mattys281

Congrats. I also scored on my last day (1/24). Made a perfect double lung shot on a quartering pig, but it was at 8 yards so who could miss?! This is where he dropped. This is me & my girlfriends boy. He wasn't there for the shot, but helped on recovery.

When I was younger, I hated my older brother calling me Matty. Led to many a fist fight. Then when I was about 20 I hung up my bullriding spurs & started roadracing motorcycles. All they guys I hung out with had a "y". Robby, Tommy, etc. They gave me one too & it stuck. 281 is my old racing number (and probably also pretty close to the number of crashes... You don't know how fast you can go 'til you fall off!). It's also my e-mail address & i.d. for almost everything online, which makes it easy to remember.

No info. on the score?

I received a response from one of the members of the state senate already, thanking me for my comments & stating that she would do what she could. I'm sure that not everyone of them is going to read all of our e-mails/ letters, but some of them are & some of them will be influenced. Keep hitting 'em.

This is one of the ones I wrote. Feel free to edit, copy or whatever if you like. To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to you in regard to the ’07 Legislative Budget Proposal. As I’m sure you are aware, this proposal, if passed, will cut the Arizona Game and Fish Departments budget to less than half of what has been requested. As a sportsman, I believe this would be disastrous for many reasons. First, Game and Fish is responsible for managing our wildlife resources. As our state continues to see a population increase, we are also going to see an increase in the number of people who use these resources by hunting and fishing. As a result, the Department will be taxed to a greater degree to handle this demand, which would necessitate an increase in their available resources. Next, as part of their managing function, the Game and Fish Department also acts as a law enforcement agency, both on our public lands and on our waters. As we see more boaters and water enthusiasts each year, not to mention ATV riders, this again is placing a larger burden on them. It is a burden that they must have the funding to meet if they are to ensure safe and enjoyable outdoor activities for all of us. Lastly, the Department is responsible for initiating numerous programs that are aimed at improving our wildlife herds and the habitat that supports them. With the loss of range that our animals suffer as a result of development combined with poor browsing conditions as a result of years of drought, we can scarcely afford to cut funding of programs that are aimed at battling these conditions. In closing, I urge you, on behalf of myself and sportsmen throughout Arizona, to not support any budget that short changes our Game and Fish Department. Thank you for your time. Sincerely,

I sent my responses to the appropriate people BEFORE posting that rant. Good. Hopefully everyone else will too. If you want to be heard, then make some noise.

We have to go through this crap because the majority of our state's populace are condo-dwellers in Scottsdale who don't give a rat's butt about hunting, or even going outside for that matter (unless it's to a golf course). If you follow the links in the article, it's very easy to track down a phone number and e-mail address for your district's legislator. We don't mind listening to you vent, but it'll be more productive if you direct it to them. Rebecca Rios of district 23 just got a page and a half long letter from me.

Nope. Work in aerospace manufacturing.

I've never held out for trophy units or "quality hunts". I just put in for the units I like, and have still managed to not draw. Admitedly, though, three years isn't very long to get skunked. I know folks who've waited longer. This year, I'll either draw or I'll drive, but one way or another I'm hunting bull elk in the fall.

So far, I'm 0 for 3 in both the elk & antelope draws here, so I can definetely understand people wanting to see more tags. And I know some of you have gotten skunked a lot longer than that. I would still rather see the emphasis be on a quality herd, though, rather than lots of tags. So this year if I don't draw a bull tag, I'm headin north to buy one over the counter in either Co. or Id. If some one else gets skunked and is interested, I could use some one to carpool with.

Mt. Cat: I'll probably be in 33 not this coming weekend, but the next (1/20 & 1/21). I don't know that area, but have received some pointers on where to look from other guys that tagged out already. PM me if you want someone to wander around & glass with. I've heard nothing but good about that Element you're shooting. I think it's far above what most people land with as their first bow & will serve you well. I've Robin Hooded once while sighting in.

Now that's what bowhunting is all about. Even though you couldn't draw, you still won the round just by not being detected at that range.

