TAM

If you're planning on good weather then I'm not sure why you'd need a tent? I use a cot all the time right under the stars and love it. Quick and easy to set up without the hassel of a tent.

Yep, that's a good bear!

Just wanted to share a few pic's and a quick story on my NM Antelope. Four of us drew these tags in the public draw and got assigned a ranch north of Carrizozo. After a few phone calls and emails I figured out that we had drawn a pretty good area so I really had high hopes. This was my third antelope tag in NM in the last four years and I really wanted to get a big one. Finally after all the preperation and hours at the shooting range we drove all night and arrived at our ranch just as it was getting light the day before the hunt opened. We had one full day to scout the ranch and we were determined to make the best of it. The ranch was about 25 square miles and we covered nearly every inch. The morning started off slow and we didn't see much, but by mid day we were seeing speed goats everywhere. The rut was just kicking in and the bucks were gathering herims of does. By the end of the day we figured we had seen 400-500 antelope including a few nice ones. A couple hours before our day of scouting was up we ran across a very tall forward hooking buck with about 10 or 12 does with him right off the main road. Right away it was obvious that the buck not only had the character factor going for him but he was very tall and one of the best bucks we'd seen all day. We knew he was a shooter so we decided to move away from him so we didn't disturb him. Our plan was to come back before light and pull just inside the ranch gate and wait for it to get light enough to glass him up. The next morning we followed our plan and parked just inside the ranch gate. My buddy started to glass with his Swarovski's even though it was still almost completly dark. I thought he was smoking crack and wasting his time using his binos in the dark to look through the windshield of the truck nonetheless. After a minute or two he said in a calm quiet voice "they're right there". I replied "what's right there"? and his response was "the antelope, and there close"! At that point I quietly opened the door of the truck and snuck out and got out my rifle, loaded up and got ready to shoot, but there was still one small problem. It was still not legal shooting light. Luckly the buck laid down and I just sat there with my rifle shouldered and rested on my tripod next to the front driver side tire of the truck waiting for the minutes to tick by so we'd be legal. After what seemed like a very long time we were finally within legal shooting hours the buck stood up to check his does. As soon as he was clear of the other animals I sent a 140 grain Berger VLD his way and he was mine! Yes Casey the Berger bullet performed perfectly. He is by far my best antelope and has some real unique character. His horns are 17.5 inches long and hook forward. I had a great time with Mike, Greg, and Russ and we all killed some nice antelope. Hopefully we'll draw out again next year and I can make it four NM antelope tags in five years. Also just to set the record straight. We did not use walkie-talkie radios on this hunt, but we were listening to the satelite radio when we found him. I hope that doesn't cross any ethics barriers.

There are several states which have laws against harvesting albino or white animals. I think Michigan is one of them. I don't think there are any laws against it in Arizona.

Congratulations on a beautiful trophy!

We always called them wolf spiders. Not sure if that's the real name or not. When they have all the babies on there back like that you've really got to step on them good to keep all the little ones from getting away. Even worse was when mamma and babies got into the pool. Never seemed to be a good way to get mamma spider out/dead without having a thousand little spiders taking a swim with you. Pretty sure they're harmless.

2005 Chevy Colorado 2WD Regular Cab. 4 speed automatic transmission. Vortec inline 4 cylinder engine. 60/40 cloth seats. Driver and passenger air bags. 4 wheel anti-lock brakes. Cold AC. Vinyl flooring. Good tread left on tires. Original owner. 76K miles. 18 MPG city and 25 MPG highway. This truck has been a light duty work truck for our business. With the construction industry slowing down it just sits in the driveway. Mechanically it's in great shape and runs excellent. Cosmetically inside the bed is scratched up and the body has a few minor blemishes. The interior is in good condition. Never wrecked or smoked in. It's located in Prescott. I've got it listed in the Truck Trader for $6,250, but I'd be happy to sell it here for $5,000. Feel free to call or PM me. Tim 928-533-8807

It's all good Mike! You're right no direct accusations, just stirred the pot. Sometimes that's a good thing. I'm not sure how much you followed the Spider bull deal, but they watched this bull all summer long! Not just the Mossback guys but lots of people from miles around. He was VERY visible and many people got to see him. I heard reports that as many as 30 trucks a night were parked on the edge of the meadow he was using.

Just curious as fellow hunters why we need to be so suspicious and critical of other hunters when they find success? Does this type of criticism really do anything to benefit our passion? Do you have any evidence to justify your concerns? Mike, I really respect your input on this site over the years, but this one seems a bit out of character for you? I'm not trying to start a fight, just think we should be careful what we say in public until we have the facts sorted out. I've been on the Monroe and yes it does produce 400 inch bulls. Yes there have been 500 inch bulls killed in captivity and free roaming. Seems like this bull just showed up this year, but what's wrong with that? Bucks and bulls just "show up" all the time? Look at the 300 inch mule deer that the kid in Colorado killed a couple years ago. That buck just showed up? The Monroe is HUGE country and it's not completley out of the question that there are other huge bulls and sheds out there that no one knows about. Yes, some people will do anything for money, but now you're accusing Mossback of breaking the law? Without evidence, why? How are your comments going to improve our sport and the public preception of hunting? If I'm wrong and the guy did something wrong then throw the book at him, until we have some evidence why not congratulate him?

Is it necesary? Probably not. Does the animal deserve a little extra effort to insure the best possible shot placement for a quick humane kill? Yes, with out a doubt. By spending time at the bench working up a 1/2" load THE SHOOTER is getting in lots of valuable practice. Even if you fail to get under moa you are still getting in practice. To me lots of practice with a 2 inch moa rifle is better than little or no practice with a sub moa rifle. I enjoy shooting my rifle and each time I go out I'm trying to better myself as a shooter. I am able to guage my progress by how small my groups are. In doing so I feel more prepared to be a responsible hunter in the field. I also learn what my limitations are. I know the rifle can make the shot... but can you?

