Rembrant

DB, I think 19A would be a real sleeper. There is no late rifle Coues hunt there. Most of the any-antlered tag holders are probably fishin' for carp. I frequent the Cottonwood area as I have family there, and have been staring at those mountains for years. Just haven't carved out the time to stumble around in there yet. I think you just found yourself a wonderful archery oportunity. This sighting just saved you tons of hours of research. Be careful with you you share this location with - if you share it with anyone. But if you just have to tell someone, e-mail me!!! (now I'm fishin') Mike

Now I thought for sure, TAM, you were mistaken about gullible not being in the dictionary, so I looked and IT'S NOT THERE! Mike

Bummer! Now I gotta worry 'bout getting drawn, and if I do I'll hafta spend money on gas to get over there. And then I'll hafta get up early in the mornings and hike around and glass alot. Then if I find a good buck I'll hafta spend good expensive ammo. And if I kill a deer, I'll hafta gut him out and get all bloody - spend money on film for pictures. WHAT A HASSLE!!! Why can't I just live my life vicariously through the TV like a zillion other Americans? Mike

I grew up collecting skulls. Used to have more than 200. Called myself growing out of it one day and tossed them. Anyway I found a dead lion down Fossil Creek Road in 6A. Totally skelontized, with holes punched in the cranium (paretal bones) - consistant with a lion kill. Figured if someone had shot the critter in the head the holes would have been cleaner, and the hunter would have kept the cat. Mike

Bill, I applaud you for the shooting of burros. It is incredulous to me that it is a federal offence to do so. It should be a federal offence for anyone to allow a habitat degrading exotic animal to roam free. When I was a kid, I assisted a mamologist on a Colorado River research trip. We were setting live mammal traps on both sides of the river. On the side of the river where there were no burros, the habitat was normal and we would catch near 100 rodents a night. On the other side were the burros were allowed to run rampant, the habitat was tore up and we would catch only 10-12 rodents a night. This is critical desert bighorn habitat. Burros are more important than bighorns? Why not? Lions are more important than people! Anyway, one of my brothers killed one of his best Coues deer on the south side of the road into Bartlet Lake - way down in the low desert. Mike

Something that would work really good for this would be to separate the rifle from the archery hunts - make the archery tag a draw tag. And we don't want that, do we? With freedom comes responsibility. We gotta use ethics in the field (when no one's watching), and since there will always be poachers, we also gotta help the wildlife managers catch the bad guys. Right now our archery hunt is our back up. If we don't get drawn for anything, we can still go bowhunting. And the more I learn, the more I'm beginning to realize the late archery hunt could be the best hunt in the state. With the way the Dept has separated the deer hunts (mulies from Coues), stratified Coues hunts in some regions and elk hunts in others - to maximize the rescource - I think it is probably just a matter of time until the archery deer hunt becomes a draw tag. I hate to even say it. Enjoy it while it lasts. These are the good ol' days. Mike

GOOD! What a relief. Now I don't have to be concerned about it. Mike

Thanks for sharing that, Lark. Starting a Thursday morning with a good dose of deer lore is a wonderful thing. Mike

I found it (really) on the NM site. It says to check again on July 6th. My apologies again for causing any undo excitement. Mike

I'm thinking I may not be so right! I went back to check the site and can't find anything. I think I may have been looking at the regs from 2003. I apologize for the misinformation. Mike

Idaho, I think any and all heads that make the minimum should be entered into the book for posterity. People that have high interest in the out-of-doors want to know what kind of scores come from where. It increases our knowledge and honors the animals. That's the way I feel about the giant Apache Coues that has recently surfaced - if it is legit, it should be recognized. Having said that, I have picked up 2 muley skulls out of unit 10 while bowhunting over the years that gross over 200" and haven't had them officially measured. I need to knock those up a couple of notches on my priority list. I know some guys that won't enter anything into the book because they think it's vanity and because of how this vanity pressures some of our weaker brothers into illegal activities - to build or maintain reputations. I understand their point and respect that view, however I believe this robs the rest of us of knowing the whole harvest history. The record books are rich. Stick your pick-up into the book. We want to see it there. Mike

