mc68

Big time Congratulations!! Not much in this life that can beat having a new member of your family. Keep them kids close to you because you will blink your eyes and they will be gone...take lots and lots of pics, so much fun to relive the past. Again congratulations bud!!

I'm pretty sure they are portable water tanks. I saw several of them between Payson and Heber.

Great looking bull there, congratulations. Guessing no mount on that one huh? In the picture it looks like the cape was cut off. I am glad to hear the hunter was so excited about the tag, I know I would be! Forgive me for asking but will you take the velvet off the horns or try to preserve it? Anyways, Great job!

I've been told that the Brown recluse cannot survive in Az. They told us that they are not native here at all and if you were to come across one that it would have had to come from somewhere else like on a pallet on a truck or something. Don't know how accurate that info is but that's what I've been told...do look for the violin on the abdomen though.

I notice he has rubbed clean, how long ago did he rub?

Loved it!! That is how we should all feel when we get our animal...pure joy. Thanks for posting this, made my day.

This is a topic that I have thought a lot about over the past several years. In my opinion the way that a lot of the outfitters are running their businesses now are screaming out for standardization and restrictions. I myself used to do a fair amount of guiding. This was done by going to whatever unit and glassing and walking country out, learning it. Today times have changed to where outfitters are offering very large sums of money for "finders fees", saturate areas with trail cams, hang tree stands on every water source etc etc. At what point is it too much? I have been told of a certain outfitter that has plans on putting 300 trail cams up on the Strip, 300!!! Is this not excessive? Is it even ethical? As we all know with having cameras out, there seems to come a sense of entitlement to that spot and we have all heard thr stories of confritations over who has the right to be there. I am just of the opinion that as Sportsman, we are at some point gonna have to have some restrictions. Why should there be cams on every waterhole in a unit during a hunt? Money changes everything, no doubt. I just am not crazy about someone paying crazy money to buy tags, then sit at home until an email comes with a list of animals to choose from, then thebguy picks which one he wants, hops on a plane, shows up, shoots it then pictures posted all over the internet of the great acheivemnt. I'm sorry but I don't get it. I honestly feel that there needs to be far more restrictions put on guiding in general. I am not saying that there are not any outfitters out there that I feel do a fantastic job and do it in an ethical manner. That is what I think is being lost is the ethics of the hunt. I know that there have been advances on equipment and that argument comes up, again I say when is it enough? Please don't take this as a absolute bash against outfitters. I know they have their place in the hunting world, and there are great ones out there. Your thoughts?

Nice picture

It is a big unit and the deer population is way down bud. One cool thing you may tty if you r feeling adventurous is to go through the flats and look for a decent track and then track him up. Its not easy at all but there are some real decent bucks that live in the flats and if you have the patience you may just get a crack at a big Buck. Good luck.

+1 well said.

BC777 I started a thread in campfire section covering my thoughts on these things. I dont think its appropriate to hijack this thread over these issues. Beautiful bulls though.

I hope it stays civil. I am just curious how others feel about it.

Some of us are into the "HUNT"....just saying. I will refrain now...

I guarantee you they are both over 400" or they wouldn't have shot them. Sure pays to have big money I guess. I'm just not a big fan of the way these hunts work. Don't want to rag here so Beautiful Bulls

I just hate seeing it be paved. It has become so commercial now and doesn't seem to be getting any better. Miss the days of going up there and not having a new city being built every weekend(the Big lake campgrounds). Guess my idea of camping and enjoying the outdoors is different than others.

That's awesome devil diver!! Really cool that your Dad still has that much passion about hunting. I would bet that a lot of the reason he is so excited is that he gets to go share that experience with you. I am very happy for you guys and am looking forward to seeing big smiles in the pictures you post with your bucks.

I respectfully have to disagree on the theory that the bulls are not affected by this drought. We all know there are going to be some very good bulls taken this year, hopefully one of them is by me. This does not mean the bulls are growing to their potential. Even the best bulls may have put on more growth during a wet year. Anyway, not trying to hijack this post... Sorry.

I have never heard why the corridor is closed?! Im not sure If safety is their reason. You can hunt other critters down there with a rifle....

+1 Pine Donkey on the hoping everyone in vehicle was OK. What does that say about all of us that made comments before you that were only talikng aboit the bull?! We are hopeless I'm afraid...

The bull was hit by the car shown above yesterday morning. Where it was hit, from what I have been told, was not far from Ft. Thomas. There are alfalfa fields along the highway there that several of my friends have seen the small herd of elk that live in the river corridor before. It is kind of interesting though because I had never heard of a bull anywhere close to this size. Only other thing I thought about was I know that fire on the Rez is not too far from there so maybe he came down??? I would have thought they would have tried to salvage what they could off of the bull? I agree though, what a waste.

Gotta get those bulls out of the gene pool...just sayin.

Cool deal and good luck on your hunt, more importantly I hope you enjoy the time spent with your family!

Flatlander, tell me you were joking when you said the only thing that could make you enjoy hunting mule deer was if your family was there. I gotta believe you weren't serious right? In other news, 2 of my kids pulled youth tags in the 28, 29,30A,31&32 hunt. They are excited and it should be a fun hunt.

Cmon people, I know a bunch of you had to of went up North for the long weekend. I need to see pics and stories of all the critters you saw(mainly the bulls). Please help a brother out!!

Ya the Tackle Shop. They don't charge and its great water.