Noel Arnold

First thing I would like to say is I have no ill feeling's for the guide or hunter.Now that I have said that,I would like to add that anytime there is a big animal shot on a auction tag.It seem's like this always happens.I personally do not agree with these tag's because it gives hunting a bad name. Now of course if I was a guide I might think differently.Because of the money I could make.I know we have this arguement every year about whether the benefit of these tag's outweigh the negative.To me every year that goes by makes it clear that the negative outshines the positive.

Anything could happen in two weeks as far as the weather is concerned.I never get drawn so it does not matter to me.(Yes that is sarcasim) But good luck to all of you tag holders.

Sounds like you had a great trip.I have gone the last two summers,but could not go this summer because the wife and I are in the process of adopting our two foster children.Last year we were out of Gustavus and the halibut was world class,but the silvers were running late and we only caught a few.I had to get a cortizon shot in my shoulder because of all the monster halibut I caught.It is still giving me problems and I am having trouble shooting my bow.The docter said I might have to have one more shot.I think I just need to lay off it for awhile and let the inflamation go down. Noel

I have glassed around 10 while whitetail hunting.Not that many when you consider I have been glassing for coues for thirty years.The only one I could shoot was not one of the ten.I saw him with my eyes walking accross the caynon on a trail.He is on my wall.

Anybody hear any rumors that the elk and antelope applications may be as much as 50 % down from last year. Noel

Gamehauler made a good point about this being a hunting website.I do not know what the total percent of hunters that get on websites is,but I would guess that it is not more then 20%.And there is going to be a lot higher percent of us that are going to put in compared to the majority of the population.The more I talk to people the more I think that there is going to be a pretty big drop in applications from last year.

Stanley, No I will not believe it until I see it.I was thinking maybe 30 % at the most .But I do know that a lot of people put in for points only that normally put in for the draw.If you look at all of the hunters in Arizona that worked in the construction buisness,then you know of a lot of people are out of work or getting ready to.

Tam, I think at the end of the game they did not choke at all.I think that steelers made some really good plays.I am very proud of how the card's played this post season.And I think as long as Warner comes back and we do not have a lot of major injuries,then we have as good a chance as anybody else to go again.The upside of the Cardinals is we have quite a few young players with the chance of getting better next year.(Just my two cents ) Noel

We must have been watching two different games,because I did not see a total prevent defense.The one play when it was 3rd down and 6 we came with a all out blitz and they converted the first down.The fact is that they won the game.The only play that I thought was really bad was Harrison beating on our guy. That should have got him kicked out of the game.Maybe the last play of the game was wrong,but we had the lead with about 2 1/2 minutes and could not stop them.(Cardinal's had a great ride but in the end they got bucked off with the clock at 7.9 seconds.And then the dang bull kicked them in the gut's after bucking them off).The only thing they can do is get back on . Noel

I have always done my own.Try it,it is not as hard as you think.The 16lbs on the coues is what seems a little light to me.Maybe by 5lbs or so.But it also may have been a real small body.My pig was not very big this year around thirty dressed and I got exactly 9lbs of boned out meat.So I guess if the coues was only 60lbs dressed it may be right. Noel

Keith, I agree that we should only trade him if we get something back in return.And you are right,he did not let it bother the way that he played this year.I just feel that players today are not worried as much about winning as they are about money and being held up in the limelight.Amarie Stoudimire comes to mind.I used to think that he wants to win more then anything.But I realize now that being perceived as the best player is what he wants. Noel

Great story.I am sorry you could not find your deer.I have my own lion story.About 8 years ago I put in for muzzleloader mule deer and it had been a very dry year.I was scouting around Wickenburg and it was a very windy day.I was walking in to the wind and came up to a very rocky canyon.I stepped up on a table sized rock to get a look ahead.All of a sudden two lion kittens ran from under the rock.As I was watching them run away I was thinking it was really cool.Then from the side view I see mother cat jump up on a rock 15 yards away.I was thinking this was really cool also.But then realized after awhile that she was giving me the stare down and not leaving.Of course since I was scouting all I had was my binocs ,water and walking/glassing stick .I started jumping up and down , waiving my stick and yelling.The cat still did not leave.Then I picked up a rock and threw it as hard as I could hitting the rock at her feet.As I bent over to pick up another rock,she took a step toward me on the rock.I threw again and hit her scare on the front of the shoulder.I will never forget the sound of the rock hitting her and the hair seperating on her body.In school I broke the record for softball throw and can throw 90mph.She still did not run away and my instinct was to charge her ,which I did yelling and waiving my stick.Finally when I was about 7 or 8 yards from her,she started to walk away.Now here is the rest of the story,remember I said it was a very dry year.The very next week less then 1 mile from my episode at the closest ranch.The wife hear's the horses going crazy and walk's out and see's a lion stalking them.She starts yelling and then goes in to the house ,to either get a gun or call the sherriff (I can not remember),but the lion get's away.A couple day's later a boy scout trip is walking on the river preserve (In the same area) and comes up on a lion that was on a deer kill.It was growling at them and not leaving.They get the heck out of dodge,call the sherriff and he come's out and shoots it.I do not know if it was the same lion or not.It was one of those years that it was so bad that bears were coming in to the east side of the city.I do not know if it was protecting it's young or looking at me like food (maybe both).But I do know that when it comes to a aggressive lion, you have to be aggressive right back and appear to be as big as you can Noel

