bowsniper

Right on Bob! In fact, the gun hunters might blast me for this, but maybe it would even be more important for a gun hunter to be checked out and qualified than a bowhunter. I think that it would be easier for some yahoo to grab a gun and "go hunting" that it would be for him to grab a bow and go hunting. Mark

As long as you are under 48, you are younghunter! Mark

The Mountain House Dehydrated food packs are very tasty and easy to fix. Pour in boiling water into the package, wait a few minutes, and eat. All you get dirty is the fork. They cost $5 or 6$, cheaper than fast food, and taste better. Sometimes I'll eat them in my camper, when I'm too tired to do anything else. You can get them at Sportsman's Warehouse or cabelas, or anywhere the web. CAUTION: eating real backpacking food could turn you into a tree hugger! Mark

Why would you want to get rid of Mr. Napolitano?!

I believe that while some enviros are jumping on board with this, it's really the forest service that is pushing it through. Do you think that the roads were ever intended for recreationalists to use? Heck no, the roads were built for the consumptive users, the loggers, ranchers, and miners. The forest service wants to keep the roads open for the consumptive users, but it's costing them big bucks for maintenance when the majority of the traffic is now coming from recreationalists. You watch, when it's all done, and the roads are locked up, the consumptive users will have gate keys to the locked gates. Mark

Good advice desertbull. I like to keep track of environmental groups that are also anti-hunting, so I spent an hour surfing the Center for Biological Diversity website (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/) I could not find any real anti-hunting stuff, unless it's anti-hunting about endanged species, or species they think should be listed and endanged (i.e. polar bear). If someone has more info on this group being anti-hunting, please let me know. I like to keep track of these groups. Thanks, Mark

As I said in my post, I have not yet read the proposition. Re-read my post, and you will see that I also did not endorse or discount the proposition. I was trying to express my view that habitat conservation and wilderness are key factors for our hunting future. I do apologize if anyone thought that I was calling anyone stupid, that was not my intent at all. I was trying to use the catch phrase "It's the BLANK, stupid!", that is used to get attention, but not to call anyone stupid. Again, I was not trying calling anyone stupid, and I'm sorry if anyone took it that way. I think that these propositions need to be carefully scrutinized to analyze their effect on hunting and wildlife habitat. I am concerned that some people immediately discount them as bad without researching them because they might be endorsed by a tree hugger group. This happens a lot on this forum as it did on this thread. Something is immediately condemned without analysis, just because it might be associated or supported by an environmental group. Mark

OK, so I'm an animal (coues) killer. I'm good with that! Anyway, here's Norm Mcdonald on irwin (pretty funny), if you like Mcdonald's dry sence of humor.... http://www.vwho.net/player.php?VE_Path=sel...pmcinRRxsXQpwZ4

I have admit that I haven't read the proposition yet, but I'll chime in anyway. I always get a good laugh when some guys on this list go off half cocked and panicked against anything that might involve a tree hugger group. When are you guys going to figure out that the biggest threat to your hunting is loss of wildlife habitat. IT'S THE HABITAT, STUPID! (Not to call anyone stupid, but just to use the catch phrase) Most tree hugger groups are neutral on hunting. The only people I see worried about habitat are the so called preservationist tree huggers, who are different groups from the anti-hunting, "animal rights", or PETA groups. Dave, unless someone is a road hunter not wanting to get out of his truck, since when is "wilderness not accessible to hunters"? I hear a lot of guys on this list gripe about "too many hunters in the field" and "some unethical hunter jumped my spot". I guarantee you that if you hike a few miles into a wilderness area, you'll have the place to yourself to hunt. More wilderness is a good thing, it conserves habitat and increases choices where guys can hunt to get away from the road and quad hunters. Mark

Congrats on a great bull! Way to go!! Mark

Here is a link to the latest treestand recalls. Be safe! http://www.tmastands.com/recalls.php Mark

I have had Gorillas fixed stands and they work well. BUT, DO NOT use Gorilla body harnesses. The buckles they use disengage easily and are a saftey hazzard! That's why I fell 25 feet. Mark

Although coues are wary of new objects on the ground, like a blind, I think that it is a scent issue. Whenever I set up a treestand where the coues could come down a hill from above the level of my stand, they never do until I leave (as recorded on the game cam). Even with complete scent lock from head to toe, I have never had a coues come in from a direction that is even or higher than my treestand. I believe that with a blind, you must have a favorable wind, and in my experience, scent lock will not help that much. Mark

Fantastic!! Way to go!! Congrats for keeping your cool on a once in lifetime shot!!! Mark

I'm posting this picture for my good buddy, Mike (bowhunter4life) who took this beautuiful buck opening morning. I'll let Mike fill in the details for you. Congrats Mike on a fine buck!! bowsniper

tramq0193, Thanks for starting the thread! Thank Jesus and accept Him! Mark

Congrats! A turkey with a bow is an incrediable accomplishment!!! Mark

Welcome younghunter! Just in time to put in for archery javalina for January! You think the bug has bitten you hard now, wait until you arrow your first! Keep us posted! Mark

Let's try this new poll feature!

