Gary I

We sold our house there. Didnt really think i would ever move back. Hunting here isnt a whole lot different than there. The general season for archery starts in early september. Its still plenty warm, much like Arizonas archery season. The general rifle season usually starts about October 20th and runs until the sunday after Thanksgiving. There is normaly a little snow by then but not real cold. The worst winter ive seen here it didnt snow at all until December 6th. Then it got a little out of hand. I wear most of the same hunting clothes here that i did there. Ive upgraded a few things but not much. The biggest upgrade is hunting boots. Waterproof is crucial. Not just for wet weather but crossing streams. You will also have to stock up on hunter orange gear. Its required during the general firearms season. Some of the coldest times ive had was sitting on a ridge glassing for Coues deer in December down there. I miss doing that. Not a lot of glassing around here so you tend to move around more.

At one point of my life, about 20 years ago, i was asking myself the same questions about where i wanted to go. I had lived my whole life in Az. 44 years of it in Payson. Had a great life there. No complaints, just wanted something different and cooler. Through a strange set of circumstances i ended up buying 20 acres in Trout Creek, Montana. I drove from Payson to my place here 41 times getting my house built. 8 years ago my wife and i decided to pull the plug and move up to the Montana place permanently. It was the best decision we ever made. It is a great place to be. Although my first winter here had me questioning what i had done. But once i figured out how to handle the winter it really became easy. Havent had a winter like that one since. Actually the hardest thing we have had to adjust to is the length of days. Not the short days of winter, which arent all that short, but the long days of summer. It stays light until 11:00. You can work yourself to death. Or you can work a regular job and get off and go fishing for another 7 hours. We rarely get to bed before 11:30 in the summer. The elk hunting here is alittle harder than it was there. Not a lot of bulls but buying a tag over the counter and getting to go every year is nice. I've managed to kill 2 5x5s in 7 years. The deer hunting is great. Whitetail deer are everywhere. Not hard to kill a nice buck if you spend a little time at it and dont shoot any of the first 75 bucks you see. Lots of other hunting opportunities as well, turkey, grouse, bears, wolves, etc, all over the counter tags. Fishing nothing short of spectacular. Never know what you might catch. Could be a 5 lb smallmouth or largemouth. Or it could be a 30 lb pike or a 5 lb walleye. Or anything in between. And license and tags are cheaper here. I was a little worried about the job situation up here. Although i had semi-retired from my job there, i knew i would need to work. It seems that it is just as hard for employers to find decent workers here as it is anywhere. There are lots of work opportunities here. Cost of living is just about the same as there. Although taxes are much cheaper. Income tax is about the same, no sales tax on anything and property taxes are lower here. Before i left i bought a lifetime hunting license in Az. Great decision. Ive drawn better tags since i left than i got when i lived there. All in all we havent regretted leaving Az not even once. It was great for me but it was time to move on. Since we moved both of our boys have followed us up. They are doing very well at making their lives here and love it almost as much as we do. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and take a chance. In the long run you provably wont ever regret it. And if you do, Az will still be there.

At one point of my life, about 20 years ago, i was asking myself the same questions about where i wanted to go. I had lived my whole life in Az. 44 years of it in Payson. Had a great life there. No complaints, just wanted something different and cooler. Through a strange set of circumstances i ended up buying 20 acres in Trout Creek, Montana. I drove from Payson to my place here 41 times getting my house built. 8 years ago my wife and i decided to pull the plug and move up to the Montana place permanently. It was the best decision we ever made. It is a great place to be. Although my first winter here had me questioning what i had done. But once i figured out how to handle the winter it really became easy. Havent had a winter like that one since. Actually the hardest thing we have had to adjust to is the length of days. Not the short days of winter, which arent all that short, but the long days of summer. It stays light until 11:00. You can work yourself to death. Or you can work a regular job and get off and go fishing for another 7 hours. We rarely get to bed before 11:30 in the summer. The elk hunting here is alittle harder than it was there. Not a lot of bulls but buying a tag over the counter and getting to go every year is nice. I've managed to kill 2 5x5s in 7 years. The deer hunting is great. Whitetail deer are everywhere. Not hard to kill a nice buck if you spend a little time at it and dont shoot any of the first 75 bucks you see. Lots of other hunting opportunities as well, turkey, grouse, bears, wolves, etc, all over the counter tags. Fishing nothing short of spectacular. Never know what you might catch. Could be a 5 lb smallmouth or largemouth. Or it could be a 30 lb pike or a 5 lb walleye. Or anything in between. And license and tags are cheaper here. I was a little worried about the job situation up here. Although i had semi-retired from my job there, i knew i would need to work. It seems that it is just as hard for employers to find decent workers here as it is anywhere. There are lots of work opportunities here. Cost of living is just about the same as there. Although taxes are much cheaper. Income tax is about the same, no sales tax on anything and property taxes are lower here. Before i left i bought a lifetime hunting license in Az. Great decision. Ive drawn better tags since i left than i got when i lived there. All in all we havent regretted leaving Az not even once. It was great for me but it was time to move on. Since we moved both of our boys have followed us up. They are doing very well at making their lives here and love it almost as much as we do. Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and take a chance. In the long run you provably wont ever regret it. And if you do, Az will still be there.

