COOSEFAN

Here's a couple pics taken inside the Robbins Butte Preserve....... Sidewinder..... Gila in the flats.... Gila on the rock.... Western Diamondback...... Mohave Rattlesnake..... Hope this doesn't keep ya from going, just a heads up to keep an eye out! These critters are anywhere, not just there. Good luck, JIM>

Best of luck to you and your boys out there Mark! I live close to there and it is a very neat place. Definitely get there an hour before sunup so you are not rushing to find a spot, and DEFINITELY use flashlights, drag your feet, and be very carefull if you have to go into the thick stuff on the sides of the roads to retrieve a bird! There are lots of rattlers out there, you'll see what I'm talking about where the thick stuff is and it's almost inevitable a bird will drop in there Again, best of luck, JIM>

15's! I've got both and carry both during scouting, but rarely use the scope during hunting. The 15's are all that is needed to tell if a buck is big enough for me to go after! But, it is nice if you are only wanting a certain buck scoring over a set mark, then a scope is invaluable and I would then have that with me. The best thing to do is find a gullable person to hunt with you and make them carry the scope! good luck, JIM>

I know it's already been said and Lark has probably already bought something, but Leica is the best out there IMO. I've owned the LRF 900 for years and loved it except I've got a "dead" trigger finger with no feeling so the button was hard to feel for me.......plus it had a wierd "sandwhich" shape to it. Still, the quality was exceptional so I went with the CRF 1200 a couple weeks ago. I looked very closely at the Swaro, but like has been said, the aiming circle is way too big at long distances.....how do you really know what the lazer hit??? PLUS, carrying that thing around is no different than carryin' a second or third pair of binos on ya! The Leica is the all-around best (for me) and is a lot eaier to carry and use. There's my $.02, good luck to you and your boys Lark! JIM>

Agreed!

I have no patience at all, I can't save money even if my life depended on it! I like results and fast, so I would sell something, take out a loan, refinance the house, etc. I hope you find a way to get the 15's before your 33 hunt this year......couldn't imagine huntin' Couesies without a pair of Swaro 15's! Best of luck to ya! JIM>

You know Kevin H., I was wonderin' when somebody would point that out! LOL! Casey has had a secret admiration for my good looks for some time now, but I was surprised he made it public info in that post! Troy and Scout'm.........I'm still rollin' on the floor! Kevin K., Thanks very much for the kind words! I wish it wasn't that rare for hunters to help other hunters but unfortunately it is nowdays. I'm glad I was able to help out and I was very excited to hear it paid off for you guys! Casey, thanks for being a good sport! I do get more excited seeing other folks succeed and that is what fuels my passion for what I do! Regardless of an animals score, I've always felt you owe it to the animal to show respect towards the animal and to the person who decided to harvest it. Everyone has their own idea of what a trophy is, and as long as they are doing it for their own ideals and as long as they are happy with their animal, I'll be excited for them everytime! Contrary to popular belief, most outfitters or guides make very little money in this profession. There has to be something in it that keeps ya going and for me it's seeing the emotions on a clients face when he harvests an animal of his dreams.....there's nothing more satisfying than knowing you helped make that happen! Thanks to everyone here and to the visitors of this site that I know are reading this, we've had tons of support from you all in the past few years and greatly appreciate it! We are all just hunters chasing our dreams and it's been awesome to share our experiences with you all and to see and hear yours over the past few years! Thanks Amanda for all the great things you do and for this awesome site! JIM>

Yeah.....it is a long, fairly embarrasing story, but i can now say I've gone "Badger Noodling". If I would have stayed an extra day I would have finally got to meet ya! Had to go babysittin' though, but was a nice break chasin' goats.......and those stinkin' badgers

Hey Ruben.....HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH "DERTRAX"? Good to see ya on the site and welcome........your wife is gonna shoot a beast

Awesome pics and story as always Doug! I too saw those darn "feral land rapers", I was thinking they were put there as part of that "last chance" deal for old or unwanted horses? I know there is a ranch area somewhere close that does that. Did Butters mention about the "Badger Noodling" incident? BTW........Court Jester would be my #1 target buck without question, that is the neatest characteristic I think a 'loper can have and is very rare! Best of luck! JIM>

Thanks very much Amanda! I just got home to dry out and clean all my gear, but will be headin' back up tomorrow, so I can answer any questions if posted soon! Thanks again, JIM>

Fantastic write-up Scottyboy! Congrats on yet another amazing trip with awesome critters and pics! You are going to be the first person I call when I finally get enough money saved up for Africa!

That's awesome Tyson!!! That is what it takes for sure......I can't wait to finally experience #16 thru #18

Welcome to the site Desertdeer, and best of luck to you on your quest for a spot n stalk Coues! I do have to say though, you are probably not aware of how much effort most guys put into their water or stand set-ups, and your post will only start an argument. Yes, there are guys who have just sat down on a tank and shot a monster buck, but the majority of successful water or stand hunters put more time and energy into their set-ups than most spot n stalkers ever will! That being said, I have tried for many years to kill a spot n stalk archery Coues without success, it has been the hardest thing for me to accomplish! I also have never sat a tank or stand but that is only because I have never had the time to devote to doing it right with all the scouting and patience involved with that tactic. In my mind spot n stalk and sitting are just "apples and oranges"..... just different styles but still lots of effort, knowledge and skill needed for both. Let's not let this get ugly folks

