IA Born

We're flying home Saturday, so we're definitely going to go the exhibit hall on Friday. You should come to south Phoenix Saturday afternoon to watch her play soccer! You think she's good at turkey calling, you should see her as a goalie!

Every day I pick Syd up from school, she's counting down the days until we head to Nashville. Tomorrow, after I get back from a long day-long meeting in Kingman, we are driving down to Phoenix to catch our 5 am flight Thursday morning. There is such an air of giddiness around our house, its unreal. She finally found the right dress (God help me) for the formal breakfast Friday morning and she's working hard to get as much ahead in her school work as she can while we're gone. I don't think it will really sink in until we get to the hotel and convention. I'll try and get some pics updated throughout the weekend, but if I don't, I'll get them up next week!

I was going to make a smarta$$ post about wondering how many people will complain tomorrow that the system crashed tonight, but I thought better of it. Or does this count? Good luck everyone!

This is the youth camp I want to take my boys too but I don't see anything on there site for registration (Unit 1/27). Here you go, directly from the AGFD website. Its how all youth camps are being registered this year. https://register-ed.com/programs/arizona/170-outdoor-skills-network

Friday was a cold, but great day! After five unfilled javelina tags for various reasons (overlapping soccer games, soccer injuries, illnesses, pheasant hunt, disappearing pigs, no pigs), our daughter was finally able to get it done at 1205 on opening day! About three weeks ago, she asked me if she could use my AR to hunt javelina instead of her 7-08. Who was I to tell her no? Our original plans started to fall apart, but a chance encounter on her deer hunt in October paid of big dividends and is leading to a lifelong friendship. Brittany Passmore, from the Mountain Project, offered to take Sydney and me out in 19A to a spot she knew held pigs. We met up, drove out to the spot, started glassing, and started freezing our butts off! It was so cold and windy, that I ended up bouncing back and forth from my binos to my truck with some Jet Boil-made coffee (thanks to Sydney for digging out the coffees and the idea!). I did glass up a nice 4x4 or 4x3 (too far to be sure), but chose not to go after him because Syd was my priority. She tried hard to convince me to go get it since we weren't seeing anything, but I reminded her she was my top priority. After about 3 hours of seeing nothing, Brittany suggested we head farther up the canyon to get a different vantage point on where she'd seen the herd Thursday afternoon. We were there about 15-20 minutes when Brittany decided to head up to a nearby ridge to look down into where the pigs were Thursday. About that time, Syd told me she was hungry, so I fired up the Jet Boil to get her spaghetti ready. I did a quick look up to the hillside to the north and saw nothing but a cow that was perfectly deer colored. The water was about ready for lunch when I looked back up the hillside. PIGS!!! I let Syd know there were two javelina on the hillside. We'd have to eat later. She started gearing up and I called Brittany to let her know what was going on. "Look to the left of the deer-cow." I scrambled to get the AR ready while she got her tag and license and we took off. The plan was to get to the ridge opposite and reassess. Brittany sent me a text letting me know she had eyes on them for us. As we were going, I realized I left my call and my binos in my truck, but was thankful I had my rangefinder. I'd have to use that to spot and glass. As we got closer, I realized we may be looking at a 150+ yard shot, so I adjusted the scope (Nikon p223 3x32) two inches up (I'd sighted it in dead on at 100 yds). We got to the opposite ridge, saw three pigs milling about, and set up. Syd picked a pig that finally stood broadside long enough and I called out a range of 153 yards. Unfortunately, she missed, but the pigs didn't scatter like I thought they would. They ran about 20 yards to the right, passed the deer-cow, and regrouped with a "WTH was that" attitude about them. They weren't overly spooked, but they weren't exactly calm, either. Syd was able to regroup, get on another pig, make a course correction and fire a second shot. This all happened in about 90 seconds from the first shot. I watched two pigs take off in a dead sprint and a third one kind of jogged off in that direction. That pig ended up going about ten yards, turned around, and dropped within five yards of where Syd shot it. I was so proud of her for maintaining her composure and making a great follow up shot. While I was policing up gear and unloading the AR, Syd had a great phone call with Brittany, who saw it all happen through her binos. We hiked across the canyon, recovered her pig (a big sow), took some photos, and started the field dressing. Syd made a perfect double lung shot. Those Barnes VOR-TX 55gr TSX did an amazing job! I was able to figure out that her follow-up shot was 160-170 yards. Brittany helped me do the gutless method and, while we were doing that, Sydney hiked back to my truck to drive it up to us. This was, by far, my favorite hunt with her, although I'm not sure I'm getting my AR back! A huge thanks to Brittany Passmore and her husband Kevin, as well as my buddy for letting us crash in his camper Thursday night! Also thanks to The Mountain Project for making Syd's day even more special! I'm still enjoying my proud dad moment today! Using my extra coat and the door as a wind block to glass After the shot celebration Trophy Pics

Bump this back up. Our banquet is two weeks away and I'm hoping to see many of you there. I'll be easy to find there (the dummy on the mic), so come talk to me and let me know you're from CW.

