Heat

After 23 years on and off of hunting deer with a bow and arrow, I finally managed to get it done! I killed my first mule deer buck on Monday January 2, 2012. Conditions were extremely windy and helped me get in my comfortable range of this deer. I made a 40 yard shot and the deer made it about 100 yards before piling up. There are a few folks that I want to recognize. First my family and my girlfriend Amanda, for putting up with my bowhunting addiction. Second, my buddy Marvin, who is one of the best hunting buddies a guy could ask for. Thanks for helping with those front quarters Marv! Finally there are a few standout guys that have inspired me to keep at it and have given me lots of great advice and motivation like Roy Grace, Jake Ensign, Bill Allard, Marvin Zeiser, and Dick King! Thanks for all! DIY, public land Mule Deer buck! Don't get much better than that! Nick Here's the long version: On this particular trip we planned on returning to a spot where my buddy killed a javelina and I had a few shots at them in the past. Marv got there the day before I did and did a little poking around not seeing much. I arrived on the New Years Eve. I set up the tent and camp and was ready to go for the next two and a half days or so. It was nice when I showed up but as the day turned to night the temps dropped and the wind kicked up. It was so bad I got up in the middle of the night I got up to try to fix the tent fly so it wouldn't flap so bad. I didn't really rest all that well compared to how I normally do. I thought it was going to be a nice change from the freezing temps we endured in the last javi season. Opening morning was really windy still. I had a quick snack and bit of coffee and I headed out. I was packing my 15s around and tried to sit and glass as much as possible but the wind made that pretty tough. I also figured whatever was around might be holding pretty tight to cover and not moving much. I covered a bit more country with the boots and the glass, not turning anything up. Went back to camp and ate some lunch and got ready for another session. That evening I didn't see anything either, but felt that with the near constant 20-30 mile per hour winds, it would give me a little more leg up than usual. Didn't see any javis but did see a few set of tracks that weren't too old and some digging, so the javelina were around somewhere. Marv saw a buck that morning as well so things weren't all that bad. The next morning on the second day I went more towards some flatter country rather than some of the bigger hills where we had seen the javis before. I made it up one glassing spot and spent some time but realized I would probably have a much better vantage to glass from on the next ridge. This is where it gets funny. So I get up on the next ridge over and I'm heated up and ready to take the thicker layers off. I also had nature call so I dropped a deuce. Since I was on top of the hill I tried my phone and saw that I had service so I called my girlfriend. After all that I packed it back up and started heading for another spot to look from. I hadn't made it 50 yards from my glassing/break spot when I spotted a buck just a short ways over the crest of the little hill on the ridge I was on. I couldn't believe it. I slowly knelt to one knee and got my rangefinder out. He was 54 yards away. Some might have taken a shot from there but I felt it was best for me to wait. I was behind an ocotillo and there was a short palo verde just a few yards ahead. There was also a big saguaro that somewhat gave me some cover. The buck I don't think ever noticed exactly what I was and the wind was gusting my scent way beyond his scent zone. I kept analyzing my next move and all I could come up with was just wait and see what he does. I also was slowly moving towards the palo verde in front of me to give me just that little bit of extra cover. The whole time after I ranged him, I had an arrow knocked and ready to draw. After what seemed like an eternity I noticed some more movement down below me even closer. It was a doe. "Awesome" I thought. A huge distraction for the buck. I think the doe might have been ready to move out and the buck stayed with her. They stood there for another minute or two then the doe started to come my way, even more upwind and into much better shooting terrain. As they were passing by another palo verde about 40 yards away, I drew back. As the buck cleared the tree they stopped and I realized this was it. I put my pin on him and the next thing I know I hear the arrow hit him. I felt pretty sure I hit him, but with some of my previous experiences a lot of what ifs went through my head. As I watched the doe and the buck bail out, I noticed the buck starting to get really hunched on his leaps. They just started to get out of sight over a small rise when I saw the buck start to tumble. Right then I knew I had killed my first archery deer. I screamed out loud "Oh F-sharp Ya" in jubilation. So I tagged the buck, took some pics off the pack and started cutting him up. I got the hind quarters and the backstraps out with me on my first load in my Kifaru Late Season. My friend came back with me and we grabbed the fronts and the head and some trim. We ate a delicious meal of fresh backstraps that night in the blowing wind. They got cold fast but meat never tasted so good as it did that night. I stayed up well past 1 AM that night running the day's events over and over in my head staring at the deer and the stars and drinking a few choice ales. I am incredibly stoked beyond belief and have accomplished something that at times seamed impossible but nonetheless within reach if I just kept putting myself in positions where I could get it done. This particular hunt it just all came together. Now if I could just kill a javi! Here is a pic of the arrow as I found it. Here is the bloodtrail. As I found him. Happy Hunter! One more with the bow!

