mouth reeds), a cow comes from my left moving down towards the draw we spotted them in before. A couple minutes later another. A few minutes and another. Then nothing. I decided to move down around a little finger where they came from. Catch a glimpse of elk color in the shadows to my left. Like under 60 yds but can’t see antlers. 15 minute stand off. Even through the scope I still can’t see. He’s feeding and I move to my left. He turns but still can’t see antlers. A minute goes by and he puts it in overdrive and I see a giant bull running away…gone. Sickening! Hit up another spot where I killed my first bull Walking in I heard a bugle but sounds far. I quickly move towards it. Slow down and scan the forest. Spot a cow, then a few more at like 40 yds. It’s really windy. He bugles then beds down. 6x6 with a broken #2 on the right side. I back out and head to camp. No more encounters that day. A cold front was supposed to hit on Monday with a high of 62 deg. And moderate winds. I had rented a room for a couple days for my wife and I. Left Scott with his skank after dinner and said I’ll see ya in the morning. She was supposed to be leaving in early am. Showed up to camp she was leaving. Scott had coffee ready and we headed out. With the full moon the elk were up on the mountain early every morning. Today there are a few bulls bugling we drive to a spot to cut them off. Hiking up the mountain we bump a heard and they spook. Make a big loop following. The bugles were strong this morning! Back to the truck as the bugles are really faint. Drive a couple miles to the west. Head into the hills chasing bugles. After a mile or so we get into some. Wind is swirling changing directions. I thought for sure they would bust but the kept doing there thing. We flanked them seeing several small bulls and a herd bull. Never get a great look at him. It seemed as a few small herds joined because there were a lot of elk running around! We flanked them for a long time bumping them occasionally but not spooking them. They bed down 40-50 yds from us. We sit and wait. Herd bull bugling like crazy from his bed. Across the draw up on a ridge another bull starts screaming! Bugling and chuckling! He sounds big! The other bull is bugling back but gets up and takes his herd with him. We follow. We get to the road and the elk were way in front of us. Still bugling! I am getting discouraged and not thinking we can catch up. I am sore, tired and everything hurts! I tell Scott we’re not catching them, we blew it. He ignores me and pushes on! I follow begrudgingly. Bump a muley doe. Spot a spike! A little boost for my mind. We get to a little hill with a good saddle and the bull we followed was just over the hill still bugling! It’s just after noon. We been on them since 9 or so. Scott says shooter bull! I see 2 bulls! I look at one bull and don’t think it is. “Dude that’s a shooter all day!” The other bull was shreading a tree and started walking towards the other bull! I thought they were going to fight, but he slowly walks by him. I look through the scope and see how long he is with an extra on the left side! I had forgotten my shooting sticks in the truck rushing to go after the bugles! He stopped broadside! I was afraid to move! Thinking I will blow it! I decided to shoot offhand! Put the gun to my shoulder, put the cross hairs on his shoulder. Take up the slack on my trigger, let out a long breath and boom! He flinches, but starts slowly walking. Scott says “you hit ‘em”. I put the cross hairs again on his shoulder. Heart rate is out of control! Rush the shot and hit his stomach! Rack another quickly as he is still walking slowly! This time tried not to rush, good breath squeezed and boom he was down! Having doubts he was as big as I thought! Gave him a couple minutes and walked over to him. I could not believe he was as big as he was! It was like a dream! Somewhere along our expedition I took my game bags out of my pack for god only knows why??!! Quarter him up andwe pack out 2 quarters and the head. Haul but back to camp grab extra bags and pillowcases lol. Found a closer road and the last part wasn’t too bad. Really surpassed my expectations! I was not really hunting a number but wanted a mature bull. 372 1/8 Sorry for sideways pics james

My dad passed away in July and this was my first outing since his passing. He and I started hunting together in the late 1970s. Like most of us, our dad’s taught us the skills needed to be successful, the appreciation for everything we harvest and how to take care of the meat from field to table. In his memory I used his favorite rifle and I was able to hunt our favorite unit. Over the years, we have harvested many deer, bulls and cows from this unit. I am thankful to have had a successful hunt and relive over 40 years of memories.

Old buck. Teeth were worn down almost to the gums. Patience paid off. Past on 5 other bucks before he came to the scrape I was sitting on. Not my best buck to dated but I thought you might enjoy seeing him.

Remington 300 Mag SS w/scroll work, w/Leupold 3.5x10 Vari-X III, includes 49 rounds of ammo $1000 High Standard Victor w/gold trim. 5.5" barrel and extra 5.5" barrel w/Tasco Propoint red dot and 4 factory magazines $1000 Father past way and do not need these. I'm in the Tucson area. Steve goscisj@gmail.com 520-400-2798

You'd be arrested in the socialist state of Maricopa County for that.

I’ll check my stash in the morning and let you know if I have any

Edit, just saw the info.

