SunDevil

so what you are saying is, out of fairness, the refs should have taken 4 points from ASU and given them to osu. then the final score would only have been 68 - 66.

wasn't that score from like 3 months ago? I will take last nights score: SUNDEVILS 72 beavers 62

Pac 12 Team Conf. W-L Tot. W-L Arizona St. 3-0 14-2 UCLA 3-0 13-3 Oregon 2-0 13-2 Washington 2-0 10-5 Arizona 2-1 14-1 Colorado 1-2 11-4 Stanford 1-2 10-6 California 1-2 9-6 USC 1-2 6-10 Oregon St. 0-2 10-5 Washington St. 0-2 9-6 Utah 0-3 8-7

Earlier this year I had the tremendous opportunity to hunt elk during the early rifle season. This was only my 2nd elk tag and first since an unsuccesful general hunt back in 1996. I was both excited and anxious upon learning I had finally drawn this great tag. I spent a lot of time researching and talking to people who had hunted this unit during the early season (archery and rifle) in recent years or who had the archery hunt this year. I want to thank everyone who was willing to share information with me! You know who you are and I am very appreciative of your help. Scouting trips were going to be very far from Tucson and it was important that I do as much homework on my hunt as possible. I spoke to a few guides but ultimately decided not to book with anyone. I was able to block out several weekends on my calendar for scouting trips and things were starting to come together. I was fortunate to have several people helping me on this hunt. Larry, Chris, Dave, Warren (flew out from Missouri) and Stephen (drove down from UT). My first scouting trip with Larry was mostly uneventful. We were able to learn some of the unit, got stuck in the mud for a couple of hours, met up with a few guys I talked to on the phone but were also able to find a huge herd of elk. It was still August and I knew things were going to change a lot before my hunt. The 2nd scouting trip with Chris produced mid-day bugling elk and this fine bull. We were able to learn more of the unit and spent a night in camp with Ilene and Roger. It had rained a lot since my last trip and the mud was brutal. We did not get stuck but came very close 3 – 4 different times. We did find a nice antelope that I told another hunter about and he eventually was successful in harvesting that fine buck. Here is the bull we found, a sunrise over the prairie and the famous "Cardiac" canyon. My 3rd scouting trip with Dave produced even more bugling elk. It was the opener of the archery hunt. Our first stop Friday evening at dusk produced a nice, narrow 7X7 but the swarming mosquitoes prevented us from getting any pictures or video of him. Later that night I pulled off the road about a mile past the tank I wanted to scout the next morning and we were right between two bugling bulls that kept getting closer and closer to us. We fell asleep listening to the two of them screaming at each other. Dave woke me up in the middle of the night to the sound of the bulls fighting. There was no moon and they had to be less than a hundred yards away. They were going at it. We listened to their antlers crashing against each other until we fell back asleep. In the morning they were gone. I glassed up one bull that was on the move and that was it. Off we went to another area only to find 3 different groups of spotters glassing from the same hill for 3 different archers that were out trying to stalk a huge herd of elk with little to no cover to hide behind. That afternoon/evening produced more bulls and elk being pushed around from archery pressure. My 4th and final scouting trip was upon me. I headed out solo to yet another area within the unit and was able to hook up with Wade and Stan. I went out with Wade one afternoon and he arrowed a good bull. We went back to camp for dinner and then returned and tracked that bull until after midnight. We were back at it again first thing the next morning and looked until noon without any luck. Wade kept at it and I left to go talk to Stan before he headed for home. Stan put me on an area where they had seen a couple really big bulls. I got to the area after dark and the bulls were going crazy. There was probably 8 – 10 of them. I listened to them for an hour or so as they headed to water and before I hit the sack. In the morning they were gone. As in the prior weekend, their nocturnal behavior was really frustrating to me. My hunt was less than a week away and I was beginning to get a little stressed out. It was going to be a full moon, the weather forecast was calling for HOT temperatures and I did not have that “400 incher” tied up to a tree yet. The evening before my hunt yielded 7 bulls and a concerning skunk at 10'. No first day shooters but I was still encouraged with what we had seen. Days 1 – 4 of my hunt were pretty uneventful. We were splitting up to cover as much ground as possible but the elk were few and far between. I did not even see any bulls on the first day of the hunt. I passed on a nice bull the second morning but for the most part we would regroup at lunch or in the evening with no shooter bulls having been spotted. Antelope, mule deer, cows, rag horns or busted bulls were the norm. This was turning into a tough hunt. The moon and the heat were making the elk almost entirely nocturnal. It was very frustrating. We could hear bulls bugling every night but in the morning they were gone. In the afternoon they would bugle from the trees but would not come out until after it got dark. The window of opportunity at dawn and dusk was extremely narrow. The ever so helpful full moon over elk bedding jungle. At lunch on the 4th day I decided to move camp and try a different area. We needed to get out of the trees so we headed for the antelope prairie. That evening we split up again and collectively saw 13 bulls. Things were starting to look up. Dave and Warren's bull. Chris found Wilbur Jr. Nothing came of day 5 and the stress was really starting to build. I only had 2 days left of my hunt. That evening I was trying to decide what to do. Back on day 4 I had sent Chris to an area Ilene had told me about and he had found 8 bulls. My original plan was to send Larry to this spot and hunt another area close by with Chris. While I layed in bed that evening trying to go to sleep I changed my mind. The next morning I told Larry I was