Rangecon

Mountain Mike's Skull kit and Modern Masters metallic copper paint (Both made in the USA). A dremel tool really helped make the two piece skull match up nicely. Maybe a small CW sticker/decal on the forehead would be a nice finishing touch........

An inexpensive mount that took three hours to complete. 2012 CW, green score of 93+.........

November 28th greeted us with some of the warmest temperatures that I can remember in quite a while, south of the Gila, and I was reminded of that the day prior when I was backpacking to our spike camp. Only a 2 plus mile hike in, but climbing vertically caused me to break out in a sweat, which I was trying to avoid with a late afternoon start. I made it to our camp with the use of a headlamp. My son and his childhood buddy/best-man started out much later than I; they had the advantage of a full moon which was a smart move. Plus, they made the trek 50 minutes faster than I did. It's not how fast you hike, but how smart you hike, is what I keep telling myself every year. With the dry weather and pre-scouting intellegence of the dry, usually wet spring, the deer pattern was unknown. The first day is always about getting into the groove of glassing and recovering from the first night of sleeping on the ground. Saw a few dinks and a few winks (one step up from a dink), but no shooters. The second day we decided to split up and see if we could pattern these ghosts. It was evident from the previous day that we had a small window of opportunity in the morning and evening to get a good viewing and postion before they bedded for the day or started moving before evening. I headed east and the young men headed west. At 0800 I glassed up what vaguely looked like the profile of a deer's head, but at 800 yards and not the best light, it was hard to identify. After 15 minutes, it finally moved its head confirming that it was a deer and it had horn on it. But at that range, I was thinking it was just a wink. I continued to glass for another hour with no joy on any other animals. I had memorized where that wink had last bedded and started my slow journey over to get a better look. As always, I am thinking about getting a nice buck, but I am also thinking about getting him out of this rock pile without causing any undue injury to myself. After an hour and half, I made it to the small ridge about even with where I last saw the only animal of the day. I set up the tripod and looked for any clue - nothing. An hour plus elapsed and my periodic viewing through the big binos caught an ear flicker and then some horn. At least it confirmed that a buck was there and now his horn looked a little better than from 800 yards. I proceeded to set up the 6.5 Grendel and anticipated a 280 yard shot, if given the chance. With the sun moving on the south slope, I thought for sure this guy would be moving soon - nothing. It was not until 1420 that he made his move. He got up and did not give me a decent shot until 10 minutes later as he maneuvered in the shadows of the mountain. One shot from the Grendel and I could see hair explode and he disappeared. Another 55 minutes elapsed before I could get eyes on this warm December buck. When I saw him, I said to myself - I can pack this guy out. I thanked the Lord for the blessings of a fair chase and opportunity to harvest this magnificant species. Sent a picture of the buck to my son who was making a stalk of his own about a mile away. By the time I packaged my deer up for the day, and started my trek back to camp, I received a picture of a very happy young man with a nice 3x3. Knowing where he got his buck, I was glad that he got to carry his own deer out this year. He had twice as far as I had to go and we started out about the same time the following day. He caught up to me at the bottom of the mountain. Oh, to be 21 again! (Both deer tagged immediately after pictures taken)

Unit 33 Bucks: These two bucks just finished sparring and I got a few photos of them taking a siesta. An hour later when the sun illuminated the larger buck, he rousted his sparring partner out of his bed and headed down canyon to find some more shade. (Minox 15 x 56 Binoculars and Canon PowerShot SD750 @ 200 yards)

First archery bull for this Desert Rat. My son and myself have started to perfect the spot and stalk technique (until they wind us). We have had many great stalks to remember and laugh about. This was text book, spotted at 300 yds and stalked to 38 yds. This bull expired within 130 yrds. My son video taped the final leg of the stalk, shot, and recovery. He also got to skin and gut this animal, so he is officially signed off in his task book for elk field dressing. Warm days made it a little challenging, stripping charcoal suits off at noon. Used predator netting for the hot part of the day. Heard more bugling in the afternoon than any other part of the day in Unit 6B. nil desperandum

Grandpa was born in Warren, AZ in 1917. The second oldest of eight, he spent a lifetime in the Arizona outdoors. Hunting Coues was a passion of his; listening to his stories of packing pelts out of the Sierra Madre's to the mysterious (mythical?) Mexican Fan Tail deer of Southern Arizona are forever etched in my brain and heart. The three pictures are all from the Atascosa and Tumacacori Mountains. The picture with the Winchester Model 1895 in 30-06 is dated from 1943. The other two pictures are undated. Paul Morgan Rhinehart (1917-2004).

Happy New Year! Let it Rain!! 2992 CB's Rangecon