Coach

Well, I graduated from UofA so I should be all "go cats..." Their sports teams are usually disappointing. Used to like watching them at basketball but now it just looks like bunch of thugs and gansters. I think I'll watch the ice-cats play some hockey and buy a big old beer... Since the only game I've seen UofA play this year looked more chaotic and clueless than usual, if I had to put money on the game, it would be on ASU, but I sure would love to see UofA win just to shut up the crass devil fans. Now that would put a smile on my face.

I'm thinking that re-instating the online application process with a new vendor (which I hate to say, seems a little buggy so far) combined with paper apps is causing more than a little chaos. I'm anxiously awaiting the results to see what my boys drew. My youngest might get his first tag. He wants so much to finally go hunting like his big brothers...fingers crossed.

LOL - those are halarious and spot on. Thanks for a good belly laugh!

Nice job Brian! That's too cool. Shooting a yote with a bow is a pretty big accomplishment in my opinion. Good luck on the rest of your elk hunt, and give me a call when it comes time to pack him out.

Nice job! That's a great shot too! Congrats.

Nice! Now that's a great practical joke!

The last time I took game to a local butcher I lost all of it to foul tasting garbage that I paid a lot of money for. Since that day, every single ounce of meat consumed in my house is processed by me. I can't do summer sausage, because I don't have a big enough smoker to hang the chubs, so the guy I use gets nothing but cleanly cut meat I have processed. Everything else is 100% self processed from field to table. It takes me about 8-10 hours for an elk and maybe 6 for a deer, but when I'm done, I know my wife won't chomp down on a pine needle, hair or even a leftover chunk of sinew or fat. Game animals aren't like beef - their fat and sinew does not break down and flavor the meat like beef. Any fat or sinew will give game meat an undesirable "gamey" flavor. I've got a family of picky eaters when it comes to game meat, and I can't stand game going to waste. Out of necessity, I have found that proper care in the field and meticulous care in the boning and packaging of game meat lead to unbeatable table fare, and the slightest overlooked detail leads to wasted game meat. There is no way I could pay anyone worth their time to process my game the way I do. But, when it comes down to it, every bit of every animal my family kills gets eaten, either as jerky or steaks. And we've had some Javelina steaks that I would defy anyone to discern from quality deer or antelope backstrap. I recently gave some coues bottom round to my father-in-law, who hasn't been able to hunt for years and wanted some venison. He raved about how tasty that meat was - and the conditions to get that meat out of the field and home were not favorable. If you like hunting, and you enjoy sharing the fruits of your hunt, you really owe it to yourself to learn how to process the meat yourself. There is definately an art to it, but once you get it, you will never take your meat to a processor again.

I'm really glad your situation is turning around. We obviously don't know eachother, but your situation really resonated with me. Your dedication to family and adherence to what is really important is admirable. My best hopes and wishes go out to you and your family.

As a follow-up, I wouldn't pay one dollar for a deer that someone else killed - no matter the score. I don't understand the mentality of people who buy and display mounts that they didn't kill.

For real??? Bah HaHaHa.... Yeah that is what I'd do... Pick up a world class coues head, pay to have it mounted, and then give it to one of potentially many hunters that were after this deer but were beaten to the punch by Mother Nature?? What- tever... LOL. Would love to see this buck in a world class collection... hope he gets a mint for it, but if I'da found it it would never leave my house unless it was replaced by a replica mount.... Good luck with the sale. +1!!! Seems there is a story behind this magnificent buck. Anyone care to fill in the lost details? With all due respect, Gino, "beaten to the punch by Mother Nature"...what does that mean? Lots of guys get a good deer patterned every year. Sometimes the guy who is there when he slips up isn't the guy who has dedicated his life to following that buck. I remember something similar with a buck taken in Utah last year - maybe the biggest velvet muley I have ever seen, taken by a guy who is affiliated with some of the Western rags. Lots of internet bashing and stories of how he was taken out from under his cousin...blah blah blah... As it turned out, the hunter with the perseverance to stay with that buck through storms and other obstacles ended up being the one hunter with a shot opportunity when it finally arose. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know the full story behind this buck. But when the rubber hits the road, the guy who killed it was in the right place at the right time and made the shot. For me, that’s enough to give kudos to the lucky hunter.

What would be $10?? I got hit for $18, turkey is all I put in for. So it's either 5a or 5b. I'm assuming it is for a youth turkey tag, since those are $17.50 and I paid the $7.50 at the time of application. We'll see...shouln't be long now.

Seems most like the angled eye-piece for longer viewing times (birders, gun range, etc). Less fatigue on the neck. The straight configuration, IMO is easier to line up quickly and find what you are looking at through binos. This is one of those things that comes down to personal preference.

