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Came to water at 12:40 pm on the last day on the Fort. First Coues with a bow. 😀

Hey y’all sorry it’s taken me forever to finally get to this, but it has been archery season for the last month and I’ve been playing catch up from my rifle tag… I ended up scouting and hunting what felt like most of the country between the 17 and the river, and all the way from Bartlett to a little bit south of camp verde. I was planning to finally have a hunt of a lifetime with the opportunity to pass on multiple mature bucks. That didn’t pan out. This hunt was grueling. I was able to hunt with some friends a lot though which was a lot of fun. Being able to have friends along because it was close to Phoenix was one of the reasons I stuck with the tag. Another reason I put in for the tag was because I’ve hunted 21 in October a bit in the past. Granted it had been a few years but I didn’t think it could be that different. It should only be better in December. I couldn’t believe the drastic change from back then to now. Places where I used to see tons of muleys now held 1 or 2 does. We put in a lot of miles hunting hard to access places, easy to access places, and places I thought would be overlooked by the masses. We glassed up coati, javis, lots of white tails, and more mountain lions than 4 point mule deer. About a week into the hunt I passed on the first 4x that I saw. He was pushing a doe so I felt confident I had nothing but time, with the rut kicking off, so why end it now? I regretted that decision a few days later when it was clear that he was the only mature mule deer chasing anything that I could find. I had glassed up a good sized 3x at one spot a few times and I was ready to throw in the towel and go shoot that deer. I hadn’t seen the family much for Christmas and had the kids home from college. The hunt was 10 times harder than I thought it would be. The morning I decided to go look for that 3x, my buddy and his daughter convinced me to try a different spot one more time. We’d hardly even seen does there yet, but decided to give it one more try and found this guy hiding in a thicket with some does and smaller bucks. Couldn’t hardly believe it! Literally ran 3/4 of a mile to cover ground and get closer. Had to top a little finger 130 yards from him to actually get eyes on them. They must have sensed something because as I went up the back side of the hill they blew out. Caught back up to them a few hours and a few miles later. The events of that morning honestly seemed too easy, and it’s crazy to think if someone was watching me that morning it would have looked so quick and simple. But all told, I hunted 10 solid days before finally tagging out (actual hunting days in the field and not counting scouting). It was hard fought and hard won, and I’m glad I got to earn this deer. There’s no way I would have gotten this deer without the help of my buddies who were amazing to hunt with. The steaks have been great! Took the hide to Weller’s in Tucson and can’t wait to get it back!

Went out this morning with 2 of my buddies to do one last day of quail. Absolute beautiful morning, quail were talkative but were very skittish. Was able to bag 9, lost 3. My buddies got 1 bird each and a total of 3 cottontails. Couldn’t believe the amount of lizards that were out, was just waiting to come across a nope rope.

Second time using my new smoker. Tri tip from the other day.

I hope Hurley and Jerry Jones both stay forever!

Ruger RSI 22 250 with period Redfield scope some minor scratches $900 NIB Ruger 1st gen American Tan 556 threaded barrel $500 Sonoita SE of Tucson.

