Coach

Put in for the unit you want to hunt. I've seen really good tags go to folks with less points.

Another beautiful rifle! Good luck with the sale.

If I had 22 points I would be looking really hard at a rifle tag. Probably 3A/C or 23N. Maybe I just know a lot of lucky people but early archery bull for Unit 1 comes around every 5-7 years in my experience, and 3B can be 2-3 years. As many have said, Unit 1 is declining for sure because of all the fires and higher kill rates in later hunts. Best of luck - you get to pretty much pick your hunt, but it's not going to be easy whatever you choose.

I can't speak to what permits may be required up there, but it's been a while. I know there's a lot of public land issues up on the mountain, but last time I was in Reddington & Tanque Verdue it was still open access. The great thing about AZ is, it's kind of on the land owners to post their land. Don't go shooting up water tanks or using their corrals for firewood and you're generally OK. (Believe it or not just had a rancher describe how some kids broke down part of his corral for firewood because it 'looked old') Use OnX maps so you know where BLM & State lands are, and if you cross private land, be respectful. If you come across a rancher working cows or horses, pull over and stop. Pick up beer cans and sure as heck don't throw any out. Once you get in a little further than what you are describing, without giving too much, you'll find yourself in a place that has a lot of great hunting. One, two ridges over from the closest roads there's some great country and most of it is untouched because only a tiny percent of hunters actually hike a mile or two in these days.

But yes, that's definitely javi scat, and you are close. Use the wind. When you are close you will smell them, and if you are up wind of them they will smell you a long way off. These little buggers get a bad rap as being easy, but they are way sharper than they often get credit for.

Such a cool rifle - once again, too many projects going on but I'd sure like to have that one in the safe. Bump for stellar rifle.

Very cool buck - congrats!

Hate to ask, but you're selling a lot of really nice guns right now. I hope all is well. Maybe just cleaning out the closet?

You'll know you're close when it's still green.

I hunted TMP a long time ago - back when I was in college and stage coaches still went through, no electricity...oh wait, not quite that far back, but even then I got nasty looks from hikers and dog walkers. Did see some deer though. I'd suggest more South and East. From Reddington road you can get into some awesome country if you are willing to hike. If you want to drive even a little more, there's endless country for a bowhunter willing to hike. Actually, just about anywhere 1/2 hour from Tucson you are in some good stuff. Just hard to navigate the private land but OnX maps are great for that.

Lion kill or something else? Too bad - that's an awesome buck. Wish you had been the one to put an arrow in him.

Stud buck for sure - is he really dead?

Nice job on the double! Look like some big old boars. Sure is fun chasing them this time of year.

Very nice bucks - love that comparison of the buck with/without velvet in pretty much the exact same spot & position. What are the chances? Awesome photos and thanks for sharing. Some great bucks for sure.

I was into a big herd this morning - cattle less than 100 yards away. I agree with Flatlander 100% - kind of funny because I started glassing near a cave and within - no kidding 5 seconds found the herd that lived there. And this was at first light, so the theory that they only move late in the morning - well that hasn't been my experience for sure. They are very interesting critters. You can find them just about anywhere, but someplace close by has to be some type of protective structure - thick brush at the base of rocky outcroppings are good. Usually a complex area with a lot of structure like lots of ravines close together where they can get out in the open when they want to but have access to multiple escape routes. And because of their size, they can disappear really quickly, either in a drainage you can't see, under a cedar or even some thick brush and they'll stand there motionless for a very long time. I sat on one today at 50 yards but all I could see was his head. The herd caught a sound from my approach in the frozen dirt, and just all of a sudden, it was like they were just gone. 20 or so minutes later they started moving again right where I had been looking for them. They settled down and looked totally relaxed but the wind shifted slightly and they started bouncing around popping up everywhere. Didn't get a good shot, but it sure was fun.

Man those are some pretty horses in that vid!

I was going to head down this afternoon to 32 to chase pigs and deer but decided to put it off for a day. We had family in town over the weekend and last I heard, they left for Phoenix about 4 hours ago and are barely past Heber. Glad I'm not out on the road right about now. Good news is I got to use my snow blower finally and after a couple hours my driveway looks a lot like Standman's pix.

Prayers sent from our family - hard to imagine what you guys are going through. Best wishes.

Snowing hard in Lakeside - supposed to be a big one. We'll see. I hope we're getting lots up top.

If you are British, is Jag-oo-ah.

Part of the problem, IMO is the negative publicity that comes with any type of predator hunting. If I'm not mistaken, hunters used to be able to go along on the helicopter coyote hunts with G&F but the anti's got wind of that and made a stink. The same thing happens when there are predator contests. These are really effective at getting people out there killing coyotes because of the prizes/cash associated with them, end up getting really bad publicity for the same reason. I think the best thing we can do is, like standman and several others here, get out and kill them, make money off the pelts and don't make it too public. It's really fun, and you can do it just about anywhere in the state year round.

I know it's probably rhetorical, but all the lakes up here used to have a lot more ice. If you could get up to Holly, early fall or late spring, good ice fishing. One story I come back to from time to time is way back in the day. A bunch of ice fishermen in a truck going up to Sunrise, and occasionally there would be a few out on A1. One morning there's 2-3 guys out hiking in the snow, drilling holes really early and we stopped to see what they're catching. They kept saying it was shallow and "weedy". They were out in the cienega before A1 trying to fish a frozen field of grass. Can't make this stuff up, but still funny. To this day I can't drive past that cienega and not chuckle.

Animas Valley - typo on my part. Sorry for the confusion.

Belated Merry Christmas to you. I miss seeing you around here too!

That is going to be a really fun challenge - but if anyone can do it, you can. Fun thread, and best of luck.