Coach

Binos and tripod first, range finder second, my headlamp or at least a working flashlight third, my Browning FDT - best knife I've ever owned - nothing fancy but does everything a guy needs when taking care of game - yeah baby wipes, but let's face it, we've all used whatever was handy and lived to tell about it. Ever cut your chonies off and walk out commando? I bet you have! Seriously, my mantra when checking my gear is "tag, gun, bullets - ok I can hunt (or tag, bow, release)". Everything else is gravy. That said, I keep my fanny pack stocked with an emergency blanket (one of those foil thingies), magnesuim fire starter, two bic lighters, a GOOD flashlight and a backup flashlight and a couple Cliff bars.

I was hoping to see the 'U' blow 'em out, but I'm sure for those watching it was a very exiting game. I'm glad the cats got it done.

"A good cigar is as great a comfort to a man as a good cry is to a woman." We're friends already!!! Welcome! Feel free to PM me. I don't consider myself a coues expert, but I'd be happy to help out any way I can.

That is awesome. What a great looking buck!!! Wowser! Congrats to Courtney on an outsanding buck!!!

Look for open South facing ridges with lots of yellow grass, and thick, nasty, brushy North halves. They want a quick escape route into the thick stuff. You'll find 'em. If you find an open hillside with a saddle leading back into thick cover, look for trails leading from the feeding side into the bedding side. If it's an active area, the trails will be pounded pretty hard - that's when you know you've found a good spot to focus on.

Congrats on a nice buck. I too, was wondering about the blotted out faces. Wassupwitdat?

That's an awesome buck for sure. Get it DONE!!!! And +1 on the fox.

Great post Dan - those are some amazing animals. The San Carlos holds some great trophies every year. One day I'll hunt the SC for coues again. Hopefully you can join me next time.

Great post and lots of great advice here. IMO the biggest complaint about deer/elk/javelina is the "gamey" flavor. Chances are, that was meat with the hide on too long. Given a rutting bull usually tastes like boot leather, most deer and elk are left sitting way too long with the hide on. I've seen guys gut animals to cool and leave the hide on while they go get help or a vehicle - their head is in the right place - they want to get the warm part away from the meat, but anyone who's ever seen a deer or elk bed in the snow knows, their hide and hair hold in almost all of their body heat. A deer can lay on snow for hours without melting it - think about that in terms of the insulating qualities of deer hide and hair. If you want good meat, the hide has to come off first. Personally, I prefer the gutless method. But if you're going to gut it out, skin it first, then gut it. That hide is holding in all the heat and causing spoilage - not the guts. When you think about it, how much meat is actually in contact with the inside of the rib cage vs. how much is in contact with the hide?

Nice job, Scott. You've earned that one many times over by helping other people chase their dreams for so many years. You were definately due. I can't wait to see the finished mount. Best Thanksgiving wishes to you and your family.

Wow - I'm glad I missed it. Even as an alumni, I can barely watch U of A football games. They have mastered the art of blowing big games. That said, you ASU fans can prepare for a shellacking on Saturday.

Amen to that!!!

Happy Birthday Cory! Hope it's a fun one for you!

Do those unlimited metro tags count against your annual bag limit?

Totally real! Duh! Everyone's heard of the "Elliot Lake" moose. An average sized E.L.M. stands 12 - 16 feet tall at the shoulder. What the heck to do you think Big Foot rides?

