COOSEFAN

Awesome job on the finds and the video, thanks for sharing! JIM>

Awesome video and great bucks! Gotta love whackin' n' stackin' on the early hunts! JIM>

Beautiful mount!!! That same guy just finished my dads flying turkey mount and did a fantastic job as well! Congrats on the bird again Doug! JIM>

Thanks for posting the pics! Looks like it was a great time and a great showing for the CWT.com family! I really wish I could've been there with ya'll! JIM>

Yeah, I'd bet money that "button" bull is the 4x5 you speak of. The only reason he's a "button" bull is because he dropped his antlers, probably less than a week prior to your photos, and is now growing his new set. His antlers were probably laying not far from your cam too! JIM>

Great story! Also, great job in realizing there was a 2nd pig bedded behind the 1st pig and avoiding the "javalina shishkabob"! I've killed around 20 of those critters now with my bow and I get just about as excited nowadays as I did with my first, I love pig huntin! Thanks for sharing! JIM>

109 4/8" Great buck, absolutely love the character! Thanks for letting us use it in this contest! JIM>

Schmitty... We've got a few $1 bills hangin' on the wall in the bar now too! I thought it was crazy how the outside appearance of the building didn't match the inside and class of the restaraunt at all. I would've never guessed I could walk insided that old building and order oysters on the half shell or shrimp scampi! I loved it! Scottyboy... It looked green to me, but i'm a desert rat so it doesn't take much to impress me! LOL! TJ... Thanks! We didn't kill any small hogs and were hesitant to bring back the big ones because we've heard they aren't that good to eat. We did bring 1 full hog back tho to give it a try and it's at the processor right now being made into chorizo and hot italian sausage! I'll let ya know how it turns out. Thanks, JIM>

Hey Chef, the food was awesome! Those Texans know how to eat and they ain't skimpy on the portions! We ate dinner one night in town at a place called "The Beehive" and I'm pretty sure it's a famous place to eat or drink at for most folks that hunt that part of Texas. I had one of the best steaks I've ever had at that place! We were by ourselves for a night at the ranch and had to fend for ourselves, which meant nasty balogna sandwiches and microwaved hot pockets. Thanks, JIM>

Here's a link to some Rio Grande Turkey action! http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25029

Thanks for checkin' out the pics! JIM>

Hey Matthew thanks for the kind words and thanks for posting up Jake's video of Skeeter! That hunt was one of my favorites, not because of the huge bull but because the Dunn family are incredible folks and just spending time in the woods with them was a great experience in itself! We are also very excited to hunt with your uncle and I guarantee we will put 110% into that hunt and he will get WAY more than he expects on that hunt! I just went thru and deleted a bunch of PM's so there should be plenty of room now, sorry about that! I have a bad habit of saving PM's and it's hard to go thru and pick which ones to delete. Larry, I'll be completely honest and tell ya that with your expectations of your wife's hunt, you don't need to hire a guide! A good guide can increase your chances at a bigger bull, but anyone on that hunt has the chance at seeing and killing a giant! Definitely stay in touch with me and I'll make sure you are set up with all the info you need to get it done! JIM>

WOW!!! At least there wouldn't have been any ground shrinkage for most of us! LOL! Thanks to Mr. Ruiz for allowing all of us to gawk at his monster Coues! JIM>

Hey Larry, if you are limited to sitting tanks you will still do just fine. My favorite part about that unit is that it's basically flat, so if you do go hiking it's very easy and I've watched a VERY pregnant lady chase bulls up there with her bow before! This tag you have is something very special and there are A LOT of folks around the world that would LOVE to have that tag just once in their life! I've helped a bunch of folks in that unit and on that same hunt and a 350" class bull is very attainable on most years and this will be one of those years. If you have the whole hunt off and your wife is up to sticking it out, I would definitely pass on any 320" class bulls during the first couple days. Holding out will allow you that much more time to make memories and enjoy the experience. Any 340-360" class bull is a solid bull on any tag and there are a BUNCH of those in that unit and those are very attainable on your hunt. The 370+" bulls are the no-brainers that most guys will be holding out for and some of those guys will either go home empty handed or settle for any solid bull in the end. You'll have an incredible hunt I'm sure and if you need any help or more detailed advice send me a PM or email anytime. JIM>

Awesome bull and mount, I love the creativity with adding the hanging base! I'm not sure about that Mr. Butters guy tho. I heard you need to sleep with one eye open and keep your sleeping bag zipped up all the way if he's in the same camp as you! Just a FYI! Congrats on the bull and the great mount! JIM>

Welcome to the site and CONGRATS on that tag! What class of bull is she gonna hold out for? Have you hunted elk in the rut before? That is an amazing tag to have and the difficulty of the hunt is entirely based on the size of bull you are holding out for. The main problem with the Muzzy hunt is that the archers and the rut cause the bulls to make big changes right before the hunts start. The good thing is that usually the older bulls have the same patterns when the rut and the pressure start and end up in the same areas annually. The hard thing is spending the years and years learning what those bulls do, when they do it and where they end up. Scouting will help you familiarize yourself with roads, terrain and what class of bulls exist in the unit. Just keep in mind that the big bulls typically move long distances when they rub their velvet and when the rut kicks in. If you got bugles, just go shopping, usually it's not a problem to sneak up to within muzzy distance from a bugling bull. I call it shopping because the bulls are telling you where they are, sneak up, see if he's big enough, if not, move on to the next. The only time I make a noise while shopping is if I step on a loud branch or shuffle rocks I'll do a soft calf or cow mew to cover up the noise, but very sparingly and only if I have to. I also "shock bugle" if I need to get them to bugle for location but again, usually very sparingly and only if I have to. Most bulls have been buggered from the archers and will be call shy so sparingly is always better unless they are full blown ruttin', which they could be, but never count on it! I would never sit water with a muzzleloader if they are bugling, if they aren't talking then water or wallow is the ticket. Glassing is tough and limited in this unit but there are areas that it's effective. Make a note of these glassable areas while your scouting in case you need a backup plan. JIM>

