Whitesheep

Electrical tape is the answer. Finger cots are too fragile from my experience. Pretty much all the guides in AK use electrical tape and carry extra around the barrel for replacements. There was an article in American Hunter a while back that did a range test on electrical tape and it had no impact on accuracy, point of aim or pressure. As azmetalman says, the air ahead of the bullet in the barrel pops the tape, not the bullet (think about it), so the presence of tape doesn't change a thing. No need to take it off before you shoot either. I suppose if your running F class the extra weight of the tape would change barrel harmonics and make a .01 MOA difference and possibly cause you to lose a match. However, the F class guys probably never stick their barrel in the mud crossing a arroyo or shoot when it is raining anyway so this is not likely a concern of theirs.

Two proven rifles/load come to mind. My first pick is a Weatherby Accumark in .340 running either factory ammunition (250 gr Nosler Partition) or hand loads that duplicate the factory load. The second proven Elk harvester is a Marlin XLR .444 Marlin shooting factory 265 grain Hornady FTX for which I can duplicate the factory load with hand loads. Either one gets the job done. I prefer the .340, but the .444 is easier to carry. BTW the .340 is also a dandy sheep rifle and my avatar was taken with this rifle. There are many very good Elk rifles and what ever you use, best of luck.

Hi Cousetracker, you are getting good feedback. The only thing missing is a discussion about seating depth. IMHO this is more important than powder charge. You can measure your rifle's unique COL to ogive with special tools or without. That being said, I would be happy with your final group for a hunting gun, so why bother. I measured it with On Target Software and this is what I found. While thinking last night about how envious I am of your shooting I realized I neglected to set the scale on your target. Here is the correct measurement. Sorry, but this is still sub MOA, which I continue to be envious about, just not as much.

Nice review of the options out there nralifer. It looks like most chron's work as intended so maybe your next consideration is ease of use and the software contained in the unit. My buddy and I share a CED Millenium chronograph we purchased form Dillon for $200. It works well, has nice large openings (harder to hit the screens) and a large storage capacity with decent string editing capabilities. It can also download data to a spreadsheet, but I don't use this feature much. Whatever you choose, be sure to purchase and carry extra screens and supports with you just in case you miss the opening or wind knocks over your screens. http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/24728/catid/32/CED_Millenium_Chronograph I agree with several other posters here that the last thing you measure is speed once you have found a dependably accurate load. This will help you START the process of determining drop at distance when combined with a decent ballistic calculator. I use Bullet Flight level 2 on my iPhone. There is also a level 1 and military level of this software. http://www.accurateshooter.com/gear-reviews/kac-bullet-flight-app/ Once you have a starting point for bullet drop it is necessary to confirm it in the field at multiple distances. This is my process. YMMV Post back what you pick and why.

Why are we all so excited? It is not as if we can use the tag yet. Is it that we have to touch it and see it to believe it is real, or is my wife right and we are all just like a bunch of little kids?

I like averagejoe's alternative. If your armored frame turns an animal into a LSD inspired nightmare, I wouldn't want it.

Personally I prefer straight for hunting as it is much easier to locate a specific point to look at. I agree with other posters who feel it makes switching between bino's and the scope easier as well. Shots that require switching from the scope that you found the critter with to the bino's to range and then the rifle scope are easier for me if all involve looking straight at the target through all three sets of optics.

Fit first, brand last. I use both Vasque and Meindls. The Meindl Perfekt Hunters I use are the only bested by the Cabela's Meindl Winter 800's now called "Ice Norther Explorer" I use for really cold weather hunts. I only use the Meindls for hunting to make them last while I rotate the two pairs of Vasuqes Summits I own for my conditioning hikes. The Vasques are good for a couple of years, but the older ones were better as they had rubber covering on the toe box. I have put "toe guard" on all three pairs of boots and so far so good. Either Vasque or Meindl is good in my opinion, but I would go with the Meindl's if I could only own one pair of boots. I use Vasque because they fit me so well and are only bettered by the Meindls. The Vasques are less $$ so they are fine for work outs and so I can save my high $$ boots for the real thing. The most important thing is the fit so try a bunch of brands on and don't skimp on the cost as you do get what you pay for. I like Keen's for around town, but I bet the desert would kill them fast. I like Danners, but my foot is too wide or their toe box too small for me. YMMV Kennetrek sounds like something worth trying as they have an uninsulated model that is like my Meindl Winter 800's with a rubber surround. If I wear out my Meindl's I'll give the Kennetreks a serious look. Good luck and let us know what you chose and why.

5A Turkey with the dual dates 17A & 17B Pig. My favorite Javalina unit!