To the bowhunter who was trying to close the road Saturday morning in unit XX by rolling boulders into it. (Hopefully you read this forum) I am a little frustrated with your efforts to close the road Saturday morning with boulders after I drove out. Logs did not work the week before, and boulders will work not either. I have been using that road to access my stand for a few years now, and you show up a few weeks before the season starts, and try to close the area so you can hunt it and restrict access to others. After you saw me drive out, I hiked back in and took close up video of you (and your truck license) rolling boulders into the road, attempting to block access. I have a coues stand back there, and use the road to access it before and after the season. During the season I hike back there in full scentlock and rubber boots. I stay in my stand all day, so I seriously doubt my hunting will effect yours. I have a few requests for you. 1) Please do not do anymore road work. If there are anymore attempts to block the road, I will submit the video and a complaint to the Forest Service and Game and Fish. 2) If you find my stand and camera, please don't destroy or steal. A friend of a friend has access to DMV records, and I will come see you or some of your stuff at your home sometime. (Not a good Christian thing to say or do, but I don't like being vandalized) 3) Please send me a private message. I am not angry, and I would very much like to work this out in a Christian way. I have a different stand I could hunt, and I would be willing to stay out of this area when you are hunting it. So send me an email so we can work this out to both our advantages. Thanks, Mark Lucas bowsniper

Nice looking buck. Your heart must have been pumping! Hang in there and keep us posted! Good luck!! Mark

Guys, on Saturday the Lord blessed me with this buck. He grosses at 90 3/8. I have been watching this buck for over a year now. Last Summer I couldn’t hunt him because I broke my wrist while I was hanging my stand two weeks before the season opened. Last December, I chose a poor location for my stand, and he was scenting me out and would not come by. (Despite being completely encased in scent lock!) When I wasn’t sitting my stand, he would come by and I’d get a picture of him. So this year, things slowly fell into place. I spent weeks selecting a stand location. I was in the field almost every weekend since July. The first thing opening morning, a bear tried to climb up in my tree with me. He was standing on his back legs, pawing at my ladder with his front legs. I threw sticks down on him but he would not leave. I was more than a little nervous. Finally, I spit on him and he caught my scent and bolted. Bad breath can be a good thing! Later I saw 2 turkeys. Lots of does every day, and a few spikes every day. “My” buck came by on the second day, an easy 20 yard shot. I was not overly excited and took my time until he gave me a good broad side. I was so sure that I nailed him with a good hit, I called a few people to brag, and then took my time packing up my gear and lowering it from the stand. Then I found the arrow and it was completely CLEAN. I wish I could have seen the look on my face! (Lesson: Before you pack up your set up, GO CHECK THE ARROW!) Sunday he came by again, but would only give me a front quartering shot, so I passed. Later, a smaller 4x4 came by. All though I wanted the bigger buck, I really wanted to get home to the wife and my two boys, so I decided to settle on this one. He gave me a nice broadside at 20, and I shot over him! I was shocked! I have made 35 yard shots before on animals when I was a lot more excited. I went home seriously questioning if I should be bow hunting. I had zero confidence in my shooting ability. Somehow, a few weeks earlier, I had messed up my shoulder, and I had been barely able draw my bow. (When you get old, body parts start breaking down for no apparent reason.) In my backyard, once I could draw back, I could shoot accurately. I didn’t want to dial down the weight from 70 lbs. and resight so close to the season. I was worried that I might spook the animal just trying to draw on him, but once I got it back, I thought that it wouldn’t affect my shooting, but apparently it did. Last week, after my missed shots, I figured out that I was I was gripping the bow and release so hard to draw, that it distracted me from good form in a pucker situation. The shoulder was doing a little better, and I spent last week working on good form, so I went back up on Saturday. “My” buck came by about 2:30 on Saturday. He was quartering, but finally turned enough broadside. As soon as I shot him, he bolted over a hilltop to into a thick ravine, and I lost site of him, but I heard him pile up. I waited the prescribed one hour, and then looked down into the ravine. There was good blood, but it was hard to see on the ground covered with brown oak leaves, and the cover was very thick. So I got down on my hands and knees, trying to follow the blood trail, praying to Lord that He would lead me to the buck. Well, He did, about 150 yards from the stand, in thick cover, just an hour before dark. I had mis-judged his slight quartering angle, so I missed the far side lung, and he went a little farther than I would have liked. Thank You Lord for a great hunt and buck! That night I called up a buddy who had been hunting almost every day since the opening day without seeing a buck. He had never taken a coues, and would be very happy with a spike. He had been sitting stands 12 hours a day for a week, and was ready to give up so he could get ready for an elk tag. I had been seeing a large spike (12 inches) everyday, and Mike had been hunting so hard, I though that he deserved a chance for it. Mike drove half the night to get from his stand to mine, and in the morning I guided him to my stand. Within an hour, he nailed the large spike! He was happier than a 7 year old on Christmas morning! Congrats Mike on your first coues! Mark

I need to stock up on blunts. Lets be sure not to confuse these guys with treehuggers (like me). These guys are animal "rights" wackos. mark

Well, I was kind of thinking first choice of weapon. Also, I probably should have put it in "Miscellaneous Items related to Coues Deer", but the editor won't let me change the poll, so I guess we're stuck with it. Maybe one of the admins could move it. I'm not sure all the rifle hunters read the bowhunting. Thanks, Mark

Amanda, You guys (the ADA) did a great job on the Seminar in Phoenix last night! My son had a blast! Thanks! Mark