Arizonabowhunter

I have only been hunting muleys and they seem to be tapering off a little, maybe this weather will bring a surge on the rut. From past experiences the whitetail seem to rut into February but like Dodger 2 says bring your rain gear. Good luck

Congrats, on harvesting a fine animal tell your brother he did a great job. Hopefully you will be able get a second chance at a bigger buck! How far was the shot at and how steep was the angle???

Josh, is this butcher in Tucson? Give me some more info and I'll try to find out, name of butcher and location ?

Hey KWP, I live in Tucson which Taxidermist did you see the pics at ? I know Lipperts has a lot of nice deer come in but have not heard anything on this. Will do some investigating on this and see what I come up with? Would love to see some pics if possible.

Very nice deer and congratulations. I know unit 33 pretty well where abouts did you get him??

Sunday, I was in 34a and right at day break I glassed up a 4x4 that probably would score around 175-180" he was with about 30 does and some smaller bucks that he kept chasing away. I was about 190 yards away, and every time I would try and get closer one of his does would spot movement. I finally got to within about 140-150 yards away when a truck pulled up. I was probably 300 yards away from a 4x4 trail, 2 hunters got out and one started to rattle at the bucks. The big bruiser stopped where he was and turned around and started to walk back at the 2 hunters, only thing, his truck was right in plain view, the buck stopped at an ocotillo and started to thrash the bush. He and his does finally thought there was too much excitement and moved furter down into this wash that was thick with mesquite. That was the last I saw him, hopefully I will be back out there and try my luck with him once again Tuesday afternoon I was in unit 33 and glassed up a nice 4x4 that probably would score around 155"-160" he was 24 to 26" wide, and he was bedded on a side of a ridge, in the wide open. I was probably 500-600 yards away on the oposite side of the canyon so I needed to cross over to the same ridge he was on and try a stalk from behind. As I started to cross the canyon I glassed once more where they were at and noticed they got up and started to run up the hill at full speed. I was thinking to myself there is no way they could of heard me or smelled me. I was hoping I could head them off at the top of the ridge where they would cross, as I got there, another hunter was walking right towards me from the opposite end of the canyon, he had not seen me and I waved for him to come over to me. He was the one who spooked the deer , as I got closer to him I noticed he had a crossbow cocked and ready to go. I mentioned to him that the crossbow was illegel, he said no, it is not, it is legal and his hunt was going on (rifle hunt). I called my brother after we talked who had access to operation game thief number and the person on the phone from game and fish said there is a hunt in that area for either deer and it was a rifle hunt so he was hunting leagally. Well good luck to everyone, and happy new years . Hopefully I will be able to get out there tomorrow afternoon, have to work so all my hunts will be in the afternoon only.

PSEHunter, how many have your shot in Arizona??? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I only shot 1 in California. I have shot 7 with a bow in AZ, 3 does 4 bucks. 2 with a rifle. Both Whitetails. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> So how did you hunt go this weekend???

PSEHunter, how many have your shot in Arizona???

Treestandman, if you are talking about a buck that big, that is hard to believe? If you speak the truth best of luck to you, and when you harvest him take some pics and post them!!! Remember deep breath, stay calm, pick a spot, and shoot straight best of luck to you!

PSEHUNTER, that is pretty impressive, I've yet to harvest a muley other than last year, I stuck one high in the neck/ shoulder area after my brother shot him in the guts.Did not know he shot him, but he claimed him so I cant take any credit for the deer. I hunted near Piety Hill and also by Youtcy Canyon and Youtcy spring and saw some pretty good whitetail. Appreciate the information hopefully you will benefit with the info I gave you. I am at work (UofA) and have a meeting at 2:00 with one of my clients. Good luck to you!! E-mail me on your results canizalb@fm.arizona.edu

PSEHUNTER, do you work at PSE, just curious for I am in and out of the shop every so often? Have you ever hunted near the Bioshpere?? Hopefully I will be able to get out there, may have to work this weekend. Do you plan on hunting muley only or any species of deer??? I will fill you in on some pretty good spots for whitetail in that area if you are interested???

I will be in unit 33 for one day this weekend?? Also plan on hunting in unit 34a only thing is I am concentrating on mule deer only, this deer has eluded me and hopefully I will harvest one with my bow???? A nice toad!!! Good luck to all!!!!! Any one have any pointers on where to get a nice muley?? Willing to trade some whitetail info for some.

Has anybody here in Arizona heard the coues whitetail do a snort weez?? I just came back from Illinois and had no luck, just got to pull my bow back twice but no shot was available they put a minimum on how big of a buck was to be shot (8-point and wider than its ears),if you shot one less than the minimum you would be fined. Reason why I am asking on the fourth day of my hunt I had a small 8 point buck and a doe bed down by me (I'm sitting in a treestand) the buck got up and did 2 snorts and then a wheez sounds something like this wffff ,wffff, weeez.he then started to walk by my stand at 8 yards and did the snort weeez again only this time his ears layed back and hair on his back stood up as he proceeded to walk I heard some leaves crumpling behind me, I contemplated on what to do I was thinking to myself this little buck is not running off and then guessed that this deer that is behind is even smaller than he is. I turned around and guessed right he was a small spike they butted heads for a little while and then the spike ran off. Later that night I talked to my guide on this and he said its an aggressive behavior to let another buck know that he has a doe and not to bother. Just was wondering if any of you coues deer hunters have ever encountered this, its pretty amazing to see a deer do this especially at 8 to 10 yards, front row seat???

muley62, where in Illinois did you hunt?? I hunted in Pikes County over near a town called Barry. I saw lots of deer but was a little disappointed that I did not tag out. Can not wait till our December hunt starts I am looking forward to it.