I Got lucky this year and drew a unit 23 late rifle bull tag. I will be driving down from Montana with my sons and a couple of friends for the hunt. Was wondering if anyone knew of someone that had a house or cabin that they might rent for about 10 days for us. Not looking for fancy or expensive, just somewhere to crash for the nights and cook dinner. Somewhere around Christopher Creek, Tonto Village, Star Valley, even Payson would be great. Also open to trades for time in my Cabin on the lake in Trout Creek, Montana.

Thanks, JLG is exactly who i was thinking of. I reached out to him and guess we'll see. A good tent camp might be kind of fun too.

I have looked at Christopher Creek Cabins and airbnb and will go that way if i dont find anything else. When i lived in Payson there was a guy on here that had a house somewhere up there that rented to hunters often. Just cant remember who it was.

Are you willing to ship these? If so i will take them.

Got lucky and drew one of the 22 trophy lion tags in my unit. A friend of mine had the dogs. Hunting in 3 ft of snow made it a real challenge but super fun. Big Tom weighed in at 157 lbs and was 8 ft 5 inches long. Super excited to take a cat like this.

Didnt see any wolves but they were close. A pack was seen in the drainage where we got the cat a couple days before. Dog owner was worried about wolves killing his dogs.

Cant say i blame you for wanting to hunt Montana. I was an Az native for 53 years and moved to Montana 3 1/2 years ago. The hunting here is definitely different, but i love it. I am in the northwest corner of the state in Trout Creek. 20 miles from the Idaho border. All of the bull tags for this unit (unit 121)are general tags. A draw for you and over the counter for me. The elk numbers and bull size is suffrering due to a variety of reasons, mostly wolves. The deer hunting however is great. I have managed to kill bulls the last 2 years on opening morning of rifle season. Not big bulls, 5x5s both of them, but bulls. The best deer hunting is late in the season because the rut is so powerful then. Muledeer up high and whitetail down lower. Being a lifelong whitetail guy i hunt them. If a guy wants to work hard there are enough bulls to make a good hunt. Just dont expect to kill a big bull. If you want a great bull, apply for the hunts in the eastern part of the state. If you just want to hunt elk and deer in really buautiful country, apply for a general tag. Not too hard to draw, alittle spendy, but worth it. But be prepared, if you visit here you will want to stay. You wont be disappointed.

I'm not sure if I need these or not, but they might be kind of fun to have. I moved to Montana this year and there is 30 inches of snow outside and last night it was 19 below zero. That being said, what would you take for these snow shoes shipped to Trout Creek, Montana?

I have a complete OEM front bumper with fog lights, OEM front coil springs and complete turbo back OEM exhaust for a 2003 thru 2005 Dodge Cummins crew cab short bed truck. All are in good shape. Bumper is off a black truck so plastic is black. Not sure what its all worth but I am sure I don't need it any more. Make me an offer, Open to trading for something smaller Located in Payson. 928-951-2627

I knew Brian as a good friend for 30 years. Hunted bears with him a couple of times, hunted shed antlers with him lots of times. He had a passion for what he did and was one of the best at it. I always thought I was a pretty good shed hunter but he always managed to kick my butt every time we went out. Condolences to his family. He definitely left too early. At least he was doing what he loved to do more than anything, enjoying the outdoors. May you Rest in Peace. Enjoy today because you never know what tomorrow may bring.

I hope someone that caught the entire post reported that boneheaded POS. I only saw the pics with the rabbits, evidently the fish pics had already been taken down. Dumb arses like him will be the death of the sport. Hunting is one thing, killing just for the absolute heck of it is aother. Then to be stupid enough to post pictures of all of it really proves his mentality. I hope he gets what is coming to him if he really did what the original post insinuated... A nice big fine and about 5 years of no hunting or fishing would be a good start.