Bigmouth!!! :lol

It's OK to talk about it. I understand. Sometimes us guys just need to get it out in the open. I have some things going on out in the whitetail woods, but it's not enough. After January was a good time to walk the snow and find pockets of deer to patern. Yet there is still a lot of time through the summer to kick around and keep learning. I AIN"T GETTIN OUT THERE ENOUGH!! I did get out last week and drive all the way to one of my favorite places on top of a giant mountain and drop some salt. I'm hoping I get a rifle tag there. That was hard, hot and dry - it's way different than Dec. Makes you wonder how these deer get through the summer - and where do they get water in some of these places? The mineral lick should help them out. I'm loving the bowhunts. If I don't get drawed for anything, I will be quite content bowhunting Mr. Coues. I could go on and on.... Thanks Josh, I needed that. Mike

I was looking at the NM site this morning and it said to check back on the 10th. Mike

If anybody is an expert on antlers, Josh is. If this thing turns out to be a hoax, we gotta give Josh credit. BUT, I'm with Lark. I hope it's the real deal. Don't need controvercies. It's OK by me - I wasn't planning to beat the world record anyway. I'm happy its from Arizona. If it is a hoax, the person responsible ought to be.... held resonsible! Mike

Absolutely incredible!! I figured we would see an eastern looking head and then question forever its validity, or at least until the dna results proved otherwise. This puppy looks gloriously gnarley, twisted, massive and tight - just like a monster Coues. Ain't it grand that this unbeatable world record came from Arizona and not Mexico? Thanks Amanda and Josh for getting this on-line. I would like to know everything about this - the whole story, the validity of the dna test etc. - any information about the Apache who shot it and who owns it now? Thanks again!! Mike

Ryan, Deer toes are an "off the shelf" item. That's correct, you can find them right there between bat's wings and hair of newt. And why do you need some deer toes? Mike

Happy birthday Arizona Guide!!! Time just flys! Someone described life as being like a roll of toilet paper: When it's new, there is a seemingly endless supply and when you take some you can hardly notice a change in the roll. But when it's been around for a while and been used alot and getting smaller, it is as if someone has given it a good spin and what is remaining is freely unraveling. That's OK. Getting old is my goal. When this tent wears out, I'll get a better one. Mike

Mr. Rabbitt, I haven't seen a whitetail on McMillan Mesa in over three years. Used to chase 'em around too. One good 100 plus buck and others. Think they got road killed out. Have you seen them lately? I have a photo of a Cedar Hill road kill that I think would score a solid 120" (4 x 4). This was back before the new road. Wish I was more inept at whitetail hunting back then. I have picked up 7 sheds in 5B north out of one pocket, not far from where you have mentioned. One set would score about 90". One would hope that some of those Cedar Hill genitics would still be around somewhere! It's nice to know that someone else is paying attention. Mike

You are right Ernesto. Good perspective check. I will have a good year no matter what I draw. I shouldn't let dumb things steal my peace. You da man Ernesto! Mike

It's hard to take. I was part of the 25% last year. Tends to leave me with little patience for the fiddle farters that draw and then decide to paint their porch instead, or "the drive's too long for a mediocre deer". The internet application doesn't help. Now it's way to easy for a beer party at someone's house to turn into an application fest. Said it before: Make everybody pay up front. Require everybody to PASS a hunter safety course. Then the deer hunters will be separated from the non-serious folks and the anti's. Just too many folks in this state to make applying so easy. Mike

Yeah, what Stanley and Ernesto are saying is the same understanding that I have. Ernesto is also correct in what he said about putting in with an 'out of stater' NOT being to your advantage. Popular belief is this helps you get drawn - not so. Mike

I think it is legal to spotlight during season. But it really chaps my cheeks to be walking out of a good elk spot in the dark and find a spotlighter cruising the roads. Maybe these guys are just smarter than me, or maybe they're on a cocktail cruise, or maybe they do have a gun or bow, and maybe I'd better get off the road real good before they come by so they don't get excited when they see the light shine off my glasses. Wouldn't hurt my feelings if the in-season spotlighting went the way of in-season flying - NOT LEGAL. But then again, that would't stop it - would it? Mike

You won't lose your bonus points unless you DON"T APPLY FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS. See the Regs page 54, R12-4-107. Personally I think they work, but you need a lot. I also like the buy a point rule that is new this year. I have a buddy who had 6 bonus points for elk a few years ago. He knew he would be at the Police Acadamy during the early hunt and did not want to get drawn. So he put in for one of the long shot hunts and guess what? He got drawn! He had one weekend to hunt, came close to killing a big bull but was not succesful. It would have been a good year for him to buy a bonus point - if it had been available at that time. Mike

I ain't sceered. I'll answer the question you didn't ask. My favorite creed song is the one that says, "'cause you stand here with me - NOW!" Need my helper everywhere I go! Don't know didly about 30A or 29. Mike