GRONG

Definitely seems like 8 is doing OK in the NT dept. I wonder what the big boom there is from? I guess that a few bulls just lucked out and got to reach maturity without being whacked first like so many other bulls. One of my clients in 8 shot a 7x7 bull last year that was probably 3 yrs old. He had some serious genetic potential, I was bummed to see him piled up on the ground there, knowing that if he'd made it 4 more years he would have been a monster. It does feel good to have found these antlers but more because I've known of that bull since 2000 and that I had a chance to video him alive before he got nailed. When I saw him alive last summer I didn't know how big he actually was but I knew he was the biggest cloven hooved beast I had ever seen. Too bad my client didn't get him but that's the way it goes. Josh

Oh snap Redbeardikins, I just saw your other post on page one. You're a silly boy. I didn't ask for this topic to be started. Like I said there are many other people that are still into or used to be ie; YOU, Coues that should be recognized as well. But it was nice to be recognized for the hard work I've put into these little SOB's so far. Oh ya, I buy a lot of sheds from the Indians but those are mostly elk antlers. Alan is the one that has all the awesome Coues stuff from the reservations near him. The rez's I go to don't have any Coues. I wish they did though cause I'd be a Couesinaire. NYUK-NYUK. Later Boys, Josh

DUDE!! I just went through my whole inbox and there can't be 500kb of stuff there. I delete some pics so maybe I'll have room now. Try again. Josh

I already called Nick and told him. He didn't sound like he really believed me but I know they're from him though. Ya the bull you're talking about was killed in 8 and no, neither my friend that had the tag and found the antlers nor I could ever find the bull even though it was killed about a mile from our camp. Man did that SUCK!!!!!!! A guy from Kingman filmed the bull last year when it was alive. Go to www.callemin.com if you wanna see the video. Cool AZGUIDE, I'll check it out. Josh

YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Josh

Hey thanks guys. I haven't seen the bull Bret found dead yet. Albert, I was the one that videoed this bull alive last year in velvet and there wasn't another one even remotely close to him. If you'd like to see the pics of him in velvet just email me and I'll get them to you. So far this year we got two 6x7's, one in 8 and one in 9. The biggest was 322" without a G4 on one side. AZGUIDE, go ahead and post them where ever you want. Let me know the other sites as I always like to check out other forums. I was at San Carlos yesterday and everyone was talking about that hog that was killed there. Maybe the sheds will show up someday, as of yet they haven't. Az4life, we tried getting his relative this year but we couldn't get him. Ended up getting killed by another hunter and went 447". Last year he was in the 470+" range. There's pics of him on monstermuleys.com under the elk forum 447" elk. Thanks again guys, Josh

Ya they had hit the burr of the left antler a little but other than that they're almost flawless. I'm pretty pumped about the whole thing. Josh

This size of the skull should tell you right off for one. Measure the back of the skull compared to that of a Coues and that of a definite muley and that should help you out. Can't wait to see pics. Josh

Thanks guys. When I watch it again I look and sound like a buffoon. Duh duh duh duh, that's what it sounds like to me. Anyway, maybe next year it'll be better. Josh

On Monday the 13th of Sept at 7PM there will be a show on OLN, called Guide to the Outdoors I think, that has a segment of the Coues hunt from this past January that they did with me. Should be some decent Coues footage on there I hope. The show is about how a lot of the hunts we all go on don't go the way we want or that we just didn't see anything worth launching a bullet or arrow at, therefore we choose to come home empty handed but had memorable hunt. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Looks like they're coming back this January to give it another try too so I'm looking forward to that as well. Josh

I guess the show aired but I missed it. They're having reruns but you'll have to look for dates on that I guess. They sent me a DVD and a VHS tape of the show. It's pretty good I guess. Whenever I watch myself I look like a complete goon but that's the way I am I guess. Let's just hope that when they come back this coming January they'll be some deer blood involved. Josh

I'm off to guide a hunt in 7M right now, I'll tell you about it when I get back. Josh

I saw a pic of that bull at Sportway in Williams, freakin gorgeous! It's a typical 6pt frame with an extra eyeguard on each side making it a 7x7 if we're talking about the same bull. Great elk! It should be measured as a typ bull though, that way you get that extra circumference between the 2nd eyeguard and the 3rd eyeguard making for a little higher gross score. The pic I saw of it kinda sucked, hope to see some better pics of it soon. Josh Epperson

