Spooner

Thanks for the wonderful invite TJ, however, I will be re-setting up back in 30A. I will take a rain check though. If they are permitted. Good Fortune on your remaining hunt. Will

Pred8r, this only adds to our discussion on the points limitation issue. THEY ARE OUT THERE! Go out and get them! NICE JOB FOR A GREAT BUCK! Will 4X

Any one been out since last Tues./Wed. with the change in weather conditions? Has it made any noticeable impact with their activity? 4X

Hey TJ, I'm getting paid too, let me give your wife an address to express one of those bottles, but the 11 days????????PRICELESS!! Will 4X

Bill, that pretty much sums up what I attempted to relate in my long winded reply! IT SHOULD ULTIMATELY COME DOWN TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S CHOICE TO MAKE. If I can help it, I will fill my tag. Maybe at the minute opportunity, but I will do everything I can to not stink it up! Have a good HOLIDAYS ALL, Will 4X

That put the topper on the X-Mas a.m. Grant!! Definitely re-kindled the fire for the remaining of my Dec. hunt. NICE RACK!!! That along with my Boy giving me a brand new 25-06 for a present, simple makes it all worth while. I'll stick with my 7mm/mag for this hunt though. And I am fortunate, unlike TJ, I'm not working. Hurry up and cut loose TJ! But I am having some coffee and Baileys. With the yule log. No burn in Phoenix. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!! AND MUCH FUTURE SUCCESSES. I think it will hard to top Grant for awhile, if ever again. Will 4X

I do believe as a whole, the younger bucks are generally easier to locate and kill for those that fall into that "whatever I see" category. I feel that it is important for a young first time jounior hunter and maybe even a first time adult hunter to have the inital success. I also feel that there is something relative to the numbers of younger bucks 2x's and spikes, that do effect the overal allowance to have more mature bucks, "trophy" bucks available, but the "trophys" are still out there. And I agree that it is for most of us a personal goal set. It just take a little more due diligence and effort, which some are not wanting to put out. I too agree it could create the possibility of field havoc with some un-claimed buck cacasses. Then you have the "coveted" hard to draw a tag issue to contend with in your mind. 1st buck you encounter? You wait, you wait, and then wait some more. Do you fill it just to fill it? Do you stick to your determination and hold out? then make that last minute decision on # of points, size, etc. Last day? I've made every attempt to stand by my laurels. It's tough when confronted with that decision. But last days rifle I have made the "fill the Tag" determination. A spike, nice one though, with my bow. Rifle nothing less than a 2x. I don't feel there is a clear line on this issue that can be drawn. It is for a lot of us, a personal thing. Actually, all hunters. Good controversial, pro and con topic. I have seen some good ones so far. I'm certain there are plenty of small ones. But hunters are still showing success! Hope other will have with the season still to finish. I'm still trying!! Later, Will 4X

It's amazing we didn't run into each other! That is why I picked that camping location. That area was rather good during a portion of my scouting. Saw the same mulie does I'm sure. Also 1 WT doe on the south side of Rucker. Able to walk right up to he within, yes, 10-15 yds. before she eased slightly away. And yes, I did cross over a "No Trespassing" sign to walk up to her.

Hey Mon, yes, that was me. Nice spot, except after 1-1/2 days into the hunt. Then the relentless winds. Rain?? even snow?? okay. But, just conditions to be reckoned with huh? Scoped all over those rises!! I did originally scout up a couple bucks in Nov. But they weren't anywhere to be found. Went into No. Bruno tank and past quite a ways. Saw a few doe as well. Nothing I would call RUT activity. Saw one small buck hangin'. You needed 10x's to see 3" spikes w/ a 3/4" fork coming off. On the 29 side at Cottonwood.

I'm with Creed! 30A is showing NO activity! Getting blown around the mountains quite a bit! Camp has been hanging in there in spite of it though.

Just returned from my T-Day Holiday scout for 3 days in 30A. Was able to discover some areas to get into and saw a few bucks. But it certainly was quite a chore to say the least. It is disgusting the quality areas that are either extremely difficult to access or having no accessibility at all!!. Great looking territory everywhere you turned, but only seeing it from a distance. Again, I am not very familiar with the unit or its past history with private enterprise, but it seems there's something other than "ranching" being planned there. As well as there has to be some illegal conditions surrounding the land locking of vast areas of public land. Especially roads originally bladed in w/county, state, federal tax dollars. Only to be locked off. Here's to hoping the area I settle upon, w/access, is productive/successful. There's defintely bucks there. Some good hiking to be had too!

Nice looking rack Scout'm. My first one was also a surprise to me too as to its quality and it was only a 97". I will settle for a repeat though on my Dec.'s hunt!! 4x

Good Luck then to both of you! White extended cab/white shell what else? Power Stroke 4x 4ord

Hey Mon, I just called here in Phx., the Tonto Nat. Forest location near me, and they have it in stock, $7.00. Call one of your nearest National Forest, Coronado, Santa Catalina, locations, they should have it. Good Luck on your hunt down there. Maybe we will run into one another while scratching our heads looking at a Posted sign on a crapper door somewhere.

