Coach

Wow - that is one NICE truck!

The Lansky/Gatco system is a great idea, but not very well made in my opinion. For a little more $$ you can get a KME which uses the same basic design but is much sturdier and better constructed. http://www.kmesharp.com/kmeknshsy.html I have one and love it. The only better way to put a great edge on a knife is the old traditional "free-hand" method with a combination of wet stones, but that is an art form in itself. I hate dull knives and have tried a lot of different sharpeners, and so far the KME is the best one I have used.

Deleted duplicate post.

Best blind out there, wish I were I the market. Bump for a great blind.

I've been looking at that combo for a long time. It looks like a super good rifle to get a kid started and grow into. Kinda like the Diamond Razor Edge bow - you get 'em shooting something comfortable and work up as they grow.

This whole 2-way radio controversy is way overblown in my opinion. I think radios in the field are an efficient tool, just like off-highway vehicles, high quality optics, cell phones, GPS units, trail cameras, etc. We actually had a well respected member of this forum leave a few years back over this debate. Of all the technology I just mentioned, only ONE is specifically called out by the big record-keeping organizations, and that is 2-way radios. I've used this example in the past, but it is worth repeating. Situation 1: Let's say a 16 year old kid goes hunting with his buddy using a long bow, locates a good buck and does a perfect stalk into 20 yards using radio help from his buddy, and makes the shot. Situation 2: Let's take some guy who has a boat-load of cash, hires best guides money can buy, sits in his office on the other side of the country, conducting business until he gets the call that a great buck has been spotted and is being watched for days by a team of guides. At his convenience, he jumps in his Lear jet, flies to a small landing strip in Utah, puts on some wool camo and shoots a buck with his expensive, long-range gun, which he has probably never shot before (this is an actual scenario, btw all on video) Situation #3. A guy goes to the Midwest, hires an outfitter that owns land and has built up several food plots. These plots and all the game trails leading in and out are monitored with trail cameras year-round and managed specifically for attracting deer. The guy sits a treestand he didn't put up, shoots a certain buck that was identified by the trail cams to use a specific route, at a certain time of day. Which one of these guys is ineligible for Boone and Crockett/Pope and Young because his hunt is deemed "unethical"? You guessed it, the kid in Situation #1, because he used 2-way radios to aid his stalk. Food for thought on ethics and record-book mentality.

All of the rifles you are choosing from are well suited for coues. If you get the chance to shoot them side-by-side at ranges from 250 - 400 yards, I'm betting one will stand out as more comfortable and accurate for you.

While I agree, most game animals tend to taste like what they've been eating, most of that flavor - be it sage, or whatever, is stored in the fat and membranes. The key to home processing any game is to strip off all fat and anything white. I've done this with cow elk, rutting bull elk that smelled like musk, pee and mud, mule deer, coues deer, javi's. It takes a lot of time and work, but properly cleaned, all will produce extremely lean, tasty meat. And I agree with Ajohunter, it tastes like victory. FWIW, I avoid the neck and brisket on rutting bulls. That meat is oozing with musky oils and hard to do much with, aside from soaking in a water/salt solution to pull the musky/gamey flavor out, and you tend to end up with tough meat as it has been already partially cured by the salt.

Nice family adventure!

That is awesome! So glad you could share the experience and the snake got to go on doing what it does naturally. Here's a particularly large blacktail ( often mid-identified as timber rattler) we saw on the black about a month ago. He has some amazing coloring.

I have a family full of picky eaters and have some recipes that go over really well - all game, elk deer, turkey, trout, smallmouth, catfish, anything but a carp, even javis. The great part is all of these recipes are dirt-simple. When dad cooks wild game, it all gets eaten as fast as I can bring it to the table.

Big unit, lots of tags. Look at it like you were a deer wanting to get as far away from the roads and quads as you can. There are certain parts of that unit where you won't be able to walk a mile or glass a ridge without seeing other hunters. The good news is, if you are willing to work a little harder and get a little deeper, there are lots and lots of places that hold deer that you are very likely to never see another hunter. I'd focus on those. I've been hunting 24A since I was a kid (25 or so years) and I'm still blown away by all the places I haven't been.

Looks like my post didn't work out. Shoot me a PM if you would like.

Not specific to coues or muleys . Matt is a good glasser and a good shot. I just want him to have a quality hunt.

Good info, DubTee. Sounds like sending out on Friday could be a good bet.

Happy Birthday, TJ! I hope you and Peg go out for a nice dinner, have a couple cold ones and enjoy a fine day. Jason

I could be wrong but I think in past years they excluded any early apps - meaning if you are in the valley and send it tomorrow it would arrive on Saturday and be ignored. Anyone care to confirm or deny that. It's always been my understanding that it has to arrive in the mail ON Monday, and it's whatever order they process them that constitutes "first-come".

I agree with the posts above. Take the hunt on like you are going after a bull. That time of year, you will still get to chase bugles. Instead of a cow busting you just before you get to the bull, you are in position for a clean kill with all the adventure of a bull hunt.

Not surprised, that is/was a great price. Knew it wouldn't last long!

Nice Post, TJ. I am truly sorry for your and Peg's loss, but you gave Missy a great home and a great life. I know you'll miss her, and letting go will be difficult. My thoughts and prayers are with you, buddy.

Wow, that is absolutely beautiful. You do very nice work. I like to call with a slate - I should try one of your calls. These birds are picky, and if yours sound as good as they look, it just might be the ticket for getting that "call-shy" gobbler in range.

Nice Job, looks tasty! Javis, in my humble opinion are overlooked as great table fare. Kudos for taking the time to make a great meal out of a successful hunt.

I can actually relate to BLJ's complaint. While Fool's Hollow is just a few miles from home, and I've lived here pretty much my whole life and never fished it once, the management of this lake is ... well ... weird. They stock the heck out of it but they charge you just to access it. Compared to other lakes in the area - Show Low Lake, Rainbow, Scott's Reservoir - Fool's Hollow is the only "Pay to Access" lake up here, and while it has a lot of great opportunities, they don't take that money and make it better or more accessible. While I recognize that it became a party and make-out location for locals, prompting the paid access, they have done very little to reinvest the funds generated by access to those willing to pay to actually improve the campgrounds, the boat launching or even clean up. If they're going to just let it be, as they are, they should just open it back to the public, who fund it in the first place. If they continue to charge just to access it, they need to make it better and cleaner than other local lakes.

We need another category for "Congrats to those who drew, I've been blessed with tags in the past so if this year and/or next I sit on the sidelines, blessings to those who drew and many hopes for a great hunt".

Happy Birthday! I know if anyone is going to get passed over it's dad. I hope you had a great day doing something you love.