Chris, Oh I remember the days of course! Most all my hunts turn into shed hunts if a client isn't involved of course. After a morning of good glassing I usually spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon cruising for arrowheads and antlers. Hey Chris you ought to post the story of our shed trip to 8 back in '93 when I took you guys up there and you snagged them killer sheds. That story, not the edited NASHC version either, the whole story is freakin hilarious I thought. You ever find any Coues sheds in 8 this August? I've only found a couple up there in the past couple years. Wish I could find sheds off of Jeff's deer and mine. I videoed a carp deer in August that I thought had to be at least 32" wide. He's a giant 3x3, mostly a 2x3 though, heavy bases. On Tues I found a shed off of him, a GIANT 2pt that confirmed my estimate of 32". Biggest 2pt carp I've ever found. I just might have to put the Coues aside next year and try to stick this sucker with an arrow. Freakin amazing deer and he's got two dang nice bucks with him. It is too late for the 3rd edition but they're adding all those entries into the 4th edition book. What I mean is there won't be a 3rd ed book but all the entries for that period will be in the 4th. Sucks but at least LeBaron is out of there. You really should get your measurers status back, I need a ton of crap measured too! You guys have definitly been knocked out of the #1 slot for match and single NT sheds. You wouldn't believe Jim's sheds.......UNREAL!!! All from AZ. I don't mind rez sheds being entered with non-rez sheds. I think there are just as big a bucks from public land as there are on the rez's we just don't find as many as they do. Wait till you see the 150+ set that Jim found last year. You better not be throwing any decent ones in the yard! If you do I'll come by and snag them out of your yard. You know better than that jenkins! Josh

I just got back from hunting elk for the past 3 weeks. My wife said she waited for the show and it never came on. Oct 1st it's supposed to come back on. They're sending me copies of the show on DVD so I don't have to wait around for it to come on. I don't even know what they're showing since I guess there is other parts to the show that don't pertain to our Coues hunt. Who the crap is Jessica? I'm out of the loop. Josh

I hear you DH. Believe me, I'm not kidding you. How far is that, 7 miles just to that location right? Makes you wanna go Chuck Bronson on their tails. Lazy outlaw mofackys. Josh

Ya it's pretty depressing when you've hiked several miles in and you're still seeing quad tracks on the trail. They have driven all the way to white rock spring in the past. They would have driven farther if it wasn't such a big bluff to get off of. If that doesn't tick a guy off I'm not sure what will. Talk about awesome country being ruined by those darn bikes, actually by the severe laziness of the owners, the bikes aren't really to blame I guess. I'm sure that you can get away from them at some point but if they're riding in several miles and you're walking, that probably means that they're legs aren't half as tired as yours are by the time you get in there. I know a guy from Cottonwood that bragged about driving his quad from the north end of the wilderness somewhere, all the way through to the Doll Baby Ranch. He killed a buck that was well over 100" also during his trip. What an outlaw!! It's so enfuriating, it'll take all the fun out of a hunt when those jerks do that. Couesnut, I'd say that if you get into that country it could and should be awesome. You know how it is, it always depends on who gets drawn. For your sake, hopefully those A-holes didn't get drawn this year. I bitched to the Fst. Svc officer, Dan Smith, there two years ago about it and he shared my frustration as he's the only one that patrols most all of the unit and can't be everywhere of course. Not enough man power, typical govt BS. I told him that while I was out on Polles I had seen where 2 people had just been digging in that MONSTEROUS ruin in the north side of the mesa down there. All he had to do was follow the horse and mule tracks back to where they'd come from and he'd probably catch them. BTW, I shed hunted my tail off out there and never found a single antler. That country is so freakin big it's awesome. Can't wait to get back in there one of these days. Good luck on your hunt. Josh