I'll gladly step out of my hunter ed class to take that phone call!

If you're wanting to come to the Happy Jack youth camp for 5A, 5B, and 6A, I posted the flyer in another thread in this section. It has the link to register online through the new system. Good luck!

That's what its all about. Those smiles right there are why I keep mentoring every year! Congrats again!

Congrats to you and your wife, Mike! That is awesome and your pride and love shines in that pic! Let's all be thankful that prayers were answered and Alton looks like his mamma! JK! JK! Hopefully, I'll be able to shake your hand next week, even if its only a quick meet up. If you can't get away, I totally understand. We'll be back that way soon enough!

Youth camps are a great way to get it gone. If you're interested in the Happy Jack Youth Camp (5B, 5A, and 6A), I can send you the flyer with the link to register. I'll be there mentoring again. Whichever camp you choose, they are a great experience and are free!

The folks at The Mountain Project who helped us took really good care of Syd and made her feel very special. It was great!

I couldn't have said it better myself! We will be keeping you in our prayers! And I suppose this is a valid excuse for not returning my text about your ammo!

Throw the whole gun at it? Sorry. Just kidding. I would imagine that any standard hollow point round that shoots well out of your pistol would work just fine.

Congrats! I miss the days when I had close to free-roam-authority to do wildlife surveys on Ft. Huachuca. One of my favorite places to hike at night. Great looking pig!

Congrats on your first javelina!

I've used several different kinds of headlamps, from cheap to expensive. On a wildfire assignment once, I realized I'd forgotten to pack mine, so I grabbed a $12 or $15 Energizer at quick Walmart stop en route. Turned into one of my favorite headlamps ever and its a fraction of the price of Black Diamond, Petzel, and others I've used. I have one on my nightstand, one in my hunting pack, and one in my turkey vest.

If I knew anything about 20A, I'd share it in a heartbeat! I @%$@$% hate cancer with every fiber of my being and I hope you and your friend create some of the best memories ever!

But that second hunt is when they are more fired up! I've been on a wildfire in the Chiricahuas in late May/early June and called toms in to within 40 yards, full strut. No turkey calls, just doing my best hen yelps on my own.

Somewhere between 36" and 40" in Flagstaff as of this morning in our driveway. Today is snow-day #3 for the kids and school. I worked from home yesterday because it was so bad. My kids went out to play and ended up making this huge-a$$ snowball. They asked me to come out and help move it. I told them I really had to get an important comment letter written for work!

My daughter has the 10/17A/17B/18A/19A/19B/20A youth javelina tag starting next Friday. She has Friday and Sunday of next weekend to hunt, due to a soccer game on Saturday. Our original plans to hunt 19A with a buddy are likely falling through. I only know one spot on the east side of 19A, but I have an offer from some friends for us to spend Thursday night at their house in Chino Valley. We might hotel up at the Antelope Hills Inn, too. I just don't know the west side of 19A, 19B, or 17A at all and because of this weather (6" of snow so far in Flagstaff), I won't be able to do any scouting of new areas to learn roads. Is there anyone in the Prescott/Chino Valley/Prescott Valley area that has Friday off and would be willing to take me and my daughter out chasing pigs if we stay at our friends in Chino Valley or the hotel? We can take my truck for wear and tear and I'll get you a 12-pack (or case?) of your choice. I don't drink anymore, but I don't stand in the way of those who do. She's yet to get a javelina. Every time she's had a tag, there have been disappearing herds, soccer games, or soccer injuries. Thanks!

That's awesome. That's my daughter's goal (ECNL team). She was recruited as a goalie for the Sereno 04 NPL team, but it was hard to make a regular practice schedule from Flagstaff to Phoenix.

I remember my first. Its a blast! Congrats!

Flagstaff United Soccer Club, U13. You have a daughter playing for a club?

Thanks so far, everyone. It looks like Plan A is going to work out, after all, and I now have a solid Plan B, thanks to DBArcher! Love this site!