azpackhorse

I helped my buddy and his sons Friday and Saturday, the middle son took his first deer Friday and he just called me 10 min. ago and told me his oldest son just took a nice 3x3. I have a Nov. tag in 36c also and will most likely be hunting alone so if you don't mind steep terrain and lots of glassing I may be able to help you out. I have spent almost every weekend in 36c since early August and have some good areas but you will have to be sworn to secrecy I am always willing to lend a hand to our youth hunters. brian@abrams.com befisher1@comcast.net

I have been messing around with loads for the 300 win mag for the last 3 or 4 years, different powders, bullets, you name it. No matter what I do I cannot duplicate the accuracy I am getting with factory Federal Classic 150gr soft pnts, so needless to say that is what I hunt with. I topped it with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x50. This rifle is the most accurate high-powered rifle I have ever owned, right out of the box.

My favorite caliber is the 300 win mag. I own ,243, .308, 22-.250, and for an all-around caliber the 300 win has them beat. I bought a Ruger M77 mkII in Springerville in 2001 and have since harvested an antelope, elk, and 2 (soon to be 3) coues with it. I also think that topping your weapon of choice with good optics is just as important as the weapon itself. I have tried alot of different brand of optics and always come back to Leupold, especially when they are going on magnums. In my opinion you just can't beat Leupold for clarity and eye relief. The only animal I have had to shoot more than once was my New Mexico bull and that was because he was was heading towards a very deep canyon in the Gila wildernes area in 16b and at that time we had no horses. That is where my name of "packhorse" originated from, 3 bulls in 3 days, all on our backs! I wouldn't trade the experience for anything but then again I wouldn't want to do it over.

I was going to camp but have since changed my mind, it only takes me 45min. to get to my hunting spot (1 hour if I drive the speed limit) so I will be hunting from home and after work. I was in my unit Friday and Saturday and helped my buddies son harvest his first deer, He made a good 150 - 200 yd shot with his .260 rem. We had him on a real nice 3 x 4 earlier in the am but just couldn't make it happen, he was more than happy with the nice forkie he ended up taking. It didn't take long for the deer to move out and I can't say I blame them, we even took cover a couple of times! I did see one of the biggest mule deer since I have lived in Arizona, hopefully he will still be around in a few weeks for the juniors hunt. We got a 10yr old that wants a "big ol muley" Good luck to all

My hunt overlaps with the junior hunt in 36c plus I will be helping my buddies son who has the junior 36c/36a hunt. I tried talking him into a coues but he says he wants a "big ol muley", it is his first deer hunt and we will try to hook him up on a "big ol muley"! Should be alot of fun. I didn't see a map, isn't Ryan Ranch road next to that little ranch right off the side of 286? Anyway I plan on stop'n in.

m1280, I will buy you dinner after you pack that buck out for me Friday

Ahh, I aint old........just ask the Mrs. I kinda thought "pigman" maybe had to do with javelina....or being a hog farmer.....or maybe like that Seinfeld episode with the pigboy in it At any rate I wish you and your son the best of luck on your hunting endeavors this year, it is a great thing keeping OUR hunting heritage alive through our youth.

Happy b-day pigman, wow you are old huh? Just funn'n ya, hope you have a good day. ps. why pigman?

I'm up for it, I'll be across the road in 36c (not too far). The first person to bring up the tab gets to treat (firstcoues). That little bar/resturant up the hill has great mexican food.

Some of the best duck hunt'n I've seen in Arizona was by redrock feedlot a couple of years ago, reminded me of Oregon, now it's all screwed up, can't hardly get back in there gotta take the long way around. I also saw two lions down in there and a whole buncha hogs, not javelina, bigg'ns...like 300 or 400 lb'ers.

That's nice

I was down south saturday scouting and heard a few quail but opted to carry a rifle instead of scatter gun, did see a bunch of deer 50 or so and videoed some ok bucks. Haven't found the big guy yet, anyway the weekend before last I hunted quail up by Oracle and had 15 birds @ 10:00am and a muley shed. Bullwidgeon, not too many people chase them big muleys around 37a, I thought I was the only one. I have lived in that unit for 20yrs and have seen some real monsters but it's not like it used to be about 15yrs ago. I have two no fail spots that hold some big boys still, just got to be patient.

I like 36b cause you can sneak into mexico and hunt them bick bucks without all the $

I have the Nov. hunt in 36c but I will be helping friends in Oct in 36c and 36b in Dec. I truly love this time of year, been shooting my rifles getting the old confidence level up there. READY TO GO!.....is it time yet?........how bout now?

Mine scored 95 5/8.

Those are very nice bucks HICAP, the one your son harvested last year in 36b looks like the twin brother of the one I got in 36b last Dec. It is 36c for me this year but I will be in 36b in Dec. for my buddies hunt, maybe see ya out there. (I am in a siver Tacoma x-tra cab 4x4) Good luck this fall.

I think that scent is for sure the most important of the two....dang TAM, you made me hungry with that potato soup thing! Unless you are archery hunting and you are within 300-400 yards, take your pack off, lay on the ground with your rifle on you pack and hose em!

I named my buck from last year "the $950.00 buck" cus that's what it cost me for the surgery from the injury to my knee while pack'n him out!

I hope you guys intend on telling folks the truth of the matter......well, just let me do it then. Folks, the truth of the matter is that there are so many deer in 36b that you could almost walk across thier backs and never touch the ground. Why else would there be over 2,000 permits given out there? 36c on the other hand is a very deer poor unit, the lions in there have all but wiped out the deer numbers not to mention the heavy amount of illegal traffic through there......must have scared all them deer across the street to 36b. So if you really want a good chance at harvesting a quality coues, 36b is the choice for you!

You aint a kidd'n More D, I seen more rattlers down there in the last month than all of last season, pert near stepped in the middle of two of em. I don't know when them things mate but these two looked to me as if maybe I busted them doin the wild thing, all inter-twined, got some cool pictures of em.

I am with coueshunter, although 116 is a great buck I would've thought it would be bigger than that. Heck there's guys on here that have taken deer that big...only cost'm $17.50, If I had the $ to burn I would either be in old mexico or san carlos.

I have bounced several calibers around over the last few years, .243,30-06,.308. 22-250 and I have finally settled in on one that I consider to be the best all-around for me. I bought a Ruger .300 win mag while in Sprigerville in 2001 and it has performed flawlessly since, I've harvested 2 coues 1 bull and an antelope with it not to mention countless yotes and a couple of exploding rabbits. It has become one of those rare pieces of equiptment that could never be replaced for the accuracy or just the shear confidence I have when I settle in behind it and pick up my intended target through the old vari-x III.

Wasn't able to catch it at 1pm, dang work always gett'n in the way. Do you know if it will be re-aired at another time?

So far this year I have seen one bunch of 5 bucks that had 2 bucks in the 90 class and two in the 70's and 1 spike. Last weekend I saw 4 spikes running together. Generally I have mostly seen spikes and small forkies either together or with does this time of year. I took some video 2 weeks ago of 3 very nices bucks together, all of them being in the high 90's but I aint never been much good at judging them neither.

Happy B-Day TRiesgo, hope you have a great day. AAhh to be 28 again....dang I'm gett'n old.