How about this; Open up the on-line draw and give no deadline. just tell everyone that it will be shut down sometime in the next 3 weeks, better get in early. LOL

I couldn't agree more with this post. There are a lot of factors that play into the diminishing quality of game and hunting in this state. Most have already been mentioned here. However the only thing that can consistently manage numbers and quality of game are tag numbers. I don't believe that current tag numbers have anything to do with proper management, only about the almighty dollar and perceived "opportunity". Not to say that there isn't some quality Game and Fish WMs that see what is happening and feel powerless to do anything about it. It is the Commission that sets tag numbers and sets Department budget numbers, they go hand in hand, what does anyone expect is going to happen. After all they are a government agency. Anyone that feels that the quality or quantity of game in Arizona is anywhere near what it was just 10 years ago hasn't been out in the woods very long. It is very difficult to find anyone that spends a great deal of time in the outdoors, is a taxidermist, a guide etc. that isn't complaining about the "management" style and the lousy quality of game available. There will always be the occasional exceptional animal taken but it is the exception, not the rule. And at this rate that won't last either. Even the units that have been known for quality lately are under attack. Permits keep going in unit 23, 6A, 10, 9, 7, etc. It won't be long and these units will be opportunity only units too. The whitetail are still holding their own in a lot of units but that won't last forever. I think it is way past time for the Game and Fish to do a survey of all users, hunters, guides, taxidermists, outdoorsmen, antler hunters, etc. Ask questions that are worded directly, not written in a manner that gets the answer you want to hear, like the last survey about opportunity. Then actually use the information to manage the resource. Opportunity is great for a while, but it eventualy becomes just taking your gun for a walk in the woods. We all like to have the chance to pursue what ever quarry that makes our heart beat faster in whatever legal manner we choose but if something isn't done soon hunter interest and recruitment will collapse. What then? Maybe that will bring about the change that is so desperately needed. But then again, maybe I'm wrong. Been wrong before, will be wrong again. But at least we can all have an opinion. We still can, right?

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone on here has had steering issues with their Dodge trucks and managed to get it fixed. I have a 2006 Dodge 2500, 4x4 diesel that has the death wobble so bad I'm getting afraid to drive it. I just had the upgraded trac-bar, all new tie rods,a new steering box, alignment,and steering stabilizer installed. I have tried two different sets of tires and wheels, air pressure variations, new front shocks and anything else I could think of. It only has 65000 miles on it so it should not be completly worn out. I love the truck and hate to get rid of it because of this problem but it is uncontrollable when it goes into one of its shaking fits at 70 MPH. I drove it to Phoenix from Payson yesterday and ended up having to go 50 MPH the whole way there and back. I am supposed to drive it to Montana in 2 weeks and would like to have it safe to drive. If anyone has had similar problems and managed to actually get it fixed could you let me know what you did, where you got it done and and about how much it cost. I don't mind spending some money to get it fixed but I'm getting tired of dumping money into it and still having the problem. The dealerships don't seem too interested in curing the problem. Thanks for any help, Gary

Wow, thats it, just wow. Congratulations Shelton, hard work pays off big,(some blessings along the way don't hurt either). Way to stick with it and get it done....twice. Looking forward to seeing him in person. Congrats again.

Nice 7 x 14 foot single axle trailer. Has ramps built into the side rails for side loading quads. decking boards are in good shape, tires are nearly new, This trailer is built a lot heavier than the cheap ones around. All lights work, has fold away tongue jack, 2 inch hitch, all bearings recently cleaned and repacked,. No spare tire. Rear ramp gate was gone when I bought it. This is a nice trailer, big enough for a few quads or a Ranger and a quad. Only reason I am selling it is because I have two trailers this size and only use one of them. Would like to get $800.00. Clean title, located in Payson. thanks, Gary Thanks for all the interest- The trailer is sold pending funds

I have a complete EGR delete kit for a Dodge Ram 6.7 Cummins. Kit includes a Sinister Diesel EGR delete kit, the Race Me electronics tuner, and the complete Flo Pro Performance 5 inch turbo back exhaust with the muffler and all necessary clamps and hangers. I bought this for my 2012 cummins but then decided to go a different route and buy an older truck with the 5.9. This has never been installed and the tuner is still in the factory shrink wrap. The exhaust will work with any of the 6.7s including the mega-cab model. The delete kit and tuner will work with any of the 2010, 2011,and 2012 trucks. I am not sure about the late 2007 thru 2009 trucks. These kits are supposed to improve power and greatly increase mileage on the 6.7s, while increasing the engine life of the truck, as well as increased dependability. These sell for around 1350.00 on E-bay. I paid 1400 for this kit from a performance diesel shop. I would like 1000.00 for everything. I may be open to trades also. Tell me what you have, make me an offer. I sold the truck and don't need this anymore (as if I really NEEDED it in the first place) Thanks, Gary SOLD PENDING FUNDS, thanks Talk or text 928-951-2627