Right on Rimmy! That's awesome, especially to whack em' with a bow! Congrats! JIM>

+1 That is a BIG Blacktail too! Everyone thinks DiamondBacks are the most aggressive but It's actually a toss up between Mohave's and Blacktails, and Sidewinders are 2nd on the list of aggressiveness. Those 'winders will chase ya....and their bite HURTS! JIM>

Awesome job with the scouting! That's no easy task figuring those birds out! Congrats again! JIM>

Yeah the monster is cool, but I wanna hear more about the fish!!! Mind sharin' details on the lure choice? I'm a seasonal fishing addict and this is my season! I've been out almost daily, usually for just a couple hours, and if I didn't I would go insane! The areas I fish are similar in habitat as your spot and lately I've been having a blast with topwater frogs! It's explosive! Spro Frogs seem to have the best catch rate, I have a hard time hookin' em on other brands but they'll smash em' just the same and that's the best part! Awesome fish and monster! JIM>

Yeah, I would think I had a beautiful life too if I had that same elk tag in MY pocket! LOL! Congrats on the 10 years and the perfect wife! JIM>

Awesome story and awesome trophy! Very smart idea with the string tracker, especially on turkeys! Congrats, JIM>

Hey Davidson, I agree with what you are saying and it bothers me as well when others feel the need to post negatively. That is the reason why I never venture over to the "other" hunting sites and why I spend all my computer time here with the CWT.com folks! The CWT.com family, agreed there are a few bad apples, is full of great folks and it is the best site on the web because of the class of folks here! I'm sorry you saw something bad enough to feel compelled to post this thread. I would like to encourage anyone that is offended by anything you see posted on this site to contact Amanda or one of the moderators and report it. We are very active in trying our best to maintain this site so that it is friendly and non-offensive to everyone. I would appreciate it if you could PM me the members name so that we can keep an eye out for any future issues! Thanks! JIM>

Congrats on the tags! Two of my young nephews have the same tag, it'll be Cody's first big game hunt and Tyler's 2nd late 10 bull tag in a row! Tyler had an incredible hunt last year and shot a great bull for his first. He's holding out for a big one this year and I know he'll get one and can't wait! That hunt can be very tough and expecially if you are holding out for a big bull that isn't broken! A lot of the bulls will be broken, not sure why exactly but have always figured it's because of the high bull to cow ratio and lots of competition over the cows during the rut. I would reccomend scouting the ENTIRE unit learning roads and habitat and pay close attention to spots that offer lots of country to glass. If your time is limited, your absolute best time to scout will be the full week prior to the hunt and that's the only time where I would get excited over any particular bull you find. Picking out a bull any earlier than that will most likey cause you heartache, hair-loss and wasted time! There are elk in all 4 corners of the unit, even if there isn't a tree for miles, and there will be elk in all those places during the late hunt. The hard part for folks that are new to this hunt is anticipating where the hunter pressure will be and where that pressure will push the bulls. Knowing where the bulls go after the previous hunts and after the first couple days of the late hunt is the most important thing. For those that don't know these pressure areas, getting on top of the highest point and glassing long distances will be your best bet. There are "famous" spots throughout the unit. You'll hear different folks tell you the same mountain name or tank names. These spots are most likely great spots but you'll be in foot races with other hunters everyday and that's no fun! The trick is to note these spots as high pressure spots and using a topo figure out where you think those bulls will get pushed to! There may be a canyon nearby, or a ravine that will funnel elk away from the spots, etc. Another thing to remember, especially in Unit 10, is there usually is more than meets the eye! Just because it looks like antelope country doesn't mean there isn't a 350" bull layin' out there or just because you've been glassing an open ceder hillside doesn't mean there isn't a 350" class bull laying behind a tree! Also, just because there isn't anyone hunting a spot doesn't mean it isn't holding a bachelor herd of big bulls and even if it's a spot right next to a busy road, don't overlook it! I love that hunt. The glassability and huntability of it is better than any other unit i think. There are great bulls and always the possibility of a giant. I would say to hold out for the biggest bull you saw during the week prior to the season, and I also would say never pass up any intact 330-340" class bull unless you have something bigger tied to a tree! Depending on where you hunt, the first day is typically your best chance to kill a big bull and it goes downhill from there! Also, typically the older bulls won't be around the cows, if you're finding a bunch of cows and are holding out for a biggun, look elsehwere. Best of luck, hope some of this info helps! JIM> Here's a couple from last couple years on that late hunt.....

That was awesome footage! Thanks for sharing it with us! I've seen a handful of them from around here and in Mexico. I think the cool part is no two are exactly alike, different patterns and colors. One thing that remains the same though is thier attitudes! Here are some pics of one i found near my house a while ago, he eventually got upset at me following him around with the camera and that's when he "charged" me hissing the whole time! Cool critters for sure! Here he is, zeroed in on my foot and charging!