I had this happen to me, a friend and myself were hunting in Unit 34a in the experimental range, I came up over a ridge and sat down to glass for about an hour. I was just about to leave when I saw 2 does and a 100" buck come up over this little rise, the does were about 250 yards away and the buck was about 275. They all bedded down, I was trying figure on how to get close to them, the sun was at my back and the wind was in my favor, I crawled my way over to them one step at a time. I got to within about 125 yards when the does got up and started to feed in my direction the wind had now taken a different direction, instead of blowing from them to me it was now blowing form my left to my right. This stalk had taken about 3 hours to get this close, I could see the buck was still bedded but now he had his head buried into the ground and every now and then he would raise his head to see what the does were doing? I could tell he was falling asleep, he could barely hold up his head it would bob and weave before he would set it back down again. I was with my other friend and he said he was going behind the buck to see if he could get close enough for a shot. When he did the wind changed directrions once again and the buck smelled him, the stalk was over they took off for a safer place. All in all I saw this buck fall asleep for over 2 hours off and on, what an experience!!!!

firscoueswas80, I know of the Ragsdale's they use to shoot and work for PSE. I think they moved back east, apparently Michelle was chosen for the olympics compound division and wanted to practice back east I'm not sure where? That is all I know, but I use to attend 3-d shoots at Laquachi bow club off of Oracle rd. I was shooting right next to her and she can shoot, she is a shooting machine. Not to mention a very attractive lady. You might inquire for more information at PSE. Did you attend Flowing Wells High School? Reason being that is where Ragsdale's son attended apparently he was a pretty good baseball player.

I will be heading up to Illinois and will be hunting the famous Pikes County whitetail. I have talked to my guide and he said the first group that were there in early part of Nov ( total of nine) harvested 3 bucks and the other had shots but just missed. I am excited and cant wait. If we are successful I will try and post some pics, ( I should think positive let me rephrase that) when we are successful I will post some pics. I am going up there with my brother and 2 other buddies one of them is Dean Lippert the taxidermist. We will fly in to St Louis and rent a van and then drive to Barry, the trip from St Louis will travel on the west side of the Mississippi river on the Missouri side. There just happens to be one of the biggest Bass Pro shops in the U.S., guess I will have to do some shopping and get some last minute necessities. Good luck to all on your hunts

Arizonagriz, thanks for the info. I figured out how to get to picture gallery 33. Go to photogallery, then go to Rifle hunters, move mouse over to gallery 27 or the furthest one on bottom of screen and then right click. ( Window will pop up giving you time to move over to window scroll and then scroll down till you can see gallery 33. Click on gallery 33 and pics will pop up). You have to be kind of quick with this manuever, but once you do it it will come easier the next time. Destroyer, congrats on one heck of a buck once in a lifetime buck!! I've yet to see one this big, let alone harvest one of this size, cant wait till you post the story!!!

Where are the pics, they are not in photogallery??? Where do you look????

Pigman, in unit 33 have harvested 2 coues with archery equipment at an elevation of 3600 to 3700 ft. This area years before use to hold good mule deer populations and would chase them all over in this area. They have recently built a housing developement and have noticed the coues deer over take where mule deer use to be. To answer your question I think there are good numbers of coues deer at these elevations and you be wise to hunt them...

Yeah, would love to see some pics. Waiting!!!!!

Amanda, Have a happy birthday, I know it's a little late but I am going to say it any way, have really enjoyed this web site!!! AKA Arizonabowhunter Bill Canizales

Predator, last year while hunting near Oracle my brother and I came upon a concrete trough that had a pump pumping water into it. We stopped to look to see if it was frozen over and sure enough it was. Tucson recorded a low of 19 degrees and who knows what it was like where we were at. I know we were pretty cold reason being my brother has one of those back packs that has a water bladder with a hose for him to drink from and that hose was frozen solid. My brother harvested a small 4 point muley that day, I also got an arrow in him but he claimed it because he hit it first. Just dress in layers!!!!!!

Hey Fellow hunters, just need a piece of advice. I am going hunting in Pikes County in Illinois in mid November and my guide wants me to purchase a grunt tube. I will be hunting in the rut and want to know if anybody has hunted back east and used a grunt tube. What call will be most suitable for me to use during this time???? Thanks for any info. Arizonabowhunter

270 last year while hunting in unit 33 August hunt, I had just got out of my truck and crossed a bob wire fence, it was jus starting to get light I walked up a wash and then I heard something running up to me. I was bewildered a 2x2 mule deer stood about 20 yards at me and grunted really softly at me. Obviously he did not smell me and probably only heard me, but he stood there for 20 seconds BROADSIDE. I contemplated wheter or not to shoot it was the firs day and he was just a 2 point so I decided not too. That is the fourth time I have heard deer grunt and the first time for mule deer. So they do grunt!