If you're looking at this class of gear, check out Rivers West here: http://www.riverswest.com/ They have several different weights. I use the light, medium and heavy. The light is my favorite as I usually am on warm Javalina or early Elk hunts, but the medium is just right for about anything in the desert in the winter while the Heavy good for cold high elevation late Elk work. They are tough as nails (guaranteed to not rip on barb wire fence) and completely water proof. Not a well known name, but excellent gear.

Very good discussion. I have been on the good and bad end of these types of situations. Once in 21 on my 1st Javalina hunt many moons ago a bunch of loud music playing drunks set up their tent 30 yards from our camp in the middle of the side road leading to our camp. Maybe they didn't see us as we crashed early and they set up in the dark, When we walked by their tent before dawn, we made a few strong but not threatening comments about disturbing us and they were gone when we got back later that day. I specifically don't hunt Javalina in 21 anymore because there are so many tags there and generally stay away from the units right around Phoenix and Tucson. On the other hand, hunting Elk in 5A in the PJ's years later I was walking the military crest of a ridge and literally walked right up to a blind with a father and son well hidden. I had no idea they were there until I about stepped on them, but I am sure they heard me approach. I apologized and continued on my way. What could I do? I have had several other close encounters, including shots going over my head, in 5A, but one time it resulted in a nice cow being pushed my way. That's public land hunting. As others have rightly said, we are lucky to have these problems. I try to get away from people as much as possible, and in AZ we can still do that, thankfully, much of the time. I have "moved on" when finding someone beat me to my spot and would be disappointed if I wasn't treated the same. So I feel for ya Coach. In the end, however, I am glad I have the privilege of living and hunting in AZ and don't have to sit in a tree all day on the same 40 acres that has to be payed for as a hunting lease each year.

Consider staying in a cabin or motel if your solo. That way you don't have to worry so much about your camp being ransacked and can get a good nights sleep. When we hunt in unit 29 our group stays in a cabin. The drives from our cabin back to the bush are not that far, at least in 29, and a hot shower in the morning is good for sent control. Other alternatives are to hook up with someone on this site since you received several offers, or with an outfitter where you can pay for a managed camp, but not a guide. Personally I wouldn't camp alone in the "boarder lands" unless I backpacked in and set up a camouflaged and secluded camp, but that is just me. Evening would find me in camp and dark would find me in bed with no light. I am sure others camp out south of I-10 all the time with no problem. In the end, bears are probably a bigger issue than illegals, especially if you have meat hanging. Given you're from OR, I presume you know good bear discipline. You'll need it in the Chiricahuas and other places on the boarder. A final tip is to leave "abandoned" illegal camps and backpacks alone. You never know who is watching, good or bad. Your CG experience should do you well in identifying and staying away from this kind of danger. It is beautiful down here and there is no reason to be scarred away if you maintain good situational awareness.

You know what we say for doves, "a box a bird." As bad as that is "30 rounds a pig" is a little much!

My experience from hunting in unit 29 matches Scooters'. We see trash, innovative water carrying systems and camps situated to not be seen from roads or trails. Once when trailing a deer we left a hunter at the truck because he had hurt his ankle. He heard and observed a couple of illegals coming over Silver Peak. When they saw our white dodge PU with camper shell they became very quiet and took a detour. (We think they thought it was a BP truck.) Our assumption is that illegals will steer clear of any hunters and problems would only occur if you are out at night. We do stay in a cabin instead of setting up a camp like we usually do in other units so we don't expose our camp while we are gone during the day. Everyone in our group carries a side arm, but I would expect to need it for bear before I would need it for protection from illegal's. Another recommendation is to NOT explore any camps or caches you find. Once one of our group observed from an high OP what looked like a backpack with a bale of MJ. I looked to him just like the ones you see in the trail camera photos and videos. We steered well clear of that pack as who knows who else was watching it or if it was booby trapped. So go hunting im 30 and have fun. If you stay in at night and keep up your situational awareness while your are out you should be fine.

A way to cut down pack weight I have used is to pack in food in a bear can on a scouting trip in advance of the actual hunt to create a known cache point. Even if you end up a ways away from the cache, it is going to be closer than the truck. As other's have noted, locating and verifying a reliable water source during scouting is key to keeping down weight. I don't envy you military studs who have to carry all your water along with all that gear and ammo to high mountain OP's. You have my deepest respect, admiration and thanks. At this point I don't plan spike camps, but do carry enough stuff to get me through the night just in case. This means carrying a good head lamp with spare batteries, many ways to start fire and water proof clothing. I no longer carry extra food because I have that built into my beer muscle and water is more important short term anyway. After spending a night temporarily disoriented (lost) lost in Alaska in a light rain with only a knife, cig lighter and my rifle, I don't worry about a night out as long as I can build a fire. Good luck everyone this season and stay safe

