SunDevil

it is almost like you have to train your eyes to look for a tail or an ear or an antler or the white inside of a leg. most of the deer might be behind a bush and all you will see is part of it. they are not called grey ghosts for nothing. you could glass a hill 10 times and not see anything and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere your buddy glasses up a buck and you are like I have glassed that hill 10 times and havent seen anything. they can just as easily disappear into thin air.

sportsmans had the danner instigators on sale for $119. broke down and got a pair. they seemed to have a little more durable leather than most of the low rise danner boots. I know the pronghorns are very popular but I do not prefer boots that go up that high. we will see.

DO NOT undervalue glassing shaded areas in the morning or the evening. it is very tough to glass those shaded areas when the sun is low on the horizon but you will find more bucks in the shade than you will in the sun. when it is windy, if you can find a shaded, wind protected hill to glass - even better. try to identify traffic corridors and check them frequently. if you are using high power binocs (15X or greater) DO NOT forget to look in close. your field of view is limited but if you are being quiet, there might be a buck within a couple hundred yards that you are not seeing because you are glassing at 400+ yards out.

Scottyboy - is that a pic of Michelle Obama for your avatar?

I do not wear Danners but from what I have heard they are not the same boots they use to be. I guess you can get made in USA Danner's and ones that are not. there are only a few models that are made in the USA and they are on avg about +30% more expensive (over $200 vs under $200). I know the Pronghorns are very popular. I do not like wearing boots that go up that high.

well it looks like the people have spoken

last year a 402" bull was taken just outside of Willcox. it was taken on opening day and was with some cows. his buddy had another tag and hunted the rest of the hunt and never saw another elk. sorry but I can't help you out because those guys have the same tag this year.

Toad for sure - isn't it amazing how qtring away pics always make bucks look the biggest. I know this is the case for coues and antelope. not sure about carp or elk but I am guessing the same holds true.

did you not get my email? I sent one to you asking this same question a couple of days ago.

got mine yesterday - fits perfect - can't wait to hike up a hill and throw it on to keep me warm.

3 years ago the weather was very pleasant for us on this hunt.

is the scope on the kimber a 40mm or a 50mm?

nope

so I will throw a couple out but lets see what other people think Gilligan: Christian or Josh ??? Skipper: Jim or Casey ??? Mary Ann: Amanda

was the storage tank on your private land or was it on public land? the only reason I ask is that 'land locked' public property is a growing concern for people who enjoy the outdoors in AZ. some people get very, very upset when the encounter this growing problem. I in no means condone such behavior but it is possible that if the tanks that were vandalized were on public land the damage could possibly have been commited by someone who was ticked about having to go the "longer/tougher way" around to get. now put yourself in the general public's shoes. you have been recreating in an area for years and years. there is a small portion of private property that you have to go through to access the vast amounts of public land that you love to recreate and probably have been doing so since you were a kid. well the ranch changes ownership and the new owner decides to lock the gate that runs through his little bit of private property. how right is this? unfortunately it falls on the burden of the state to take that land owner to court and prove to the court that the road existed before there was private property there. this is very difficult to prove and takes a lot of resources that typically the government is not willing to expend. now throw into the mix that this rancher allows certain friends or family members (or outfitters who have paid him on behalf of his wealthy clients a fee) to have access through his property. now imagine that you think a locked gate means a locked gate and you still want to recreate in your honey hole so you get up well before light and start walking in only to get passed on the road by people who have been given the key. this is our reality and there are a lot of people out there who get bitter about these type of things.

that buck is actually a 4X5. the points that look like where the G2s normally would be are actually the G3s and the points where the G3s normally would be are actually the G4s. if you look very close you can see the G2s coming off towards the back close to and kind of parallel to the ears (no those are not the eye guards). also, if you look very close you can see the G5 on the right side out near the end of the main beam. look how thick his neck is. great buck for sure!

I just got an email from Ernesto - he said to tell everyone hi and to thank them for the kind comments.

great post!!! thanks for sharing was any attempt made to talk to the other hunter on the first morning? I would have at least talked to him - hopefully he would have agreed that he should have got there earlier and given the hunter was hearing impaired may have given him something to think about. sounds like it made for a better hunt anyway. 3 days with lots of bulls vs 1 hour wth one. not that it matters but was the other bull bigger than this one? thanks for sharing and congrats to all!!!

poor little deer do not stand a chance

Bill - sorry to hear about your situation. unfortunately there are a lot of people in the same boat that you are. I am still a ways from retirement and do not know what the performance of bond funds have been since Nov but I would think they would not have been -45%. Based on everything I have read, retired people should have their nest eggs in very conservatively invested areas so that this exact type of thing does not happen to them.

apparently the 90 dems that did not vote for this bailout, voted no because it was not RICH ENOUGH!!! many republicans are against this because they know it is not the 'popular' thing to do and they are right in the middle of competitive election races. the bottom line in my opinion is greed. everywhere you look at this mess you see greedy people. from the little people to the wall street big wigs and everyone in between. a lot of little people unfortunately do not live within their means. they were approved for homes, cars and credit cards that they could not afford. guess what - it is time to pay the piper. ever heard of a cash call? well that is what this is.

what do you think? answer will be posted next week - with proof.

so what are you trying to tell us?

Kaffer62 - are you sure your name shouldn't be Gaffer62? according to the site listed below - you all are a bunch of Fagstaffers. http://www.gaygetter.com/gaygetter-d3/esta...&bts=hotels

Bill - did you ever come across any camels? I did a report once in AZ History class about the camels that were brought into the Yuma area way back in the territorial days.