BRichard

sheesh....not sure how i missed that....thanks!

Looking to buy, like several others...lol

in 10x42 or 12x50s I didnt see a marketplace thread. please point me in that direction if i missed it

mule deer and Jan (OTC)

I was looking at doing some after work hunting and was curious about getting out of the park after hours. That park closes at 8pm during the week. If I was so fortunate as to getting me one, i concerned about getting locked inside the park . anyone dealt with this?

My wife is pretty good with a needle and thread and has offered to make me up some game bags.......looking for recommendations on material....or should i just buy some. Also, along those lines, for the backpack hunters out there, what do you carry with you to dress out you deer in the field? Im thinking a good skinning knife, a boning knife, and some latex gloves? Ive always hung mine out of a tree.....and never to to far away from the truck.

they all went to N Mexico

Thanks guys for the feedback...I guess im gonna stick with what Im familiar with this year and hopefully by next season ill be able to swing a good pair of binos and try the spot and stalk.

Thanks Jim, and yeah I figured the rub wasn't Coues.....I was wondering if it wasn't a mule deer.....Elk would make more sense....its was about a 5 inch diameter little pine and was worked pretty good......Scrapes in GA really start popping up about 2 weeks or so before the start of the rut...Does that hold true out here? I was looking for some old scrapes but didn't see any.... Id be interested in some spot/stalk hunts if I could connect with someone who knows what they are doing, but i think if i try to get out there myself ill be shooting in the dark....I kinda figured stick with what i know and branch off as i become more familiar. I also did a bit of scouting in the copper creek area of 20A yesterday....some some tracks crossing the dirt road i was walking.....had the family with me so i didnt do any back country scouting.....

Hey folks. Moved here from GA last year, working at Luke AFB. Spent the last 5 years in GA whitetail hunting. When I first moved here and started looking into hunting AZ I wrote it off but since have had a change of heart. Trying to nail down my strategy for the upcoming OTC deer season. First and foremost, I LOVE the pinewoods and hard wood environment. Love it. A day spent sitting quietly in the woods is day well spent in my opinion. I would also prefer to hunt these locations in AZ as well. My bow hunting tactics in these locations in GA have been to hunt ridges, funnels and pinch points. Also, paying attention to food and water sources. Acorns being the biggy. I love setting up a good ambush. I started hunting out of climbers but the last couple years I started to move around more and use makeshift ground blinds and other natural cover........ So after several hours of reading, and scouting a few different game units with google earth and a cpl other different programs, I decided to check out unit 23 this weekend. I drove in around the Reynolds creek area and hiked a 7 mile loop. I found plenty of deer sign, and even found a couple sizable rubs....I think I could be happy hunting this location and found several areas id be content to sit for a spell..... I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until I came home and started doing some more reading about hunting the rut and started noticing that it seems the everyone hunts the rut in the desert, out in the open. Now Im starting to doubt my whole strategy....... Questions Can you hunt the pine/hardwoods during the OTC season with a reasonable expectation to see some deer or will I be spinning my wheels. Are they ALL going to be runnning around in the low desert? thoughts?

Hey guys, I have a DPMS LR-308 AR that I am thinking about trading for a bow and maybe some glass to get me started here in AZ. I moved here last year from GA and pretty much wrote off hunting here until a few weeks ago I went out to scout some Elk in 7west......well, thats all it took. came home that day a bought a licence. id like to buy an OTC deer tag and hit one of the hunts this year but I dont think im going to be able to come up with the funds in time to buy a bow set up, AND practice, AND get a decent pair off glass. I could do the glass(looking at the monarch7s) or I might could do the bow, but not both. I would be inclined to do a trade and some cash for a nice bow, or I guess id be willing to let the gun go by itself for $800. whatcha got?

thanks guys.

So im looking at buying some glass for AZ whitetail hunting and general wildlife observation. I went to the local cabellas to look through a cpl different ones. So out of all the glass in my price range (sub 1k) the monarchs really stood out. and honestly, i liked them waaaay more then the 1k Vortex's i looked through. So i was looking at possibly picking up the 10x42s........ Is there any reason this wouldnt be a good idea? This is going to be my first experience unting the west coast/AZ. I come from hunting GA whitetail....