Coach

Mine is a picture of me and all 3 sons (quite a while back) walking into one of our favorite spots in the woods. On the back of my shirt is are pictures of walking boots, and we're all holding hands...a very special picture to me. Man those little boys have grown up so much since that picture was taken. I'm so proud of my sons and the little men they are becoming.

Definately a chupacabra

I'm surprised that no one has jumped on that Switchback yet. So many good new bows out there I guess.

I'm holding off until next year, hoping Bowtech will offer a Destroyer in 34".

MattMan is right on, AZGFD is gill netting lots of the lakes up here to try and get them under control. They have pretty much taken over Rainbow, and I've heard of several over 20 lbs. caught in gill nets. The only pike I've caught were from the McNary mill ponds, but last I heard, the tribe doesn't allow fisthing there anymore. Anyone know the scoop on that?

My condolences to his family. Sad to see such a tragedy. If you get any details about what happened that might help avoid similar situations, it would be much appreciated. I'm very sorry for your loss.

+1 for Vortex DiamondBacks. Good glass, not too expensive, great warranty.

Only when your equipment starts causing issues for you in the field. The Switchback is an iconic bow, IMO. Probably the best bow Mathews ever put out, and my first Mathews was a Conquest Light, which I'd also rank up there with a few bows that were obviously advanced for their time. I'm now shooting a 2005 Bowtech Allegiance, and while they have put out some good new bows in the last few years, like the Mathews Switchback, most of the newer offerings have been less of improvements, than experiments in new technologies. If you've got a bow that shoots well for you now, there's no reason to plop down another grand for something that may be the next best thing, it's probably premature to take on a new bow that might be the next bow dropped from their line. There's about a zillion used 82nd Airborne bows for sale on the various sites, along with Mathews Monsters, etc. But the bows people regret ever selling to have the next new thing are the Bowtech Allegiance, and Mathews Switchback. Funny that way. I guess if you are into bowhunting tecnhology, it's prudent to try out the newest thing each year, but of all the offerings from the biggest names, only a couple will stick around as the building blocks for their next "best of breed" bow. I am really interested in shooting the Hoyt Maxxis, Bowtech Destroyer and Mathews Z7, just to see if there is really an noticable improvement over the older bows. For me, chasing new technologies in bows/arrows/broadheads is not something I want to be an "early adopter" type of consumer. There are plenty of great offerings out there that can outperform my shooting abilities. I just want to find what's comfortable and makes me feel confident in the field that where I aim is where I'll hit. The rest is just marketing hoopla. Not to take the thread off track, but I've found the best performing broadheads on game to be Muzzy 100 grain, 3 blade broadheads. They run about half of what the so-called premium heads cost, and I've bought them all. I've got G5 Montecs, Montec SS, Magnus Stingers and BuzzCuts, Slick Tricks (which fly awesome), G5 Strikers - which are really just "Wac'em" clones - the most "cloned" broadhead out there, a few expandables I haven't taken to the field yet because I don't trust them. I have NEVER lost a hit animal with the basic 100 grain, 3 blade muzzy that you can pick up at WalMart for $17 a 3 pack, and I killed a nice coues and nice muley last year with them. They fly exactly like all other broadheads I practice with, but they have an amazing ability to kill everything they touch, and do it quickly. Not sure why, but short bloodtrails speak for themselves. Lost game is the worst possible thing that we deal with, IMO, and when you have a bow that you aren't confident in, or broadheads you aren't condfident in, you might just be crawling hands-and-knees looking for one more blood spot, and that is an ugly feeling.

You should always be suspicious of someone helping you remember to get your apps in . Before you get reeled in and filleted, you *might* want to double check our resident, Good Samaritan's dates.

I know CRB will probably be happy to take them - he has a VERY impressive antler collection.

Nice stategy CactusJack! Personally, I would go with a lever gun if I were buying another .22 or maybe a gallery pump-gun. The browning lever is nice, but I like the looks of the Henry a little better - just personal preference. I've always liked the browning semi-auto take-down too - very much a classic gun, but I have 10/22 international - stainless with the full-length (Mannlicher-style) stock that goes all the way out to the end of the barrell, that it pretty much the only semi-auto .22 I'll ever want or need. Nice of you to be putting lots of thought into a present for your dad. I'm sure he'll be very happy with whatever you choose.

Don't EVEN go there...

I talked to someone at Chasin' A Dream in Payson about some bowfishing gear, and was really impressed with that guy's knowledge and willingness to help, even though he didn't have in stock what I was after. You just get a certain feel from a bowshop that they are there to be helpful and I got that feeling from one call - Made me want to do business with them in the future, FWIW.

Great job finding a bear honey hole like that!!! I sure want to arrow one big bear somewhere down the line. Have a good spot, but it's not exactly in "friendly territory". That big boy is awesome - keep us posted for sure!

