Coach

Hey TJ. I've been trying to send you the video. Even on the lowest resolution it is still over 50MB and your server is denying it. I just zipped it, but it's still 47MB.... Maybe I'll have to cut out a bunch of the redundant elk pix, but it is really funny to watch in its entirety. Using MS Movie Maker I made each pic show for 1/2 second and it's still like 16 minutes long.

That's really cool. I like the camera - would be nice if it had a "zoom" mode. Thanks for the cool footage.

Hey Sam, sure is nice to be up here. I work for a company in Scottdale, but have a home office in Lakeside, so I get to be a little closer to what I really love. I pulled a card from a camera I put out April 19th. The card had over 2500 pix when the batteries died on May 4th. I'm trying to put together a video of all the stills - it is really cool. Anyway, here are some turkey highlights...

I had 4 gobblers going this morning on the roost and thought it was going to be a slam dunk. When they left the roost, I have no idea where they went, but it sure wasn't to check on my decoys or the hen-calls I was trying to entice them with. They shut up and disappeared. At least it was fun to get all that morning music - I wasn't expecting them to still be gobbling at all.

Thanks guys. Went out this morning and had 4 gobblers going on the roost. We set up the decoys and thought, oh boy they're going to be in a foot race to get these hens. For whatever reason, when they left the roost they quit gobbling and never came to investigate the decoys.

The new forum is nice and all, but I've been seeing some strange stuff. For one, when I start scrolling, large sections of the posts don't show up - just a big empty space with the background color. Also, when you reply to a topic, it used to take you back to that topic, at your post. Doesn't seem to do that anymore. Finally, after replying to a topic, it seems to take a while for that topic to get "moved up" in terms of a recently updated topic. Probably just a lag to let the moderators get a chance to review, but it definately changes the feel of the forum. I'm not trying to be overly critical, just pointing out some differences that will take some getting used to. I love this forum and spend a lot of time here so I wanted to give some constructive feedback.

I've hunted mule deer on the Navajo once and it was a very fun hunt. The deer numbers seem to be very cyclical. The guys I hunted with said the numbers were way down the year we hunted it compared to the previous year, but at least 3 of the 4 of us with tags got our deer (this was archery). Not sure if the 4th got his the weekend after I left. However, it looks like the tags are way down. I was considering doing it again and I found the following info on their website. It looks to me (please correct me if I'm wrong) that they are only offering 3 tags per hunt (standard $400 tag) to non tribal members... http://www.nndfw.org/2012_13proclamation.pdf

Bump for a great bow. I killed several critters with one almost just like that. Without a doubt one heck of a bow.

Here's the really funny part. These people fancy themselves as "environmentalists". They have some romantic notion about what the world outside the city is supposed to be like. However when they get here, decked from head-to-toe in the very latest REI or Eddie Bauer drag, with no clue what to do next, and realize that they weren't magically transformed into Meriweather Lewis and Pocohantus, they have to find someone to blame. "There's bugs out here, there's poop out here, the directions are shoddy, too few amenities..." We've all seen them in their silly cars with their silly clothes and silly water bottles and walking sticks. Guys and gals, this is the face of the environmental movement that is seeking to kick you and I off of public forest land. They don't want us stepping foot in their magical forest, and they sure as heck don't want us catching fish from the lakes and streams or killing the game that lives there to provide meat for our tables. And theysure don't know a thing about what is best for our forests.

Awesome - what a great bird. Huge congrats.

Awesome, TJ. That's the way to do it right there - and making some fish tacos, can't beat that.

We've had a great time on the youth hunt so far. My youngest son, Josh, was able to take his first javelina back in Feb, shortly after turning 10. Yesterday, he took his first ever turkey. It was an awesome but tough hunt - just an amazing experience. I had a long, detailed story planned, but hey, what do we really want to see??? Pictures! It was a great hunt - classic turkey calling with lots of gobbling and strutting at the decoys, followed by a one-shot kill by a first timer. Josh with his first turkey... So, today we headed back out with my two older boys. This time my middle boy, Nick, was in the "shooter" seat. Poor Matt, sucks to be the oldest - lol. After a weak start on our first set-up, we got a gobbler talking across a small drainage. No time to set up decoys or blinds, I had them lay behind a log near the edge of the cut. This tom was close and looking for love. I backed off and started calling. He gobbled twice, then shut up. I wasn't sure what to do next and as I was watching Nick, I see him raise his gun and fire. "I got him" he shouts....LOL. That tom came in quiet but walked right into the boys. Hope you enjoyed the story and pix. Jason

I know parents/grandparents can sign over their tags to kids/grandkids with certain stipulations. My two oldest sons drew youth cow tags and both have expressed an interest in giving their tag to their little brother since they have both gotten cow elk before. Does anyone know if siblings can sign their tag over to eachother?

Thanks guys, I do enjoy building them. Nothing is theft proof, but at least I know my cams won't be taken too easily. FWIW, I haven't lost one yet. Knock on wood.

Great photos! I'm a huge fan of the A-10. I saw one on the San Carlos one year while deer hunting and was blown away by how quiet it was compared to the ones I used to see over UofA when I was going to school down there. And not only was it super quiet, it was hugging the canyons so tight, it was almost like watching a hawk looking for prey. If you were a bad guy haning out, you would never know it was there until it rained down all sorts of fury on you. Fantastic job on the pictures, and thanks for sharing.

My first thought was a fox but it looks too big for that. I've never seen a 'yote that red. It sure looks healthy. Is this spot close enough to houses that it might be a domestic dog?

Wow - that is really cool. Congrats on a great hunt, and thanks for sharing it here.

One last bump TTT.

I lag bolt every camera I put out. If you're going to steal my camera, you are going to hike out with a huge chunk of tree, then go to work with a grinder and/or torch. By then, you've earned it.

Congrats on a great tag. I know it will be an amazing hunt. You know it will be a physical challenge, but it sounds like you have been keeping up and preparing for this opportunity. I can't wait to hear your story and see the pictures of your hunt.

Holy smokes, the javis at all stages of their life and death - including the final processing were more attractive than Flavor Flav flashing that grill.

Wow, great ram, and a beautiful full mount. Looks fantastic!

Awesome pictures Doug, as always. This is the first year I've heard of the "Supermoon", but many years back while I was still in high school, a buddy and I headed up to Sunrise Lake late one afternoon after football practice to do a little fly fishing for the big brookies that used to inhabit the lake. As the sun set, the moon rose over mountains so huge, and so amazing - I sure wish I had been carrying a camera, but I will never forget how incredible that moon looked. I've forgotten a lot of things since that time, but I can still picture the scene of the lake, totally calm, except for the rising trout, framed by a moon you could swear was almost close enough to touch. Thanks for the outstanding photos, and for bringing back a fond memory.

Good info - a little bit of a donwer - lol. It sure is fun to think that there might be a gold vein out there somewhere they are rooting around in.

ttt