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I picked up my cousin from the airport on Tuesday April 28 around 6 PM. We drove back to my house, loaded up his gear, had some dinner, a few spirits and then went to bed. We woke up Wednesday around 2 AM, loaded up the bow, arrows, shotgun, ammo, glass, expensive gear and were on the road by 3 AM. We stopped for fuel and breakfast in Wilcox around 6:30 AM and made it to our camping spot in the Chiracahua mountains by 9 AM. After setting up camp, we took a drive in the SxS to do a little scouting and immediately broke the frame where the steering linkage attached on the passenger side. We limped it back to camp and attempted to repair the break, but found more damage and were unable to fix it enough to confidently use it. We jumped in the truck and headed to another area, seeing several birds along the way. We took video/pictures and marked the spots on our Flatline Maps and OnX. After a great taco dinner and a few drinks we hit the cots. We woke up early Thursday morning, made coffee and while warming the truck up had birds walk-through camp. Driving up the road around 6 AM, we had two toms gobbling and walking down the road at us. We videoed, took pics and laughed at our good fortune. Actually we were pretty giddy. The weather was slowly coming in and rain was forecasted to show up later in the evening. Knowing this, we drove to several different areas and put on around 30 miles to the trucks odometer. We found a bunch of birds including a nice double bearded tom that we wanted to go after for the opener. Just before dark we went to the double bearded tom area, found him and attempted to roost him, but the rain made visibility poor and we backed out, guessing where he would sleep for the night. Nothing is better, IMHO, than soup when it’s cold and raining so we had some ramen with leftover taco meat for dinner. After watching some video from the day we went to sleep. The 3AM alarm clock came early and soon we were speeding up the mountain, driving excitedly and splashing our coffee on our laps trying to be first to the spot. Arriving first we parked the truck, got our gear out and laid it out on the ground. We figured we had at least an hour and a half before fly down so we sat in the truck, had some coffee while listening for gobbles with the windows slightly down. After 20-30 mins we started hearing birds gobbling on the roost and they were extremely close. Too close maybe. We quietly and as quickly as we thought was possible without spooking the birds, got geared up and walked towards the calls. We didn’t think we had time to set up any decoys so we left them next to the truck. We set up just uphill from where we guessed the roost was and sat down. The birds were fired up and the 4 males were gobbling their brains out. After what seemed like forever the darkness gave way to grey light and we heard a fly down. I started ranging a few trees, stumps and logs. Then more wing flaps and cackles. After a few minutes we could see birds on the ground. I was kneeling with my bow just in front of my cousin who was itching to call but hadn’t made a sound yet. A strutting tom started our way but wasn’t the double bearded bird I wanted. He went by on my left at 30 yards and it took some self control not to loose an arrow but somehow I managed. Then I saw him. Mr double B (what we named him) was walking towards us. I got ready to draw but he knew something was up. He started following the first bird to my left and at 36 yards my cousin clucked and stopped him. I drew back, settled my pins and the arrow flew towards him. I watched it miss just right and he gobbled at the sound of the arrow hitting a tree behind him. Mr double B walked a bit more left, strutting and stopped at my cousins cluck at 43 yards. I evidently didn’t learn from my mistake and missed him again to the right and hit another tree behind him. That was all he was willing to put up with and flew off down the hill never to be seen again. 2 more toms walked out and stood nearly in the same spot. I aimed a bit left of the bigger bearded bird and let the arrow go. Naturally I missed a bit left. He too gobbled at the sound of my missing arrow when it hit behind him. He moved a little away and I settle my pins, let it fly and saw/heard the impact of arrow hitting feathers. We watched him staggering away, dragging a wing and I took another shot (my last arrow in the quiver) but missed way over him and never found the arrow. I ran after him and finally caught up to him and gave him a neck twist/squeeze to end it. My cousin ran up and hugged me. We high fived, hooted, hollered and jumped around like 5 year olds. I checked the time-5:35 AM. Then ranged the truck- 93 yards. We both stood there in happiness and disbelief. I tagged the bird, we took pics/video and then walked back to pick up my arrows. I texted my wife and some friends then we headed back to camp with perma-smiles. We saw 7 more birds on our way back to camp, 2 of which probably would have been easier shots but that’s how it always seems to be once your tagged out. Once at camp I gutted the bird, put him on ice and we started celebrating. After a steak and egg brunch we drove up higher for cell service to make some phone calls and look around for more game. We had salads for dinner and passed out after watching the hunt video several times. The next morning we slept in a bit, made breakfast and called some birds into camp. It seemed the birds were everywhere and not pressured at all. The day went by quickly and before we knew it we were having pizza with pastrami chunks off the black stone for dinner along with some spirits. Sunday we woke up to gobbles in camp around 6 AM, got up and made breakfast. We packed up our camp, stopped just before reaching private land and videoed 3 toms strutting and screaming for 15-20 minutes or so. Afterwards we drove into Wilcox for lunch, fuel and headed home. Definitely one of my most memorable hunts and I can’t wait until someone I know draws so I can do it again. We saw 31 toms, 20 hens, zero Jake’s, 24 deer and one coati. 7/8”- left spur 1”- right spur 11 1/8” beard Happy safe hunting! -Sig

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I have the first hunt. I’ve been down there 3 times. I saw and heard birds every trip. I just picked up my pot and diaphragm calls from little creek calls (thx Ammon) and can’t wait. I will gladly let you know how it goes. Good luck on your hunt !

