Scooter

Due to my job, I haven't been able to tag out on a deer since I left home in 2004- shot a doe with a shotgun in western NY. So if I see a legal Coues or Muley buck pass in front of my blind within 50 yards on 24 August in the first hour of the hunt... he's gettin' stuck and quartered. I can always help others drag/pack out, camp host, etc. the rest of the season!

Gripe #1: Being kind of new to the AZ hunting scene (military transplant to AZ)- I have had two or three acquaintences (they're not even at hunting buddy status) who always talk a huge game about "yeah, we need to go hunting" or "yeah, I'll show you a few spots" but can never seem to get out of the house... I know life gets in the way sometimes, but man- we had our first child in January and I was still able to get out for the rut archery hunt a few weekends, and then with a newborn able to camp out for my spring Javi tag a few days. My wife is awesome, I know that is the reason... But she is able to plan ahead because I plan ahead. And darn it if you say you wanna link up to go hunting/scouting, you need to follow through! Gripe #2: Dudes who hate getting up early. On our Javi Tags this past spring, I camped with some really good friends- but they're not what I would consider good hunters. They don't like waking up early, and they'd rather plink targets and eat breakfast (to their credit, they bring only the best premium bacon) than creep around in the twilight getting to a spot. I hate hunting by myself (safety), and thus since I haven't found my camo-hetero-AZ hunting soul mate yet... I gotta keep enduring the gripes.

Hey I just went to the Carver Calls site and found bad news... I hope everything works out with the daughter! I would really love to get my hands on a few of the calls.

That's a good lookin' cat!

Well, I wish I had better news to report- but I don't so here goes: For the past three weeks I've been going out with my homemade caller and having a run of bad luck. I've called in 4 dogs in 11 stands since new years weekend but unfortunately I have nothing but memories to show for it. One time we had two dogs coming in from right to left at a little more than 100 yards only to have them vanish for awhile. They came around our setup and I ended up spotting them about 15 yards away after they'd snuck in behind us. By the time the guns were up, they were gone! Awesome encounter, but no reward. Then a week or so later another one came in through some high grass and I didn't get a clear shot so I passed and waited for him to circle back- didn't happen. Then yesterday, one came in after 40 minutes- I spotted it about 150 yards away and it was looking straight at me- probably saw me moving the rifle... As he turned to run back into the brush I let a shot go and whiffed just over his back striking the tree behind him. So yeah- mixed bag of success and failure this month. Success building an e-caller and mixing mp3 sounds... failure at putting one on the ground. As if that wasn't bad enough... Last night I went out to my garage freezer to grab a chicken pot-pie, and found out that the outlet in my garage had failed. Hadn't been operating for a few days so I lost everything in there- to include the beautiful bobcat I shot last fall and was waiting until the taxidermist had room in his shop to take it... I am so heartbroken about that. I don't use that freezer every day, so it had been 2-3 days since I last opened/checked it to grab something. Game meat, fresh caught rainbows, frozen foods, and the bobcat all room temperature with blood at the bottom of the freezer bags completely ruined. Not to mention a slight aroma inside the freezer that is still airing out... So, things HAVE to start looking up for me right??? Yeah, they will- my wife and I are due this week to have our first child- so we're playing the waiting game!!!

Thanks bonecollector! no news yet- kinda dragging on now. I wish this baby would hurry up!!! I wanna be able to go hunting more than a half hour away from the house...

Had the best luck at night in Texas, but here the magic time seems to be around 8am... I get dogs to answer howls at first light then play 20 minute on/off distress sound sequences with 10 minute silence intervals in between changing sounds from bunny to coyote pup distress and then jackrabbit. Mornings have been better than evenings and I haven't had much luck after 930am

If he ate it- was it animal cruelty??? I dunno bout that one Phoenix PD/DA... Burgulary will stick, but the rest is just creepy- not illegal unless they can prove he tortured the animal. So creepy... I wonder what the arresting officer looked like when they saw this guy???

You were always allowed to use a shotgun, prior regs limited the ammo to slugs only. New regs allow the use of shotguns shooting shot. I think it was a good move- especially for fur salvage.

I also hunt the SPRNCA and I'm always really puzzled by the amount of fresh vehicle tracks behind locked gates... Also the amount of shotgun hulls in non-firearm areas. Just to give the bird watchers a case of red arse I want to duck hunt on the pond behind the san pedro house with my bow/longbow and flu flu's... I bet the weekly birding walking tour groups would LOVE that! haha.

Awesome... Mossy oak head-to-toe carrying a gun tromping through the brush grunting and then top it off with a pink bottle of Vanilla Lace from Victoria's Secret to keep the little gnats away... Man card: REVOKED!!! haha. It probably works, but a few gnat bites are worth the years of ridicule I'd endure in camp.

Rifle and Archery deer tag soup... I can't complain though- I've killed a bobcat, a coyote, some ducks, quail and doves to quench my bloodlust.

Just go to the closest tank nearby in the direction they flew... you'll find the ducks there. That's a really good strategy in tank jumping. Works for me- I go to the tank that the ducks flee to when cars go by, never fails. Sorry about your hunt- I went to a tank the other day and found a bunch of quads and dune buggies in it mudding!

I know a guy who stumbled into a small camp with several bails of pot in unit 35 B. There was nobody around, but they left a small fire burning and were not far off, probably watching. He was very worried about being shot as he back trailed out of there. Ever since then I have carried a pistol while archery hunting. Might not be exactly on the legal side during archery-only, but along with my bow I carry a small 9mm pistol on my hip and I've been known to carry my 12 gauge in a backpack scabbard sometimes (short barrel with #00 buck). My 9mm alone doesn't make me feel very safe against AR's and AK's. I have stumbled upon way too much evidence of foul play in the areas I hunt next to the border. Empty Backpacks, Shoes, Water, Food, Deodorant and shaving cream (Mexican Brands), Blankets, Burlap and duct tape bags- countless times I've heard them on the two-way radios spotting and reporting on BP and on me climbing hills. yeah, they're out there. So, I will bend a rule or two in my favor and carry the scattergun if I want to-

Yeah, I had tentative permission to go all during - but also a long honey-do list that included buying an antique dresser, refinishing said dresser, moving an entire bedroom set into what was previously known as my "man-cave", putting together every freakin baby-related piece of furniture and gear imaginable. Yep- I'm eating tag soup this year, but priorities are getting the nursery set and keeping the 8-month-pregnant wife happy (as possible at this point). My unborn child is about the only thing that I can say would get me outta the woods right now. I won't be hunting in January, for fear she'll go into labor and I'll be really far away from the truck, out of cell phone range, and we have an hour or so drive till we get up to TMC... Yep- tag soup until Javi season!

Dang, it was in the 20's down here and I struck out on friday... Nice big male there- and nice rifle!

I got a CVA .50cal and a Chuck Adams bowhunter edition bushnell rangefinder. And socks and underwear.

Nice Ram!!! I'm putting in for sheep next time around for sure!

or just a house cat... only kidding... but seriously think about it!

Yeah, it actually is pretty easy to ID animals in a spotlight... They normally just stand there hypnotized until the inevitable BANG!

Why on Earth is there no Doe Harvest here??? I have not been here long, but every other state I've hunted has antlerless tags (for deer). Seems like everywhere I go I see them. If you can only shoot 1 deer per year, I don't see the harm in that one deer being a slickhead. Can anyone school me on this subject?

I'm hoping to see some tomorrow... who knows.

I am now properly psyched-up for this weekend... Thank you good sir.

moon phase says charles alsheimer... moon phase

red wrench