Awesome story - great write up too! Congrats on a very nice first buck, and the memories you two will have.

Looks like binocular suspension has come a long way. It used to be a narrow strip of nylon around your neck, then, some optics makers like Swaro started providing neoprene neck straps. Next, Crooked Horn came in and totally changed things with thier system, which I've been using for years now. But I know there are a lot of better systems out there now than what I'm using. Mine flop around, stretch out, have to be turned upside down when stalking... So I've been looking at a couple of newer designs. The S4 gear lockdown and Badlands Bino case both look good. What have you guys found that works well?

I had a hit for $10

I like the look of that one - especially the range finger mounting. Post an update when you get a chance to use it in the field.

Wow, Tony. That was downright creepy....

Wow, awesome buck and great story. What a tough hunt, but the hard work sure did pay off for you. Congratulations on a great hunt.

I'm looking for a spare tire for my '06 ranger. Has to be the front tire - the fronts wil work on the back, but not vice-versa. Hopefully someone in the White Mountains or Payson. I don't get to the valley much these days, and shipping is expensive. Thanks, Jason

I know a guy... Hey, he's cheap - waddayawant???

Thanks for the replies, and keep 'em coming. The thing that irks me with my setup is that they attach at the end closest to the eyepiece. So when I'm crouched and stalking, they dangle and I have to flip them upward toward my chest. The badlands setup is pretty good, but I've tried one once, and it seemed hard to shut quietly. I LOVE the little hook on them that allows you to hang your bow without setting it down to glass. My "go-to" pack is a Cabela's hybrid day pack, which is really just a great fanny pack with shoulder harness. I wish I could find something I could attach right to that without having a separate harness - everything is already right there. I've heard good things about the Sitka bino pack, but it's $100 and I'm not sure I want to go that route, yet. Anyone out there designing backpacks - here's an idea for you. If you could combine a Cabela's hybrid, or badlands Monster fanny with an integrated front bino pouch that stays close to the body, AND find a way to incorporate a light mesh bag supported by the shoulder harness to carry 30-40 pounds of meat, even if that meant some optional corded support poles to create a frame, you would have the perfect set-up for hunters that venture in deep, but stay light and still have the capability to haul out a boned-out deer. In my last situation, I literally used my friend's under armour shirt with knots in the sleeves as a makeshift game pack. We used parachute chord and mule tape to support the extra weight and put it on the harness and belt of my pack. There is no reason a heavy-duty fanny pack can't be converted to a game-hauling pack - it just hasn't been done yet. Make a detachable, front bino carrier that snaps onto it and you have a winner. Add a range finder tether to the shoulder strap and kifaru gun-bearer and you would have the ultimate setup for run-and gun hunters. Man, I sure wish I could design this pack. Eventually, it will come but for now we have to piece together the best elements of a lot of good designs that weren't necessarily meant to work together.

Spotting and stalking a bull after the rut with archery equipment has to rank right up there with the toughest hunts anywhere. You definately earned a great trophy with that stalk. My hat is off to you - great job. Congrats on a true trophy.

I feel your pain. I think having the option of an online course was a very good move by G&F, but it would certainly be nice if it were easier to find a field day to complete it. On the other hand, you have to keep in mind that the guys doing these classes are volunteers, so it's hard to get too upset that they aren't holding one every weekend. It would be really nice if each office would try to schedule one field day per month specifically for kids who have taken the online course. That would certainly be convenient. I've got one more to go, he turns 10 on the 28th of January and I am hoping to find a field day between then and the general javi hunts - which I'm sure will be tough. Good luck. I hope those boys are able to get out there and hunt with you soon.

Nice buck for sure and great job! You should be glad it was a cat that found him. Here is what they look like when a bear finds them. This is less than 12 hours from when it was killed (not my buck, btw)....

I've been using the Slik Sprint Pro for years as my primary binocular tripod. The ball system isn't the greatest, but it definately works. You do have to find the "sweet spot" where it is tight enough not to flop over, but loose enough to still pan. My "other" tripod is a Bogen 3205GN with a 3130G head. It's a great tripod, but not something I'm willing to lug around at 5-6 pounds. If you find a good, fluid pan head for he Slik Sprint that is worth the money, let me know. I've been considering trying one of these...not sure if it fits the Sprint Pro. http://www.amazon.com/Slik-Compact-All-Metal-3-Way-Release/dp/B0007YPGDK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1321063117&sr=1-1 If you can get used to the ball head that comes on the Sprint Pro, it's actually not that bad, considering how light weight it is.