By the time Thanksgiving rolled around we had put in around 12 days of scouting trying to locate mature rams. During November our friends had ramped up their efforts too. We invested several days in the northern part of the unit looking in areas that we’d seen sheep before without much luck.It was weird, places we knew sheep should be just didn’t have them. We turned up quite a few coues deer, and even got some of them to know by name and habits. Coming into the week leading up to the hunt we had shifted further south and started looking in some of the rougher country. One day my oldest son Hunter and I slipped into a spot where we saw some rams years ago to see if we could turn anything up. We found two rams, and one of them looked pretty good from 1.5 miles away. They were remote and in the steepest stuff, but at least we’d found a decent ram. And he was with ewes. So we had hope he might stay put for a while. The day before Thanksgiving Nash had morning practice and then we went out looking at box canyon. It didn’t take long for us to find a ram that Sheldon had found a week earlier. The big chip ram was definitely the most mature we had seen. He was fun to watch, and pretty easy to find. We found another ram high on the mountain that day, and just before dark, one single full curl ram all alone on top of a distant cliff. We had heard reports that a big ram had been seen in that country and we were hoping this was him. We were able to relocate him the next day with the other sheep. He was a beautiful full curl with perfect horns, but probably only 6 years old. We liked him, but were hoping we could turn up something on that next level. Nash and I stayed the night on Wednesday and put in a half day of scouting some of the roughest country I’ve ever seen before Thanksgiving dinner Thursday. Moving around in those mountains is miserable. Roads take huge winding loops and everything is rocky and nasty. We don’t turn up another sheep that day and went back to whip together some turkey and potatoes so Momma didn’t give us heck. On Friday I decided to go check some country we hadn’t been into yet where we used to see sheep. Lots of miles, on foot and in the side by side didn’t produce anything except a forky mule deer and a lot of sheep cactus (barrel cactus that were eaten down to their core, we had actually watched sheep circle around cactus and eat and eat until cactus were just a stub off the ground). On the way home I got a text from a guy who had been helping us out and he let me know that a rancher in the unit had seen 5 rams dogging a ewe back near where we had seen the chip ram. Unfortunately, our current #1 and #2 rams were on the move, the good news was we at least knew what direction they headed. Saturday morning, the day before the hunt started, the crew started rolling in. Gary (Wish2hunt), my buddy Mike, myself all headed out in the AM to find a target for December 1. Mike headed back where we had seen the ram with ewes weeks before. Gary started up Box canyon and I went down to look where the rancher had seen the 5 rams. It wasn’t long before I was calling Gary on the radio to let him know I’d found the rams and could use his help sizing them up. Soon, my neighbor showed up with some of his army buddies and they had another ram located, way up high. Mid-morning the radio crackled and Mike let me know he had a big ram on the other side of the river. He climbed a big peak to get signal and sent a pic of a ram we started calling candy cane. He was a young, thin horned ram with his lamb tips that had to be close to 40” long on one side. It looked like a giant dall sheep. Mike kept an eye on him for the rest of the day while Gary, Jake and the army boys kept track of the other rams. I spent a total of 9.5 hrs watching the group of rams and evaluating each of them. There were two rams that were definitely better than the others. But I have to say that sheep are one of the hardest animals to judge you can imagine. I did my best to figure out what was what and knew that intimately Nash was going to have to make the call. Nash had practice Saturday afternoon so I wasn’t able to pick him up until after dark the night before his season opened. He joined up with Mike, Gary and the army boys in camp and everyone was eager to start comparing rams. Soon Trphyhntr rolled into camp and we had to get some ear muffs for Nash 😆. (Not really, everyone was super cool and treated Nash like a rockstar). We all shared our pictures and talked it over with Nash. By the time we were done we had it narrowed down from 7 rams down to 2 or 3. Opening morning we had more eyes and moral support rolling in. Brandon (Denogean) and his family met up with us and one of our neighbors ditched church to come get in on the action. With 12 sets of glass and expectations maxed out we came up with a plan for the morning. Rich and Gary did a quick run up the canyon to check for any new rams that may have shown up, while the rest of the crew posted up on a couple of ridges where we could get eyes on the high ram and the group of 5 (which was down to 4 at this point). As the sun broke the radios crackled and the callouts started. The group hadn’t moved an inch all night but the high ram was down off the peak into a cliff band. If those sheep worked down through those cliffs they would become very accessible and we would probably need a better look. Meanwhile the other rams were happily munching cactus and lounging in the sun. The world was our oyster. Soon Rich and Gary were back with nothing to report but a couple of ewes. The high ram was moving back up out of the cliffs toward the peak again, which left us with the group from the day before. We were able to identify one of the group as the chip ram that Sheldon had located a few weeks before. He was definitely the biggest body and was starting to get our attention. A plan was put in place to close within 300 yards and put this ram down within sight of our full viewing audience. Mike joined Nash and I while we worked to close the distance. However as we moved in, we heard on the radio that the rams were once again on the move. They started moving to the south and the sitters could only get occasional glimpses of them. We climbed the hill above them and worked down the ridge line glassing the base of the hill below. A mind blowing game of cat and mouse ensued, the spotters were pulling their hair out, telling us the tan was RIGHT below us, within archery distance, but we couldn’t find them. Three different times Nash set up on the edge of the bluffs while we tried to look directly below us, without any luck. We caught a glimpse of sheep moving out from the hill 200 yds down the ridge. One ram dropped into a wash and another moved out into the open. Nash got lined up while Mike and I looked him over. It was a 4 yr old ram, definitely not the chip ram we wanted to shoot. We whisper yell at Nash not to shoot and kept working down the ridge. At this point Trphyhntr has had enough. He grabs his tripod and runs a solid mile around the base of the hill to relocate the rams and help us out. On my way! to find out. The two big rams turned and and had headed back up the hill and were now just 70 yards from us. In an instant, it all came apart. I saw the ram, he saw me and it was off to the races. There was no chance to get Nash set up before the rams were barreling down hill and across the canyon. I felt like throwing up. I was disgusted that we had blown it. Nash just stared. Mike was tracking the sheep in his binos and as they started up the other side says they are 475. The reality of his statement snaps me back into the moment and I get started helping Nash set up. We try the tripod, it’s not working out, so Nash throws out the legs on his bipod and lays down. He has a perfect shelf and I am amazed as he calmly tracks the rams in his scope. There are three of them together and they have slowed to a walk now. I get a range, it’s 542, and dial the scope while smash stays locked in. The first shot connects, but they run and now we are trying to make sure we are on the right ram as the three all change position and move across the hillside. They move about forty yards and I click the scope an extra 1/4” MOA to compensate and tell Nash to send it. It’s just over his back. Bad adjustment, they hadn’t moved as far as I thought. I range again, correct my error and Nash calmly tracks in the scope. The rams stop and he confirms, “the one on the right”, Mike affirms and I calmly say “kill him”. The sound of the bullet connecting with muscle is unmistakable but we can’t see the hit. The chip ram goes 40 yds and falls, struggles to stand and finds his final resting place under a Palo verde tree on a beautiful bench overlooking his domain. It’s not how we planned it, none of our helpers heard it (suppressed rifle) let alone saw it. And it was over before we could even tell them what was happening. But soon, they start showing up on the hill. Each taking his own personal time with the old sheep, and the young boy. We tell the story, laugh, hug and when no one is looking I cry a little as I appreciate the magnitude of the moment. All these good men, here in this place, helping show a boy how to be a man. We hike out together. It’s long enough to make us appreciate it, but we are at camp by dark. We celebrate and meet up with the others. They join us for root beer. Nash calls his mom and his grandpa, and we went home.