Couch dog….

I have one I use for scuba diving. Its a black 8, uses a small SD card. They make hat bands for them. Easy on and off.

I give lessons in forging at Vulture City. PM me and let's get ya started...

Beautiful rifle wish I had the money stupid Christmas lol good luck all the same

Allegedly in proximity to "a cow pond near Bisbee."

Another new year's, another otc archery tag in the fire pit. But I'm not complaining. We're it not for that tag, I wouldn't have had any.

Challenge excepted! Hopefully I can formulate a good enough strategy going forward to secure a fairly constant source of elk meat for my family. Here's what a .308 Nosler Accubond 165 grain does to a set of elk lungs, at 290 yards.

I got a late start to hunting. I moved to AZ from Sarasota in 2003. I've fished AZ quite a bit but only started to hunt in 2019. The main reason I decided to start was I wanted my two son's to practice some of the numerous skills and traits that hunting teaches like patience, persistence and discipline. And to have them spend as much time outside enjoying nature as possible. I did draw an early antler-less tag in a good unit my first year applying and I was successful on that hunt. And even though I did my pre-scouting and camped in the unit before hand that season, I basically shot a fish in a barrel, on morning three. I've been applying for a late, antler-less hunt closer to home the past two years and drew tags. Both of those hunts ended with my tags still in hand but I learned tons about the unit and elk scouting and hunting in general. Now, it seems to me like maybe old dad's the one out there learning some of the lessons I wanted my son's to practice while hunting and scouting. Because after two years, a lot of patience, persistence, discipline and disappointment, I think I may have a good grasp of this unit and antler-less elk hunting. Because after scouting, camping and spending countless hours on OnX I came up with a good plan A, B and C and was finally able to fill the freezer with elk meat this season, on opening morning! I'm looking forward to many more years of spending time out in nature with my boys and coming home with tasty, healthy food.

Lacey was able to harvest her first deer with the gun she won in the youth raffle. Day 1 - glassed up some does, but noticed that all deer were heading to water around 9am. Day 2 - glassed until around 830am, then headed to a water tank and sat in a blind that we had built the previous afternoon. About 930am, two bucks came in and she was able to drop this one with one shot at 100 yards. It went about 15 feet and expired. Her little sister opted to use the raffle rifle on the remainder of the hunt as she could shoot it better than her own. She had a shot opportunity on the last day at a spike but didn't connect. The girls and I had taken the gun out to practice prior to the hunt and were able to shoot a 1/2" group with the Hornady Precision Hunter ammo. The adjustable stock and muzzle break were a perfect combo. Thanks Crazymonkey, for putting this together and to all that contributed.

6225E988-482B-4B57-A677-E0AC7B523722-8198-0000086ED92A02B7.mov To say my hunt turned out to be great would be an understatement. It was one of the best experiences ever, from scouting to the time laying hands on my ram. Memorable to say the least especially with just my nephew, grand nephew and I getting I done. So quick a run down… ram was aged at 8, but with the gnarly bases G&F said he could be 9+ but couldn’t tell for sure. Ram scored 174. One circumference landed in the bad spot in his horn which kept him from scoring higher but that just adds great character to the ram. His good side measures 91”. Oh in the last pic with grand nephew, the road that goes through the saddle, that saddle is where I shot from Brian

Congrats to you both! Sounds like a great trip.

I got my first elk this year since my dad passed 2 years ago. I know the feeling. He taught me everything I know to this day. I wish he would of been with me in person but I know he was there in spirit.

Any Coues buck is a trophy, and boy do they taste good! Mine was 114 7/8 " What a memory! Once we got to 7,000' +, the hunt was nice. Getting there wasn't. We were in the Santa Rita's. I was hunting Mearns quail one day and met a AZGFD warden, he was on horse back. This was in the 90's. There were Mearns EVERYWHERE! It wasn't popular yet and you never saw another Mearns hunter. I asked him about good places to hunt Mearns. He told me the area and also said there were nice Coues bucks there. So I made it up to this area and he was right. It was loaded with Mearns and Coues Bucks! Lions and Bears!....Oh my! and the tame turkeys, unreal how they had no fear of me. My stand is on this ridge to the right of these pictures, (25) yds. This big male cat walked by me , in my stand, 20 yds away! He kept looking at me, with that look on his face. He knew I was there! We saw his fresh tracks all the time. Wish I had a tag! This nice buck came by (3) days before I harvested my 114 7/8" and I was not in my stand, thank goodness. You can see my scent rag hanging in the tree. I think it attracted the cat too. I'm 74 now and will make it back up there again when I draw a Dec. rifle tag. I now have a licensee for a cross-bow! I'm planning a Christmas hunt this fall. I will have a lion tag! Happy Trails Brother and Sister Coues Hunters!

You obviously have better eyesight than I do.