going with him. I was glad I did. On the morning of the 6th day we arrived to the area we were going to hunt a little later than planned. The bulls were bugling but it was already getting light and the area offered little to no cover and the elk were on the move. We hiked up to the nearby hill to glass and instantly found elk on the other side. The bulls were all spikes, rag horns or broken. I swung my binoculars to the south and spotted my bull off in the distance. I knew as soon as I saw him he was the one. I told Larry where he was and asked him to check the bull out in the spotter to make sure he was not broken while I got my stuff together. Larry reported he was not broke and off I went. Wilbur Jr. This was flat, antelope country and there was very little cover. I had to zig zag around to keep out of sight. The elk were feeding away from me and I was able to close about half of the distance to them. I was hiding behind the last bush between the elk and I. I was unable to get any readings from my 600 yard range finder. I needed to get closer! It was starting to warm up and I figured the elk were probably going to bed down soon. They were at the top of a little hill that had some trees on it. Finally the last cow went over the hill. What to do? I opted against going straight at them, over the top and having to shoot at a spooked, running target. The wind was blowing from the east and I knew if I got to the west of them I would have the wind in my favor and be able to see them bedded against the trees. There was one very tall tree at the top of the hill where I had last seen the elk and I was able to use this tree as a reference point as I made a big loop around to the west. I crept around the base of the hill until there was a bush between me and my reference tree and then I snuck up behind it. I peeked around the bush and there they were. I still was 525 yards out and really wanted to get closer. There was another bush out in front of me and further to the south that I thought would get me close enough. I backed out and repeated the process. When I peeked around the 2nd bush they were still there and I was 345 yards out. I dialed in my turret, cranked the scope up to 20x and got set up on my stool with my gun resting on my tripod handle. The bull was bedded and quartering towards me. The lower half of his body was covered by the grass in front of him. I did not feel comfortable with the setup. I sent out a text asking for thoughts on the situation. Warren suggested to “get closer”. Not an option. Chris said to “take him”. I talked with Larry about it on the radio and the decision was made to wait him out. I knew eventually the sun would move around the tree he was against and he would get up to re-bed. It was about 7:00. As I sat there watching him doze I noticed there was not that much grass to the side of the bush I was hiding behind and after a little landscaping I was set up prone with my gun resting on extended bi-pod legs. As I laid there watching him through my scope my arms began to fall asleep. I stacked up a little pile of flat rocks to rest the butt of my rifle on and was able to keep him in sight as I shifted and alternated my weight from one arm to another. I could see his hind quarters lit up by the sun and knew his rump had to be getting warm. Finally the moment came. I had moved from behind my scope and when I looked back he was up. I took my gun off safety and slowly pulled the trigger. Being prone I was able to get back on him quickly after the shot and could see he was hit but still up. I chambered another round. He had taken 4 – 5 wobbly steps and as soon as the cows cleared from around him I sent another 180 grain Nosler accubond his way. The 2nd shot was also a solid hit, the cows got out of Dodge and I watched as he stumbled behind a bush and saw his antlers go horizontal. I jumped up in excitement. My hunt was done. I had harvested my first bull. It was 8:29 and I immediately called my wife who was at Disneyland to give her the good news. Larry and Chris met up with me and we walked to my bull. He was not the monster I had dreamed of but he was a great bull and he was mine. During all the events of the morning I had never even considered not shooting him. We were 1.5 miles from the trucks. I called Dave and Warren to meet us and to bring the ice chests. We were able to drive right to him and after the photo shoot, we were able to cut him up and put him in the coolers right where he was. Antelope country. The crew We got back to camp, packed it up and headed for home. I have to first thank my most understanding wife for supporting my crazy hunting adventures. She is always very tolerant of my obsessions despite the time and money they take away from our family. Thanks honey! As stated before, I also have to thank everyone that provided information to me about the unit I hunted. This includes people who had hunted this unit in recent years as well as people who hunted it during the archery season right before my hunt. Thanks everyone! I also have to thank the crew that was with me. On scouting trips they endured what seemed like endless hours driving around on hot, bumpy, sometimes muddy and sometimes dusty roads. During my hunt, they got up every morning at zero dark thirty to go drive around in the dark and scout for bulls for me (I think the home made brownies and Oreo double stuff cookies kept fuel in their gas tanks). Thanks guys! I also have to thank Jim. He was one of the few guides that offered helpful info on my hunt. We talked and texted during my scouting trips. One weekend he was guiding in New Mexico but still responded to my calls and texts. He was guiding in another unit during my hunt but would always respond to texts I sent him (sometimes I received his texts at 11:00 at night or later) offering words of encouragement (he knew I was having a tough hunt) and providing spots to possibly hunt. Thanks Jim! Finally, I have to thank Ilene for putting me onto the spot where I took my bull. Without her very specific and detailed info it is quite possible I would not have filled my tag or filled it with such a fine bull. For that I am most sincerely appreciative and thankful to her. Thanks Ilene! I know my stories can be long but I hope you enjoyed it none the less. Chris.