Anyone out there from Texas? NM? Colorado? Isn't this how the "You Can Hunt Here For Big Bucks$$$ system got started? There is no doubt there are legitimate small parcel owners that simply want their little get away...but....I wonder. Anyway, there are definitley some good deer in this unit. You may have to work a bit harder at locating them, but they are there. After all, aren't we industrious and intelligent hunters? Think about it, they are only Coues deer, evenutally we will be smarter than they are. Right now, they simply know where the private areas are. Anyone can figure that out!

Thanks for the info D-backaz. I definitley agree this map would be very helpful. Is this available at Wide World or at the Tonto Forest on McDowell Rd. maybe? I have been into Half Moon from the H-80 side. I did notice from the National Forest map for Coronado, it appeared you could access it from the north as well. This road looks as though it could be quite a ride. Interesting area. Yes, along Tex Canyon Road, it was obvious to recognize the legitimate private parcels, but you also could see signs were simple stuck up in obvious public land areas. This posted thing for the most is simply an aggravation. It makes you work just a little more diligently and actually could sharpen your senses a bit more. I feel encouraged by my final choices of areas I will be hunting! and yes, I have found legal access.

Attempted to scout them as well this past weekend. From the Leslie Canyon road side up to the Rucker, same issues. Didn't try to find ways in from H-191. No Trespassing POSTED. I too saw Posted on National Forest lands. Cattle guards. Next to Unit 30A and 29 designation signs! I truly think it's the work of some that have leased areas for grazing and feel that entiltes them to post. Or "those" thinking it will discourage 50-60-80% of us with a dilema??? Fenced, wide open, Nat. Forest, all POSTED. Need to find a relation map showing the private, leased, public relation. And original roads placed by federal, state and county. Don't know if there is such a record that exists. AZ G&F puts out just that map . You can pick it up at Wide World of Maps.A map of just 30-A and all the private land and oh yea the swissheims are guess what ? AHH!! Let me guess elmergoo, "private". That's what I found it to be. Access wise. I have the AZGFD's Unit 30A Game map. There must be a different one than this. It shows the outline of the unit, but the public roads. Does not label any landmarks nor differentiate between public or private. Just altitude color code. I will check for another one. I did dig out my forest service map. Gee, areas I was seeing posted signs, were National Forest everywhere. Including some that were fenced in!

Attempted to scout them as well this past weekend. From the Leslie Canyon road side up to the Rucker, same issues. Didn't try to find ways in from H-191. No Trespassing POSTED. I too saw Posted on National Forest lands. Cattle guards. Next to Unit 30A and 29 designation signs! I truly think it's the work of some that have leased areas for grazing and feel that entiltes them to post. Or "those" thinking it will discourage 50-60-80% of us with a dilema??? Fenced, wide open, Nat. Forest, all POSTED. Need to find a relation map showing the private, leased, public relation. And original roads placed by federal, state and county. Don't know if there is such a record that exists.

I don't know,but seems my reply didn't come through, so I will attempt to post it again. Defintiley was something intestinal on Friday night Mike (didn't come from a bottle or can either). Some sort of virus or flu, and at that time definitley not fortitude!!, to hinder my determination a little more than it was already being hindered w/the access issue. Extremely ill, but did not stand in my way. Had my boy and a buddy along with plenty of moral support, I forged ahead. We'll see Mike what comes of it. Will

Mike, you got that right! Unfortunately there are draw backs to that as well. 2 words: NO TRESPASSING. But pack is what I have found to be the advantage, where not posted. And I am set up and prepared for it. But is the case here. Don't know if you've been down there, that is the state of the norm here. Posted everywhere. Just finding somewhere with allowable parking for any length of time to accomodate even packing in. Difficult. But that is what makes it the ultimate challenge and even more a success if overcoming the obsticles. Will

This isn't good news. I have a Dec. tag and so far, a couple of my areas to scout have fallen through due to lack of access and/or permission for access. Back to square 1 sounds like to me. That's the scout and the hunt though! Will

Call it wishful and hopeful thinking for my own WT hunt coming up in Dec., but my Son and I are in need of a new Taxidermist. We were orginally using Frank at Heads of Arizona and having very good success with mounts and pricing. He gave Juniors a 20% discount. Anyway, I believe he had started to have some health issues last year and was slowing his business then. Now, the phone has been disconnected. Anyone have any reliable and affordable Taxidermist to recommend? Hope a lot of you out there are having success and the need for services too!

Haven't hunted here for deer. Have for Javelina. If any of you that are familiar with it, had to choose one certain area to really try to cover in a decent scout time, and ultimate hunt, what would be your best choice? Does the area hold a decent population, or be prepared for a tough hunt?

Thanks Keven, I had planned to get out starting from the second weekend of Nov., all of the T-Giving holiday and the first weekend of Dec. This way it will give me some time out there with the early hunt and I can see what is getting stirred up and hangin'. I take my boy elk hunting this weekend and he drew a Unit 8 Muley tag for the following week, so once that is complete, it's my turn!! Will