Won't be making any record books but I did win the "Widest Buck" category for my Club's Big Deer Contest. Pretty Stoked! I harvested this deer exactly one year ago today. 25 1/2 inches wide.

Looks great Paul! Thanks for sharing. Good luck in '13! Nick

Awesome hunt! Thanks for sharing your experience. Looks like you guys worked hard and were well rewarded. Congratulations on a sweet ram! Nick

Be very, very careful if you end up going to Quebec! Hundreds of hunters have lost thousands of dollars in Quebec recently. The scam goes like this, camps book hunters taking 100% of fees before hunt starts. Camps cancel hunts and go bankrupt keeping hunters' money never to be heard from again. The Quebec Government and Outfitters Association hasn't done a darn thing about it either! If you don't believe me just look up the name "Tuttulik" and you'll have all you need to know! One name that has been mentioned repeatedly as a reputable Caribou outfitter in Quebec is Jack Hume Adventures. I would be very skeptical of any other outfit. Be on the safe side and keep your $$$ in the USA. Go to Alaska!

Congratulations! I bumped into you guys a few times out Pronghorn hunting. Great Job! Nice bulls for you guys! Nick

Good luck my friend, but watch out, this sheep hunting stuff gets in your blood!

Very Cool! You get to hunt one of the true Kings of Arizona! Nick

I really like the Wigwam Merino Wool Comfort Hiker socks. They hold up great and are very comfortable. Also take a look at Darn Tough Socks VT. For the original poster with the blister issues, blister prevention begins with good boot fit. Who cares what everyone else thinks is the best brand, get a pair of boots that fit YOUR feet well and you will have far less problems with blisters and fit. A good dry pair of wool socks goes a long way in preventing foot issues. Wet feet are often the cause of blisters, so remember to air out your feet when you take a break or change your socks.

Any rocky structure near the main channel should be pretty good. Look for little reefs and humps near deeper water. We killed them a few years ago on shad colored grubs on a jighead or drop shotting 4" finesse worms. Amazing how many fish you can catch at Powell. That place is a real fishermans paradise. For up to date advice, check out Wayne's Words, a report from a Utah fish biologist. He knows Powell like no other. http://wayneswords.com/ Nick

Great looking Javi!

I highly recommend Elknut's DVD's for elk. Paul breaks it down better then most.

Used to work on BMGR with the Sonoran pronghorn. On the way in to work the F 16s would strafe targets while flying right above us. Scared me half to death the first time they fired while flying right over our heads! Cool photos!

That is one cool looking deer! Nice work Jim!

Just a few words about adopting an older dog. I adopted a 6 year old yellow lab male named Sam about 9 months ago. He is my new best friend. I was skeptical about adopting an older dog, but it has turned out wonderful for us and our other dog, who also has a new best friend. No chewing or potty training issues that come with pups. I am positive Sam now has a much better home than where he came from. If you can take him, give him a chance! Nick

Allen, If you want the solids the attack pants and other outerwear pieces (camo excluded) are 25% off. I am tempted to get a pair of pants and a guide jacket at that price. I dig the new green and other solid colors they have. I might hold out to see what the new vias camo might look like for camo. I believe there will be changes someday. Nick