Thanks for the offer but I don't really want to reprogram my 5.9. It runs really good stock and is getting an honest 22 mpg. It has plenty of power for anything I pull. I am really glad to be back into a 5.9 with a manual 6 speed. Best engine/tranny combo ever built, IMHO. I got lucky and found a really low miles and very well taken care of truck. The 6.7 had plenty of power but the mileage was horrible, all because of government emission standards. Better to burn twice the fuel than blow a little black smoke occasionally, typical government thinking. Just curious, what your programmer worth? Thanks, Gary

I have a 16 foot Carson flatbed 2 axle trailer for sale. I bought this trailer new about 12 years ago. Has good tires, completly new brakes, could use new deck boards but these are totally usable. It has ramps underneath that slide out for loading vehicles. 2 inch hitch. Has a few dings and scratches here and there, but not bad. The only issue it has is that it wears the right front tire on the inside. I bought a whole new axle with spindles, new hub and bearings, changed the rim and tire, checked the trailer for square and everthing else I could think of but it still does it. It is a real mystery. It gets about 7500 miles on a tire before it is pretty thin on the inside. Around town tire would last a long time but I use it to go back and forth to Montana and I get about 3 round trips out of a tire. I am really only selling it because I have 3 trailers and don't need this one. It's not perfect, but it's not nearly as bad as a lot of them I see on the road! Trailer is in Payson $750.00 on here, will be 800.00 on Craigslist tomorrow Call or text me at: 928-951-2627 Thanks, Gary Trailer is sold pending funds thanks

OK, so I've got this jeep. I bought it from the original owner a few months ago.( I found the original sales receipt in the glove box) He had started to rebuild it when his job got transfered to hawaii and he never got it finished. He had a little over $9000.00 in work in it so far. He pulled out the 4 cyl. engine and put in a 4.3 liter GM v-6 with about 45,000 miles on it. He bought a brand new NV 3500 GM 5 speed transmission, clutch and pressure plate, had the transfer case rebuilt, had both front and rear differentials rebuilt with upgraded axles installed, put new Ride-Rite suspension including leaf springs and shocks, had a new bigger gas tank and skid plates installed, put a used scrambler cab and bulk-head on it, new seats in it, had rebuilt drive shafts installed, had a new steering box installed, and 5 brand new tires and wheels that have 1 mile on them, and a few other things i'm forgetting. The body is really straight with little or no rust, it has an extra gas tank made special to fit down in the bed. The entire heater and duct work has been removed but is here and in good shape. When I got it I had to drain the gas out of it and put in a new battery and it started and ran good (drove it around the block once, thats the 1 mile on the tires). When the engine was put in the wiring for all of the computer and sensors was a mess and I wanted to get it back to simple so I bought a new Edelbrock intake manifold, a new Edelbrock 1404 carburetor and a new single wire Davis Ignition distributor. I installed these parts and believe I have the spark plug wires one notch off on the distributor and I have not had time to get it running again. Included will be the owners manual and 2 chilton manuals for the jeep. Don't get me wrong, this thing is not perfect. It will take some time to finish putting it all back together but would be worth it. This will make an excellent project for someone to finish and have a great jeep when it's done. Most of what it needs to finish it is pretty easy. I have just come to realize that I have bitten off more than I can chew in the project department and don't have time to get it done. I need to get $3500.00 for it. I may also be interested in trading it for a nice travel trailer, could throw in some cash for the right deal. I have a clean title in hand. I laso like AR-15s. I'm in Payson if you want to see it. You can get ahold of me at 928-951-2627 or e-mail me at: antlerfinder.com Thanks, Gary Sorry for the long read but I don't want any interested people to be surprised, I'm telling what I was told when I bought it and what I've seen working on it.

That's too cool. Congratulations to both of you. Great story and picture. You have no idea how much your life is going to change, for the better. Best of luck to you.

John, Congrats on another great bull from a tough hunt. You get it done year after year, you obviously have this hunt figured out. Great picture with the whole family out there.