elkaholic

heres my last spike bull- easy to have the bedoned meat in game bags ready for butchering- only the 2 front shoulders had not been deboned . I had it in shed frig for 3 days while I processed - I always rebag the meat from the field to the fridge and I rotate the bags to keep them cooling evenly !

it's all in personal preference- During the normal late hunts when the weather is cooler - you have that option during the warmer and desert hunts - it's not the best choice for the meat hunting in larger groups - means you have help and it's possible to get a bigger animal back to camp and easier to hang nd deal with at your leisure. Most all my hunts - I'm alone and got to get it done now - I've never hung an elk/deer - usually one the gound - split it up / debone it pack it out. like stated above - for deer its kinda hard to find a real good size tree in the desert and most will stick you if you try ! I do remember driving around during elk season and seeing hanging animals in camps . mosts hunters don't waste time and are hauling them straight to the processors. see lots of elk/deer in backs of trucks on the roads - sometimes a few headed to Phx

great items - great sale

had that on as the one walkin but on the bank on left side - looks like 2 deer bedded - looks like head and ears

break out the Platinum card for that bull -- is better than gold class - Imperial ?

good eating -

Maybe some others will add their hunts . My wife had Oct Coues in 21- we managed 3 days , despite the heat - it was 90 degree in the desert , opening day and what I can only describe as the worse GNAT infestation I have ever experienced while hunting. I mean they were constantly trying to get in our ears- eyes - nose-- I mean hundreds in and around your body and head - crawling all over your hands etc. Fortunately I had a head net for my wife , she never would have survived the hunt without it . We did manage to find a few does - but no bucks were seen we still had a great time. I do not think she wants to try another Oct hunt in the desert- and getting up before 5 am isn't in her normal schedule .-lol I honestly believe the deer were in the thickest stuff possible , just so they could avoid the pesty gnats too!

the only orange camo own is in Wisc. I never even think about wearin orange here in AZ. but my wife was like I need something orange so I did get her a camo orange hat to wear for her hunt.

I don't know about "bad genes" on this buck - looks to be a younger buck with a dandy of a rack

It's all good - guess I missed the humor I didn't know about the gnats hatch cuz normally I do not hunt the early hot seasons in the desert If it was my tag I'd be hunting but someone has to earn a living. we hunted the days we could - and I know we'll try agin we can't all tag out ! added note - for a 60 yr old lady who hasn't hunted in the last 25 yrs and rarely gets out in the hot desert - She was a trooper. no whimpering or whining - no road hunting allowed - we hiked a few miles in and out each trip. kinda funny-seeing her expression when she'd look back and see the truck that looked like a red dot from the hill top.

I guess "we" cant come on here and tell about an unsuccessful hunt -- without it being called whinning and girly man .270 glad to know there is a real manly guy here - to point that out for us. I just see hunters telling what happened on a hunt

could possibly be 3 deer 2 bedded and possibly one walkin

we had bucks on trail camera - had 2- 3 spots picked out - just wasn't meant to be this tag - we had a good time didn't want to overdo it too much as it can make it worse in the long run - heat was a factor - bugs were a factor- limited days to hunt - not complaining as far as pre scouting - making 3-5-8-10 trips prior to season - glad some can afford it - I can't not everyone can pack up and spend the season in the mtns. either. it's nice we were able to get out hike the hills and see some deer might have to change seasons though - hopefully she'll draw an antelope or elk tag for this fall- now she says even turkey might be fun - I'm like - now you say something - so just getting out and having a good time was great - shes getting back into hunting after a 25 yr layoff- lol usually always put her in for early rifle elk hunts

I have got to agree with deer ignore familiar noises - out in the desert - the dirt bikes had worn trails all through the foothills and even some fairly rough/ remote mtns . you could almost set your watch by the time each Saturday / Sunday the riders would scream down the trails . I had crossed the motorcycle trail and had set-up watching several deer . I can hear the wingdings a coming - thought for sure it would scare off the deer - They never even gave it a glance - just kept on feeding. they were less than 100 yrds from the trail . same for distant gun fire or the guys who have more ammo than most and shoot nonstop for hrs. deer could care less as far as cattle I usually look around any cattle I see as they tend to be more alert and spooky than deer . think deer use them as an alarm system

just go buy a bottle of the liquid aluminum at pepboys - it looks just like aluminum flakes in a gooie mess-- its a bars leak product - it will stop that leak I always carry a bottle - I hate to admit but I've been sealing a leak on my radiator in my truck for acouple yrs - it''ll make it all summer usin the ac and as soon as winter sets in -(lol) its will start to leak-- now this is a leak along the seam where the plastic meets metal - my daughter had a leak at the water pump weep hole of her car - it hasn't leaked in over 2 yrs it should definitely hold you till you got time to weld- cost about $7 just pour in radiator and drive away it has additives which helps seals and lubricate the water pump too

one more comment - sure everyone who draws a bull elk tag has visions of a big "trophy" bull-- maybe 3 in 10 will actually harvest a huge bull- so do the 7 others just say forget it - I'm a trophy hunter it's a 360 + or forget it I go home without tagging an elk. maybe 1 or 2 are really that dedicated - so at least 50% of those with tags will most likely shoot something in the raghorn to spike range -- the majority of hunters will most likely shoot the first thing with antlers there will always be big bulls around - there will be far less if we don't have enough cows to give birth each year- so the herds can recover.

