AZAV8ER

Its the off season and quiet so I will try to juice a little discussion. So how you hunt is between you, the State Wildlife Regulators and whatever Moon Goddess/Earth Mother or Hunt Gods you ascribe to. For my part I just happen to hunt on foot and cover a bit of ground over rugged remote country. Been at it that way coming up on 50 years. Carrying a carbon fiber stocked, skinny barrel'd 270 with nice little 3-9 scope. This is a sweet shooting rig, but being light on weight and optics power I am not sure how well I can reach out past 450 yards. Most of my 500, 600, 1000 yard shots are on paper with a rifle twice the weight, twice the optic power and a 30MM scope tube. If I carried that thing up and over Coues Country I could only cover half as much ground as I would like. I just enjoy covering more ground, exploring to a degree and making several different stands a day. Also get a sense of accomplishment coming up with a bucks within 400 yards or less. Unlimbering an 14lb F-class target rifle from an ATV to Snipe deer at longer ranges does not satisfy my itch to really hunt. If your rifle weighs more than 10 LBS you might be sniping not hunting if your rig sports 30MM tube you might be sniping not hunting if your scope has exposed target turrets you might be sniping not hunting Do we want to scour the countryside of mature prime breeding bucks because we can? Would it be more to the benefit of the herd and hunt quality if we dialed it back and kept things a little more "fair chase"? Now before you take offense and light me up, please re-read first paragraph and the above paragraph.

2011 was last year of getting anything nice size

Changed. I just garnered discounts at Sportsmans on new rifle. ammo and scope & scope basses. all within last 3 months. Sportsmans beats Cabelas hands down on ammo and reloading supplies in store. Cabelas has been ok if you want cammo or boots.

Ok my thoughts and I will let you apply them as appropriate. First I hunt because I am drawn to the outdoors and the ritual of hunting bred in to my DNA. Hunting is not a "sport" its a ritual to touch base with nature, our past and share the camaraderie of the hunt that is a born in to us over millennia. Through hunting I have become in tune with the land the seasons the wildlife and how it all interacts. I am very sensitive to development and how it affects wildlife survival. Through hunting we learn these things and become impassioned educated conservationists. Hunting conservationists are engaged aware and drive efforts to enhance habitat wildlife. Without hunters Wildlife Management Departments would wither away as politicians gutted their budgets for other programs that garner more votes. Hunters & wildlife share a synergistic relationship. We hunt and take from the game herds but give back by making sure Game Departments monitor game populations and herd health. All wildlife benefit from hunters conservation efforts. Habitat protected or enhanced benefits species beyond game species As hunters we appreciate true wild lands, open lands and healthy wildlife habitats. Do away with hunters and you lose the most engaged vocal dedicated supporters of wild lands and wild life. First and foremost hunter/game relationship is synergistic. We take but give back to keep wildlife populations healthy. Second its NOT a SPORT, its a ritual we live out because we are naturally and normally drawn to the chase and harvest. Ramdon redundant, but useful I hope.

I am no beast and started with 55# bow, was comfortable from day one. Shot bare bow at range but used pins to hunt. Did some reading up on primitive archery and got sold on idea of 2 blade broad head 3/1 ratio and heavier not light arrows. At least thats what I came up with. After a couple of seasons of spot and stalk switched to true black powder/primitive muzzle loader.

Ok guns are not the problem. Cold blooded head cases looking to go out in a blaze of glory are the danger. Age 21 to buy a gun, expanding background checks and cleaning up reporting for the background data ok better. But the school failed us the police failed us and the FBI failed us, the state and FED's are falling down on enforcing laws and getting violent offenders off the street. Yeah new measures will blunt the deadlines of future attacks but won't stop them. The danger is the nut jobs; and they will come up with new and better ways to cause mayhem. Hey some ISIS loving Dumb S**t just tried to bomb a school cafeteria in Utah this week, bet MSM skipped that one. Amid all this growing violence the "progressives" will stop at nothing to disarm us. I call BS. Life: allowed to protect myself and loved ones Liberty: as a law abiding taxpaying citizen should be afforded my Constitutional Rights Pursuit of happiness (i.e. fulfillment) should be OK to hunt, target shoot or collect firearms if we are not hurting anyone. BTW if the NRA is responsible for gun violence then the ACLU is responsible for all criminality !!!

Looks like online store opticsplanet.com has scopes available. I have had good service from them over the years.

Drove from Salt Lake City to Phoenix last week. Driving ALT 89 through the Kaibab Forest saw several flocks of Turkeys. Nice to see the variety of wildlife in AZ.

Better he hunt with what is familiar comfortable. Also good lesson on shot placement, energy limitations and bullet construction. Good hunting !!!!

