Code3

Today will be a grateful chore of deboning my first elk, & done with a bow. Lots of time spent prepping for this hunt: Road knowledge, locating concentrated areas of bugles at wee hours of AM, water holes, benches, & how bulls use the line of No Return (Rez border) to evade pursuit. This was a TUFF hunt; mostly due to my learning curve, but locals tell me this was the slowest they have seen in yrs. Seemed like all 125 tag holders brought 5 buddies in the forest, so many dudes buzzing around and sitting water! It was hot, smokey, high winds, & no cows to be seen/heard. I only saw 1 bull killed in the back of a truck. No real rutting activity until day 12!?! Bulls actively bugles from day 1 & called back to challenge bugles… but no interest in cow calls. I don’t call often. I actually don’t like to call until the last 150yrd—for any game. It was obvious when other hunters were near due to cow calls & the over frequency of use. I had my share of “could have been done”, like the 6x6 on Day 2 (narrow shooting lane and killed a tree at 63yrd). My caller granted me 8 days, then returned to the real world. I kept grinding. Hunt sun up to sun down. Trying different areas, different times of AM, different approaches. Even though bugles occurred every day, some days went by without seeing a bull. Then, things changed on day 12. Responsive bulls, yet still no cows (I guess I never found them). Bulls engaging to challenge calls & kept around with soft cow calls. I had activity all day long. I bumped a bull 5:30pm when pursuing his bugle. It ran 73yrd up hill. A scraggly tree 8’ in front of me partially broke up my figure. Quickly counted left side: G4, G5, G6=thinking this was a 6x6. Face to face we stared for “eternity”. He barked several times. Calmed him with meek cow calls. His caution factor overrode desire to breed and he slowly turned to walk away. Ranged at 83yrd, pulled back, broadside, WHACK, punched him with 100gr G5 Montec. Then heard a crash, but not sure of what was really happening due to topo incline changes. Found blood at impact site. Found bull 30yrd away, face down into a rotting tree on a steep slope. Ecstatic rush of achievement! Antlers were actually 5x6 with an earlier broken right G1, but I didn’t care! It was a late night. Had an awesome friend drive up to help pack out. While not a monster, he will be just fine as a memory to the hunt’s high/lows resting over the cabin’s fireplace. Took him to Authentic Taxidermy/Troy Smith yesterday; it was a haul & I passed several taxidermist en route, but Troy did great work on my pronghorn. History has shown me—go with the proven & you won’t regret it. Troy asked if I wanted G1 tine fixed… “Nope, keep him just as I found him”.🏹

I love this forum for the internal chuckles it produces. It’s better than watching the 2024 Biden / Trump debate. I thought name calling ended in grade school. Left swipe Coues247.

Maybe you don’t get out much during the elk rut? We should meet up. I’ll show you some things. Like bulls bugling… 😂

Been using this method for a long time. Such a relief not to buy & juggle ice if/when you get the game. Then we are able to remain in camp for days after the take. When I’m not actively fermenting home brew, I utilize a temp controller (pic attached) with the chest freezer and a Honda EU2000i. I can set the freezer to any degrees, like 34F, to super chill the quartered meat without freezing it. Allowing me to debone the meat over several hours and not have to contend with deboning frozen meat. At home, this controller converts the chest freezer to an enormous refrigerator for house party food and kegs, so I’ve been told…

9mo later (yes, Troy/Authentic Taxidermy in Chino Valley completed under 9mo!) turned out an absolute picture perfect bugle mount. So happy. I thought this web site’s members would like to see the finished product (except Coues247, who wouldn’t shoot anything under 300” and forgot the pleasure of hunting less than a B&C score 😂 ) I don’t know what this guy measures, don’t really care. We are happy with the take.

Beautiful beasts! Was this White Sands Missle Range? I can recall quail hunting as a kid and one of these came up over a hill. The shear body and horn size made me nervous and amazed! Congrats on an awesome harvest within the 48!

I had 3C Sept 2023 success. You can read my post Sept 28, 2023 for some good insight… less than 9mo old. I would absolutely hunt this area again, but I wouldn’t concentrate on the Rez bulls as much as calling/spot/stalk in the middle of 3C. I didn't see a single elk in 3A. Horses everywhere, eating everything. Second week of the hunt, when the bulls finally came in to the calling—was off the chart. Just my observation, but I never saw bull elk near the horses. Just like any public hunting… get away from the roads, get away from people, spend more hours each day hunting than the other guy. Enjoy the hunt, however it turns out!