I could give a rats behind about killing a big bull or a trophy elk - deer -antelope etc. my last 2 tags were a cow and spike - by the way both tags were for any elk in an early oct hunt! last deer was a fat forky I have property in 10 and its just sad to sit for days and never see an elk-I never herd a single bugle this yr- my neighbor who lives there yr round heard one and hasn't seen any elk around , when just 4 yrs ago they were everywhere and not just groups of 4-5 like the last couple yrs but big herds of 30- 50 THEY are gone and to say we need to harvest more bulls to balance the new survey ratio is B.S. by the way I don't even hunt in unit 10!

lets just think for a minute -- ratio is out of control too many bulls per cows we give 1800 cow tags and hope to get rid of 500 so lets make 50 more bull tags in the unit ( LATE HUNT)that has the lowest percentage of kills less just say they harvest 1/3 so 15 more bulls are killed how in the ????????? is harvesting an extra 15 bulls gonna control the ratio wouldn't it be more logical to reduce the # of cow tags to say 1200 and only harvest 400 wouldn't it seem logical to say that saving 100 cows and they all have calves be a better idea than harvesting another 15 bulls do this for 5 yrs and you just uped the cow #'s several thousand or more -- compared to killing an extra 60 bulls as an arm chair biologist - seems logical which is a better answer to the bull to cow ratio it doesn't take an college education to do the math!! but to the guys whom do the $$$$ we can't think of losing the income on 3000 cows tags over a 5 yr period when we can gain $$$ for the 250 bull extra tags over a 5 yr period **** here's the real ratio *** NOW the Commission can give the impression that they really care about the elk ratios and have taken appropriate action (some kind of action ) by accepting the survey information ITS A JOKE IF THEY ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN! if they allow 500 cows to reproduce for 5 yrs do not you think the ratio of bull to cows will be a better balance than just harvesting and extra 60 bulls over the same time period.

the survey is based on flying grids across the unit and then multiplying results - means basically crap to the actual elk #'s in any unit unit 10 really doesn't have a great number of elk that migrate - there are no big herds left to migrate anyway

DO NOT INCREASE BULL TAGS _ BUNCH OF FFEEAKKIN IDIOTS -- CUT DOWN ON ALL THE DDDDD COW ELK TAGS!!!!!! 1600 cows elk tag past 8-10 yrs that's why they are probably seeing more bulls DUH _ DUMMYS that's the answer - more bull tags then we have even less elk!!

like I stated - she had already shot the 308 - I had seen other boxes of 243 but didn't see that they were reloads. I just looked at the ends and thought yep I got 2-3 more boxes - no problem we had planned to use the 308 it has the mounted bi-pod- but at home using standing shooting sticks- to practicing getting on a target - she felt more comfortable - scope wise with the 243 and that's why we went to range - these guns have always been "sighted in " I was just to let her shoot some more. it's like checking the gun to see if its still on - you go out and shoot it - better than going and missing and then check and see its way off - the 308 is camo'd out and sighted in for 400+ yrds - the 243 is all shiney and pretty and hasn't really been used in many a yr.

took wife to gun range to shoot her 243 before season opener. now she had shot my .308 but was having a minor problem with the eye relief on the older scope. she shot it ok - 3 kill shots at 100 I got out her 243 and she like it better- scope wise - so went to range - this 700 adl hasn't had much use over the yrs. she had problems at 100 because of the trigger pull - was harder then the 308- was way off anyway moved it to 25 yrs - she almost shot out the quarter size bulleyes . problem used up box - only had 10 rounds - thought had more but they are all reloads - unknow time/date /and who reloaded them - so im not comfortable using them for deer season now Remington 243 in 100 grain or 80 shouldn't be hard to find - WRONG!! it's like Remington quit making them - I mean no one on the west/ north side of phoenix has any. use to buy them at yates / yellow front for 9 a box any day of the week - even wallyworld usually had some - not anymore so do I go buy real expensive hornady 95 gr premier Remington in 75-80 or opt a different brand in 100 and have to try and go out and sight gun in agin most likely she'll be using the 308 as this point - season opener Friday I had plans to go get trigger adjusted but without being able to-buy the ammo the gun was sighted in with was /is B.s I mean this is Phoenix not some little Podunk town in the backwoods someplace.

hey I was born and raised in a little Podunk town - Denver Iowa about 10 miles n of waterloo shoveled more crap from pigs/ chickens and cows than I care to admit milked cows by hand sittin on a 3 legged stool - had to walk2-3 miles to buy 10 for a penny candy on sunday afternoon - after chores- pumped water from a well to haul into the house using a 5 gal bucket and heated bath water in tub on a woood burning stove - crapper outhouse - never did have toilet paper so I do know Podunk backwoods! agin thanks for the help and the offers -- hope to fill a tag

well a happy ending - so to speak - more than one of these GREAT people here on CWT came forward with offers of ammo for me! I did take up 5guyshunting and now have enough rem 243 to get thru this hunt. A big THANK YOU to all whom answered this post with your generous offers! Now I just have to be fortunate enough to put my wife on a buck- just an added note you are lucky if different brands of your favorite ammo group the same - I did a test one yr and none were even close to grouping the same except Remington and Hornady most of my rifles have a sweet load and I hate to mess things up- thats why reloading is great but is for those with time and dedication , to find that sweet load - I know guys whom tweek loads that are basically several shots in one hole - lol I thought I could easily stop on way home or make a couple calls around and find the ammo I needed - boy was I wrong! Thanks agin guys /gals from CWT !

Contact nation forest guys and the rangers in area for a report on road conditions - a lot of campgrounds were closed but they had a list of ones open at least this tells you which roads are open and you can camp where you want - Cochise stronghold area offers some high spots to glass