Truly touching - thank you for sharing it with us. God bless our troops, and I sincere "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart, to all who have served and continue to serve our country. It is men and women putting their lives on the line, every day, that make our Nation strong, not politicians or corporations. God bless you and your family this Memorial Day weekend. Please take a few moments to think about and talk about what makes this day special. Men and women have been fighting and dying to preserve our unique and special country for decades, yet, somehow, we all seem to take their sacrifce for granted. This isn't just another 3-day weekend - we need to take some time to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who came before us, and those still on the battlefield are making each and every day to protect something good, and sacred and special. America still is the bastion of hope, an example to the world of strength, kindness, generosity and hope. And the men and women serving on the front lines are still the best and brightest we have to offer the world. They ask almost nothing in return, but they deserve our gratitude and our respect. Next time you see a vet or active-duty member of our armed forces, please, don't be shy, just say Thank You. You'll be surprised how they respond.

How does the Maxxis 35 compare with the Bowtech Destroyer? I was dead set on a Destroyer until I found out I had a ML bull tag instead of an archer tag this year. I already know my Knight Long Range Hunter is the best ML out there, so I can hold off another year on a new bow -

I was planning on getting a Bowtech Destroyer - love my Allegiance. But, I'm starting to hear such good things about the new Hoyts, I wouldn't plop down that much cash without shooting them both side by side. I've never owned a Hoyt, but they've always made good bows. I've heard great things about the Mathews Switchback (older), and my first "top shelf" bow was a Mathews Conquest which is still a great bow. I agree with the other posters here, that pretty much all of the bow manufacturers are putting out some great bows, and Matthews, Bowtech and Hoyt all have some really amazing new bows this year. You just have to shoot them all and see what feels the best to you.

If you want to sit water in August, be prepared to A) set up early sleep in your blind and C) fight off the onslaught opening weekend. I've posted numerous threads on this topic and even had a situation last year where a popular TV show was being filmed on the water hole I planned to sit. My mindset has changed a little based in last year's hunt, and now I really feel like if you want to hunt it, you have to be pretty agressive. Get there first and be ready with a flashlight 2-3 hours before sunup to let people know, you were in place before they got there. If you stand back and let them have it, they WILL take it and might not be willing to take the same "sharing" approach. If you let someone "tag" a waterhole and leave it up to them to tell you when you can hunt it, you had better have a good backup plan, because lots of guys aren't that accomodating. I've taken a different approach similar to what Str8Shot advocates. If it's a well used watering hole, don't focus so much on the tank itself. Do some scouting and find where the deer are bedding and moving and put yourself between the them and the water hole. May as well hit them before they get to water, and IMO, the biggest bucks will be close to water, but will actually hit the tanks more at night, if it's getting a lot of pressure.

So, last year I posted a story about trying to hunt a water hole at the beginning of the AZ coues archery season. I had a couple of spots staked out - public land and all that implies. I had a great water hole with cameras set up and lots of activity, but didn't want to put my blind up too early, because I didn't want to "stake out" a spot prematurely, and, honestly, I was afraid it would get stolen. A couple days before the season started,went in to set up my blind - yeah, there's a double bull sitting right above the water hole. Dillemma time. So I left a note indicating that I have been scouting the same water hole, yada yada, let's work out a schedule where we share it. I didn't really expect a response, but I got an email opening morning sent by a guy named "Fred". Said they were basically planning to sit that spot Friday - Sunday. He was sending me emails right from the water hole via his blackberry. This was my plan B spot, as my plan A spot already had a blind set up as well - so my plans for archery hunting coues were kind of in the crapper. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really OK just saying, OK, you get it for the first 3 days - my intention had been to work out an arrangement where we shared the spot without stepping on eachother - but hey, this is AZ public hunting. You set up earlier than the other guy and take the chance of getting your blind stolen, or back out and let him have it, IMO. He set up earlier than I was willing to so all I could do was to try to work out a reasonable arrangement. Throughout the day Friday, I kept in contact with "Fred" asking what he had seen, etc. and he kept in contact about what he was seeing. Late in the day he tells me that they got a nice coues off the tank and that they were done - something like "it's all yours". I got picture taken by cell phone of Fred and another guy (who we all know) with a high 90's, wide, short-tined velvet buck. Obviously I was a little jealous and kind of kicking myself for not staking the spot out earlier. So, that's the backround...here we are in May of 2010, last night I was having trouble falling asleep after a long day turkey hunting with my boys. We put on the Outdoor channel, and there is Easton's Bowhunting TV with a trip to AZ to hunt Coues with a tradtional bow, by, yeah, you guessed it, Fred Eicher. I was just thinking...no way...but it all came together. As I watched the show and the video of his brushing in of the blind (they moved it mid-day) and compared it wth the emails, pictures, my own trail cam pictures, it was clear. I was competing for this water hole with a whole hunting show. The final picture I got from Fred was him standing next to a guy named Randy - yeah, Randy Phillips - from Archery Headquarters, in Chander. Same buck from the show, same water hole I intended to sit. It was kind of surreal - I didn't know who Fred was, I honestly thought it was just a situation where 2 "normal" guys wanted to hunt the same water hole. My congratulations go out to Fred and Randy. I don't have any hard feelings - we were all looking at the same spot, and you guys set up before I was willing to. No prob, I moved elsewhere and took a a nice buck. BUT there was a MUCH bigger buck hitting that hole., FWIW. LOL. Anyway , I just thought it was funny to be sitting there with my boys, going "That was where I was going to be last year!" and they said, "Dad, you coulda shot that buck." And I said, "Yeah, i still think mine was bigger". LOL.

