Arizonabowhunter

Flippintires, sounds like you may have a touch of target panic. It's the inability to hold your pin on the spot and squeeze the shot off. I had target panic so bad, could not hit a bale at 20 yds much less the spot. I had to take archery lessons from Frank Pearson, just a couple, and this was a great benefit, I was no longer embarassed. Are you having trouble doing what I described, if so I may be able to help, let me know what your symptoms are?? Good luck.

I will be in units 33, 34A and 37B, have a couple of blinds built and a treestand. Just hoping I can get the patience to sit and wait, we'll see when the time comes.

bmf1321, last year while hunting mulies I called in a mule deer buck to 40 yards, a small 3 by nothing, his left side was completely broken off, using the can. I was with a friend of mine and asked him if he wanted to shoot, he passed. Immediately after that we crested a ridge and glassed up another buck 400 yards away (3 x 3, 27" wide). We got in the shadows of a big mesquite tree and started to rattle using real antlers. Lo and behold he turns around and starts walking towards us the wind was blowing from N.W. to the s.e. the buck was southwest of us traveling n.e. He stopped at 105 yards from us and would not come across this wash, I tried everything to entice him to come in another 40 yards, my max is 60 yards. He stood there for 10 to 15 minutes until he winded us and then moved on. It just seems the older the buck the less likely he will come in to a call, I chalk this up to experience and wiser. I am not saying they won't come in, chances are against you because of there experience compared to a young buck. It sure is fun doing this though!!!

bmf1321, from past experiences the mule deer seem to start there rut prior to the whitetail (mid December). They can start earlier if a front comes in and it gets really cold. Just recently(last year), spot and stalking, I have had success with muley's using the can call and rattling, and for whitetail I have had success calling them in with a grunt tube call, usually the younger ones come in. I hope this helps good luck to you. Bill

Congrats, to the both of you looks like this will be a hunt of a lifetime. The 1st buck looks to me like it will gross 108 and maybe 110. Pictures came out with great taste. Bill

Congrats to all, and a job well done to keep the kids interested. I have a 12 yr old who had a November tag but did not put it too use. Tell me your secret to keeping the kids interested, I must be doing something wrong???

105 Congratulations on a great buck! Did you encounter a lot of people in the area you were hunting? If you don't mind me asking where abouts did you harvest him. The person in the pic with you is his name Frank Saldivar??

Congrats, that is one sweet buck , sure do love that palmation. I have the same unit and hopefully I can fill my tag this weekend. Bill

Seth congratulations on a very nice deer. Bill

Rich, congratulations on your trophy that is a remarkable feat to harvest an animal with a bow!!!

I am a journeyman carpenter served a 4 1/2 yr apprenticeship through the union, graduated in 85 here in Tucson, back when we had work, it was local 857. I have been employed with the University of Arizona in the carpenter shop and have been promoted to a facilities inspector (certified building inspector IBC. and certified ADA inspector through ICC/ANSI). I have been recently promoted to a project manager and occasionally do side jobs. Have been employed 16 yrs and hope to retire from here. Like I said before I do side jobs on occasion.

Amen, that's a nice prayer and well said!

Congrats GMM, Can't wait too see the pictures, and the way gas prices are going up I think you made a wise decision.

I will be heading up North (this weekend), Flagstaff area hunting for deer and also scouting for elk in 5b North. My brothers, nephews and myself have 5 elk tags 4 are bull and I'm the one with the cow tag. All I need is to get ice and sight in my broadheads and then I am ready. The following weekend probably will be in unit 33 looking for the (cola blanco) whitetail. If I have an opportunity for a good mule deer I won't pass it up. Good luck to all of you, may the hunting gods be with you!!!! Bill

I was hunting in unit 33 last year and glassed up a nice 4x4 mule deer bedded with about 12 does in a little cut. I started to make a stalk and after closing the distance to about 200 yards, I see the deer get up and hall butt over a ridge. I make my way over to the ridge and start glassing to see if I can see them, out of nowhere I see this hunter come up right where the deer went over and he has a crossbow. I tell him those are illegal and and he says no they are not there is a season on for bowhunters (this is December archery hunt of 2004) we part ways and leave. Please for give me for asking but people who are disabled are the only ones that can hunt with these weapons?? Is this true?? The hunter that I encountered did not look to be disabled.