I've been hunting and fishing the San Carlos reservation for years - and the Fort Apache side. I've also hunted the Navajo res. Each time I've had an encounter with one of their officers, it was cordial and professional. They were even very helpful and offered advice and information to help out where they could. As far as the San Carlos reservation, I know they are fighting a tremendous battle against poaching - not to mention the grave robbers and other opportunists looking to make a quick buck on jewelry, beads, pottery and whatever they can scavenge. Truth be told, I'm surprised they are as accomdating as they are. The majority of G&F officers you'll encounter on the San Carlos are absolutely stand-up guys who aren't looking to single out non-members. They are just good folks trying to hold on to something sacred and have shown nothing but professional courtesy to me or my hunting partners over a number of years. I think this particular incident illustrates how there may be situations that come up in the "grey areas" of hunting the areas bordering the reservations. Personally, I can say that the San Carlos, the Fort Apache and the Navajo reservations comprise some of the best outdoor experiences available, and none of my encounters with their law enforcement agencies have lead me to believe that they have a bias against non-tribal members. Of course, there are situations where you encounter a single individual with a slightly different perspective than the organization they represent. I've seen this first hand OFF the Reservation, on public AZ hunting lands. In (approximately) 25 years of hunting in AZ, I have encounted dozens of G&F officers in the field - on and off the reservations. Almost every one has been very positive, but on occasion, you meet up with a guy with something to prove. I had an incident near the border of units 1 and 27 where I was in a compromised situation. I was planning to hunt an area in 27 that had closed the day before (a new change I should have known about), while camped in unit 1 that was still open. My bow was in the back of my truck, inaccessible, and I was driving. I met up with an officer and told him my intentions to go hunt a particular area. Turns out that area had closed the previous day due to differing seasons between unit 1 and 27. That was enough - I got cited for "taking game in a closed area". Of course I hadn't taken squat, and was simply en-route, but boil it down how you like, I should have known the specific rules and dates. My bad, I fessed, and went through the system just as if I had knowingly shot a deer in a closed area - without having ever left my vehicle in persuit of a deer. I could have lied and said I was hunting coyotes, but I'm not a liar. I messed up and I dealt with it. Although I never technically hunted or persued game in a closed unit, the way the law reads, and the way the prosecuter in Springerville saw it, I had crossed into illegal territorry. I guess the point is, LEO's enforcing game violations are always walking a very thin line, whether they are on a reservation or in forest service or trust lands. And for every accidental mishap, there are probably a hundred blatant attempts to break or exploit game laws. Every legitimate reason is met by a hundred lame excuses or lies, and these guys have to sort it all out. You hunt enough, chances are you might find yourself in a compromising situation, regardless of your intentions. Know the law, be informed, and in a situation like this, be prepared should you have to defend yourself, and most of all, even if you get a hot-head, keep your cool and know when you have accidentally crossed the line and when you haven't. In this particular case, the regulations are clear. You need an access/tresspass permit for very specific roads on the San Carlos. The road in question was NOT called out in the regulations as requiring a tresspass permit. You did nothing wrong.

Totally awesome buck - congrats! That is a stellar deer. Those big muleys truly are the "wise ones". You did something most of us only dream of - one heck of a buck and a great story to boot. A big, hearty congrats goes out to you on sealing the deal on a beautiful trophy mule deer.

Awesome to be headed out there with your dad! Good luck - that should be a really fun hunt!

I'm not in Maricopa County, but I would love to see someone out here in the sticks enforcing a few dog laws. I'm sick as heck of shoveling someone else's dog's left-overs, but can't quite bring myself to shoot the SOB's dogs that roam our neighborhoods all day. In my case they're pure bred bird dogs, and from what I hear quite well trained. Maybe they'll get these laws in effect here and I can build a nice little "humane dog trap" and haul them to the pound. Make my "good neighbor" think twice about turning his bird dogs loose all day while he goes about his business. Jake - no offense - I can see the occasional accident - dogs have a mind of their own. But there is also a mentality out there that you can just turn 'em loose - daily - and call 'em back in the evening with no sense of responsibility about what they're doing all day.

Nice double! Welcome to the site. Thanks for sharing the photos and story.

Sorry to hear about that situation. I was under the impression that in AZ, an employee could be released for any or no reason with no compulsatory explanation or compensation - outside that already earned. It sounds like you followed the letter of the law and did what you could to make for a peaceful parting, but the judge is "creating policy from the bench" - a true Sotomayer protégée, for sure. The good news is, you have the info to appeal - the bad news, it may cost you more to appeal than to concede. Nothing I can do but give my best wishes. I hope it works out with as little pain and cost as possible to you.

Got a final score on that bad boy yet? I'm feeling bad for lowballing him!

Dang - I've used that road on several occasions also. I can see requiring a permit for some of those long stretches of dirt roads through the reservation that people use to access some remote FS land, but that's a VERY short, paved road. It's almost like saying we have to have a permit to drive through the Salt River canyon - but only if we're planning on hunting somewhere off the reservation that day...I just don't see how they can enforce it if you don't leave your vehicle while on the res portion, but if they DO update the regs, that will stink.

24A archery piggies for me - the boys got the youth 6a/6b javi hunt.

Awesome story - man, that is hard-core!!!