naturegirl

1. Eat out less and cook elk instead 2. Continue eating more fresh foods and less processed foods. 3. Continue increasing exercise. 4. Limit TV and move instead. It's been working for a couple years now so I'm staying the course.

Congrats Amanda!

270 or 25-06 - can't go wrong with either one. I decided on the 270 for myself over the 25-06, but these were the two final choices I had narrowed it down to (and yes I'd shot both). The overall majority always seems to be the 270 is what I found when I researched it and even still when I pay attention to these types of threads. Can't say as I blame her with the 30-06, but it's my preference for elk over the 270.

How about this? I just got back from a couple days in the woods. There is a really nice game trail on the top of a ridge. The same two tree stands have sat in trees year round for 4 solid years now (that I know of). It bugs me because they think the own that part of the forest and now the inside of the seat is on the ground in pieces (which I left ). Here's what I do. I hunt around them because I've chased enough animals in the area to know where the beds are and that the big deer don't use that trail during the day. I also know where the big ones daytime hang outs are. I could've never learned all this sitting in a stand. They can have the trail because the area also holds too many humans for me. But at this point if I wanted to use it and they weren't there, I would.

I have this gun. I had a hard time finding one a few years back and am surprised to see one here. Great gun and good price.

Wow! You are a lucky man. First you get to see a lion (which is more than me), watch it chase deer, and then you get to kill the lion all in the same day. That would be hard to top if you ask me. CONGRATS!

I'm thankful for the right to vote although I'm not sure how much that, women's lib, etc, had to play with the downfall of stay at home moms. I don't believe a woman is ready to hold the office of president at this time.

I agree with much of what you say, but on the other hand as a woman I have many rights as an American that I may not have elsewhere. I'm certainly not a submissive woman walking in a veil 10 feet behind my husband. jeeze I'm even allowed to vote

I have a trophy taker drop away, but mine has metal around it. The ground likes me so I went with metal, but I still managed to bend it up once when I fell on a log during a hunt, which cost me a shot on a good bull because I didn't know it was bent until I made a shot on a 6x a couple hours later. I have no problem with noise because I've added felt to any places that made noise. No matter how my arrow goes during a stalk or if I'm sitting, it's quiet. The less moving parts the better for me, but I did make the switch from a WB a few years ago and have had zero issues with the drop away except the damage I caused.

My heart is sad for you. The loss of a pet is like no other. She was a very lucky girl to have a family who loved her so much!

I sometimes sit and brew on things and I'm brewing on artificial feeders. I'll preface with the people who taught me to hunt didn't use corn feeders so I honestly had no idea they existed so heavily here in Arizona. I thought it was a back east thing, but I'm learning more and more it's not. Corn feeders, etc., increase the success rate of a hunter. I'm sure some will try to argue that point, but in some small way or large way (like sitting over one) helps. Okay so now the general success rate goes up which COULD and probably will mean tag allotment goes down in the long run. Why do you want 100% success? Any way I play it in my mind, unless we grow more animals the tag allotment will go down, which means we get drawn less. I don't know about you but I like to get drawn. I'm guessing the people I know that hunt all have considerably less than a 25% success rate doing things without corn, etc. On the other hand, I know part of this is a mute point since some people don't submit their voluntary harvest surveys.

Today's lesson Took a drive up to Flagstaff to look at buying something. Hunting comes up as it always does. His answer was to throw a bale of alfalfa out behind his property. What are the chances when this topic was already on my mind? Must be more normal than I thought.

There are types of people who like to win everything at all costs (i.e. 100% success) and then there are types who don't. I do not hunt so I can kill something every time I go out. I live for the experience and what it takes to get to that point of "success" and since I'm picky about what I kill I hunt a lot and kill a little. I'm different - that's a fact. I guess you don't always know what you get when you wish your wife or girlfriend would hunt...LOL Again if you don't like what I post or what I say don't read it - Most of the time I avoid yours purposefully and I certainly don't go looking for it so I can attack you. But if that's your thing, I have big shoulders - keep on.

You guys are so funny! The feeder was found in May 2013 (during turkey season) - it was empty and not used even with spider webs. Back again in August during archery deer (or maybe it was my husband's bull hunt in Sept) it was still there but now it is half hanging off the tree and is now filled with spider webs. NOTE - it was not taken down during turkey season when first found. AGAIN NOTE - It was taken down months later and at that point, it was clearly in worse shape than before. Let's not forget we are both hunters and can read the ground to see if the area around it was disturbed. Again, all signs pointed to it being left out there (i.e. abandoned). I was honestly thinking that someone was using corn and maybe since the rule was changed, they just left it out there not bothering to go remove it themselves. It all played into the decision making process. I really can only laugh at you guys and how defensive you become. Next thing you have me hanging from a tree by a noose....all for picking up trash. Once again I don't steal, but I am a good steward of the land and the animals. If you have your stuff out there make it look like it's used and better yet put your name and number on it. Enough said. Have a wonderful day!

Definitely not a mute point around here if you read about the members who STILL like to hunt using corn. It's so quiet though when asked about it directly. It's fine. I've gotten some answers.

A huge congratulations! Let the fun begin

Nothing for us yet, but my father in law got drawn for the 6a CHAMP elk hunt. Can't wait to help him out on his hunt! UPDATE - He had changed his mind and put in for 3 CHAMP hunts this year. So it's either unit 1, unit 10, or unit 6a any elk. We will make it a good one for him as he deserves it (he's almost 2 years post stroke). I'm thankful G&F offers these hunts. He was a serious hunter before the stroke and we've tried and tried to get him back out there, but it's been a challenge. Thanks G&F

I was going to respond to someone personally, but I'll pass. I can say with certainty it was abandoned. I gave little detail about what it looked like, where it was, how long it had been there from when my husband found it until I took it down, etc., how many years we have hunted the area, blah, blah, blah. If something looks like crap in the forest I will clean it up.

Very cool!

ADORABLE!

IMAG0146.JPG Would you consider this abandoned? TJ Definitely not...LOL. We always put our name & # on our game cameras. Maybe people with corn feeders should do the same

I don't hide what I do and it's not pride that makes me post about it. I have values and my values are centered around what is best for the animals and the land. If I find garbage, I will pick it up. I take great offense at being called a thief. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about thieves. let's remember we are talking about less than $5 in PVC pipe that was clearly abandoned and not being used any longer. You said CWT members were stealing your tree stands and cameras too. I must have missed that post. Who stole your stuff?

You can get as close as you want to get. it's the personal challenge of the hunter. 300 yards seems to be a typical shot here in most of Arizona's terrain.

I've been here since 1979 and I've only seen 3 ever in the wild. The last time I saw one was over by Seven Springs about 10 years ago and the time before that was by Canyon Lake another 10 or so years before that. They seem to be a pretty rare sight. Too bad the video didn't work.

I own a good amount of cameras and have used them extensively years back. I don't like using them very much anymore because they are time consuming. I'd rather be out seeing alive stuff in the woods than running and checking cameras all the time. I love the pictures no doubt, but it comes down to how much time I want to put into cameras and I also know every time I place one out that it very well may get stolen. Off the beaten path water is the best place for a camera. Good trails work well too. I think it is verging on unethical if you have to skirt the corn law to get what you want out of it (i.e. corn for all these feral hogs we have here in Arizona). Just my 2 cents. I also apologize if it was your corn feeder I took up in 6a last year. I didn't hesitate to take it down since it looked abandoned, empty, and there were no cameras up, down, right, or left of the feeder. It just looked like litter in the forest to me, which I clean up when I can