The good. Great shape. Shot less than 200 rounds. Upgraded mainspring housing/mag well. Thin grip Magpul grips. Functions wonderfully and accurate. Kills javelina. Have original grips and mainspring housing. Two magazines. The bad: Box suffered water damage in storage. How, I have no idea. Gun was not in the box. Has a stripped grip screw. Ruger will fix for free under warranty. I never messed with it as the grips are on there plenty tight. $675 face to face, (Tucson/ Eloy areas) $725 shipped from my FFL. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/ruger-sr1911-semi-auto-pistol

It was gifted to me. Like the elk. Got some yellowfin I’m gonna prepare next. Friends keeping me fed

Bluefin lunch

Be sure to wear your helmet when boating!

Where's the sour cream? 😂

No pics, but impatiently waiting for GF to bring dinner, and looking here made me hungrier. Hopefully will be eating a big Greek salad (with Giro mystery meat) and extra tzatziki, soon.

Helping a family friend thin out his gun collection and am selling this 1880 Martini Henry black powder breach loading lever action rifle. Not too sure on which cartridge this one shoots, but it's got some cool history as this particular rifle was brought back from Afghanistan by a state department employee in the early 90's. Comes with the original bayonet as well. This is a really cool piece that would be a great addition to any collection. Looking to get $1,200 for it, located in Tucson.

they need to just hire the guy that built NM system. WAAAAAAY easier. applying/paying for one species at a time is just stupid. And then having to start all over with the SAME info.....just....stupid

Well, it nearly took an army but we got it done. I don’t have the time or the energy to write it all up now, I will have to do that later. But suffice it to say that @1denogean, @bonecollector, @wish2hunt, @trphyhntr and a group of others all pitched in big time to make this happen and they will forever be part of our sheep army. @lancetkenyon thanks for the range time making sure the gun and charts were ready when the time came. This was our longest shot ever, 542 yds. We killed a good ram and it was amazing for my kid to experience. But more importantly my kid got to see men being men. He got to experience what it means to be part of something and to have others support you in accomplishing a goal without taking any credit for themselves. Here are some pics, I will write up the story later.

Hello friends. Was wondering if anyone on here would like to team up on a New Zealand Red Stag and Fallow Deer hunt. Was wanting to do for 60th bday in 2027. Anyone want to talk about it let me know. Its either this or Saskatchewan whitetail.. Lets do this

A friend of mine runs trips there once a year or so for his ig page. If i remember correctly, he said 'silver medal' bulls are around 5k. DIY you would be lucky to get a 200" stag. What I thinking about doing was doing was chartering a helicopter and renting one of the cabins for a week and focusing on tahr and trout.

If your buying, I'll go with you;)

That's a 1 year old lion... I don't kill forkeys either. Ed F

Keep Hurley forever! 9 in a row - 4 &16 record against UA- Hurley is Tommy's little b i t c h - UA could lose every game to ASU for 20 years and still have a better head to head match up This was supposed to be ASU's year - (2) 5 Star recruits...LOL

You'll shoot your eye out!

Bobby Hurley is fine, lots of shoot talking from UA, if I was that dude he wouldn't of gotten up. Bad sportsman ship. UA couch needs to go. Shaddy things go on at that woke axx college. Let them braw

Cool set! My eyeball guess is 315