Coach

My prayers go out to his family, and those who were closest to him.

Now that's a huntin' partner.

I've been using over-the-counter calls for the past few years, and have had decent results. This year I bought one of Ammon's slate calls and it is really nice. It's hand-made mesquite and crystal with a great looking striker. The sound is superb, as is the artistry. If you are looking for a good call, give Little Creek a try. There's something cool about having a hand made call vs. something you can just go buy off the shelf.

I'm not a Kimber hater, but I think Sig makes a better 1911 sub-compact. I was dead set on buying a Kimber, but I think Sig stays more true to the original 1911 platform. I chose Sig and wouldn't trade. Hard to go wrong with either. Both are great pistols.

I'm raising three sons and a couple of my best hunting buddies have mostly daughters. Their girls have no trouble at all "keeping up with the boys". If anything, I find girls are more willing to listen and learn, as boys sometimes have a tendency to get ahead of themselves and assume they know more than they do. Some of my favorite hunting moments on this site, and just in general are young ladies getting it done. Be it elk, deer, javi, turkey, even bear, the gals are putting up some serious trophies - and it's not just the kiddos. Some of the best archery coues and elk I've seen were taken by lady hunters. TJ, to your original post, I grew up in a similar environment. Family usually got together on Thanksgiving and Christmas - we'd go shoot and catch everything that moved (Southern Oklahoma), so the meal consisted of rabbit, squirrel, quail, catfish, crappie, bass & crawfish that were too big for bait. The boys did the catching, Grandma and the aunts did the cleaning and cooking. A couple of my cousins though really threw a wrench in the works. They were both girls and would rather be out with the boys doing the killin' and catchin' than the cleanin' and cookin'. My take is, I am really glad to see moms and dads taking their sons and daughters out and teaching them every aspect of it. The kill doesn't end when the animal is down, and I intend to teach my boys as much as I can about the animal from the way it lives, to they way we make good use of it to the best of our abilities. And I see other dads teaching their daughters the same things. Hunting doesn't draw gender lines. Some like it, some don't. Some like certain parts more than others, but I've seen as many great female hunters as I have great male game chefs.

A buddy of mine recently drew a coveted sheep tag and was lucky enough to have with him a man who has studied lions in AZ for many years. They were amazed by the lack of sheep and concluded that the artificial water catchments meant to benefit the sheep were actually attracting lions. Their observation was that sheep can live and thrive in areas with little or no standing water. Lions cannot. So by creating water catchments in sheep country, you actually depress sheep populations by encouraging and supporting their primary predator. I found this interesting as it relates to this thread.

The best elk callers I know use diaphragms. The easy, push-button calls are too predictable. With diaphragm calls the person using it makes it unique and more realistic. I have a hard time with them, seems I'm always spitting saliva or gagging, but I would definitely steer clear of the hoochie mama, or other "pressure" cow calls. As others have said, the elk have caught on and run the other way. If you are like me and have trouble with the diaphragm, there are some good reed calls that can still allow you to tailor the sound. I've got a couple, my favorite is from a start-up shop, I think they're in Montana - don't remember the name right now. My second favorite is made by Primos called "I Maka Da Bull Crazy". It's flexible and gives you full control of the sound, but IMO it has a tendency to "squeak" at the wrong moment when trying to get that high-pitched sound.

I bought this one a few months ago and really like it. Solid build, great trigger, points well and is exceptionally accurate for a sub-compact.

Nice job! I really liked your write-up as well. Congrats!

Nice job! Something about seeing the family effort around getting those kids their first Javi's - I just can't get enough of. To you parents putting in the work, and getting kids involved, my hat is off to you. Huge congrats to Cassidy and Hunter, and to Heather for keeping her head in the game and helping Cassidy seal the deal. Awesome all the way around.

Yup, aka "trick tank".

Back when I was young I always took 1/2 inch bedroll and a wool blanket and wondered how the Indians could just lie down in the snow with no clothing. These days, if I have to sleep on a cot, I like 2" of foam and a good canvas bag. Funny how the older we get, the more we care about how and where we sleep. Keep in mind, the thicker foam under your bag will take on a lot of sweat. Air it out during the day.

IMO, javis are very unpredictable. The standard MO is they hunker down on cold, windy days and frolic on sunny warm days - especially after a cold front has moved through. In reality, I've seen them very active on cold, snowy/sleety/windy days and very docile on warm weather days with the barometer rising. Piggies generally follow the normal pattern of more activity when the barometer is rising, less activity when it's dropping, and almost no activity in high wind, cloudy and a front moving in. I have found that pattern to be pretty reliable for all game, even fish. However, I've seen pigs in high winds, blowing sleet and rain, front of a front. I've also seen them gather under a tree super early AM, and hold there under perfect conditions, all day. Bottom Line, IMO, go hunt 'em. They will probably surprise you with their uncanny knack of doing the opposite of what you expect them to do. That's why they are so fun.

Nice job, Lance. I'm hoping that Jackson's experience gets him closer to the real "core values". Reaching out to kids, the way you do, is great service.

Happy Birthday, and thanks for all the great videos you've shared here.

+1, Gonna have to order one of theirs this Spring.

What is the average airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Nice job, Elijah! You're doing great!

Awesome double! That is super cool!!! Nice job, dad getting them out there and getting it done!

Awesome job - that smile says it all! Big congrats to Derek.

I totally agree - if the meat is kept clean, it is very good. If it gets any of the oil from the hair on it, that musky smell will definitely permeate the meat. Also be very careful of intestinal contents.

I'm with you Nature Bob. I went to UofA, as did my wife. If I had it to do over, we probably both would have gone NAU or ASU. I've got sons coming up on college age, and I'd be really happy to see them and any of our state schools. I tend to cheer on any AZ school including ASU. One of my close buddies has a kid on the ASU football team, so I love to see them do well. UofA has a tough time with football, always have, and I don't see that turning around. Their basketball and baseball programs tend to have more strength and consistency. Gotta say tho, when it comes to really watching fun sports, I really enjoy the ice-cats. Whether they win or lose, they always put on a show.

Nicely done!

Hey guys, seems like I'm on CWT all the time. I'm blown away by all the new Youth Hunters posts over the last couple of weeks. I just want to congratulate all the youth hunters getting success in their hunts this year, and extend my gratitude to the moms and dads out there who are taking the time to get these youngsters out in the field. I honestly believe that hunting brings a family closer together, and you guys have sure done a great job of getting the next generation of hunters excited and passionate about hunting, and just enjoying the wonderful world of outdoor activity. Huge kudos to you all.

I'd like one of the lock jaws. Willing to donate a camera box (can build to specs).