lancetkenyon

Update.... Got my deer back from Krueger's Creations yesterday and hung him on the wall. I can't be happier with the mount and the quality work Chris did for me. I also had a duck done from him last year. I swear, I think he GREW while at the taxidermist!

Awesome story. Congrats on the two trophies, and great memories stored away for years to come. Enjoy the good eats too.

Bushmaster .223 Ruger M77 in .22-250 Rem 700 BDL in .250 Ackley Imp. Mauser 98 with muzzle brake in .270 Win. Mossberg 500 20 Ga. Both my kids have shot these rifles. My older daughter took a deer with the .250 AI, and an elk with the .270 Win. when she was 11. My younger daughter, 11 year old now, shoots the .223 like crazy. She has also shot the others with no issues. She shoots the .22-250 into 2" groups at 200 yards all day long.

Got three pig tags in the household this year. My 11 year old daughter drew 20B/21 Jr. hunt, and my wife and I drew 21 general. Here is the issue...I have never hunted 21! Any suggestions for the 21 hunt besides scouting a bunch? I am just hoping to get my daughter and wife one. Will be both of their first big game hunts.

Looks like you shot that in Alberta rather than Arizona it is so big! Congrats on a buck of a lifetime. I am sure many long hours have been put in to harvest a trophy like that.

Wow! I still own that house, but my oldest daughter and her fiancé live there now. I assume you moved also? Are you the young guy with the backpack kid and drove the grey Chevy truck?

"Hunt Limo". It is long, black, and rides in style when hunting.

Depends on the conditions. I watched a deer hang in a camp a few years ago. They shot it opening morning, gutted it and hung it, no skinning though, or wrapping of any kind. It was on a 10 day hunt, and that deer hung in the open (including sunlight) for the entire time. Temps were from the low 20s-mid 50s. There is absolutely no way that deer was edible by the time they got it home. I watched it swell up like a balloon, covered with insects/birds, and was disgusted the entire time. What a waste of table fare. I am of the "Keep it clean, get it cool, and keep it cool" camp. I gut/skin/quarter as quickly as possible (within an hour of shooting/recovery), and get it in a cooler on ice (but not touching the ice or water). I have left game in a cooler for up to 14 days while helping others and the meat has always been very moist and tasty when I get back and get it to a butcher. Last year I had to quarter and leave my deer overnight in the canyon, but temps were about 40o at the time I shot it, and cooled to the 20s overnight. Got back early the next morning with help and packed it out. Meat was cold to the touch, but not frozen. The deer is now completely gone, but it sure was good eating!

Went back up yesterday for the day. Amazing how elk hunters can push the elk up into the deep timber, and allow the deer to come out. I did not see a single elk except one in a camp at first light....still had the skin on....and not gutted.....laying on the ground.....stiff as a board....starting to swell.......yeah. I got a few photos, but they are on the camera at home. Nothing big, but quite a few deer. More in one morning than in the last 3 trips combined. Good sign.

Both would be fair game in my opinion also. Both look to be nice mature bucks, with deep briskets and large bodies. The 3x4 has some decent mass. I also agree with the possibility of the injured 6x2, but without any photos of the backside of the buck, can't tell if he still has a pair or not. An arrow or bullet in the boiler room would sure help to solve the riddle...

Anyone take their kids squirrel hunting yet? My 11 year old daughter slayed them last weekend. Limited out in a couple hours. Outshot my brother too! Saw some bruiser bull elk, shot some squirrels, good times with the family. Heading back up in a few weeks to try it again. Taking the hunting dogs next time to try them out on squirrels instead of birds. Should be a blast. My two best hunting partners...my brother and my daughter. One proud papa.

Crap. Why did the photos rotate??? Oh well, tip your laptops over to see the photos....

I used to have pretty good luck around the areas north of Red Lake on the western border of 7W. Seen some monsters in there, but few and far between. That was in the past, but it was consistent in the past. It really seems like the deer population has dropped significantly in the last 10 years in the unit. I will be heading up periodically this fall, and will post more photos if I se any more shooter bucks in the unit.

