metau

Of course it is real. Just two opposing trains of thought. Makes the hunter analyze what his expectations and goals are out of the hunt. Is he looking for meat, a nice bull or a trophy of a lifetime? Judging by his trail cam pics, and his admitted previous elk hunting in the unit, I'd say he has a decent grasp on what to expect from the unit, as well as the topography, roads and boundary. As such, the only things left to help him are discussions on gear/practice/etc unique to archery equipment and being mentally prepared for hunting bulls in the rut, with said archery gear. Calling a bull into less than 10 yards and having him thrash a tree, while bugling in your face, pissing everywhere and generally being pissed off that he cannot find the cow that he knows should be right in front of him can wreck havoc on a hunter that is not prepared. With it being as difficult as it can be to draw an elk tag for a rut hunt, the more prepared you are mentally for your preceived expectations of your hunt, the more satisfied you will be with the outcome. There is so much more to helping someone with their hunt then telling a guy "go here". My comments were nothing more than to get him thinking about what his realistic expectations were for the hunt.

35A will be a tough hunt. Much better access than nearby units, which is nice, but buck numbers have been trending down as has hunter success. But as with any hunt, if you put in the work you will likely be rewarded. Don't forget a lion tag.

If you want a giant bull you gotta pass on a big bull. Don't pass on anything the first morning that you would shoot the last evening.

Yes. I have a deer, not drawn, for what I put in for during the regular draw and then right below it is another deer, pending, with the hunt number that was on my leftover app.

If they have 40,000 apps to go through, I'm sure it's just a big pile and they just grab one, enter info and see if a hunt is still available. They only issued 367 tags yesterday. Likely just 3 folks sitting around a big pile of letters.

Updated list just posted 30 seconds ago.

What magnification range?

So what unit did you draw?

Friday just before 9am at the post office near work.

PM sent

You looking for a bare rifle or one that is ready to shoot?

There's no reason for you to feel bad for him. He didn't blow all of his points, he used them. He put in for 5 hunts and he drew one of them. If he didn't want to spend his points on a certain hunt, he should not have included it on the app. Nowhere does it say you have to fill out all 5 choices. If folks do not understand how the draw works, then all they need to do is read the regulations. All the info is there. If any clarification is needed, a simple phone call or email to G&F, or even a posting on a forum like this one, will usually clear up any issues. Besides, if someone has been putting in long enough to have a lot of points to loose, then they, of all people, should know how the draw operates. There really is no excuse for not understanding the draw when you are sitting on a pile of BP's. If you read the regulations, there were only 3 requirements for them to create point guard; they could make it work logistically, there was a public interest, and it made them enough money. If you read through the rules concerning the program and look at the placements of each "may" and "shall", you will see that the whole thing is to generate revenue with hardly any checks and balances. Everyone should read the whole thing. Powell, enjoy your hunt, and I'm sure if you and your friend put as much effort into this hunt as you would have a Kaibab hunt, then neither of you will ever regret being drawn. Make the most out of what you can, and good luck!

Just my speculation: The lower level membership is being a portal member. The higher level membership is the $25 annual "I Support Wildlife Membership", which is on the portal home page. Just Google R12-4-118, click on the first one that pops up (from Jan of this year), go to page 31 and start reading.

Grats Luca and Kenny. Thanks CP. This will be my first ever rifle hunt for Coues, and my first rifle hunt in AZ since I got into bow hunting many years ago. I'm looking at doing a 5 day trip into the wilderness area. Will also have a bear and lion tags in my pocket, unless I tag out earlier on scouting trips. Now I just need to find a few water sources or else I'll be packing in a couple dromedary bags.

In the end of it all, there are only a handful of things that truly matter. Kudos to you for realizing that now and not when your 50, with your kids all grown and a family that has fallen away from each other as is so commonplace these days. Cherish every living moment you have, as you never know when the good Lord will decide it is time for you or your family to join Him. I wish nothing but happiness, prosperity and good fortune for you and your family as you move on to the next chapter in your life.

I picked up a leftover 32 tag. It shows pending in my portal results.

This was my favorite bird to hunt when I lived in CO. dang fine table fare!

I've been researching upgrading my tripod for a few months now (kinda just that way) and I highly suggest you look at the Benro tripods. I'm looking at the GC258F as it would work well for my photo shoots and support my big boy lenses.

Sorry Bobby. I've had several offers at $400 already. Thank you though.

We wanted the tags. Just didn't want to burn our points to get them.

Don't worry Lance, she would never divorce you. Half of nothing left to spend is still nothing!

They issued 2 youth javi tags, 2 turkey tags and 363 deer tags. Two deer hunts are gone, 1126 (34B-Oct) and 1144 (36B - Late Nov).

TTT

Mark- Grats on the tag. Should have a great time down there. Powell- Welcome to the site and grats on the tag. Main rule here is don't forget to post your story, and make sure to include pics! Use the search function, read about the Coues habit here in the forums as well as the main site, and don't forget to shoot Amanda an email to get a sticker for your truck. Looking at your sig looks like you have a good rifle setup for some deer slayin'. Tons and tons of useful information throughout this site, but don't search for just your unit. You'll get more out of researching general topics, and looking at the success stories form throughout the state and applying those tactics to any area you hunt than just looking for stuff specific to whichever unit it is you drew in. Welcome to the addictions (both hunting Coues and being a part of this site).

I assume you are talking about the January season? My understanding of the Dec/Jan OTC seasons is that the ones that have been shortened were done per population numbers and perceived archer success rates.