I will probably spot and stalk for a couple of hours and then sit a water hole (fed by a well) after I investigate nearby water. If there's water in the tanks nearby probably will end up glassing my butt off.

Drew a 5bn. cow tag, and my 2 brothers and 2 nephews drew bull tags archery for the same area. I also drew a whitetail tag with my 2 boys for November in unit 33. Looking forward to it my little one has never gone, he is 12 yrs old, and this will be his first time. Last year I put him in and we were pinked. this will be a better year.

Congrats to all with the new ones and soon to be. They are precious so I would advise to take a lot of videos and pics because in a blink of an eye they are all grown up. I my self have two boys one who is 16 and the other is 11 going on 16. They are a joy. Bill

Hey Guys, thanks for the pics during the off season it kind of takes the sting out of not hunting in this great country!!

Hey Fellow hunters, just wanted to let you know a good buddy of mine found a corpse over by Willow Springs. Apparently she was murdered pending an autopsy. I always had an inclination that something like this would happen to me, have any of you hunters ever had the same inclination????

I prefer to spot and stalk, but you have to really pay attention to the wind. I look at the weather.com for weather conditions, wind directions, rain, heat and hunt according to wind directrion.. The year I harvested my whitetail in 2000 of August I was covered in bug spray and smelled like a medicine cabinet. I was very fortunete to get to within 35 yards because of a consistant and steady breeze. I have also used rattling, grunt and bleat calls. Stalk to as close as you can to the animal and call, hopefully he will come and investigate. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It sure gets the heart pumping when the animal comes to investigate. I think whitetails are more proned to being called in. What do you guys think???

Arizonaguide, you hit the nail on the head with that statement, I also feel for the military and police. I have not talked to my buddy on this but he works for my brother, he's an electrician. My brother says he is taking it pretty good. I am sure he thinks about what he saw quite often. bowhuntinmaniac, I feel for you, I am sure as time goes by it starts to heal ever so slowly. At what age did you see this??? I am sure the younger you are the more effect it would have... Take care....

Maxim Stanislawski release (back tension). I have been fighting target panic for a very long time and this releas has helped me tremedously. It is hard to use but once you get use to it, it is a surprise every time you shoot it. They range from $80 to $100 and have only replaced it once. Target shooters use this type of release alot.

Great job guys, how far were the shots and what did the muley score??

The weekend of the 15th I had pretty good luck rattling and also using the can made by primos. My buddy and my self spotted a group of mule deer does that had 2 bucks, one was a 4x3 and the other was a 3x0 (his left antler was broken off). The 4x3 ran the little buck off and he proceeded to head in our direction through a wash, at the time he was about 400 yards off when I lost sight of him. We were on a ridge about 30 yards up from the bottom of the wash. When the deer dropped into the thick wash I took my can and blatted 2 to 3 times. Within 5 minutes he appeared through the trees and proceeded to walk right up to us, he stoppped at about 50 yards and looked right at us. None of us wanted to tag a 3x0 so we decided to let him go. My friend made a stalk on the 4x3 that was still on the ridge about 400 yards away I radioed him where he was last seen just over a ridge. The wind was not cooperating and the stalk failed, he got to with in 35 yards but no shot was available. When my friend decided to turn back around, he radioed me and said there was a big buck above me moving away. I gathered my stuff and moved up the hill only to see him moving away on the next ridge over, at about 450 yards. I got behind a big mesquite tree in the shadows and began to rattle, the big buck suddenly stopped and looked in my direction. I then noticed my friend coming up the ridge and told him to come over to me but keep low. We sat by tree and began to rattle aggressively, lo and behold here comes this buck, he is a big 3x3 and about 26"to 27" wide. The wind was blowing from our right to our left and if the buck continued on its course he would not be able to smell us. Suddenly the buck started to parallel the ridge he was on, he was trying to get down wind of us, he got to within 104 yards and stopped after ranging him. By now I thought for sure he would wind us but he stood there for another 10 minutes, apparently we were high enough above him that he could not detect us. The wind was beginning to blow harder he finally detected us and walked away. I contemplated on taking a shot but at that distance too many things could go wrong. It was the first time I did any rattling on a deer and got a positive response. I know the coues deer are more proned to come in to calls and rattles but this was a mature mule deer and from what I've been told they usually don't do that. It sure was a great experience.