30 yards from a 180 Muley? You failed the test, my friend. God was giving you a gift. Amen to that. I've never even seen one that big, except on t.v.

GMM: I've also noticed that fast-setting glues don't work near as well on aluminums. I usually use AAE fletches & the AAE glue, unless someone requests different. I think it has to do with carbon being a more porous material, so the glue gets a better grip. The other side of that coin, though, is that it's also a heck of a lot tougher to scrape the glue of carbons when you need to replace a fletching. As for quality, I've not seen the footage myself, but hear that there is some highspeed video that shows the flexing & distortion of arrows being shot. Supposedly, the carbons stabilize a lot quicker than aluminums once off the bow. Next time you feel like testing stuff, let your aluminums set in you freezer for a couple hours & then check the spine. Compare that to room temp arrows. Alluminum has one of the highest coefficients of expansion (if not the highest) out of any metal. It changes size a lot with temp variations, so I'd expect you to see those arrows be both stiffer & more brittle when cold, where as carbon can range from far below freezing to hundreds of degrees & not change mechanical properties. It's a lot more stable.

Yes. Bob I'm also writing this on a typewriter I know a guy out in Superior who only shoots the 2512 Super Slams. Course he also refuses to upgrade from his 10 year old Martin that he totes, but if you'd seen his trophy room, you'd know that it obviously works for him. My brother also refuses to shoot carbons. There's still a few of you dinosaurs around.

7 yards! What an incredible stalk. Good job guys.

We have a small archery club out in Superior that I'm a member of & we recently got a shooting range put together w/ targets out to 90 yards. I shoot there a lot. I sell the X-weave arrows for: Predators = $82/dz, Pros = $104/dz. I'm quite a bit under PSE's MSRP on those, but as they didn't list a MSRP for arrows in last years price guide, I marked 'em up on my own & since they haven't increase my wholesale this year, I see no reason to raise my price. Those prices are based on using AAE fletchings. If you want some of the fancier fletches like the NAP quikspins or something like that it would obviously be a few bucks more. I'm personally planning on buying some stiffer limbs for my Mach 12 after pig season & switching to some heavier arrows like the Easton ACCs. But that's only because I've promised myself an elk hunt this year, even if our draw makes it necessary for me to drive to another state, so I want to crank up my ft/lbs of energy. Anyone interested in carpooling to Idaho or Colorado?

I know this is off the subject of rutting deer but i noticed you are from superior. I have a javalina tag in unit 37b, any idea on where to start looking for pigs? heard maybe try the mineral mountains. I've only lived there for about the last year & a half. Still trying to figure out the area myself. I didn't have time to scout prior to season, but have spent the last 4 days out & yet to see any pigs. All I've been seeing is deer. Your tag is also good for 33 & two of my buddies tagged out down there yesterday. You might check game & fish site to see where they suggest around there. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Good luck.

Saw my first indications of rut activity yesterday. A 3x3 mulie w/ 2 does. Stalked to w/in 40 yards and spooked out a herd of 3 whitetail does I didn't even know were there. Of course they took the mule deer with 'em. They were w/in 10 yards of the mule deer. I wonder if those does were with him too, or it was just coincidence that they were all together? They all left in the same direction. Could be that big boy is fixin to make some hybrids. Wonder if those would get better fuel mileage than normal deer?

If you want something on the lite side for speed, you should check out PSE's Carbon Force Radial X-weave's. The way the carbon is "weaved" (for lack of a better word) makes them stick together better than any other 100% carbon that I've seen. I've been cutting the guys in my local archery club slick deals on these just to get them to try them & so far have heard nothing but positive feed back from them. I also shoot them myself. The X-weave Predators have a straightness of +/- .003" for $82.00/dz. & the X-weave Pros are straight with in +/- .001" for $104 per dozen. If you want something a little heavier to keep your ft/lbs of energy up there, check out Easton's ACC's. Carbon wrapped around an aluminum core. These are a lot pricier than the Carbon Force's though. PSE also offers an arrow called the Black Mamba which is thicker walled & heavier than the others in the X-weave line. Price is a consideration for everyone who works for their cash, but when looking at numbers don't forget straightness as a consideration. If you shoot fixed blade broadheads on arrows with loose straightness tolerances you'll see it in your groups.

