coues7

You can come up and go varmint calling or run the dogs with us

All problems fixed....thanks photobucket, bye bye webshots! RR, The lions were headed towards a canyon with some water. The buck and does were one more canyon over and were easily in walking distance of yet additional water (springs). There was lots of scat in the area and most of it looked like it had javelina hair in it. I could care less about the lions eating javelina but I got major issues with them eating my coues!!! Most of the does we saw had a least one fawn with them. I'm probably going to be headed back into this area on the 24th and 25th with some dogs. Hopefully we can catch a scent and pop at least 2 or 3 of these lions depending on how many of us go. scott

I did......I borrowed a pair from my buddy Can everyone see the pics? What do I do to fix the red x's?

We should really make a stand against these lions! When scouting I saw a large hereford cow with massive claw marks on her hind quarter......I'm sure it was a lion and not a barbed wire fence. We saw 4 lions all running together and based on their size it was probably more than a mother with 3 cubs.....if so those cubs were huge and I've seen yearling cubs! For those of us the trust others to go into our hot spots and honey holes we should dedicate a weekend to go out together with varmint calls, dogs or whatever means and put down some of these animals. To me this is the sort of thing that happens with mismanagement of natural resources. When we had more cattle in on the land the ranchers made a concious effort to kill these things. Now it's tuff for them to have any reason. We should set aside 3 weekends out of the year as a "coues" community to go help out the deer we love so much and give them more of a chance!

I'm the one who killed the buck. I can't let out any pictures yet though. He scores 147". I'm going to kill him Friday morning. I'll post pictures then. Coues7

From what I understand harmones (and MAYBE the moon) control the cylce of both does and bucks. It's just like with humans......women start there period every month based on their harmones.....it has nothing to do with the moon, light, dark etc......the bucks just so happen to peak their harmone cycle in December and January......again it has nothing to do with the moon, light, dark etc. FEEDING HABITS: When it comes to eating I would assume if they feel more comfortable being out due to cool temps a little more light from the moon, lots of vegetation (like this year).......it may very well add to the amount of time they spend feeding......when it comes to reproduction....the moon don't mean crap! If the moon has been up all night and full.....they probably do eat more and then bed down sooner (bad for us).....but who knows. I do think that we should keep track of what we see this season and compile it. It would be interesting if nothing else

A full moon occurs at least once a month.....actually a little more.....and Rembrant you are right......they don't occur on the same day. It just so happened that in Nov. and Dec. this year they are pretty close. I spoke with a wildlife biologist for the AZGFD last night and he said that the rut is triggered by nothing but pure hormones......there is NO EVIDENCE that it is triggered by cold weather or the moon. The same hormones that trigger the rut also trigger the bucks to grow antlers, velvet to fall off and hard horns to develope. God just so happened to make that process correlate with cold weather, full moons near the end of December and early January. The bucks in Mexico have the rut later than here in AZ......it's all about hormones.

Send them to me and I'll post them. Scott

I may be missing something here but doesn't a full moon occur every month? It appears that if we go to November 2006 (my hunt).....there is a full moon on November 5th....with almost full moons on the 4th and 6th. If we fast forward to December 2006....there is a full moon on December 6th or 7th. What actually makes the rut begin? Cold weather?

Where did you find that on the net?

Great Pic! What camera are you using? What scope or bino's?

Hey more great news, with me that makes 4 trophy whitetail coming out of that area ! Isnt that great news? Well hopefully you are the last one to respond......I think there should be at least 4 trophy bucks. I hope the other 546 peoper are the people that don't plan on going out......that way we won't have any competition.

Ultramag.......I'm not accusing or trying to offend but didn't you see the thread about e-scouters? I can't give specifics about where I've been I know there are some record book bucks in the unit......I just haven't found any where I've been yet. I'll be out again this weekend....possibly with rimhunter. We'll let you know what we see.....just not where we saw them. Maybe all of us should get together and eat some mexican food at La Casita downtown. Then that way we can at least evaluate who we can trust. Coues4x4 (tony) are you coming up this weekend? Scott

Well, I'm glad no to many people responded.....don't all hard core coues hunters come to this site. The only hard core coues hunters I'll have to compete with is 3 (one who hasn't yet responded)......this will make things really easy! I know there are at least 3 trophy class WT in 24a.....this is great news

I normally run into a ton of people from Show Low......seems like lots of those guys like the unit. I have been scouting for weeks now and haven't been impressed. I've seen plenty of water just not plenty of bucks.....the ones I have seen have been no-go shooters for me.

I'm going with DesertBull......you can ignore e-scouters! Roadhunters always seem to have the luck of shooting the buck you jumped out 3 ridges over and was never able to pull off a shot......they suck!

I had the same thing happen to me......I kept going to a spot and only seeing does......this last time I was in there I ended up seeing some bucks.......they weren't quaility bucks so I'm not going back.....but 3 weeks in one spot and nothing but does and then finally some small bucks. Good question though. If you have a December tag I'd say keep an eye on the spot......if you have an October or November tag.....I'd say go elsewhere.

I have one of the inflatable seats but it doesn't have a back on it......the only thing to lean on is ocotillo's, prickly pear catus, or rattle snakes. I suppose I could sit on a big ol' cow turd and just let my back hurt. We need to come up with something for the hard core AZ coues hunter. I cut my old shirts in half and drape them over my bino's and head to keep things dark so that when I'm glassing what I see in my bino's really stands out......no to derail my own topic but does anyone else do this?

Thanks Jim......I live in Tucson and we have a Sportsmans WH.....so this will work out perfect. My friend had one that was completely soft and had the side straps on it to support the back.....only thing is that it was blue.....but you could role it up and it would fit right into your pack. I'll go look at one this afternoon. Anyone else with some suggestions.....I'd love to hear from you. Thanks

Just to make sure we are clear on our directions. North facing slope would be a slope that your are sitting to the north and glass south right? The face you are glassing actually faces north? Literally?

I have the Vasque Sundowners and have nothing but good to say about them. I know out here in AZ we are really hard on boots but these have done me well.....I've had them for 7 years and absolutely love them. They are the non-insulated version but do have Gore-tex.

Did you find a calf in there? She looks pregnant......that or she looks to have maybe had a calf. I don't know if they are still nursing or not....I would think not.

Kevin, Laugh my butt off.....that's funny as all get out! It's kinda funny how we often misjudge length!

As always.....phenomenal hunt, stories and pictures. This must be an absolutely amazing year for your son! 3 tags if I read correctly. WOW!!!!! The last time my dad, brother and I all got drawn was 14 years ago in Unit 3B. Stupid me was too picky and was the only one not to get one. Now I regret it. What camera are you guys using? Whatever it is if it's the same one you take all your pics with (Here's where we were, heres where deer is 10 mile away).....its a good cam!

Unfortunately I'm in Florida for 2 weeks for work.....my buddy did go out this morning and it's raining cats and dogs in 24a as well. He got in and the storm was moving towards him so he hot footed it back out. Nasty storm......I suppose we need it though!