Come on Casey, I am not allowed to be optimistic? In Aug we can look up what the Vegas over/under for their wins will be and bet then.

I agree with Flatlander. 10 - 2 for the Devils with losses probably to Stanford and UCLA. No ducks this year. ASU returns 16 starters. Headlined by consensus first team All-American Will Sutton, the Sun Devils are returning 16 starters, including linebackers Carl Bradford and Chris Young, safety Alden Darby and defensive lineman Jaxon Hood on defense, and running backs DJ Foster and Marion Grice, quarterback Taylor Kelly and three offensive linemen on offense. The 2013 ASU Football Schedule 9/7 Sacramento State Scrimmage. 9/14 Wisconsin (Big 10 Champion) Home game. New coach. 9/21 at Stanford (Pac-12 Champion) Tough game. 9/28 USC Home game. Another down year for USC. Last year for Kiffin. 10/5 vs. Notre Dame at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas ND used up all their irish luck in 2012. 10/12 Colorado Home game. 10/19 Washington (Homecoming) Home game. 10/26 Bye 10/31 at Washington State (Thursday) Still rebuilding. 11/9 at Utah Still rebuilding 11/16 Oregon State Home game. BLOWOUT WIN FOR ASU. 11/23 at UCLA Tough game. 11/30 Arizona Down year for kitties.

Great news out of Tempe today!! Will Sutton to return for Senior season!! http://www.thesundevils.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010813aaa.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=406586&hq_l=1&hq_v=477e1bb04f

I think Ernesto took that picture and was a contributing columnist!

no, you need at least 5 tags for a hunt for the 20% to come into play. 5 * .2 = 1

Phil, congrats on another fine hunt and welcome to the club. there are many of us who have shot the wrong deer. Interestingly enough, everyone in the club that I know were all solo when it happened. Good luck in MX!!!

