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🤣 quickest draw in the west

Quick hunts or helping out for a night or two I sleep in the back of a truck with the camp series 2" Therma-Rest, light weather/2-4 days I use the smaller Kodiak 8.5x6 on a cot with a Therma-Rest, extended hunts or more serious weather I pull out the Kodiak 10x10. Lag bolts with a cordless impact wrench seriously improved my setup/take down time and happiness with the Kodiak on hard ground SoAZ hunts.

You know the little indian kid they found on the tracks in the movie "Last of the dogman" with Tom Beranger

We got back July 3 from a family vacation in Belize. We spent all but the last two full days/day we left on Caye Caulker, leaving early for the mainland because of the predictions at the time for Hurricane Beryl. It was predicted to hit our area the day we were leaving (7/3) before slowing down and changing course. I told my wife I'm not going to Caye Caulker and not going flats fishing. Everyone was on board with the plan, so I booked two boats with Chasin' Tail. Jacob and I were paired up in the other boat for our flats fishing day on Caye Caulker. This would be my 4th time chasing bonefish, my third time with a only a fly rod. Jacob and I worked out a deal that he had first chance at any tarpon we came across if I could have first chance at bonefish. He's hooked and jumped a tarpon, but never landed one. I've been through all three stages of tarpon fishing, and did it with my Orvis 9wt, so I get that he wanted to land one. We were in rolling tarpon right away, but casting a 12wt fly rod is tough. I've never cast a 12wt, so I can't blame Jacob for switching to spin gear quickly. Unfortunately, the tarpon weren't cooperating after the switch to spin gear/live bait, so we moved to the bonefish flats. I grabbed my Orvis 8wt, stepped up to the platform, and made sure our guide and I were on the same page for communicating fish locations and distances. Full disclosure: I've never been good at casting long distance with saltwater fly rods. It took a minute to find bones in the sea grass, but our guide called out 50-60 feet at 11 o'clock! I laid out a beautiful cast and remember thinking "I did it! There's my victory for the day!" Then a bonefish took my Crazy Charlie, but I missed the hookset. The tug got my heart racing, but I kept stripping and missed a second hook set on the same cast. I felt this one on better and even saw the fish off the bow. We moved around, looking for another school when it happened. I laid out another 60-foot cast, felt the take, and set the hook. I managed to pay out the line and let the fish take the reel. It’s true what they say about bonefish. They are smaller, but they are extremely powerful. It put up a helluva fight, made one reel-screaming run, and put a serious bend in my 8wt rod. We boated it, took some pictures, and (my favorite part), I was able to remove the fly and set it free myself. It barely left the water. I fought back every emotion I've ever had on this journey. I sat down, told Jacob it was his turn, and only left my seat again to help get him those longer casts. I found what I needed and wanted. I tried my best to make it about the fish, but I realized it never was and never will be. I spent the rest of the day, and a big part of the rest of the trip admiring that beautiful fish and all it stands for. We couldn't get the bones to cooperate for Jacob, despite our best efforts. We ended up going back to tarpon spots, where our guide handed me a spinning rod and told us both to cast out. Who am I to say no? Jacob caught a Spanish mackeral at our first stop and then hit the motherlode. A tarpon hit his line shortly after it hit the water, but the hook didn't get set. Jacob and the guide saw the tarpon jump, but I was busy admiring the bend in his rod and the sound of line peeling from the reel. Jacob got rebaited, cast back out, and was hooked up within minutes of his line hitting the water. It wasn't a tarpon, but he landed a nice Jack crevalle. He rebaited again, cast back out, and was hooked up again! Another, bigger Jack crevalle. It happened two more times with the rebaiting and hooking up within a couple of minutes of his bait hitting the water, landing a grey snapper and dogtooth snapper. All told, Jacob landed four fish within 20 minutes, all while my line was 20-30-feet from his line. I wasn't even upset. I had what I needed, and I never ever get tired of watching my kids find fishing success. My wife and daughter were in the other boat, and they had an awesome day on the water, too. My wife never fails to amaze me. Their boat stopped for bait for tarpon on spin gear, and my wife hooked up instantly. She hooked into and landed a 50-60", 60-lb tarpon! I'd have loved to see that play out. Sydney got some fly-casting pointers and cast to and landed a nice bonefish! Syd caught a few snapper, too. Minnie has now landed one more tarpon than I have (2 total for her) and both of hers really showcase how mine is considered a baby tarpon. Sorry for the sideways pics. This always happens to me and I don't know how to make it not do that.