You guys are too nice. There are many other guys out there that find just as many or more than I do, they're just not recognized for it yet. I just like to be involved in the shed hunting world and love to see others' sheds as well. Finding Coues sheds is an interesting thing. As an antler buyer I know of very few people who actually find Coues sheds at all. I'd say that out of 10 people 1 guy will have found 1. It's all how you look when you're out there. I swore that today I'd find a shed by watching for snakes so closely but I didn't. I did see 2 black timber rattlers though by the time I quit hiking. Saw 7 Coues bucks so there's at least 14 sheds I still haven't found from this past spring. I bet that for everytime I go looking specifically for Coues sheds I'd be lucky if I came back with 1. There are some better days where I'll find 2 or 3 but for the most part I come home empty handed other than having learned a little bit more about a certain area. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for shed hunting I can guarantee I wouldn't know half of what I know now because of it. It will make you such a better hunter you don't even realize. You'll find little seeps, old salt licks, game trails, old scrapes and rubs, lion kills, bear and elk bedding areas, all kinds of stuff. You'll get to the point where you'll pretty much memorize an entire unit, not by roads per say, but by specific ridges, rocky knobs. My dad and I can talk about a certain little depression in a hill and I would have found an antler there in the past and he probably trailed a lion through there at some point as well. The stuff you learn shed hunting is invaluable to your hunting. Even if you don't give a care about sheds, just trying to find them will sharpen your senses and teach you so much. Oh and yes, I've gone through my share of boots in the past and I'm not done yet, I've got to beat Jim Reynolds monsterous set he found last year. That might take the rest of my life to do. Wait till the 3rd edition of the shed hunting record book comes out, Jim pretty much rewrote the whole thing. Quite impressive. Josh Epperson

I'll take em where I can get em. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather glass the sucker up and get him the old fashioned way but if the deer is spotted from the road I'll take a lucky buck like that any day......I've paid my dues and spent the hours behind the binos necessary so I'll take a gimme like that if I had the chance. Especially at a deer that is well over 100". Today out in the hills I saw 3 Coues bucks from the road at a salt lick but they were gone before I could turn the vehicle off. I took a good hike and saw a total of 4 others but they had always seen me before I did them. It was really nice to see that many bucks in a day. Josh

Dan, The deer was killed in New Mexico not San Carlos, wasn't poached or any funny business as far as I know. I was just saying that it sucks that someone who's not a Coues nut like most of us here can't have something like having a world class deer stand off the side of the road to let one of us shoot at it, if that makes sense. I'm not familiar with the story you're referring to. Maybe this week I'll see a 120" buck standing off the road and I'll shoot it. I'll post pics soon as I get him. Josh

I hope I didn't sound like I was promoting road hunting at all, cause I wasn't. I just thought the rest of you guys/gals would like to know that little tidbit to add to your arsenal and that it might frustrate some of you as it did me. I think it completely sucks that a world class deer like that got killed in such a way. I wanna hear some big stalking story or how he'd got pics of the buck on his trail cam etc, etc. Figures somebody driving down the road would be lucky enough to actually have this happen to them and not me. Josh

I was under the understanding that if you are knowingly hunting over a bait source for bears, regardless of what it is, it is completely illegal. A guy I know killed a bull elk in 21 a bear was feeding on the remains and another elk tagholder killed a bear off the carcass. As far as I know he didn't get in trouble but you wouldn't catch me ever doing that. Those laws were written in a way that they leave it up to, and to quote Mr. Anderson at the Lake Mary AZG&F office, "the discression of the officer in the field". As a licensed guide here in AZ those wacko G&F dudes would try any which way to "make the big bust" and I'm not even gonna tempt myself to do anything those suckers could see as possibly being illegal. I've seen them try to turn and twist too many things into some big deal to trust any of them. I'm not saying they're all this way but be careful of what you do and say in front of those guys, even if you are just being honest with them in a completely naive way, they'll getcha. Josh

Did any of you guys know that the old world record coues deer of 116 typical inches, shot in NM in '97, was shot by a guy driving down the road? This is true. A good friend of mine, Dave Boland from Minnesota, measured the deer and this is what the hunter told him. The deer was on the side of the road and stood there so they got out and shot the SOB. Doesn't that suck to hear? Ticks me right off, actually it ticks me off cause it just couldn't have happened to a Coues crazy mofacky like me. I'll take some suck@ss luck like that any day but it really only happens to amateurs that don't expect it to happen. Josh

Believe me, if they make it a wilderness area that doesn't mean the guys on quads will stop going in there. You've always got your 10% of complete freakin idiots. In the Mazatzals there is a quad road, sorry I mean Saddle Ridge Tr., where they go at least 4-7 miles into the wilderness. Also on the upper west side of it there is one that goes 2 miles into it. I know of 2 places in unit 21 where there are 2 separate wildernesses and one road goes about 1/2 mile in and the other goes about 2 miles in. Forest Svc hasn't done a single thing to try and stop it either. Talk about enfuriating! Josh

Is that the NRA magazine? I can't remember. Oh wait- the title of your post tells me that......Duhhhhhhh. I'll have to check it out. Josh