Got home a little early from work yesterday, so I threw my cami's on & hit a tank for the last hour before dark. Had two mulie does come in right as shooting light faded, about 35 yards away. No buck with them though. That was in37B.

You're not alone in the "yet to arrow a deer" boat. I'm there too, and also am willing to go after any thing with an inch or more of bone on it's head. Congrats on you kitty. That's an awesome trophy to have.

I had four days planned for the opening weekend and, as usual, turned into my own worst enemy & blew the whole thing up in my face. Had planned on packing into an area I knew pretty well in 24b, but made the mistake of discussing my plans with a buddy of mine the night before I was supposed to leave. He informed me that a late season rifle hunt was starting the same friday & the spot I was talking about usually took lots of pressure. After hearing that I altered course & headed into the Superstition Wilderness area on a trail I was interested in, but hadn't scouted. I hit the trail and it looked like good country near the trail head, so I was optimistic, but decided to push in further to get away from the road. After the first couple of mile things starting getting thick. Being stubborn, and not wanting to head back towards the road, I pushed on, and it got thicker yet. In parts I'd loose the trail altogether & have to find it further on, and at other parts the trail was so overgrown that I had to literally push my way through 30+ yard stretches of cat-claw & white oak with a 65lb. pack while holding my bow over my head to try and protect it. By Saturday afternoon I was approximately 8-10 miles deep and the hills were covered so thick that even if I had spotted something I never would have been able to stalk it. In fact, the one deer I did see in there (a doe) was standing about fifteen yards above the trail I was on and I never even saw her until I had already rounded a bend and was heading out on the other side of the drainage. I stopped for a breather and looked back and there she was, staring right at me. I think my pack must have kept her from identifying me as the enemy, because she never flagged or bolted. Just kind of meandered off, looking back at me every couple of steps. A few miles further I found myself on a hill top surrounded by the "thick stuff" for as far as I could see. That was the point of moral defeat. My legs were dead & I was sick to my stomach at the thought of having wasted two of my four days. I sat in the shade for about twenty minutes trying to decide whether I should cry or cuss over the whole ordeal. Losing to the mountains is bad enough, losing because you were stupid is even worse. Finally, I got up & put the pack back on. I turned tail & headed back to the car at break neck speed in an effort to salvage as much of my weekend as I could. I made it back right at dark. That little jog left me with my arms scratched & bleeding from fingertips to shoulders, one of the feet on my tripod busted, and three arrows with fletchings ripped of from the brush. Needless to say, after that exercise in self-mutilation I wasn't worth a crap on Sunday, so I rest up watching movies & hit it again on Monday. My legs were still pretty sore, so I took it easy & hunted close to the road in the area I had originally planned on going into. I saw 3 herds of does, no bucks, &, of course no hunters! So much for heavy pressure! Turns out there was only 50 tags issued for that rifle hunt. Should have checked the regs. before scrapping my orginal plan . I was kinda peeved with myself after that little misadventure. I know better than to waste hunting days in areas I haven't scouted yet, but oh well. Some lessons are best learned the hard way, even if it's not the first time you've learned them. I'll be back at it this weekend and have another week long trip planned in Jan. Hope some of you other guys fared better than I did.

LMAO!!!!!!!! So true! Actually, I think the ball playing was probably the only enjoyable part for that buck! It was the rest of the experience that sucked. Congrats.

I've had two shot opportunities so far this year at coues bucks, and managed to miss them both. One was a spike, and the other a forky. As of today, I've shot several other animals with my bow but stand at 0 for 5 on deer. If I see a spike or forky in a good spot, I'm going for it, and I don't think anyone has the right to pass laws, rules, restrictions or whatever else you call them to stop me, just because they'd like to see bigger antlers. There are enough nice bucks posted in these forums to demonstrate that there are plenty of them out there, perhaps people just need to do some more leg work to find them. These big guys are good at surviving, that's how they get big. There'll still be plenty next year.