rabidApache

Hey Matt, My hunter also took a nice and heavy buck outta unit C. Congrats to you and your bud. dewey This buck was very old, check out his teeth...NOT!

Hey there Amanda, I just had just completed a two week stay on the Bright Angel maintaining the Fish Weir near the Foot Bridge. Did you notice the funny contraption with all the alum. rods and cage near the confluence. We were camped out near the second foot bridge (silver colored one) about Mid-Nov. The S. kaibab trail is an excellent hike, I thought the hike down was tough. Did you do the Kaibab skip/hop from step to step on the trail. I'm short so it catches me about the middle of my stride too. Talk about sore calves....the following morning . Notice other hikers doing the Grand Canyon "waddle". Excellent pixs. I recognized them turkeys! They would actually chase tourists around the campsites LOL. I had to rescue a couple that were camped near us. They (turkeys) had the campers standing on the table terrified and yelling for assistance. Too funny. dewey jr

Hmmm let me see for a 3-4 hunt. My trusty Ole "Peak One" single man tent w/ fly and a 8'X10' wally world Tarp. MSR ceramic water filter. Dwight Schuh- Mega pack. 2 NALGENE 32oz water bottles 200 oz platypus collapsible ~50ft of P-cord NORTHFACE 15degree MummyBag Fleece Bag Liner THERMA-REST pad GERBER Exchanga Blade wood/meatNbone saw (2) 24" bungee cords (2) 1" Nylon w/ buckle straps (rafting straps) two 20gal. rice bags (meat bags) from ACE. Straps and bungee cords wrapped in Bag. Excellent set-up for packing meat out ASAP. 2 sticks of CHEM-LITE's LED head lamp w/ extra Batt's GPS HuntN gear (Bino's, Knives, T-pod & Scope) COLEMAN single burner stove w/ fuel bottle Food is freeze Dried anythang. Jerky and more Jerky Ramen Noodles Meat packets (chickN,Tuna) Granola Barz

Yeah newbee, I'm sold on the MSR brand of cem-filters, can clean and reuse many a times. Don't know how many gallons until cartridge change, but I can pick one up for ~$30-40 at any outdoor store. Very easy to use and maintenance is a snap. Names like KATADYN, MSR, and PUR ya can't go wrong.

Newbee, Last year I tested my out my Backpacking skills while shed hunting. The pack I was using was a REI brand internal frame that holds plenty of gear and then some, my bro also had an internal frame pack LOWE brand. We went on a two night camp-out/adventure. My gear consisted of : Danner Lights (boots) they did outstanding. Our tent basically consisted of a 8'X12' tarps (2) purhased at Wally world for about $5. We strung up the tarps with P-cord, cut supports and anchored them down with rocks. Our main focus was to cut down on any amount of weight, since we would be bringing elk sheds back out of the Canyon. We were fortunate that a little stream (snow-run-off) was near-by. We filtered water using MSR ceramic filtration system. Its a little slow pumping water for the both of us, but we survived. The hand pump takes about 5-6 minutes to fill two NALGENE 32oz bottles. For food we bought every we needed at Safeway. Tuna packs for our lunches, Saltines, Instant chicken noodles (dehydrated), Energy bars (Clifbars,TigersMilk peanutbutter) and etc.... We boiled water with a little one burner B-packing stove(COLEMAN) each of us carried one small bottle of fuel for the trip. I also brought some packets of EMER-GEN-C energy mix along. It was a life saver after long days out in field and at nite when legs started cramping-up. The sports drink mix is an electrolyte. We definetly were in need of Salt/Potassium. We both headed out on the final day with 3 sets brownies and a couple of singles. With campgear/water/food, I had started with ~32lbs. Final hike day out ~85lbs with sheds. To say the least we were hurtN the next two days. But its all good. Don't get caught up in all these new fangled gear out there. Keep it KISS......dude .

Hey DesertSheep, Whats up.......jason. Heck yeah I still remember yall. That pic with the Lion was taken on a Unit D West hunt with Jerry. Great to hear from you, can't wait for WT hunts to start up. I have already been out scouting a few of the springs in Unit D. Catch ya later...

I've hunted on the Eastside of the mescals (El Capitan Mtn) during the San Carlos tribal Javelina and deer hunts. Glassed up some decent WT bucks coming to and from the Mtn following does (Jan). Nice bucks, 80-90+inchers. I can tell you from experience that the manzanita thickets and scrub oak is very thick on the Eastside. Some of the game trails tunnel through 8' high manzanita. Excellent WT country, even spotted a few muley's there.

Being an avid hunter/guide on San Carlos, I can't tell how many times I've glassed up a "mountain tigger". I took this lion at 416yds across a canyon bedded, 2 shots 2 hits. Thanxx to the USMC...

Detour around them....

Daryl S. It costs a lotta $$$$.$$ (zhaali, money in apache). November WT tags go from $1000.00 for ABC to $3,500.00 for R100 rut hunt. You could also look it up on their website at www.sancarlosrecreationandwildlife.com or scatrw.com Check it out, tags usually sell out a year ahead.