Henckels or Chicago Cutlery. More importantly how are you going to keep them sharp?

Great experience, nice to read. Had very similar hunt with my 8 year old son when he was 8,

I ask myself this same question all the time. AZAV8ER what exactly do you think needs to be dialed back? Is it just the distance or is it the equipment as well? Equipment, when I wrote that I was thinking minimum equipment to mess with makes my hunt more fun (for my ways of doing it). My concession to equipment over and above what my Dad and Uncle carried was a carbon fiber tripod for 10X42 binocs and a range finder. Tripod has been an incredible addition, range finder is just another bothersome little device that needs a battery but when the time comes its the only way to figure out if you are looking at a 300, 350 or 400 yards shot. Nothing says you can't carry a muzzle loader or a bow during a general season hunt. If it is a more difficult challenge you are after then there are ways to do that. I spent days backpacking with limited water and still lugged a 14lb rifle that I feel is an extension of my arm because I can trust my ability and gear when I need it. It made for a challenging but rewarding hunt. I pushed my absolute physical abillites and cannot wait to do it again! I have done both, backpack hunt for deer and elk with both rifle and muzzle loader. It is a challenging and very rewarding experience. Have also hunted some with a recurve bow, now thats hunting at its purest.

I'm not saying that this post is set up by an anti hunter or whatever, but I've always wondered if anti hunters ever try to come on this website with new accounts and try to knock hunting in a negative way without saying it. LOL raised by Dad and Uncle who were both hard core AZ hunters all their lives. Also very ethical and active in conservation. I have been hunting S AZ for whitetails for 50 years and probably good for another 10 years. Keep up kids.

I ask myself this same question all the time. AZAV8ER what exactly do you think needs to be dialed back? Is it just the distance or is it the equipment as well? Equipment, when I wrote that I was thinking minimum equipment to mess with makes my hunt more fun (for my ways of doing it). My concession to equipment over and above what my Dad and Uncle carried was a carbon fiber tripod for 10X42 binocs and a range finder. Tripod has been an incredible addition, range finder is just another bothersome little device that needs a battery but when the time comes its the only way to figure out if you are looking at a 300, 350 or 400 yards shot.

Whew, a lot there, will have to come back and finish another time.

Like posting video of shooting a buck in the butt at 800 yards won't? I don't have one Spanky, but post yours. You seem to know what its all about. Nope pupster, don't have any video. What I was referring to was what I watched on this site, and thats the last I am saying on that.

We get it Taco, you have never been a fan of this thread.

Like posting video of shooting a buck in the butt at 800 yards won't?

I could be wrong about this, but I do not believe the genes a buck passes on vary based on age. Ie if a small, young buck has great genes, he will pass those great genes on when breeding no matter his age. However, this is based on logic to me, not fact based as I have not researched it. Its that the mature, proven by time (older), stronger buck with better genes dominates his weaker peers and out breeds them. Younger bucks basically have to wait till they are old enough, strong enough to dominate in their turn. A certain number of prime bucks are required to ensure an area has enough coverage by breeders proven to be strong survivors. A little like a herd bull with elk. The herd bull holds a harem of maybe up to a dozen cows and keeps away all weaker bulls, weather to old to young or just not strong enough to take on the herd bull. Your point is a good one, with mostly good genetics at this time could take a while for weakness to creep in.

As we get more efficient, more capable at killing prime breeding bucks (due in part to equipment that lets us kill at very long ranges) I ask myself, are we hurting future deer populations by leaving lesser bucks to do the breeding? Does any other hunter here give that a thought? Not challenging your methods, just thinking how we hunt is changing and what if any impacts are there because of that?

Not sure why, but sounds like you have thought about it some, what do you think is the reason?

270 for deer hunting, 270 F-class and 6.5 Creedmoor for Precision Rifle. Garands are ok I find features on M1A nicer.

1stcouse80, I posed a legit question, what don't you like about it?

Death stalks Death always stalks Be it Mr or Mrs MT Lion Sometimes the bigger spotted cousin from down south then the less deadly two legged predator two legged slow two legged less stealthy than four Season 5 soon to breed your the prime boy this year all the bucks lesser than you soon you'll dominate/copulate all in your realm. A new death stalks off and away lurking behind fancy german glass you can hide in grass scent and listen away the new death out of your ken new death starts in a Kestrel weather meter combined with laser ranger death is processed through Android Ballistic apps as cold calculating finger klick NightForce to bear with bipod and bags cheek weld so secure cold calculating death from afar berger VLD to cancel soon all senses and skills that were your boon Boy in his prime king of the hill by high speed high tech soon new stalker to kill

Sounds like a frozen M.C. Escher nightmare.