I stalked this guy for 2 hours before he gave me the slip in 7W this archery season. I could not get closer than 90 yds. These photos were from 153 yds. Well within rifle range. I have been back up there a few times since then, and not seen a whole lot of deer like there used to be. TONS of elk though, including a few bruisers last weekend. One was a 380+ bull easily. Biggest one I have seen in quite a few years up there. Lots of nice 310-340 6x6s too.

Mine is a Rem 700 BDL in .300RUM with a few tweeks. HS Precision stock, trigger job to 3#, Vortex 4-16x50, KDF muzzle brake, etc. Took an elk with it back in the 90s when it was brand new, haven't been drawn since. If I could ever draw another elk tag, I would be a happy hunter. My hand load is as follows...

Just like seeing the big bulls day before season opener, and then they disappear. I think there are calendars posted in the woods for the game animals to check. I also saw this antelope buck the day before rifle season opened for them. Sorry for the quality of the photos. They saw me coming and hightailed it until they were 600+ yds away per my LRF. Took the photos with my DSL from there.

I was up in 7 for five days. I had my family up with me so I did not hunt REALLY hard, but was out for most of the day every day. I saw a few bucks, maybe 7 over the 5 days. Mostly small forkies, but saw two that I pursued for 2+ hours until they disappeared. Never got closer 90 yards, and they were always just feeding along. One as a 1x2, but pretty wide for a 1x2. Sorry, not the best photos. He was bedded with this guy. Decent 3x3 with eye guards.

Buy a couple of cheaper tree stands. First time I ever used one was up in 12AW on an archery hunt. What a blast! I am hooked for archery hunting all game species now. Site over a tank as far away from a road as you can get. Last light is great, but I have had deer (and turkey, mountain lions, coyotes) all come in throughout the day. The mountain lion snuck in and then sat the same tank I did for 30 minutes and he had no clue I was there. We were both waiting for a deer to come in (wouldn't you know it was the ONLY year I did not buy a lion tag, but he was about 70 yards across the tank from me). Worst (or best) time I had was on a tank up there 30' up in a blue spruce. In one afternoon, I missed a big tom turkey, missed a huge 30+" heavy tall dark horned 4x4 buck at last light (long horrifying story), and thunked a coyote all in the same evening. Even though I missed the huge buck, that evening will remain in my memory (and nightmares) forever. Easily saw 25 turkeys, 40+ deer including 5 other bucks that day from 1:00PM until after dark. And turkey are freaking smart and have the best eyesight I have ever witnessed.

Antelope/elk/deer/turkey= 0 for me. Antelope/elk/deer/turkey= 0 for my wife Antelope/elk/deer/turkey= 0 for both of my kids. Bummer year for our house. Back to flinging arrows again.

1985, 14 years old, archery Turkey out of a roost in a tree at first light. Thought I missed as the arrow went sailing off into the sunrise. Then the bird started coming down and hit just about every branch on the way down it seemed. Shot through the neck.

Like others have said, WAY COOL!

Took me 10 years with Hunter's Ed and loyalty points to draw an October 12AE tag. Just saying, 7-8 points is far from a guaranteed draw for any of the 12A hunts.

I can tell you I was very thankful for the numerous roads last year in 12AE. I shot my deer 1.5 miles and 5 canyons over from my truck, and what I thought was the closest road. After dressing it and starting to pack it out, I spotted a truck on the ridge above my deer. Made getting it out the next day MUCH easier! But, there are still plenty of secluded areas that are far away from roads up there, just need to hike into them.....like I thought I was doing.....

I bought my 10 year old a "Jr. Hunt Only" license and put her in for elk & antelope. She did not get drawn, but was not "rejected". She is now put in for deer too.

My baby girl (10 years old) has not had any big game success yet, in fact she didn't get drawn for elk or antelope this year either. Hoping for a deer tag for her though. But...she is my hunting buddy for winged game, small game, and varmints. Here are a few, even though they are not up around Payson. Dove hunting Catches bigger fish than her old man from time to time... She is a great "flushing dog" too....scared this mallard drake off a stock tank last year for me.... And loves to varmint hunt...