Coach

Nicely Done! That's awesome - really nice bucks there.

Looking forward to javi season 2012 - something near and dear to me because it's one of those hunts that you can regularly draw, and once out there you can usually be on the chase. I think Javelina are the most underrated big game species in Az. What better quarry to teach young hunters to glass, read sign, learn the basics of hunting in the desert and keep it fun and usually action-packed enough to hook them for life? There's a few things I've noticed over the years of hunting these critters that I find kind of facinating. For starters, they are extremely social. If you sit and watch a herd for a while, you can quickly learn the hierarchy of the herd. But they always watch eachother's back and tend to the young as a whole. For an animal that is considered "dumb" they have a more developed communication system than deer, elk and even turkey from what I've seen. They are very particular about their "home ground". They seem to find a place that they feel safe, have the forage and water they need and stick to it as long as it feels safe. Once you bust them, if they really feel threatened, they'll leave that spot and might not return - ever. If you bust up a herd in a bedding area that they've used for years, once you see them scatter and go ridge over ridge, that awesome spot might not have javelina in it again for years. And those that re-occupy it later are not likely to be the same herd - just find it as appealing as those that used to inhabit it. Another thing I find interesting, and other javi-junkies have noticed, if you find the "home" bedding grounds of a herd that they are using regularly, sneak in and happen to shoot one without totally chasing them out of there (think archery - quiet, kill one and back out), they'll come right back and continue to use the area - they'll probably still be there the next year. BUT, if you don't take your harvest out of the area before field dressing them, and gut them right there in their "comfort" area, the herd will return, find the remains and get a little weirded out and leave in search of another safe place. It's like they recognize the remains of the one you killed and dressed, and can't feel comfortable hanging around "Bob's" gutpile. Point being, if you kill a piggie in their bedding area, pack him a ways out before the knife work. If you do this, you're likely to find them back in that area. If you don't they'll likely move somewhere else. Just some observations about these awesome little desert dwellers and their social lifestyle. I'd like to hear what others have observed about them.

Not really sure why it is, but Javis in NM are kind of hard to find. They're there - but in my few hunts in New Mexico, I've seen pretty much high concentrations of mule deer, coues deer, elk, turkey, but not as many javis as I would expect.

Yeah lots of good stuff in there, #26 hits closest to home for me. As a life-long hunter, lots of my best and most memorable moments happened while out hunting - with my kids, friends or solo. But none of them would have happened without one of us having that tag in our pocket, that got us out doing and seeing things we wouldn't have otherwise. Thanks for sharing, Tony.

Great looking buck! Awesome how it all came together.

Definitely a cool buck - congrats!

Merry Christmas!

You certainly have a gift - those are some amazing photos. Thanks so much for sharing! Merry Christmas!

I'm speechless. You guys packed several lifetimes of huge bucks into one awesome year - Huge congrats!

That is awesome. For whatever reason this was a bang-up year for big late bulls. Congrats and great job!

Hard to go wrong with the badlands packs. Very versatile - All three of my boys used them. I may have one up for sale before long as I switched my personal day pack over to a Kuiu.

Man - what a great buck! That's just so awesome. Congrats.

My boys have certainly had some great youth hunts over the years. Turkey, elk, deer and javelina. I've shared stories and pictures of them over the years. Well, my two oldest boys are grown up but I got one more youth hunt with my youngest son, Josh. We found this buck at sunlight opening morning but after a long stalk, could only locate the does he was with. The next morning it was all Josh. I had an idea where they had gone but Josh decided to split up because he had his own idea - and he was right. It's bittersweet - I wouldn't have found this buck again, but Josh did it on his own. I'm extremely grateful for the many hunts I've had with my boys, and can only hope that as they get older, they'll still want to go hunting with the old man.

I've gone through a lot of packs, Eberlestocks and Badlands mostly, some cheap ones and a really good but really heavy Lowe Alpine military pack. Of the others you have mentioned, I can only speak to the Kuiu packs. I'm 6' around 190# so different build. I bought the Kuiu Pro setup with a 2200 pack (looks like they now have it in 2300) to replace my Badlands day pack and Eberlestock "just one" pack, based on the advice from a friend/guide who is really picky. This guy spend a LOT of days hunting and packs out other people's game a lot, so I listened. There were 3 things I really wanted: The ability to strap down really small and tight when there wasn't much to haul, but lots of room when needed for layering clothes, tripods, glass etc. The ability to haul game built-in without being bulky The ability to switch out the bag to a bigger one using the same harness system when I wanted to backpack in. I have to say - it's done all that extremely well. It feels really light when I'm not carrying much, and allows for a lot of adjustment as the load gets heavier. Even switching to 6000 bag with enough stuff to bivy for a few days, still feels light for the weight you are carrying. The thing I like the most about this pack system, especially when using it like a day pack, is when you get your meat all quartered/boned you pull the pack away from the frame and get that heavy meat right up against the frame then pull the pack up tight, holding everything securely. It just feels like you're carrying a lot less weight the way they have it designed. This year I hauled out half an elk, and my son hauled out almost an entire mule deer (both boned). With the elk, I had more of the meat but my son had my old Eberlestock J1 or J5, but he still had to carry the rifle. When we got to the truck I had him put on my pack and he was floored by the difference. More weight but felt like less. They're pricey, but if you want multiple packs with the same harness system, it averages out to not that bad. They go on sale a couple times a year for 30% off so doing two packs with one system is pretty reasonable considering how versatile they are and how well they work. Feel free to PM me or ask here if you have questions.

Man I want that gun - bad timing for me.

I usually prefer wide vs tall, but that tall buck with the distinctive drop up front is freaking amazing. A buck like that could easily become an obsession.

Definitely one of the most underrated guns. The first and only gun my dad bought me was a marlin 30/30. I never killed a deer with it but killed my first Javi with it at age 14 (long time ago - lol). Growing up in Oklahoma, that was *the* rifle. I think I've heard or read somewhere that more whitetail deer have been taken with a 30/30 than any other gun. I don't have facts or stats to back that, but given it's history, at the least it's a cool legacy and worth looking into. My first coues was with a .270 my dad built with parts he ordered from Herter's (1950's - 60s). Not an expensive rifle, but one I still can hardly take out of the foam case it's been in, which is a shame because it's a shooter, just I couldn't bear putting a scratch on it.

Very nice job - both on the hunt and capturing it all to take us along.

Very nicely done - congratulations!

Sweet buck! Congrats.

Very cool - some really nice bucks on there. Thanks for sharing.

I know I've got a picture of this somewhere, but there was an albino mule deer doe in NM just outside of Glenwood. Maybe not 100% albino but definitely white.

A really - really nice/great family was hit hard with probably the worst nightmare imaginable. They lost children over the weekend down in Tonto basin. The recovery efforts are still ongoing. If you have a moment to extend your prayers for this family, please do so.

That's awesome! Great buck.

The father has been in the freezing water for over 48 hours, looking for his daughter. I cant do more than I am, but lots of people, the guys with big equipment are there. All I ask, please, don't go after these parents, they are going through more than most of us can imagine. If you can say a prayer for them.