Penalties up to $3000??? Seriously??? There should be at least one more zero in there.

Good info - what are the biggest advantages of the 60Cx vs the Etrex?

The Miss USA pageant has become nothing more than a political tool. The talented young women who are part of it need to stand up. For years, Miss USA was mocked as an objectification of women. In the past couple of years, It has exemplified the contempt some people in this country have for outspoken women who can bravely cut against the grain and actually speak their minds. Of course they can't win on an honest answer, but there is still a part of our society that wants to say "FU" to the established media, all their money and hollywood power. Look at Carrie Prejean last year. She had it in the bag, but the establisment NEEDED her to lose, so they asked her an honest question about gay marriage, and took her to task, stripping her of her shot for giving her honest answer, that the knew she would give, because the recognized that she had a brain behind that alluring smile and physical beauty. She became a target - a little like Sarah Palin or Elizabeth Hassleback (sp), someone they were afraid of. The left hates 2 things more than anything else in the world - 1: A charming, educated, charismatic black man, and 2: A charming, educated, charismatic white woman. They have no defense for either - and their cowardly attacks on Sarah Palin and Alan Keys show that. You have to respect someone like that, under what to them is the highest possible scrutiny, to stick to her beliefs and not waver, knowing it would cost her everything. THAT is character, and to me, character is what separates the "could-be"s from the "Here I am, Take it or Leave It" types. You know which one I prefer. It's a tough world. Learn to eat or get get eaten, and don't bitch - you made your choice.

That is Halarious - been a fan of Ray Stevens since I was my kids' age - love Ahab the Arab, Guitarazn, The Streak, the Mississippi Squirel Revival, man lots of old road trip sing-alongs from a battery powered cassette playdeck on sweaty vinyl seats with no seatbelts and only windows down for A/C, 97 degrees and 97% humidity (nowadays "feels like" 108 degrees) on the way to a swimming/fishing hole on the Illinoise River below boyscout camp Fred Darby... Anyone out there know what I'm talking about? Any Cherokee, Okie backwoods hillbillies from way down in the "other" midwest, there ever visit this board? LOL. BTW, I have learned recently that people from Wisconson and Michigan, don't consider themselves "back east" - and some actually take offense - LOL. Man, I love AZ, not to get too sentimental or serious, but it's been decades now since I last smelled Spring in the heartland as a relatively innocent boy, smelling the fermenting oak leaves and blossoming dogwoods, the sign that summer vacation, filled with fireworks, fishing, snake grabbing, all those childish wonders, were just days away. I sure do miss and cherish those hot, humid days, and warm blissful nights.

Man, I sure hope they caught the POS responsible for this, and I hope our laws are stringent enough to make it hurt. I have a hard time hating anyone, but for poachers, I can make an exception. Especially sheep...or elk...or deer...or...yeah, any poacher - hate 'em with passion.

No one more deserving - look guys, we all have some time off and maybe a tax refund to spend on a family vacation. How hard is it to send an email to some tourist agencies in San Diego and Los Angeles, that we'll be spending our vacation dollars in "Arizona Friendly" destinations like Utah and Nevada this year? Seriously, my family had our best vacation EVER last summer in Southern Utah. We hauled a 5th Wheel up there and hiked slot canyons, narrows, fished great trout lakes, you name it. Don't think for a second that Sea World, LegoLand and Disney have ANYTHING on the North Rim, Zion, Bryce Canyon or Escalante Staircase. The kids took to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes just N of Kanab with more enthusiasm than some stupid "wait-in-line" ride. And price/budget-wise - NO comparison. Food, under $20 a night at most campgrounds, little to no admittance fees. It was great. The last time I took my family on vacation in CA, our hotel was a prostition hotbed, in sight of Disneyworld. Our truck was stolen right out of the parking lot of Sea World - no kidding. Got recovered in Tiajuana a few weeks later after we found our way home. Complete disaster. There is no reason to give CA your vacation money this year - shoot me an email or PM and I will be happy to point you in the direction of some truly amazing destinations just hours away. I mean, literally, each day for 10 days, we just wondered how we could possibly top yesterday. Best time of my life, so far. BUT, don't slack out - Tell San Diego and Los Angeles Counties EXACTLY why they won't get a nickle from us AZ residents. Be loud, be proud, and be Arizonan's tired of the PC garbage.