Coach

Happy Birthday, Ernesto and Happy New Year!

Balmy here in comparison, I'm only showing -5.1

I was working on my son's quad this afternoon and decided to crack a beer. Set it down on my workbench in the garage (door open) and the next time I tried to take a sip it was beer slush.

My outdoor thermo is showing -3.9 right now in the Wagon Wheel area. Hope everyone has their campers/trailers/5th wheels winterized. This is some hard kinda cold.

That's just freakin' awesome! Congrats to all!

And eating cheetos, drinking a beer, cozy on a couch waiting for "next season" is how devils celebrate "bowl season". Easy to bash the guys who lost the bowl you didn't even earn a chance to play in. LOL.

Man, wow, what a great looking buck! Lots of hard work for sure and it played out perfectly. Thanks for sharing the story with us.

That's really awesome. Despite all the things going on, you got out there with the help of family and friends to make some truly amazing memories. Nice job.

Tell me when ASU was even IN THE LOCKER ROOM for a bowl game this year...Yeah, I thought so!

LOL! That's gotta sting! Let's talk about how badly the 'Cats did in their bowl games while the devils are watching them on ESPN. Now THAT'S priceless!

Great buck, congratulations on a well earned trophy. Man I love those 24A bucks...so pretty. Nicely done!

Here's the trail leading to my home office in Lakeside...

This year I'm going super low-tech for javi's for myself, unit 27 HAM with a buddy who wants to go all traditional blackpowder. Either grandpa's cap and ball .50 cal Hawkins or or my flint .50 Hawkins if I can get it back into service. My backup is a Remington Navy 1858 stainless ball and cap six-shooter. We've decided it's all patch and ball, no fiber optics or magnified scopes. Should make for a very fun low-tech hunt. For my boys, I'm trying to learn the herds N. of Roosevelt. They've got the 22-23 youth tag and I know of a couple herds in 22 I can hopefully get them on, but looking to find some 23 herds also. The ones in 22 I know of can only take so much beating and we've hit them pretty hard the last couple of years. Anybody willing to share some unit 23 pig info for the kids, I'm all ears. I've seen them off and on around Cherry Creek/Coon Creek, but don't have anything reliable at this point. We'll likely park the trailer on the Young/Cherry Creeek road and hunt the North half of the lake (what portions aren't closed off) and some of the flats N. of Punkin Center. Anybody who wants to share a kids camp in 23 in the later part of January is more than welcome. If nothing else, it's a good chance to go learn some interesting country, share some beers over the campfire and meet a fun hunting family. Come on in and say howdy.

Cooked up 2 prime ribs this Christmas, and follow pretty much the same approach. I've done a couple over the past 3 years with different results. Some people recommend a really high heat for the first 20 minutes, then reducing. Like 450/350. When I've tried that, I end up with too-cooked outside, and too raw inside. I'd rather go with a "slow roast" at a consistent 275 degrees. Takes a long time but worth it, IMO. No doubt about it, the key is to sear the whole roast as well as you can on a pan with oil. I like olive oil. Searing keeps the juices inside and helps the roast pull in the flavors from the rub. The rub is where you get to be creative. I like a lot of garlic and some cajun seasoning, a little kosher salt and maybe a little white pepper. After searing the roast, I coat it in olive oil and pat on the dry rub, the into the oven. I'm certainly no expert, but instead of minutes-per-pound, the key is a quality thermometer. You don't want the inner portions to go much over 120 degrees. I like mine pretty rare, so when I hit around 118 at the core I'll pull it and let it stand. The inside temp will raise at least 10 degrees once you pull it and let it stand. If it's too rare, boiling hot au jus to dip in will actually cook it to taste.

They're trying to cut down on feeding in populated areas. On the one hand you've got quail and Javi's coming into your yard and it's really fun to have all that wildlife to watch and enjoy. At the same time, some folks get irked when the piggies eat their expensive landscaping or take up residency in their yard. I have a co-worker in Fountain Hills that keeps begging me to come shoot the javalina that keep messing up his yard...LOL. He just isn't aware about the regulations etc. Funny thing though, he says he's got a Mt. Lion that has made a bed out of his TV dish. I asked if he was sure it wasn't a bobcat, and long story short, the thing definately has a long tail, so I'm guessing it really is a lion. In hunting situations, baiting is allowed for anything besides bear and migratory birds. Some counties with high human densities are trying to outlaw feeding game in an effort to deal with the high-strung types who just love having a home in the desert, as long as they can keep the desert at bay.

+1 for the Jim White adapter. Light, simple, you can keep it attached while your binos are around your neck and easily go to tripod glassing. A quality product and the price is reasonable.

Merry Christmas from the Jones Family in Lakeside.

Nicely done, Jed! And, BTW, I was serious about that text!

I say go for the tag you've been dreaming about. Yes, the guides up there have a distinct advantage, but I really don't believe that the guides know every buck and have a "lock" on all the mature bucks. With all due respect, your first post makes it sound like it's either impossible, or at best, a far stretch for a self-guided hunter to find success on the strip. I'd be willing to bet a bottle of Crown Royal and a good cigar, that you can find guys right here on this forum willing to camp and hunt along side of you at no charge, with comparable knowledge and enthusiasm as any guide. Just to be along on a hunt like that and do what they can to help out, is worth the effort for a lot of guys. I'd have no problem taking some vacation days to go help out. And I know quite a few buddies that would be equally willing to jump in, because, let's face it, most of us don't get that kind of tag very often. When it comes, we don't want to be out there flying blind. Some day we might be lucky enough to draw it, but then what? Most of us would be facing the same situation you are in. Spending a couple of days meeting someone new and learning more about a hunt we hope to one day enjoy is a win-win situation. Every day out there helping someone else out is another tid-bit of knowledge about the area, the animals and the habitat, that one day we'll be able to apply to our own hunt up there. IMO, this is a good opportunity to reach out and find some guys who share the passion of hunting huge mule deer North of the ditch, make a friend or two, and create an experience that you didn't have to buy, as blunt as that sounds. Just something to consider... Coach.

That rocks. Congrats, Blake!

Looks like a true shooter. Looking forward to updates as she comes to life. Very nice rifle indeed, and obviously a labor of love. Cant wait to see the first prints.

Those genetics are quite close to another big buck Ty guided a couple years back. Would love to know how close the two bucks were taken.

Very nice looking buck, and great job with the photo. Thanks for sharing.

Nice bucks, congrats! What's the story on that avatar pic?

I've got a Beretta Whitewing in 12 guage that I couldn't be happier with. The MSRP is a little more than your stated budget, but you might be able to find someone willing order for close to that if know some FFL dealers that can give a closer-to-invoice price. Super nice, light and fast handling. Kicks a bit though in 12 -