Yeah DEERSLAM, I spotted and stalked both bucks in wide open country. The first buck (2X3) I shot in unit C near Lower Park Creek on San Carlos at about 21 yds. The second in unit D east at a long shot of 12 yds. Notice my camo. Not! Just plain and simple spot and stalk, pay special attention to wind with slow movements then make it happen.

I e-mailed amanda a picture phone photo and a pic of last years archery buck I also had taken on San Carlos last year. Two WT bucks in row whoohoo. Last year I took my first WT buck with the same equipment, maybe even the same arrow. I may have to check it out. You don't need all the new gadgets and trinkets to take your first buck. Just go out there and make it happen. Keep the wind in your favor, stalk like a cat and shoot straight. Heck I was wearing no camo on the first hunt. This second time I just wore a pair of worn blue jeans, and my favorite predator-camo shirt jacket. Patience and confidence can go a long way. Good luck fellas....and keep at it.

The only photo I had taken that day is with a picture phone. I do not have a Digital camera. Hey it's X-mas, Santa may have something for me. Merry christmas and a Happy an Safe New years..... I 'll try and post that picture phone photo.

An archery WT buck taken on San Carlos. A nice 4X4 WT (85-87in) taken at 12 yds. with my trusty 32in. axle MIRAGE Browning bow with 125gr MUZZY. Excellent hunt in unit D east on San Carlos. Started out pretty late about in the AM on thursday. At about 7:45am spotted two WT does, mother and fawn. We then drove up to my usual vantage point and immediately glassed up 3 more does scurring off to their beds for the day. With the morning hunt coming to an end, we decided to head back and grab our shotguns and headout for quail. On the way down the Mtn. I spot this buck walking into a dry wash bed at 11:00am. I don't know what this buck was thinking, but it sure didn't look like typical WT country too me. Area is covered with chapparel,yucca and Catclaws. Pretty much open country with a few mesquites. We watched the buck for about 40 minutes until he walked over a small ridge. So I made a mad dash to get up to the last spot we had seen him crossover. Before I topped over I slipped my boots off and stalked with bow at the ready. I peered over nothing, looked to right and left nothing. So I stood there waiting and searching. Finally the buck appears crossing a small ravine in front of me at about 80yds. The wind was to my advantage so I waited him out. I mentally marked the last spot he stood and fed. I went back and grabbed my boots ,but when I got back he was gone. I immediately put my gear down and walked to a high spot to try locate the buck. I would walk about 10 yds and glass. I searched for about 20 minutes until I finally made him out under a small mesquite, bedded up. The stalk was on! So I picked up my gear and slowly made my way down to the small ravine about 80-90yds from the bedded buck. Checked the wind again, it was OK. Once again I slipped my boots off and made my way to the bedded buck. I got to within 30 yds but no shot. The buck stood up once and looked straight at me for 8-10 minutes before laying back down again, wow. There was just one little branch between me and buck that I needed to get around. I took a couple of quick steps around and got ready. Nothing happened. I then took a few more steps gave a whistle nothing happened. Took 3 more big steps and spotted the bedded buck. Located an open shot and took it at 12 yds. Exciting! The shot was a clean pass-through, kinda quartering-toward. Entered just back behind the foreleg and exited through the right rear hindquarters. The buck then bolted over the ridge and out of sight. I slowly crept back to my gear and boots and called my buddy on the handheld radio to come help me track. We found the buck piled up at the bottom of the ridge. Great hunt and what an excellent time to just be out there.

Hey Breeze, Unit A or B, take a toss, heads or tails. I live and hunt on the San Carlos. I have heard many times that unit A has this...or B is like this. In my opinion A and B are both excellent units, both being equal. All units on SC have great WT bucks, it just comes down to scouting. Unit A has the Salt River Canyons, Tin Cup Mtns. and Chapman tank areas. Ash Creek, Military trail, Kidde Canyon and Armstrong tank located along the Nantac rim for unit B. Thats just a few areas just off the top of my head for both areas. Either one you choose,you'll have an excellent hunt and welcome to San Carlos. Good luck..

bmf1321, Another tip when trying to call bucks in is to study the bucks body language. When I have located a buck I watch to see if he is in search for does. If he is, most likely he'll have his nose to the ground, bird dogging trying to pickup a scent trail of a hot doe. Set up a game plan. Maybe cut him off, set up in some cover and call. When calling keep a watch out for his reaction to the call. Do not call when deer is looking in your direction, be patient and keep the wind in your favor. Just last year I was watching a nice 3X2 WT buck Zig-Zagging along a ridgetop. So I decided to sneak up along a oak thicket to get ahead of him and setup. The area was pretty open with only prickly pear cacti for cover. I broke out my trusty Doe-n-can and let it rip. Once the buck heard the doe bleat/bawl after 2 or 3 trys he lifted his head, froze and looked in my direction. He must have stood there for 4-5 minutes. As soon as he started getting back into what he was doing, I gave another call. Baaaaaaw Baaaaaaaaaaw he turned, looked in my direction and started for me! It was a funny sight...looking threw my binos he had his tongue hanging out and and tail twitching like a rattler. It was too funny. I never did get shot with a bow, but at 70 yds with a rifle it would have been a chip-shot. Give it try and good luck....

