NexToLast

What are you asking for them? I have a friend looking for a pair.

hntr4life, that's a heck of a buck. I think he's a lucky buck too. Looks like same buck we seen on first rifle hunt in 23. Sent you a pm.

Impressive antler!! I bet the other side is close by. Maybe laying tines down against a log, heck maybe a tree fell on it. Hope you can match it up.

Are we talking about a combined total of antlers, or just browns?

Enjoyed your story and pics. Hard work seldom goes unrewarded and you proved that perfectly. I think you are like me and enjoy scouting more than the kill. Awsome job and buck. Now draw the tag next year and get that muley. Take care.

More than likely it will become a fee area. It's a great road as is, with good drainage and material. Paving it is way over the top! The older I get, the more I realize to appreciate things when they are good. Paving this road is a perfect example of that. Paving the remainder will change it forever, in more ways than one. Sad.

Hornhunter. Those are some stud bulls there. The one with the extra beam is awsome. Any side view pictures of that one?

That's too close!

People keep saying units 1 and 27 have more elk in them since the fire, hence the increase in tag numbers by the game and fish. IMO this is false and it may SEEM like there are more elk. I think many of the elk that lived below the rim and in areas outside the burn have migrated to the burn for better feed, providing the false impression that there has been a huge upswing in the population overall. I spend a good amount of time in 27 and MANY areas that held elk before the fire, have hardly had an elk in them since. I'm afraid that the increase in tags really is going to hurt the overall quality of bulls in these units. I wouldn't doubt that the hunter kill rate has gone up since the fire as well. Many areas that were super thick with tree cover were cooked by the fire, opening them up and making it easy to see the elk than before. These badly burnt areas recieved the bulk of the reseeding too. There will always be huge bulls, but i think the boom in quality the past few years will suffer......for sure. I think the elk population is about the same but more condensed now, where it looks as if there are more.

Rut seems to be really off this year form what I've seen. Have hunted Coues in NM & AZ since Jan 1st. Seen only two mature bucks with does; one of them in NM I shot at 35 yards after running ahead of them on a ridge and cutting them off. Less scrapes too, most of them didn't have any fresh tracks in them since Jan 10th. Little bucks have been chasing the heck out of some does, panting and tounges hanging out. Big bucks have just been absent. Hope the activity picks up after these storms. The full moon coming up may help kick off the breeding cycle if the does have not been breed already. By far this year has been the worst for rutting activity where I hunt. Good luck.....

I've had two cuddeback cams stolen in the last year, both had passwords. So at least the POS who stole them can't use the cam but could still look at what was on the card. Being able to encrypt the photos is a good idea. Now I'll only put a cam where people don't go or place them where it won't be seen. Respect your attitude about the situation.

HUNTAZ, You said it right "most people". I've built metal boxes for mine as well, detered MOST people. From my recent experiences with dirtbag thiefs, if you have a lock on the box they'll just shoot it off. If a thief want's it, he'll get it, even if they have to come back with the hardware to do so. What really burns me, we go through the trouble of building boxes and someone comes along rips it all off. You think the person who steals even considers the work and time we've invested. The bright side is that metal boxes do protect our cams from bears though.

Seen them in big groups down south. Had a dozen or so come to a tank in 36C, elected not to shoot one. Have regreted that decision ever since. Now I don't know how far north in AZ they range? However, did see one in northern part of unit 27 earlier this week. Surprised the heck out of me. It was on the edge of a canyon with some rimrock, he saw me and bailed over the edge into some cracks in the rock. Maybe it was lost?

