TAM

If you figure an average coues deer's chest is about 15 inches from the top of the back to the bottom of its chest you should be pretty close. For my gun the bullet drops 8 inches at 400 yards, so I can hold the horizontal cross hair right on the deer's back and put the bullet right in the center of the chest.

Go with the .30-06! The .22-250 can kill coues size animals but any .22 caliber is marginal at best when it comes to big game hunting. Because of the light weight of the bullet it will loose energy fast at long ranges and may not provide the kenitic energy to get deep penetration. If you do use it pick your shots, use a heavy constructed bullet, and stay just behind the shoulder. I think the .30-06 would be a much better choice.

I was down scouting over the weekend and the deer were very active. We got a late start in the morning and still saw quite a few deer. There were some small bucks sparring and one was even chasing does, the does weren't into it though. I'd say with all this good cold and wet weather we've been having this fall, the rut should hit pretty hard by the end of December. The small bucks are sure starting to get excited.

The regs say "any substance as bait", I think it's also important to define "bait"? I relate bait to food and not necessarily to smell. If smells are considered bait, then what about sounds? We all know that calling for bear is not considered baiting. In my opinion bait = food, not smells or sounds. I'm sure most of the game cops don't even agree/know the answer to this one. I'd steer clear of anything that could possibly be construed as bait.

We usually leave our cameras out for two weeks. Most of the time the pictures have all been taken within the first week though. We had cameras in two different units and one Saturday we'd go into one area to check the cameras, and the next Saturday we'd go to the other area to check the cameras. We couldn't check every camera every week, they were just too far away. On one tank we would get more bear than coues deer.

Treestandman and myself had a bear that would turn the camera from one side of the tree to the other. That bear did it every time, but it never damaged the camera. I've heard that there is a chemical used in making film that bears like. I also think they can see/hear the flash and gets them curious. We got dozens of pic's of bears this past year and never had any damage. Coues7, I would try finding a thick over grown canyon with some natural springs if you want to get pic's of bear. All of the locations where we get bear on a regular basis match that description. We have one other location that is a little more open that we had a good bear coming into on and off, but that tank was next to a thick nasty canyon full of manzinita, scrup oak and juniper's. It's probably getting too late in the season to get many pic's now, but come next spring they'll be out again!

Hey Bill, Neither Treestandman or myself make our own cameras. We just buy the cheap stealth cams or Moultrie game spy cameras. I also own a Non-typical Deer Cam and a Vision cam. All of them work about the same, and all but the deer cam were under $100. We've bought several of them on ebay. They all have pro's and con's but they all get the job done. Just remember to place them where they won't be easily seen. We both had cameras stolen last spring. We usually take them down during the hunting season because sadly enough it's usually other hunters that steal them. Good luck!

As Treestandman stated we like to find water in thick, steep, nasty bear country and set the cameras out. We got quite a few pic's of bear on 4 different tanks this past spring and summer. I drew a unit 22 archery spring bear tag so I'm hopeful I can tag one this spring. In most cases we would get the same resident bears coming in week after week throughout the summer.

I would also suggest you turn the flash on. If there is a huge buck coming in at night I'm sure you'd like to know about it. Everything changes during the rut and it's possible he comes in during daylight.

I just called the AZ G&F and was able to access my draw results. I got unit 23 turkey, unit 22 archery pig, and a unit 22 archery bear. I was not able to access the results on the website, only the phone # (602) 942-3000. Good luck!

I think the reason they are so stingy about access to unit D has something to do with the Apache cattle ranchers. When I spoke with the gal in the wildlife office she mentioned something about a cattle ranchers association having control over that land. Not sure of all the details, but something along those lines.