I liked Boldin until he started whining about not getting payed enough.Here is my problem with him and all of the other guys like him.It used to be years ago that people would honor there contract and wait until it was close to renewing before asking for more money if they had earned it.Now they start demanding more a couple years before it renews.The funny thing is if a player does not play up to the leval of what his contract is paying him ( Hollywood boy comes to mind),then the team still has to pay the whole amount.But if he plays better,then he demands more right away.I say it is time to free up some money and get other players. Noel

Thunderbolt, No new updates,but I can forsee the future. Cardinals 25 and Steelers 17.He He !!!!!!!!!!! Noel

I was thinking that was to big to be true.I think they probally top out at 6 feet in Arizona.My Grandfather killed one on his farm on the verde river in the 60's that was 5 foot and the thickest rattler I have ever seen.Ikilled one that was 5 1/2 foot,but not as thick.

Wow!!! Congrat's on a DREAM BUCK

I have shot around 30 coues in Arizona and only one of them was bad eating.And that was only because he was so old he was not going to make it through the winter. We had seen the buck for years and when I finally got him the skin was hanging from him and he tasted like bad vinager.I do not think you can say the same for mule deer,when it comes to table fare.

Catclaw, I have not bought a pair of the swaro's because my eyes are to close together.When I look through my Dad's I can see,but it is a little bit of double vision.I am really close,but not quite.I always wondered if they could somehow cut the frame down a little.I have to use the 15x60 zeiss,which are very good but a whole lot bigger and heavy. Noel

All I can say is my Dad buys every new bow that comes out and he has a bowtech and a matthews.He shot his elk this year with the bowtech.He seems to like it a little better.If any of you Know Stewart Bowman,then you know he is pretty savy when it comes to bows.He says that you can not go wrong with either bow.But now that the bowtech is lighter,he says it is great.He thinks that the mechanical parts of the bowtech are a little ahead of Matthews.

I am going up next week to Kingman and pick up the 2009 Bowtech.Stewart bowman just got them in last week and said they our awesome.They are lighter then last years model and shoot great and are even quieter.

Great buck!! I will guess 30 to 32 outside and 168 gross.

Congrat's on a great buck.I know what you mean on the yellow jackets.On my dad's archery elk this year,as we were boning out the meat they were so bad that each one of us got stung.I have never seen so many in my life.Arizona had huge hatches of bugs with all the winter and summer moisture this year Noel

Congrats Sandra on a awesome bull.He is going to look great on the wall Tex

Hunt4horns, When he fell off the first cliff,I could not see it because he went into a low spot. After walking over there it was very easy to follow the blood on the rocks as he slid off the edge.Tines, Remember the only way to get to him from the top is either a helicopter or rappel guy.And either way they would have to go in head first hanging from a rope.Even if you could get a helicopter it would have been very dangerous and the same for a rappel guy.Also it was shot in the morning on a very long walk to the closest road.And it was a very hot hunt.Besides being to dangerous for any way of getting him,the chances of getting him out by that afternoon would have been slim.Which means by the next day his meat is spoiled.

Fatfoot, I could have touched him,but I was to scared that he might come down on me.It was very hard because this was a limited oppuritunity hunt and the first couple days I was on to some 330 bulls and could not close the deal.This was at the end of the hunt and I had decided to go meat hunting.He was a small six point and I was not shooting him for the horns.My wife and I only eat meat and fish that we get,we do not buy store bought meat because of the hormones,antibiotics and etc.So you can be assured that if there was a safe way to get him then I would be eating elk meat tonight. Coues n sheep, He had already fell off a 50 cliff to get were he is and that cliff is behind him as well,so if you would have rapelled down then there would have been no way to crank him straight up out of the crack.Also the picture does not show but he is down in the crack,so you would have had to rapell down head first to even get to touch his horns.The whole thing just really stunk!!!! Noel