RockyMtnOyster

Echo Co. That's what I'm talking about! Thank you Sir, saved me a trip to Whiteriver. Much appreciated! RockyMtnOsyter

I was hoping not to have to take the Whiteriver route, but it looks like that is what it will be. I plan on hunting west side of the unit and whiteriver is "waaay over dare" Thanks for the comments and advice. RockyMtnOyster

Does anyone know where a to find the hunt unit map for the white moutain apache tribe? I got drawn for the archery cow/spike hunt on the west units 9,11 for WMAT and having difficulty figuring out where exactly the unit boundaries are. I called up to the tribe and they said there are no maps. I couldn't find anything on their website. I think the hardest part of this hunt will be figuring out where the dang unit is! I just want to put meat in the freezer! Thanks for any advice. RockyMtnOyster

Those are nice if you're into wide, heavy, lots of trash, some stickers, and fat droppers, WOWSERS!!

Way to make the best of a very slow rut season. You guys definitely earned those bulls this year.

That buck is absolutely breathtaking, I mean that thing is good! Great story! Awesome buck! You gotta mount that guy

I had 6 bonus points for deer and was drawn for a December coues tag as my second choice this year...SWEET! The final three days of the season was when the action started to happen. It was the last three days of the season, so it was do or die to get one. Three separate storms pounded the area the week before and the ground was soggy, with water everywhere. Monday morning finds me glassing a big open area that looks like a great place for a big coues buck to be. I see a bunch of does, and some smaller bucks, but nothing that I wanted to tag out on. About 11 am I was driving over to glass another ridge and got stuck. The rest of the day I spent trying fruitlessly to get myelf unstuck. Night comes and I am still stuck. I walk 3 hours back to camp, call my brother who gets a friend with a bigger truck to come pull me out. 12:30 am and I finally get back to camp with my truck after a buddy drives over from Mesa to pull me out (good thing for good friends) What a long day. Alarm goes off 5:30 am and I didn't feel like getting my butt out of bed, but I did. Tuesday morning is quiet, but I see a bomber buck about noon. Glassed him up about 1300 yards off two ridges away. This buck would go book for sure. After stalking up and around a very large ridge that took me two hours to get into position, the closest I could get to this buck was still too far to shoot. I had few other options as light was fading quickly. I knew it was now or never. I was on a ridgetop directly across from him. I ranged him, setup my rifle with a solid rest and squeezed the trigger....BOOM. Deer casual walks over the ridge and out of my life. Hearbreak hotel. I missed him. I was lobbing a Doug Floutie Hail Mary out there and my prayer was not answered. This buck had a nice dropper on the right side and tine length the likes of which I had never seen out of any buck on the hoof. He literally took my breathe away. It honestly hurts thinking about him. Wednesday morning I'm up earlier determined to be glassing the ridge with the big buck at first light in hopes of finding him again. 10 am rolls around and I hadn't seen the big one, but I did see a good 3X3, nothing huge, but a respectable coues buck. He was heading to his bedding grounds and I knew it was now or never ( Being last day of the season). After figuring I wasn't going to see the big one, I decided to take a crack at the 3x3. I moved into position, ranged him, loaded a shell in and set the cross hairs on him. I yelled out a loud grunt, he stopped and looked my direction broadside. I squeezed the trigger and KAPLOW, the buck went down like a ton of bricks. I'm very happy with him, he was a little better buck than i thought he would be. I guess after looking a true trophy, everything else seemed small. I rough scored him at 85. I am very happy to have taken this buck, it was such a fun hunt. Take 'er easy and good luck on your hunts in 09!

Good looking buck right there!

Those are cool pictures!

Nice first coues you got there, he looks to be around 85-90 ish, but then again I've never measured on for real, only by computer. So don't take my word for it. He's a true trophy for your first coues. Let me guess, YOU'RE HOOKED!

That buck is beautiful in every way, what a trophy.

Helluva buck! Put him on the ground and then score him... Good Luck!

3 is such a good unit for elk. Scout hard, hunt hard, you may never pull this tag again. I was lucky enough to have that tag back in 05, ended up with a great bull. Can't help but put a pic up. Good luck on your hunt!

If the above is true, AZGFD should take the money and run. With legal costs already mounting, what do they really have to gain? And if they already have proven that he initially shot the bull from a legal distance, then what's the big deal? It was a sad deal, the way it all ended, but no need to det messy in courts. McClendon's have my respect, I hope this all ends soon.

cool pictures, thanks for sharing