Jim, I just about fell out of my chair when I read your post and saw the pics. I'm an honest man and hunter and respect others property, it's the way I was brought up. Under no circumstances would I ever steal, take, or vandalize someone elses camera. With that said, I had a camera stolen from almost the same location about a month and a half ago. Mine was set 1/4 of a mile below the spring on a salt ground in the big saddle. To prove we are one the same spot, there is a ground blind 20 or so yards just above the water and one small white salt block 15-20 feet east of the spring. Also there is whats left of a very old trestand just to the west of spring. This is no joke! I set the camera in late May, let it set for just over a month. Went to check on it, and no camera. Camera was in a steel box (that I spent the better part of a day fabricating) strapped/locked to the tree with a python cable lock. Whoever the thief is, shot the locking mechanism of the lock with a pistol until they could free the cable and pull it through my box. I know it was a pistol (.45 auto) because there was a shell casing about 8 feet from the tree. This person to prove a point, I believe, left what was left of the lock and cable at the base of the tree. I know excactly how you feel and would like to catch the individual who has done this. I have hunted this area for several years, spent countless hours scouting and shed hunting it, and the surrounding country. Everything that I've learned about this area has come from miles of boot leather and a tireless work ethic. I believe I have a picture of the possible thief from a camera I had set a few miles away in August of 2007. This person puts down the same 5lb white bricks of salt in several spots including where the photo was taken and the spots where our cameras were stolen. I would be more than willing to talk to you if you would like to discuss this further. Most of all I would like to find the person who obviously has no respect for anyone else, thier property, or thier efforts. Jeff

Chris, Yesterday the 24th seen two 100-105" bucks chasing does. Before that, just small ones. Going back out in the moring to the end of the year, hopefully a bigger one(s) will show up. I'll eat my tag if I have to. Good Luck! Jeff

Who's the outfitter? I may be available depending on my upcoming work schedule. Did not draw a tag myself this year, so I'm ithchin to get into some action. PM me if you would like.

Welcome to the forum!! Sounds like you have the coues bug too. Reserve, NM. my parents have a place just up the road from ya, around ten miles north of Luna. I'm trying to move over there full time in the near futrue. Lots of good country with some really exceptional bucks to go with it, just takes a lot of scouting to figure one of them out. If you like to hunt hard in some rough country you moved to the right spot. Good Luck! Jeff.

Josh, I think your loosing your sanity from sitting in that treestand for so long; there's not any whitetail that big in 6A, LOL!!!! The gene pool from that big shed does bring back memories though. Hope all your patience pays off!!

Looks like the deer that was behind the tree may be a buck, judging from the body? Keep those cameras up, your bound to get a picture of a good one!! jeff

Yeah tell me about it Scott, it really hurts not being able to get back out there, especially with the weather being like it is right now. Perfect for sitting my treestand spot, got snowed on quite a bit the last two years. Oh well, not going to sweat it too much. I will be completely moved and settled in over there come this summer, then I'll have plenty of time to do what I want. For now all I can do is plan and stare at maps, It'll be a whole new ball game next year !!!!! Jeff

Hang in there Scott, I have faith in you that you'll get one. I squeezed in one day of hunting in the same unit you are hunting. Seen two does and two really good bucks, no shots hunting with a bow. The bucks have been making rubs like mad, counted a couple dozen on one ridge. Looks like I'll have to live out the rest of the hunt through your posts, not going to have time to go back out again. Looks like the one big buck you posted pictures of would go just over 100", nice buck! .Best of luck to ya Scott. Jeff

Scott, thanks for posting a great picture. Wish I could be huntin right now too, looks like I'll miss arizona, but will be hittin the Jan season in New Mexico. Always enjoy your posts and pictures. Keep them coming, gives me something to get cranked up about until my turn comes around. Good luck!!!!!! Jeff

Sitting water in January can be extremely productive if the conditions are good. Ideal conditions in my mind would be a dry or average winter in an area where there is in not much water other than a few springs or tanks in a large area. From my experience these spots will usually have deer using them daily no matter what time of year it is. I missed a large buck down in one of the 36 units on a isolated tank at about 10:00 AM in the middle of January. Problem was, it was the last day of my hunt. I should have been sitting there the other 8 previous days of the hunt. Some tanks just get hammered day in and day out, just depends on which water source the deer prefer. One thing I did witness a few years ago was a mature buck eating snow off the ground, so sitting water in that area probably would have not been the best approach.

Josh, Yeah, that would be me. Hope you can make it to the shoot. It's going to be a good time, and a privilage to shoot in what I think is one of the most beautiful places in the state. Going to spend a few days before the shoot in New Mexico and then head over to the Rez. Maybe I'll see you there. Jeff

Josh you shoot a compound our stick bow? Don't know if I am going to make it to Williams, but going to Sunrise come July 4 weekend. Haven't been to that shoot for several years. Good news is I'm making the transition in moving over that way perminantly in about a year and half or so, talk about being excited! Regards, Jeff Anderson