"I bought some Sitka stuff last year--guess the fashion police will be happy --for my Colorado archery elk hunt." Comparing Colorado to Arizona is an Apples to Orange comparison. Trust me I understand the importance in having some quality rain gear when the going gets tough, but that is a very rare situation for this state and I thought it would be better to stear him towards some useful layers. I have some rain gear and rarely use it. When I do, it's usually after I walk back to camp or the truck and put it on. Never really has impacted my hunts much. You guys can pack your rain gear all you want. Not a huge component of a clothing wardrobe for Arizona hunting in my opinion, but to each his own. And just so we are talking the same language when I think of rain gear I'm talking like a Helly Hansen Impertech Suit, or a set of Cabelas MTO50 or similar or Rivers West or something. I'll stand by my statement that a good poncho or light rain suit (army poncho, Frog Togs, Cabelas Space Rain) is probably more than enough for most situations here in AZ on the typical early season elk hunt. Nick

I'm almost game to try that thing! I'm not sure if the shirt will fit though. I'm a skinny guy with long arms. Normally wear a Large Long Sleeve T Shirt but a Medium in button up and just about everything else. Will it shrink?

Please, unless you are freezing to death, save your campfire for the winter! Tell the kids they can have smores or marshmellows some other time. Yes, they might be dissappointed but that's life. The Gila in New Mexico is burning to the ground as we speak, much like the White Mountains did last summer. Please educate those that don't know better, and call the FS if you have to. Please help us prevent our forests from burning to the ground this summer! Don't light a fire in the forest! Just don't do it!

You want to be prepared to hunt and be comfortable under various conditions. Usually people say cotton kills in the backcountry. I usually agree, but sometimes it doesn't rain and people hunt close enough to camp or the truck to get some shelter before they get too cold. Cotton retains moisture for a long time, which is fine when it is hot out, but if it cools down enough, wet cotton clothes could suck the warmth right out of your body and you could end up with hypothermia. I usually wear a lightweight base layer top, a thin fleece layer as an insulator, and some kind of shell on the outside. By noon I'm usually down to my baselayer. Appropriate layers is where it is at. On bottom if it is cool in the morning I might have some bottom base layer on, but usually it is just my pants. A pancho or light rain suit might come in handy to keep you from getting soaked but I don't really think you need "rain gear" for an AZ hunt. I personally like the Outfitter camo clothes available at Cabela's. Most of my stuff is Microtex, but I have a few other pieces made of various other synthetics. I don't leave home without my Microtex pants for sure! You don't need the latest and greatest mountaineering clothing that seems to be all the rage these days. Sure, for a once in a lifetime sheep hunt in the wilderness you might want to look into KUIU or Sitka, but for the typical AZ elk hunt, you are just appeasing the fashion police if you buy that stuff. Another thing that will help you stay comforable whether it is hot or cold is a good pair of wool socks. Just be sure to air out your feet once in a while if they sweat a lot. Moisture on your feet is usually a start to some foot problems, whether blisters or worse. Nick

I don't really understand why the heck people need or want a fire this time of year.

Went to Big Lake towards the end of April. Hooked 4 fish and landed two between four of us. Keep in mind we were all rookies fishing there and 2 were 11 year old kids. All the bites came on half a crawler fished in about 10 to 15 feet of water about 40 feet off the bank. One of the fish we caught was a decent sized holdover cutthroat. I can't wait to get back there for a re-match!

Hey Lance, The hawks will probably keep pestering you until the nestlings fledge or leave the nest. After that, the probably won't have much attachment to that particular tree until next year around nesting season. Wait till they leave and you shouldn't have much of a problem with the hawks. In the meantime, if they are squawking like that they are letting everything in the area know that there is something they don't like near their nest. Nick

Nice catch TJ! I had a blast with the bluegills on Sunday. Caught about 10 6" fish for the pan. They were delicious!

My buddy about bought one of those when we were in college. About $600 then if I remember right. Awesome weapon! "12 Guage Autoloader" "That's Italian, you can go pump or auto" " the .45 Longslide with Laser sighting"... "Phased plasma rifle in 40 watt range?" "hey just what you see pal"