I've said all along that I'm not a big John McCain fan, to moderate for my taste. I expressed that opinion in the primary election and did not vote for him. Now it's more a matter of making sure the worse of the two canidates doesn't get voted in. A vote for anyone other than McCain is a vote for BO.

You also may want to go to that camera shop up by ASU. I think it's called Tempe Camera. I broke one of my plastic adjustment buckles on my Bogen tripod a couple years ago and they were able to get the part and fix it. May be worth checking into.

I have a RCBS 5-0-5 powder scale that I'm willing to part with. I don't think it's ever been used. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

Yes you can still write in Luke Skywalker's name as well and we all know that he has the force and is quite skilled at fighting the evil powers of the dark side! Yoda could be another good choice. I believe he's much more consertive than Luke, but then again I think his age is a factor? Yes I'll say it again just for you DB... At this point there are only two canidates in this election, and a vote for anyone other than McCain is a vote for BO.

Bill I agree with you 100%!! We should always try to mind our P's and Q's expecially around those that aren't "anti" but aren't "hunters" either. I think Ted's shock value appeals to both hunters and gun owners but fails miserably at giving us any kind of positive image that someone with a more netural opinion might listen to. However, that doesn't mean that Uncle Ted can't be right on with many of his political views. His message is good but his delivery in many cases is very poor.

Wow I wish High School was that easy. I only got one wrong answer. McCain for me too!

"I don't like repeat offenders, I like dead offenders!..... Am I weird?" "The second ammendment is my concealed weapons permit!" How can a person argue with that? AMEN!

SBD the Snopes explinations are spotty at best and don't directly answer many of our questions. For example: Snopes says that he is not a "Radical Muslim". The fact is that his has Muslim ties, went to a Muslim school, has a Muslim father, says himself that he was once a Muslim. So the real question is just how "radical" his views are? We know that his Pastor of 20 years has some pretty radical views (GD America... What's up with that?), and numerous other facts that BO has ties with other people and orginizations with radical views. Not to mention he ONLY left his church after the negative public outcry! Why couldn't he stand up for himself and leave on his own without doing it for the sole reason to look good to the voters? For what it's worth, I'd stand up and walk out if I was in the congragation of a church where a pastor was screaming "GD America" from the pulpit! It wouldn't take any public outcry for me to recognize that I don't want to part of a church with a pastor with such radical views against my country! I've met some pretty good Muslims in my life and don't think I have as much a problem with BO being associated with the religion as I do the "Radical" part. A radical person in any religion can be a scary thing, let alone the Muslim religion. It seems to me that Snopes is not 100 percent accurate in what information they are reporting. Lots of twisted facts! People can't be duped into letting BO or Snopes or anyone do all the thinking for them! People must learn to think for themselves! The phrase "Don't drink the Kool-Aid" comes to mind. Perhaps you could answer this one in paticular, and preferably with your own words and not a link to Snopes. Why can BO get away with saying "typical white person"? What do you think would happen if McCain said "typical black person". I think he'd get slammed by the press. What do you think, and why is there such a double standard?

Yes you could post some pictures, but from my experience pictures don't really tell the story. I've seen some really good mounts look bad and vise versa. I think lighting has a lot to do with it.

With all sincerity I would like it if SBD or any other BO supporters would watch that video start to finish and attempt to dispell even one or two of the "Facts" presented in the video. Will someone please step forward and explain how they can see past these serious character flaws and still feel comfortable voting for BO? Perhaps these facts are rumor? Untrue? Emblished? Misunderstood? Somebody please explain? Thank you!

Ruffcountry, I appreciate your opinion, but if we do in fact "kill the bill", then what solution to you suggest? I'm really only hearing about two different avenues in the press. The bail out solution, and doing nothing at all. Seems like doing nothing will be like playing russian roulette with five bullets instead of one. I don't like the Government being involved in the private sector, but I'm still waiting for someone to show me a better idea? Doing nothing at all is a very bad idea!!! What other options are there???

I know who Ron Paul is and I know he's a Republican. He ran a valiant campain in the primarys and brought Americas attention to many good ideas. Perhaps his stance and ideals will gain some momentum from this campaign and He or someone with his ideals will fare better next time. The fact is that he is out of this election and I will vote for the person on the ticket that I have the most in common with. I didn't vote for McCain in the primarys, so he's not my first choice either. In fact I can't even say he was my second choice. The fact still remains that at this point in the election a vote for anyone other than a McCain is a vote for BO! I agree that America needs a paradigm shift in government, but that really needs to happen in the primarys first.

That all sounds real good, but unfortuneatly no one from this party is on the ticket! I only get one vote and I want to make it count.

1. stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. You posted it, not us.... In our opinion homosexuality is wrong and in your opinion christianaty is wrong woldn't that make us all bigots? "And no I don't care for figure skating." so by your posted defination you're a bigot? After all that's your opinion? Sounds like you get an opinion when it's convienent for you, but if the rest of us have an opinion we're bigots? Perhaps if we word our opinion like you word yours we'll be ok?........ And no I don't care for homosexuals. Does that sound better? Sounds like word games to me.

Again I say WOW! That's a pretty B R O A D defination of bigotry. In fact by that defination no one with an opinion would be excluded from being a bigot??? So just because you prefer to watch figure skating on Sunday afternoon and I like the NFL now you're labeling me a biggot???? Biggots are people haters plain and simple. Disapproval of a persons actions is a huge difference. Being Christian and believing that homosexuality goes against the teachings of God is a far cry from bigotry!