Mr. Jonathan

On that note, a little thankfulness could go a long, long way. Try living in a state like Nevada. I don't think a lot of people on here realize how good they have it in Arizona. Yeah things are changing for you, but you should be blown away at the fact that you can actually go and buy a tag over the counter and then hunt the majority of the state, and during the rut at that! In Nevada, you can actually go a year or two without being drawn even for archery. And good luck getting a rut archery tag! Plus, if you were to show up looking to buy salt for hunting over you'd get laughed out of town, right until someone tipped the authorities about it. Whining and libelous statements on a discussion forum aren't going to do much for anyone except make us all look like a bunch of rednecks. There are more effective and responsible ways to make your voice heard.

Yup. If I can see bone on the head I'm flinging one out of the flippersticker!

I guess I'm not alone here either. Up until January I'll be out there with my binos. Come January though, I'll have my Airborne in hand! Thanks again to all who have been so helpful and generous to me. I've only seen one buck so far, but I've been finding a lot of does and I'm finally starting to pick these critters up in the glass. I know it's a long shot, but I sure hope I can get a picture of me and a deer on this site by the end of January. either way, it's gonna be a great time. Its been a great time already.

in a heartbeat. maybe less.

When I began to tell people that I was moving to Arizona, I was repeatedly made aware of the apparently disproportionately large population of scorpions and rattlesnakes that inhabit this state. Now six months later and plenty of miles on the boots, I've come across ZERO of the infamous creepers. Is this just a false generalization people like to make about the state? I've caught my fair share of rattlers and scorpions in Nevada, I just think its funny the hype Arizona gets over these guys. Anyone have any close calls while hunting? Stalking in your socks and nearly step on a rattler?

I was wondering if anyone had ever hunted the White Tanks, South Mountains, or Sierra Estrellas before. These ranges are all close enough to where I work that I could potentially get an evening hunt in or maybe a day trip. Does anyone think it'd be worth my time or should I eat up my evenings at the archery range instead and wait until I have a weekend to go somewhere? Any thoughts? I'm not looking for where to go specifically, just a general opinion if it'd be worth the effort. I guess there's worse things that could happen than hiking with a bow though. Thanks!

I love it! I'll have to keep my eyes open a little better. No wonder I can't find any deer, I can't even see the snakes right in front of me!

Here's one from NV I let him go after the photo

from a physics perspective, there is no reason to line up your blades with vanes or feathers. they are not trying to compete with each other to control the flight of the arrow. the real issue is when a broadhead sits in an insert at an angle, because it will then cause the arrow to deviate from a natural arc, and at that point the vanes will always be trying to correct the arrow flight. you can see this when your arrow oscillates or "corkscrews" in an uneven manner. G5 makes a tool for truing the ends of your arrow shafts before and after the inserts are in to make sure that the broadhead sits square in the shaft. another tool by pine mountain archery is called the arrow inspector which allows you to spin the arrow to check for oscillations in the broadhead. if you don't want to spend the money, just spin the arrow on the tip of the broadhead on something flat like a desk. but be careful, those blades don't kill animals because they're dull.

C'mon guys, even I know this! Its a rattlesnake!

As far as broadheads go, which ever one you can get to fly the best is the best broadhead you can shoot. There's no replacement for accuracy. And in reality, 90% of the heads on any wall in any sporting goods store will be fine if they can be shot accurately. I shoot tekans by G5 currently, and have had great success. It'll take some experimenting and tuning your bow, tuning your broadheads is essential.

Man, my feelings are getting hurt by everyone! First newbies get reamed, then veterans get disrespected, and then my beloved mulies get called carp! Yikes! Good luck on your hunt. Ten years from now when I halfway know what I'm doing when it comes to hunting Coues deer I'll fill you in. Until then, grab a paddle because we're in the same boat.

Scottyboy has it right. Coming from Nevada, I know all to well the negative impact they have on the ecosystem, especially watering holes. The way the government has and continues to deal with them just puts a bad taste in my mouth. But that could be remedied if they opened a tag system on them and allowed a certain harvest quota! Is the price of a tag the right price for horse Mr. Quimby?

It's always been my experience that rifle hunters tend to get in bowhunters' ways. Seems to be something about cruising around on a quad and the ability to fling lead out several hundred yards that has led to more than of few of my stalks blown in the past. Needless to say though, that's not all rifle hunters, and there's plenty of bowhunters that act like yahoos and run around on quads as well. Daryl and bowsniper put it well, when we point the finger at each other it's not helping the hunting population as a whole out at all. As long as we're all participating in our respective seasons legally and ethically, we should learn some meekness and mutual respect for each other.

Excellent question! I've found sheds in just such an area as you're describing and I thought the same thing to myself. I'd guess you'd have to find a trail, natural funnel, or spring/tank and just sit until something comes through. Other than that maybe calling and rattling but I have no idea. I'd be interested to hear what anyone who has been successful in these kinds of areas does to hunt them.

I'm curious too, I've never had the privilege to hunt any deer in the rut. Does anyone use rattling? What about scents? Other calls, like a doe bleat?

In my free time from school and work I make custom antler lamps and other woodworkings from antlers and wood pieces I find out in the hills. All of the antlers are naturally shed and responsibly collected on foot after their natural drop. If any one is interested in purchasing one of my creations or requesting a custom creation, let me know. Now that I've found some coues deer antlers, I'll be making items with those as well. I'm based out of Mesa, AZ. Any questions, comments, or inquiries are gladly received! -Jonathan

In my free time from school and work I make custom antler lamps and other woodworkings from antlers and wood pieces I find out in the hills. All of the antlers are naturally shed and responsibly collected on foot after their natural drop. If any one is interested in purchasing one of my creations or requesting a custom creation, let me know. Now that I've found some coues deer antlers, I'll be making items with those as well. I'm based out of Mesa, AZ. Any questions, comments, or inquiries are gladly received! -Jonathan

Good luck