The last time the fees were increased was 1998, at least that's what it says on the AZ G&F website. Seven years is a long time for any business to go without an increase in prices. I have vendors that I work with that have raised prices three times so far this year! It also mentions that G&F is dealing with budget short falls as a result of a drop in hunting and fishing license sales over the last decade. (Perhaps Lark is right and they can't budget their money?) Sounds like they are also looking to use the additional money from fee increases to promote wildlife and improve habitat. Allen is right, everyone should be sending emails to their Senators in support of Senate Bill 2978. Follow this link and go to the info page on the AZ G&F website where it provides details on the bill and additional email links to Senators McCain, and Kyle. If we all send them letters like we did the USO sponsors we might just get their attention! http://www.azgfd.com/artman/publish/article_212.shtml Here is the quote from the AZ G&F website, followed by the link: PHOENIX ? The Arizona Game and Fish Department will conduct a series of public meetings on a proposal for an increase to the statutory ceiling for license and tag fees. ?It?s important to remember that this proposal only sets the ceiling for fees. Any increase in fees for our customers would have to go through the rulemaking process, including another public comment period,? says Director Duane Shroufe. ?Sales of hunting and fishing licenses fell 16 percent from 1988 through 2003. Without an increase in statutory fee ceilings, the department will be forced to make service and program reductions.? ?It?s also important to remember that the last statutory fee increase in 1998 only provided for the maintenance of existing department programs. The current proposal, in addition to meeting budget shortfalls, would allow us to increase wildlife surveys, enhance law enforcement presence in the field, and improve our fish hatchery and fish stocking programs, in addition to improving other important services to our customers,? says Shroufe. http://www.azgfd.com/artman/publish/article_209.shtml

If you want to hunt small game in region D you have to use a reservation approved guide. That idea will work in units A,B, & C though. Here is a quote from the San Carlos website: * Procedural Rule for Unit D: 1. Tribal Member licensed guide is required for small game hunters in Unit D. He may accompany up to four (4) hunters at one time. Here is the link: http://www.sancarlosrecreationandwildlife.com/schedule2.htm I spent quite a bit of time doing some research on this same topic a few weeks ago. I finally had to go into the office to get it all figured out.

A buddy of mine is a brand new certified hunter saftey course instructor for AZ G&F. He will be holding his first class the end of January. He lives in Chandler, so I'm sure the class will be in the S.E. valley somewhere. I'll get the details and post his contact information.

Maybe them long cold Alaska winters do strange things to a fella's mind? Maybe that's why them pigs live down here in the warm weather?

Get a trail camera. I've learned more about bears in the last year and a half with my trail cameras than ever before. They're out there scouting for you while you're at work.

If you plan on scouting then don't buy a tag in region D. You are not allowed to scout in that unit.

If there's a good acorn crop up high the bears will be in the oaks. This past year in 22 and 24b there wern't many pears and the bears stayed high eating manzinita berries and acorns.

Was told by a top notch bear hunting guide out of payson that the bear cub in distress call works awesome. I tried it twice this year with no luck but plan on using it or the whitetail doe in distress the next time I go out. I've called in bears by squaking on an elk call in the past but only after I've already seen the bear. Good luck!

What areas have you scouted so far?

Most coues hunters don't shoot big magnums (.30 cal's) so they can have more knock down power at 100-300 yards. They shoot the big magnums so they can have enough knock down power at 500-600 yards. It doesn't take a cannon to kill a coues, some hunters just like to shoot them from a long ways off.

Bowsniper, generally speaking I think a lot of the over the counter deer licks are gimmicks and way over priced. Maybe they work for eastern whitetail? For about 3 bucks you can buy a 30 pound bag of rock salt that will work great. The deer cocain can be added to a pre existing salt lick right before the hunt or during the rut to increase activity.

I'm pretty sure that the weatherby vanguard rifle at walmart for $199 is chambered in .270 winchester, not .270 weatherby.

Bowsniper, I'm a little curious what's wrong with deer cocain or salt? The stuff works great for me! I've got pictures of coues deer coming in 5 and 6 at a time for the stuff.

I have some real old hunting video's of Chuck Adams before he sold out to the camo companys. Some of you may remember that many years ago all Chuck would wear for his archery hunts was blue jeans and a flannel shirt. In one of the video's Chuck actually explains that deer are color blind and camo is just a bunch of hype! I guess the checks he received from Realtree helped him change his mind!