Coach

You can have my oldest son for $20 plus gas to drop off, but I won't part with my 15's. LOL. Just bumping your post to the top.

I wouldn't let the fact that you're hunting elk change too much if you have a setup for you that works. Yes, they are a heavier animal, and yes, you will see a ton of info on the web about Kinetic Energy, and heavier arrows and broadheads for elk. The simple answer is that a well placed shot with a quality arrow and broadhead will do the job, so find what you shoot accurately and use it. If you hit heavy bone, 100 grain vs 75 probably won't make the difference between finding a poorly hit elk or not.

Great job, Jared! And good shooting. #4 already, man you are a pig slaying machine! And great job to dad for getting him out there and hooked on the outdoors.

Hey TJ, Thank you so much - that means a lot to me. And thanks again to everyone for their positive replies. Josh is on cloud-9, of course, and he really enjoys coming on here and reading all the nice replies from you guys.

Awesome video - that was a lot of fun to watch!

Thanks everyone!

For what it's worth, I'm not a tattoo guy, but I do appreciate the art. It seems to me lettering would be one of the hardest things to get absolutely perfect. Let's face it, you can hide a hosed up detail in some type of intracate drawing like a dragon or coy fish, but lettering has to be absolutely perfect. Whoever did yours did an amazing job, in my opinion. There's no variation in size of the letters, all the letters match perfectly. Kudos to the artist.

Sweet, can I help in the picture selection? I love the old 'nam era shorties with the classic 6 inch flash break.

Thats the plan. The artist started going cross eyed after a while, so i'll go back and add one later.

Great job - love seeing the kids out there learning to hunt. Nice pix and story as well.

Now THAT's a family outing! Awesome.

Awesome! Great story and pictures. Gotta love those kids out there with dad getting it done!

Man - that looks really good. Nice buck too!

Awesome job! Love those family hunts together. Great write-up and pictures too! Thanks for sharing.

Nice, I think I'd add an M4 at the bottom.

I would love that. My boys are now 14 (almost 15) 13 and 10. Please do shoot me a PM when you're going to be up here. My goal is to make it really fun, whether we get something or not. I want Josh to do some glassing, see some pigs through the binocs and go on a stalk or two. Beyond that, well, we'll just have to see if I can put him in the right place at the right time. Thanks for your reply.

Today, I took my youngest son, Josh, out for some target practice and final preparations for his first ever big game hunt in AZ. When applying, I really wasn't sure what hunt to put him in for. His 10th birthday fell on Jan 28th - right in the middle of the first weekend of the youth hunt. Not being sure when or how we'd get his hunter's education requirement filled, I put him in for the general hunt so we'd have a month to get his field day in. Well, now he's official. He watched his brothers and some family friends tag out a couple weeks ago, and now it's finally his turn. He shot very well at practice, and he and I know his "comfort zone". I'm pretty confident on where we'll find the pigs, but he's going to need a good, clear shot with time to set up. The pressure is now on dad to put him in position this weekend to do what he has watched his brothers do. I hope to follow this post up with some good pix of Josh's first hunt.

krp - you couldn't be more spot on. If you're on the left, all sins are forgiven. If you're on the right, your morals and integrity are always under a microscope. That, to me is the indication that you're on the correct path. This is a subject I think about a lot as the hypocrisy of the left is the best illustration of the ongoing battle for truth. The very fact that they exploit every human weakness in their opponents and defend and downplay those same weaknesses in their constituents is a cornerstone in both politics and philosophy. Just look at the examples set. JFK, Bill Clinton, Edwards, Ted Kennedy, all were womanizers. But look at how the media has treated Gingrich and Herman Cain. The defense from the left is that their guys never made any pre-supposition of morals or emphasis on "family values". So it's OK for the dems to lie, cheat and steal because they never claimed to have morals in the first place. Those things are only bad if they are done by someone on the right. Bottom line, we all have to choose a side, and I'm confident in the side I've chosen.

Sounds like some exiting video - I can't wait to see it. Congrats on the archery javi!

I bought a pair of Under Armour Speed Freaks for my elk hunt and I think they really fill the gap between "Serious Hunting" boots and the cheap, light stuff. I've gone through several pairs of Danner GTX, and still wear them, but mostly for my around-the-house work boot. The speed freaks will NEVER be in the same category as Meindl Perfekt Hunter, Kenetrek, etc. But realistically, they aren't supposed to. If you are hunting hard country, lots of hiking in steep, rocky terrain, you need a super solid boot. That's where Meindl, Kenetrek, Asolo and others really shine. If you're hiking around in the pines or stalking in the lower desert, sometimes you want a boot that's more like a good running shoe. The speed freaks do that really well for me as long as I know their limitations. One thing to think about with light or mid-weight boots in the desert. If you pay a lot for a waterproof boot that is half leather and half nylon/cordura with a Gore Tex or similar waterproof lining - forget it. The cactus will poke more holes in that lightweight upper than the fabric can make up for. Your boots will leak like a $20 pair of Big 5 boots from china after one day. If you're gonna walk through cactus, shin daggers and cat claw, and still need water-proofing, you have to pick a solid leather upper. Just my opinion, but I've bought lots of boots over the years - for myself, my kids and my wife. Some have been stellar, some have been dogs. As a final illustration - might be worth a laugh...Years back I hiked some nasty stuff to get to a good glassing point. As I cooked up a light lunch I noticed a black rubber "discard". It was the entire sole of a "Rocky" boot. I always wonder how in the heck that guy got back off that mountain with half of a boot. Kinda drove home the importance of having a boot that can keep up with you. Good hunting, Coach.

That is just awesome. Huge congrats, and you know we're going to want the full story. I'm really happy for you! Think you can hit one? LOL

Hey Bill, these guys are in the white mountains. Funny part is they only seem to come around late winter and early spring. Del, your post doesn't deserve a reply, since it's nothing but negativity. But I'll give you one anyway. While it may not have been made explicit in the original post, I don't feed them dog food. They roam around the neighborhood eating whatever is available - in some cases, dog food. I don't have outdoor dogs. I have a compost pile, which is legal and none of your business anyway. So the next time you feel inclined to post a negative comment, please do us all a favor and keep it to yourself.

Nicely done! That's a good cat - good and dead!