Heck just today, I had observed a 3X3 WT buck chasing a doe around. I've been scouting for this weeks archery hunt/outing and built a little blind in a natural funnel. Hope it pays off. I plan on sitting this spot come thursday morning.

I just got off a hunt on the NE corner of San Carlos in search for Elk. An area just South east of Willow Mtn. range. Friday evening we spotted a couple of raghorn bulls off in the distance (~2-3 miles out). Planned on hunting them the following morning but to no avail. We glassed and hiked all day long, and never found them again. With that hunt spoiled, I broke out my "archie" equipment and decided to hunt deer. So the following morning I spotted my first customer. A nice delicious Muley buck. I swear that buck had a force field around him and deflected the arrow into the Juniper trunk behind him. Missed him at 32yds downhill. So now, theres a 125gr MUZZY broadhead buried in the vitals of that dang Juniper. Well thats OK, still have this coming weekend for elk and two more weeks for Archery deer. On our elk hunting trips I've been finding WT buck scrapes and rubs more frequently. They must be getting fired up for the Rut. I also witnessed a few WT bucks getting a little more friendly with does lately.

I got a San Carlos Archery tag. I did not tag out during the October tribal deer hunt. I hunted only one day due to work constraints.So this weekend I've got two tags to fill. The first tag is a Malay Elk tag and secondly my archery deer. My first priority is the Elk. Man I love this time of the year. You've got something to kill wether its deer,elk,ducks,predators and quail.

Excellent buxs El fuego way to go...dude!!

I also went out scouting with a "bro" yesterday 11/18/05. Located two old lion kills within 200 yards of each other. Both kills probably a few months old. We both could not locate the heads,just the lower jaws. I thought they were mulies. But while hiking in I found an old rusty cartouche style knife. It looked pretty cool so I stuck it in my pack and trucked on. Later I examined the knife and noticed it was stamped with ATLAS WORKS above the hilt. Pretty cool, I wondered who lost it and when. Funny thing was I found the knife a ways out there, no trails or roads. Well we sat and glassed into some excellent country and moved on. We finally began to see some deer movement at 4:39 pm. We glassed up 3 WT does, 1 muley doe and spike in a cedar/hackberry patch. I was curious to see what was using the spring below, so we dropped our packs and headed down. We found a set of bear tracks, 4 1/4 inch across the pad, I thought this dude was pretty big barr. Numerous deer, kayotes and "javies" have been using this spring /seep. One set of Mtn.lion prints at one end, small paws no bigger than 3 inches across. It was getting late and the hike back out was gonna take at least a good hour and a half to the road and another 30 min. to the dropoff point. The last two miles of this road had been washed out years ago, its now just a two track that only the "Moo" cows now use . We were dropped off at 7:30 am in the morning. We were tired but satisfied with our little adventure.

Shoot straight...fella and good luck

Vbraley, As stated earlier, San Carlos is very diverse. You could hunt WT's at 2200ft elev in Chapparal and octillo to hunting in PJ, Pondi forests and Schrub oak country at 7000ft. A, B, C and D units are all excellent in my book. I try to hunt places others may over look. Born and raised as a little "shboy" on SC rez, I still have places that I have not covered in my boots. Should you obtain a couz tag don't forget to buy a Mtn lion tag. I cannot tell how many times I talked to Non-members that did not purchase a tag and had to pass up on a "maha" lion. Good luck fella.........

I personnally use the Mega Pack from Cabela's. I believe it was designed by Dwight Schuh, the whole design of the pack is centered around an external flexible frame. Two major compartments, top and bottom(fanny pack). I don't know the cubic size when used in conjuction but I can tell ya that it packs alot of gear. I have in the past only used the fanny pack (1800 cu in)attached to the frame. Its plenty big enough to carry my equipment and with plenty of lashing points for other add-ons if need be(water bags, rain gear etc..). I also carry two rice bags and straps for securing meat and cape. The rice bags can be picked up at any hardware/feed store place. The straps I use were designed for rafting, has a buckle on one end and is super strong. Straps can be bought in many sizes. I carry two 6 footers. I use one bag to debone meat on and the other you simply put the carved meat into. I have carried out an entire elk hind 1/4 before deboned ~ 45-50 lbs. I sure ya could easy stuff a WT into one bag. The ricebag w/ meat simply is straped onto the frame and haul out. Check it out, I believe it go's for about $160.

Anyone gearing up for Elk/Deer shed hunting this season. Already spotted two Bull elk 6x? and a 5x5 . Can't wait it's an addiction to see whats out there and waiting to be found.