Dan, the date of the report is April 2012. Are you including in your 21 the point you got for being unsuccessful in the 2012 draw? I would speculate they are not including those points in their report but merely reporting the results of the draw. If this is the case then you are one of the 113 that had 20 points and did not draw.

come on pack, one of the ultimate packers layed down for strahan to get a record. how about a little AP love?

FYI - not that I personally put much credibility into them anyway but thought it would be important for people to know the hunt success stats they included in the regs are from 2011!!!

call the pawn shops.

+1 on the 870 youth express. semi autos do have a little less kick but they are also heavier than a pump. something to consider when it comes to carrying them around. I would recommend trying to find one that has sling swivels/studs.

you really can not go wrong with a youth mossberg 500 pump in 20 gauge. solid guns and not that expensive. you can pick them up at most pawn shops or at the gun shows.

Kevin - I think our disagreements in the past have influenced YOUR grossly, exaggerated perceptions of my statements, perceptions that probably would not be made by other individuals on this forum. I guess I will have to be more careful in my choice of words in order to avoid being nit-picked to death by you. Additionally, I think if you would go back and read the comments of this thread you would find that you are the one that started this disagreemment (arguement, if that is what you would like to call it). Finally, your insinuation that I would provide false or inaccurate information to someone on this forum simply because you and I do not see eye to eye on things is insulting! I appreciate your willingness to quit arguing with me - again.

Seriously Kevin? Any disagreements you or I have WILL NOT influence or effect information I provide to other people on here. The simple facts are that in general, due to higher buck to doe ratios in MX, bucks in MX tend to be broke up more than in AZ (and in AZ more than NM). Also, the likelihood of encountering broken bucks during the end of Jan is greater than the beginning of Jan. I would speculate that 99% of the coues hunting community would agree with me on these two statements. Deer densities also are a factor in this and densities vary significantly from ranch to ranch in MX but in general, ranches with higher deer densities will have a higher probability of broken antlers than ranches with lower deer densities. If you have not experienced this than that is great for you but it is still soemthing that Paul needs to be made aware of and take into consideration during the decision making process that he is going through. Paul, if you are going to a ranch with low deer density and will only be seeing < 10 bucks a day than you probably will be ok but if you are going to a ranch with high deer density (say > 20 bucks a day) than you will probably encounter bucks with broken antlers.

that teachers union in Chicago has really done great things for the children of that community.

Sniper is definetly entitled to his opinion. I know several people who passed on quality bucks in MX because they were broken. I also know people who target the earlier part of Jan to hunt in MX in hopes of avoiding broken antler problems. I know when I have been down there the last week of Jan I saw more broken bucks than intact bucks.

Right to work laws do not mean you can't join a union. It means you cannot be forced to in order to gain employment. Absolutely correct. Although these lame duck laws take away more than just forcing people to pay dues. The new Michigan bill says you must have 100% of all employees paying dues and 75% of those agree just to have a seat at the table, to bargain for working conditions and meet with management. This is only after a year long process of verification. I'm Proud to work in a 100% Union Fire Dept. here in Arizona! For example, being organized has given us a right to sit and discuss what type of equipment I wear on my back and what type of equipment I carry on my truck vs. letting my city manager and city council make the decisions for me. Cheap three bid procurement equipment kills folks in my profession. It's not always about rewarding a "lazy worker" or about "pay" A lot of the times it is about the things that keep us safe as the worker. As I said, I respectively disagree, I am more proud to be an american and have the right to an opinion. Happy Hunting! So what are you going to do when the financially strapped municipality that you work for can not afford to give you a raise and your union puts you on strike? when instead of responding to a fire you are standing in a picket line?

that time of year you can expect most of the bucks to be busted up. I would not be that concerned about traveling during the day from Nogales down to Hermosillo. No one that I know has ever had a problem bringing deer meat back to the US from MX. good luck and let us know how it turns out.

The mail carriers union will be the death of the USPS, that is unless the politicians bail them out to because they are "to big to fail" NOT, just use FedEx, UPS or email.

Took the Leicas back for Swaros!

I look forward to seeing how you do on this hunt. I have hunted this unit several times but not in several years due to access problems and declining deer numbers.