Ahh, it’s an Area 419 Arcalock, meant to list it on another post. $80 OBO

Gasssssoooooliiine. I use a cheap chest freezer. Run it about 2-3 hours a day depending on how hot it is. Keeps things nice and cold. Then when I kill, I can run it longer if needed.

you would need a battery bank, solar panels, a charge controller and an inverter. You would need to figure out how much power the fridge draws and then size the battery bank accordingly on watt hours. For solar, you’re really running your power from batteries/inverter The solar then charges the batteries. Honestly just so much easier to buy a $350 2kw small gas generator.

I am not sure if this would work or not. We need an electrical guy to come into the convo. Here is my thought...to hook a panel directly to a freezer would require a bunch of different connections, not to mention the DC to AC part. Then the problem is, what happens to the electric current the panel would push to the freezer when the freezer is not running. Would it overload and fry wires? On most solar systems, you have the panel push current thru a charger/controller. That goes to a battery for storage. From the battery, you would convert DC to AC with an inverter. You would plug the freezer into the inverter (unless you have a DC freezer). Just throwing ideas out there for you to ponder. I responded to the other thread. I use a genset/freezer combo. Running the genset for a couple of hours gets the meat cold enough to keep (and start to crystalize), but not freeze. I just run it as needed during the day. Don't open the lid and you don't lose much... My $0.02.

Missed that one. Hope you doing good..

They were good size but not huge - 3 to 4 lbs? I always cut out the lateral line - with bass and crappie mostly to get rid of the pin bones. But that pink or red colored flesh is stronger flavored. I trim out about 1/4 inch in the middle of the fillet. It essentially turns 1 fillet into 2. On the carp there is a lot more red flesh. I also take the initial fillet and slice off that red flesh as best as I can. With that said, the little that remained when I cooked it was slightly stronger flavored but not unpleasant. The y bones are my only complaint with carp. Just have to be careful or in this case remove them before making the fritters. My first carp meal was cooked by a sweet gal from Bandledesh. We ate with our fingers (no fork or chop sticks). The way it was cut and prepared, the fish naturally broke at the y bones. Made eating the fish like chicken wings. Took some practice but easy peasy and delicious.

Fried up some Bartlett Bass and Crappie last night. Used carp in a crappie fritter recipe.... Deliciousness. I know, many of you will poo poo carp but it's great. The fritter recipe starts with poaching the fish. It was fairly easy at that point to pull out the y bones. Leftovers for lunch in the form of fish tacos. Can't beat fish tacos.

It’s in his first post

Since 92 have used outfitter tents. Place them face to face when 4 or more guys. 1 for sleeping and the other for the kitchen. Lost one of them on last years Elk hunt. Wind destroyed it. lasted 31 years.

Love my two Standard Poodles! Great all around dogs, and great for families.

that you Jocko?

How much you asking in cash Tyler? Bill

I just curl up in the dirt next to the fire. Tarps are for sissies.

I used to have a pop up trailer but when I got a side by side I had to choose one to pull. So I sold the pop up and bought a 12X12 Alaknak and the XL cots. I probably sleep better hunting than I do at home.

Oldest sons birthday this weekend and he was home from his new job up in morenci. Momma made her asian marinated London broil with some shrimp and other goodies. Store bought tiramisu for desert.

Story to follow. I have some packing to do.

My son won a rifle through this give away and I cant say enough good about the work being done. Amazing really and a fantastic support for our youth

My home.

I've killed a fair number of Iowa, Mo, Wi and Co deer on top of our Az deer and our desert deer (both coues and md) eat much better than any corn fed deer I've ever had. Edge to coues over md but both out eat midwest deer by a long shot. Our Antelope eat better than Co goats too (can't speak to wy goats but hope to be able to get up there soon). These jojoba, acorns and whatever else these deer find make for better flavor than soybean and corn imo.

In my opinion, it's the best (non corn fed) venison you can have.

Don't hire a guide. If theres any elk hunt in the state that you don't need a guide, thats it. Enjoy success from your own hard work. I can't stand dragging a guide around with me on an archery bull hunt. From your profile pic it looks like you have a lot of experience hunting, you should be fine if you can put some time into it.