Can’t receive any more messages

Ammon- I want to order a few calls but you can’t receive messages and I am not sure the phone number I have for you is still correct.

All the pics were taken with my cousins IPhone so it’s just the angle not a fish eye lense. The barrel does look long thought. The rifle is a ruger 300wm with an axisworks brake and has been pretty lucky the last few hunts.

The hunt was an amazing adventure. I left home late Friday/early Saturday (midnight-ish) and headed up, stopping in flagstaff and fredonia for fuel along the way. I reached my camp spot 9 1/2 hours later and heard my passenger rear tire leaking after unhooking the trailer. After plugging the tire and airing it back up, I started unloading and setting up. Around 3 pm I jumped into the SxS and set out to check some of the spots I had scouted. I found lots of fresh sign in most of the same areas as before. Once it got dark I broke out the spot light and drove every road and two track I came across until around midnight, then headed back to camp to sleep. I would then wake up around 4-5 am and head out spot lighting until the sun came up and I could see. Usually I planned it so I could be stopped at a place I could glass for a couple of hours until mid morning. Then I would head back to camp and sleep until 2-3 pm and repeat. I did this until Wednesday afternoon when I needed to drive into St. George to pick up my cousin from the airport and resupply. We spot lighted that evening and into the early morning of Thursday before heading to camp for some much needed rest. Around noon we checked a couple of areas we had chosen as opening day spots and decided on which was best. We glassed until dark then headed back to camp to organize our gear, have a quick dinner and then go to sleep. We woke up early to ensure we were first to our spot and waited for a few hours until grey light before slowly walking in, glassing along the way. We unfortunately bumped the deer and broken heartedly watch them head to their bedding area which seemed like a position we couldn’t access them or have a chance at them in. Nor did we want to push them out of their core area. There were lots of vehicles that seemed to want to be in this spot so we didn’t want to leave and give it up. We waited, glassed and move around a bit until 3pm when they started coming back out from the cut. We watched as two nice bucks ran each other off, both wanting to be the dominant male for the group of does. The bigger of the two presented a shot when the smaller buck ran him off but I decided to pass. An hour later the smaller buck offered a closer shot but after passing the bigger buck I couldn’t justify shooting him either. My cousin called me an idiot for passing either of them. We watched until dark then slowly backed out and headed to camp. We had a nice dinner and discussed the day, looking at the video we had taken of the two bucks. It was decided we would head back out to the same spot to get another look at them if we could. We woke up extremely early and drove to the same spot, arriving first again and waiting until grey light. We went about half as far in as the day before and stopped not wanting to bump the deer again. We spotted the group with just the smaller buck in it. We couldn’t locate the bigger buck. After a couple of hours the smaller buck gave me a shot and I connected at 475 yards. He hunched up and moved away a bit. We thought he would go down at any second but slowly turned broadside again at 525. I adjusted the turret and connected again. He lumbered a few feet and collapsed. We waited 20 mins and walked towards him. I instantly started having shooters remorse. I was done after a day and a half of the 10 day hunt. When we reached the buck I was surprised at the body size of the deer. He was definitely the heaviest deer I had harvested. I tagged the buck, we took some pics and then we attempted to load the deer into the SxS. Wow was he heavy!!! It took us a couple of tries but we somehow managed to get him into the back. I didn’t want to gut the deer there as I thought it might mess up another hunter who might want to hunt that area. We drove closer to camp, unloaded the deer and gutted him. He was sure easier to load the second time and then we drove to camp and using the winch on the SxS, hoisted him into a tree at the back of camp. We skinned, quartered him and washed the meat. After it dried we put it into game bags and hung it all. We had barely finished when an AZGFD and BLM officers rolled into camp. They checked my tag, license and pulled two lower teeth for an age check. We talked a while and they told us about some coyote areas and a possible spot for a lion. We took the deboned carcass to the lion area and disposed it in a spot we could see from a knoll a few hundred yards away. Over the next few days we switched looking at the gut pile and the carcass hoping for a shot at a coyote or a lion without any luck. It rained, hailed and lightly snowed the next couple of days making it pretty sloppy and messy. We waited until a break in the weather, broke down camp and left late Thursday. It took almost 3 hours to hit pavement which was a slippery and sliding drive out. We also stopped at Jacob’s lake for some cookies to eat on our way home. We had a trailer tire shred 25 miles before flagstaff, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. We pulled into my driveway early Friday morning, took out the rifles, binos, spotters, the expensive gear and put them into the safes. After a quick hello to sleeping family members and a shower we went to sleep. The next few days we dried out and put away the gear, washed our clothes, took care of the deer and celebrated a great hunt. We saw 112 deer, 36 bucks, one fox, one owl, 2 coyotes, 17 turkeys, 14 horses and an uncountable amount of cattle during the trip. Thanks to all who helped and/or offered info. A shout out to Jason “coach” Jones who had the tag a few years ago and offered up everything he knew. He was very unselfish and I hope to follow his footsteps for future tag holders. A special thanks to my wife for holding down the fort while I was gone and to my cousin for taking time away from his day to day to help me. Happy safe hunting ! -Sig

Just got mine today

I didn’t think about phone service. Thanks for the heads up. I usually have my garmin inreach to text when service is spotty.

Great advice. Thank you !

I’m sure I will figure out lots on my scouting trips and depending on how bad the roads are because of weather, but does anyone have any advice on camping areas pulling a trailer ? thanks in advance.