Hey Scooter, Why do you carry three radios? I understand the "one is none, two is done" philosophy, but three radios would be pushing it for me. Just for curiosity sake, how many knives, flashlights and firearms to you carry while hunting? Personally I use Garmin Rino's because they combine a radio and GPS allowing my group to keep situational awareness without having to talk. My iPhone is a great backup GPS with full topo maps that work off grid, but it is rather fragile and not great for battery life. When hunting my group is usually so far apart that the Rino or a radio would not be useful in pursuit of game, but it is sure handy to verify if one of my group took a shot and to call in reinforcements to field dress and pack out a kill. For the record, 1 skinning/boning knife with a gut hook and a small multi-tool and two flashlights. One LED headlamp and medium sized LED hand held light. Usually one rifle, but if I am carrying a single shoot in the demilitarized zone south of I-10, probably a large caliber pistol or revolver (for bears in unit 29 ya know).

I received a response by e-mail from Tim Christie today (7/23/13) and here is what he wrote: Marc Thanks for your email. The information concerning hunters using radios and cell phones contained in my hunting ethics article in Arizona Wildlife Views is incorrect. They are legal to use while hunting in Arizona, as I now understand it. While researching the article, I received inaccurate information; regrettably I didn’t double-check the accuracy of the facts concerning radio and cell phone usage. I take full responsibility for the mistake in the article. There will be a correction made in the next issue of the magazine. Tim Nothing yet from AZ Wildlife Views. I guess that settles it. Thank you everyone for all the input.

Congrats Comm1, I guess with my 11 points I still have some time to wait. WAAAAAAAA

e-mail has been sent today (7/20/13) to Arizona Wildlife views as well as through Tim Christie's web site concerning his statement asking for the specific law that supports Mr. Christie's statement. I'll post any responses I receive.

To each their own. I bought a hunt in AK once (hence my avatar) and while I saw some book class rams I could shoot, we wouldn't have been able to recover any of them, so I ended up with my OK specimen. The experience was fantastic, but it was clear to me that I would have to go back several times in order to harvest a record book ram. I hunt public land on my own now and the 5x5 bull elk I took in 2011 with my friends without a professional guide means more to me than the Dall because we did it on our own. I understand that some (many?) of the "book" animals were "bought" through professional guided hunts by buying a certain class animal in advance. The fact that the guide spent a year scouting and patterning a specific bull and then took the client right there without using radios so it could "make the book" doesn't fit my idea of fair chase. Add in gang processed meat and I completely lose interest in this type of hunting. That is my opinion and for that reason I don't support the record books. Becker makes a good point, is entitled to his opinion and I respect the work guides do and the attention and money they bring to our sport. For me, however, I hunt for many reasons and being in the "book" isn't one of them. I guess I helped hijack the thread I started, but I had to weigh in. There is room in this sport for everyone who is ethical and law abiding. We should support each other even if we don't agree on all the details of why we hunt. Now back to radios......

For what it is worth, I understand the Benadryl dosage for dogs is 25 mg per 20 to 25 pounds. Many years ago a 25 lb Cocker Spaniel of mine was bit in the nose by a rattler in CO. Her snout swelled up like the picture of your dog. Antivenum was $200 (Like I said it was a while back.) The vet said dogs generally do fine, but they must have antibiotics. We did the antivenum too because this was my kids dog and I already had a reputation for being cheap. Can't you hear it from mom: "Yeah, your sweet dog died because your dad's a cheap *ss." So I paid the $200 and am still married to the same mom of my kids and they barely remember. Best $200 I ever spent.

That's the way I understand it, if you want to enter the animal in the book go back to hand signals. That's the way I understood it..... Doesn't the article give anymore information as to why they made that statement? Hi Amanda, The article doesn't give anymore detail, which is sad since this is a pretty significant statement. I plan on writing Tim to ask why he made this statement. The group's response matches my understanding. I am unlikely to ever bag a record book animal and really wouldn't care if I did and didn't "get in the book." Hunting is not a competition for me. That being said, I find radios with location features such as the Garmin Rino series to be a real safety item as you can locate a down and unconscious pardner with them, which I have not had to do thank God. You can also keep track of your spread out group without making a sound. Thank you all for the validation on my understanding of the law regarding the use of radios while hunting. I'll post anything I hear from Tim.

Done!

Anyone have any encounters with immigrants during their hunt? We found some packs and Mexican water bottles (1gal jugs) in Unit 29, but didn't see any immigrants like we did a couple of years ago.

How about trade it for a Mark V?