az4life

Great Story and 2 nice bucks. the triple is a very unusual feature!

YH It sounds like this is your first grey ghost. If it is, When you find the buck you have earned, and are about to pull the trigger, Just take a second, breathe deep then squeeze. You will still have the excitement (buck fever) but you will remeber more of the details after your hunt is over! Enjoy!

Super job with a ML. Tell us the story....

I think you can find good deer around main roads and farther back in off the beaten path. The key is their comfort zone. I read an article a few years back about One outfitter that had hunters set up along a paved highway and glass across a canyon. Spotted some great deer so it was said, right under everyones noses. On the other hand I also have seen some great deer when I take a long hike back into an area. Personally, I want to get away from the crowds of other hunters. The hunter traffic often dictates how far I hike. I do get a bit more particular about what size buck I will shoot when I have to carry it 3-4 miles back.

VIDEO? Cannot wait to see some of it. Definitely a nice buck! Glad to hear you were able to cut the distance and get a good shot! Stalking them after spotting one is a big part of the thrill for me.

Now that is a serious Hunter...

You got that right Josh! Kitty looks hungry! Nice find on those racks too Becker!

Desertbull Another good question!

Casey, you have no need to justify the situation to anyone. We ribbed you a bit here, but I think you knew it was all in good fun. You were there, and they were not. It is your story and you chose to tell it like it happened, not make up a whopper about 1 shot wonder from 750 yards. Just remember to be true to yourself and you will always be on the right side.

DBaz I know what you are saying and appreciate the differnet view. In the end, we agree there will be folks in state that are priced out of yearly traditional hunts and those tags will certainly go to someone. Some see it as a bad thing for family and traditions of hunting and others see it as good for other reasons. Times are changing and although I don't think this is for the better, If we fail to stop the change we will have to adapt to them. Some will not be able to. Non Residents may benefit more from it. my .02 is used up for the night. Peace, Out

Score One for the good Guys. Amazing how everyone helped "track" him down using the forum. Talk about the power of the world wide web! I gotta remember to send AlGore a thank you note for inventing the internet! Maybe this guy will Soon be shown on a new TV show... Huntings dumbest criminals. Great story!

Bill, thanks for the link to site. Lots of great info and stuff I assumed, but did not Know!

Lots of success everywhere! With all the posts here, It looks like This year is going to be great for hunter success rates! Good Luck!

What a story! Tell your Wifey, Congratulations on the nice Buck. I do have to wonder if that was the only Carp in the pond?

DBaz I looked over your last post and would challenge a bit of the content. Nothing personal, but I will use your list for reference and thought since there probably are others thinking similarly. I do not believe the extra hunting fees don't realistically mean you will eliminate the less serious hunters, but only the less financially able. Until I thought about it a while, I agreed with some posts on the tag / license being a small part of the cost, but... Year to year, many items are re-used and as one hunts over time, they aquire many supplies, so perishable items and tags are the things that cost the money each year. Examples: Jeep $10,000 (you probably don't buy a new one every year and use it for more often than hunting 16 days a year. Many hunters use high$ rigs, Quads, but many others use simpler transportation like a 15 year old trucks and boot leather.) Rifle & Scope $900 I would guess you don't replace this yearly and a lot of deer are taken with much lower priced weapons Binosw/pod/head $2,000 Same as the Gun. Hunters using lower quality gear may even be more serious since they have to work harder to get their deer due to lesser equipment. Small Binos $400 Many hunters only have 1 pair of binos. Tank of gas for Jeep $38 Okay, this one is probably a wash. With prices now, many of us will spend way more than that for our gas! Box of ammo $20 Same same Back pack $200 Again, it is not disposable and can be done for much less, but maybe not so comfy. I too believe that poaching will increase be and it is unlikely the extra officers, if any, derived from the new funds will be able to keep up with it. Ernesto Cottontail.com Huh? Hmmm, sounds like there might be some future there. How long till the AZGFD gets fees for them?

Welcome Robert! You hit the jackpot for Coues deer info so ask away. Some of the best people you will find anywhere on the web call this site home! Waht part of Wyoming were you from?

I never applied the 60 inch difference, but looking at it, I think you have a pretty good rule of thumb! Thanks for the tip.

Fact is most of these "ya who's" (Jerks) moving here have no hunting ethics and are way longer on selfishness and stupidity than they are on common sense. Wish it weren't so, but that is what we got from the "me first" generation. Tines , One you forgot was the morons Standing on a ridgeline yelling to the rest of their buddies at the bottom of a ravine "HEY BOBBY JOHN... YOU SEEN ANYTHING YET? ARE BILLY BOB AND DAVEY RAY DOWN THERE WITH Y'ALL?" Almost every year we have to deal with braindead selfish fools like these that are basically a waste of good oxygen. We feel your pain! By the way Tell your dad he got an awesome buck!

I reviewed the various fee increase proposals and the MANY different license classes the AGFD is proposing. I have to say the whole thing is getting very confusing and yes, expensive. Add a Dove stamp, Trout Stamp, Urban this and colorado river that, to your license and it really adds up fast. True, the tag fee is only a "fraction" of the whole expense of hunting but that portion like the other parts of the hunting costs is getting hit with inflation and the end user hunters are the ones paying the price. Confusion, Higher prices, are all a part to be expected when government agencies are involved The simple reason is politics. I too see the proposed changes as a money grab (in part) which is a part of government involvement and I can guess the state wildlife will be the loser and the in state sportsmen will be footing the bill. Ironic isn't it. Oh yes, There are "super sized" family packages being offered to choose from but how many people can really expect to use and benefit from them? Sure they are offering a small break on the prices if you buy one of the "super sized" licenses, but unlike french fries and a mega sized coke at the fast food places, they do not fit everyone. You probably will not use all the features but you are paying for them and more to "save" a little. Like many people, I compare prices in terms of when I was younger. Like "How much "pain" did it cause me to buy a license then compared to now. " Well my income has risen and costs have also risen but tags and licenses seems to be dis-proportionately higher. I have not bought a combo fish/hunt license for 15 years. Just not worth it. Tag fees used to be less than the license but now they are way over. The hunting options with a general license are not as broad and many species now require tag$ that used to be included with the general. Even dove need a $tamp. AZ has been been a holdout and refuge for those desiring a western way of life. You know, the days before government control of hunting. If you needed a meal, you could go out and get it by hnting for it. That spirit has been part of AZ over the years even though you needed a paid license and tag. With the changes taking place over the past 3 years or so, it seems obvious to me the sportsman is not in the majority and is not a protected minority. What options do we have? Complain and petition, but politicians will not act to help us since it will take our money out of their control. Ultimatley, we will have to pay the fees or not go hunting in AZ. I must say, it is getting close in price for me to hunt other states. Hmmm, maybe the USO jerks will win in the end since price is no object to them. Okay, I Rambled long enough. Sorry I got fired up on this but at least it was hunting related.

Nice prospects! Just tie em to a tree and you could sleep late start on opening day!

I think a few others will be trying those on for size too!

The biggest problem I have is positioning the darn antlers so if I slip and fall, I won't puncture my own lung or leg or whatever. We all know Coues like rugged, steep country, so This method will make things easier for sure.

I think they do "publish" the budget, but that does not do any good since it has been approved by the comission prior to publishing. Yup, Times they are a changin....

Tough to tell the spread but 90" looks about right.

And now we have the "Rest of the story"! congrats again