Turkey 2024 delivered me Tag Soup 🤦🏻‍♂️ Not for lack of trying, just didn’t see THE single Tom we concentrated efforts towards. I did use Jacob’s slate over slate pot call within my calling arsenal, and it did equal or better than any mass produced pot call. The decision to financially support a local, young man’s craft makes me feel content to know that my cash isn’t going to a Wall Street conglomerate. Additionally, the customer service from Jacob & Dad (IA Born) exceeded my expectations. Day 1 I called in a chatty Hen that circled me at 30yrds, trying to find who was calling her out; done with Jacob’s slate over slate call. Day 2 was cold, but found credible evidence of turkeys walking around us (pic), feeding scratches, plenty of Tom & Hen scat. The rest of the hunt presented sporadic Hens, without a Tom. If I only had a Mogollon Rim Governor’s Tag… freezer would be spilling over with Javelina, Elk, Muley, Bobcat, Hens, but no Toms. Back at it in 2025!

I’m willing to prime a young entrepreneur’s dream and business plan. I too don’t know enough about materials to advise my choice of the raw materials to be used, so dealer’s choice. I’ll take (2). If your son crafts my order with the same attention to detail as he did for his own Dad’s slate call… that’s all I can ask. Can he complete in time for Spring 2024 hunt?

Archery Pronghorn… I tip my hat to you. That’s terrific 🤙🏻

Dude, that’s beyond cool. You have built memories/stories for your Son & Grandkids that will last longer than you! Cherish these times… 🤙🏻

With elk season over, I moved over to the Turkey thread to build anticipation for Spring 2024 with my son and got a look at this 4 beard. That is Bad A**!!! And at 10yrs!!! Nice sharing, with pics. I’m excited for another Turkey season.

Thanks for all the feedback from positive members within coueswhitetail.com . Guess I need to start hunting coues now. 😂

Yup, more horses than a Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. When will they allow thinning of the herd like North Rim Buffalo? 😂 Those prolific horses are like a riding lawn mower, eating everything in it’s path.

I have to say with candid honesty, I’ve taken a break from this forum due to the cat like retorts between members. I am glad I had a couple minutes during a burrito break and chose the Elk Hunting chapter to flick through, finding your recent post success. It was refreshing, funny, and a good read. Congrats on a hot weather elk hunt! Especially DIY. Nicely done! Thank you for sharing, with pics too!

If you have no expectations of cleanliness, PM quiet hours, boat/gear security, family environment… you won’t be disappointed. I’m sure you’ll get a great nightly rate that will make up for everything 😂

Nocturnal’s lighted archery noch. I think I could have got longer illumination time by taping a sparkler to my arrow. 😂

So happy for your archery success and divine timing! Donated tag, ability to go hunt with little notice, clockwork logistics under adverse weather conditions, stealthy approach, perfect arrow placement on AZ’s biggest game… this was better than the lottery. Congrats. Thank you for your SERVICE. 🇺🇸

Turkey by bow! So cool 🦃

Each year I look forward to a Merriam Turkey tag… sentimentally it’s because this species was my first “Big Game” harvest back in 2017. Yesterday marked my 4th solo shotgun harvest. I like to walk the woods and cold call 2 days prior to opening day for a first morning success, but I’ve never shot a Longbeard opening day! I usually go through the highs and lows of hunting before earning these big birds. This year was no exception. The wind was down right awful to hear or be heard. This year’s Tom was memorable because of how long we danced before pulling the trigger. I saw him walking the woods before he saw me so I quickly sat down without any real structure to blend into. He liked my slate scratching enough to fan out and strut at 55yrd, but there were brushy limbs between us. I kept that call close to my chest without any movement except the wrist. Little did I know, his Hen was behind me and walked past me to group up with the Tom. Once the two reunited, he wasn’t about to leave her and walk uphill into my shooting lane. After 50min of him fanning / strutting / feeding, I realized I had to move in. Slowly removed my vest and all other non essentials that would drag during the creep in. When he fanned facing the opposite direction, I balanced the 12ga on my lap and crab crawled in with the slate call. Occasionally throwing out some clucks and purrs to keep his attention. Took him at 09:45 35yrd puffed up in full fan. What a show!

“Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.” I like to use this anonymous quote when dealing with people you have built little background with. (Actions speak louder than words.) A Taxidermist can preserve your fantastic hunt memories or mutilate your efforts to recall those mental snapshots that we try to retain in tangible possessions. Luckily, I have more positive experiences with these animal stuffers than negative. I feel those Taxidermists I’ve had poor outcomes with were due to choices based on price and convenience… and it usually didn’t pay out mutually beneficial. A Forum allows participants a medium where ideas and views can be exchanged to help / learn from each other. I hope sharing my experience will assist others in comparing & choosing reliable Taxidermists. I enjoy giving credit where credit is due (Authentic Taxidermy in Chino Valley!) and usually let lesser people get what they deserve without criticism. But today’s taxidermy dialog got me writing this to expose terrible business practices so others don’t fall to the same poor customer service I received. Especially when these “professionals” subcontract their work out at a 33% profit margin and just collect the cash. Specifically I’m calling out Southwest Wildlife Taxidermy- Jim Hartsock. A brick and mortar, long established, well advertised company who forgot about customer service. You can say all you want about how Jim may have treated you well in the past (Or) maybe he just had a bad day today. But that was then and this is now. No matter what business your in and feat you have served… you will only be remembered for your last action. Regardless of Covid setbacks! Dropped hide on 2/25/21, paid 1/3 down payment, and was promised 10mo for a “simple” javelina rug; At 12mo I made a phone call to inquire about the progress only to hear Jim’s business phone message stating, “We are not answering the phone because it takes away from working on your project.”; At 12mo I sent a documented email to Jim asking for info on the completion. I got the general response of how tanneries are backlogged 11mo and suppliers backlogged 2-3mo. All taxidermy completion is now expected 16-18mo from time of drop off; 4/5/22 I called Jim’s rug subcontractor and was told they did not have my javelina; 5/2/22 Jim actually answered his business phone and proceeded to tell me that he delivered my javelina tanned hide to the subcontractor over “last weekend”. But after hearing my feedback on the completion delay and how other reputable taxidermists were turning out half mounts in 6mo, Jim said he will get the hide back from the subcontractor and “mail” it to me. Furthermore telling me calling him was, “wasting his time”. Jim was essentially washing his hands of any commitment to completion. Even after 1/3 down payment provided 14mo ago; I called his rug subcontractor and was emphatically informed that the javelina was not at their establishment; Jim learned that I called the rug contractor and called me to advise the hide was still at his shop. So who knows when the hide was sent to the tannery and when it was received back in Scottsdale?; After confirming I owed no further money for work or supplies, I picked up the tanned hide today from Jim. Biting my tongue to a bloody lump of flesh so I wouldn’t regret any off color statements about his ethics; I then dropped off a frozen Turkey to a bird Taxidermist & proceeded to deliver the tanned Javelina and a second frozen Javelina to the rug Specialist. Pure satisfaction while executing choices to whom I choose to do business with! Never again with Southwest Wildlife Taxidermy LLC. I hope my negative experience and illustration of Jim’s “IDC” attitude guides you to a positive selection to materialize those memories we Hunters seek through taxidermy. It’s too early to endorse my choices of Bird Specialist and Rug Specialist, but I will continue this forum after seeing their work. Yet their Customer Service over the phone and in person leads me to believe it was essential to cut ties with Jim Hartsock.

I just received back my 2022 Merriam Spring Turkey. 10months turn around. Taxidermist Sven Eberson, Wildlife Wings & Designs. No hassle, fair pricing, no excuses, respectful, and honestly friendly. I’m sure it will look even better once mounted in the vaulted ceiling under day light! 🦃

In case your wondering where to take your 2023 Spring bird… i just received back my 2022 Merriam Spring Turkey. 10months turn around. Taxidermist Sven Eberson, Wildlife Wings & Designs. No hassle, fair pricing, no excuses, respectful, and honestly friendly. I’m sure it will look even better once mounted in the vaulted ceiling under day light! 🦃

15:53 Archery Bull charge. Gonna be a sweet September!

Hide no longer avail