Howdy all, thanks again for all the great reply's on that first thread that was started! I do want to say right off that you'll notice I've added logos to the pic's, i hated doing it, but I unfortunately felt I had to. I've learned lately that there are individuals in my profession who have no problem with taking credit for something they had nothing to do with, hopefully it'll be a little harder for them to do that now with my logo on there (I am not referring to Mossback, those cam pics are awesome boys!) As you all know we had just come off the hunt with Clark Guy and seemed like we had only been home for a few days before we got a call from Jake Dunn. Jake is the son of Robert Dunn, who had won the 08-09 Super Raffle Elk tag! We could tell right away that this was going to be an incredible hunt with some incredibly nice folks! I do beleive that most everyone on this site would appreciate the type of people and the type of hunters that the Dunn family is. Robert had made it clear that he did not want to just show up and shoot, he wanted to work hard and experience all that he could before pulling the trigger! With this being the case, Robert and Jake showed up about 2 weeks early and went to work with us! It was awesome to see and hear the excitement in their voice each day when they would return with great video of awesome bulls. The weather turned bad and changed our game plans which broadened our search for the bulls we wanted. This is when we really valued having the Dunn's helping us and they did an outstanding job locating and videoing bulls! Closer to the hunt, Jake's cousin "Clint" and Jake's son "Caden" came up to help also and by that time we had the rest of my family there as well. Oh, and there was also this kid we found on the side of the road holding a sign that read..."Will glass for free if you feed me", I think his name is "Shard", but I called him "Froddo" because he's definitely got a fro! We picked him up, used and abused him, and he's actually still there...probably eating all our food.....but he earned it Now with the hunt starting, the moon was full and the storms had dropped water in every last hole it could find which had the bulls scattered and difficult to locate. We had 3 bulls in a certain area that were all over the 400" mark and Robert, my brother Matt and I would hunt that area while everyone else went different directions to catch the bulls in case they had moved. Our plan A bull was still in the area but never showed while the rifle was on Roberts shoulder and everyone had great bulls to watch in the areas they had gone to during the first two days. On the second day of the hunt, Jake and Clint had located a giant bull and we headed over there to see which bull it was. Once we saw it we told Jake it was just a little 385" bull and that he really needed to step up his game so with that we left and headed back to our orginal spot again. The storms were rolling in but we grabbed our jackets and stuck it out. On that night Robert passed up a giant 390+ bull at close range along with several 370-380" type bulls! Right after taking his scope off the giant bull, a lightning bolt struck close by and the clouds opened up! They were about 1 mile from the truck and I was about 1 1/4 mile at that moment and we all had "lightning rods" in the form of tripods or rifle hanging off us, so you can imagine the speed in which we ran! It was definitely worth the risk and drenching we endured to see such amazing bulls, especially with a valid tag present! That night we returned to camp to find that Jake and Clint successfully stepped up their game and showed me up! They had videoed another bull shortly after the 385" bull and all they could tell us was that it was bigger! Sure enough, the video showed a giant bull tearin' up a dry wallow in a clearing just before dark! They did an awesome job video taping and locating and my hat was off to them, they were quickly becoming elk hunters....and spoiled ones at that! Robert really liked the character of this bull and especially liked the fact that his boys had located the bull, but what I think sealed the deal was that as a tribute to their Grandad, they named the bull "Skeeter"! We all sat around and tried judging the bull because we knew his pedicle was twisted which is a common trait in this unit, and this tends to stunt the front tines. The bull had an incredible top end and with certain angles we could see he had very heavy mass, so it was determined this bull had enough up top to make up for what he lacked and it was indeed a 400" class bull! We now finally had a reason to pull out of our original plans and get a closer look at Skeeter. That next morning found my bro Matt, Robert, Jake, Clint and Caden in the same spot as the evening before. Right at first light I found a couple bulls including another giant 390-395" bull! We admired this beast as he made his way into the trees, but you could tell Robert had his mind on Skeeter! Shortly after that Jake and Clint again located Skeeter and he had already made it into the treeline but was still feeding. Robert, Matt and I dropped our packs and took off on a mile long stalk that put us within rifle range but too low to pick out the bull. We learned that he had bedded while on our stalk and I crawled around two different knobs trying to pick out his tines but with no luck, so we decided to back out and get on em' in the evening. Unfortunately Jake, Clint, and Caden had to leave that afternoon and that really had me thinking of a way to get Robert in on the bedded bull so Jake could be there, but it was just too risky. That evening Chrissy...I mean "Froddo", joined Matt, Robert and I and we headed back over there. It took seconds to reglass the bull and with an early cloud cover the bull was up feeding at around 4:30. There was one small strip of burnt trees on the ridge and Skeeter was feeding toward it, so Matt, Robert and I again dropped our packs and took off as fast as we could. With sweat pouring off us we finally made it within rifle range and the bull hadn't cleared the last tree yet before entering the burn. I had the camera set up and had Robert on the shooting forks but he was visibly excited and unable to hold steady so we made one last dash to get closer. Now well within range and all set up, Skeeter started to appear right where we had planned. I reassured Robert that there was no rush and he didn't need to shoot but if he wanted this bull, it was 400" class and he'll need to shoot now. Robert told me he wanted it and then waited for the perfect broadside shot.......BOOM......"smoked em'....hammer em' again"....BOOM.......HE'S DOWN!!!! Robert didn't even need the second shot, the first was perfect and the bull was goin down as the second shot connected! It was one of the more emotional times we've shared with a hunter and one that we'll never forget. Robert and his family treated us like family from the first day and we all quickly became friends. To witness such a person harvest an animal that had special meaning to him, really was an awesome experience for us all and the only thing that would have been better was to have his boys there too! Ol' Chrissy made record time hauling out 4 backpacks, running a mile back to the truck, and driving up to us just minutes after we finally put our hands on the beast. Just like the Clark bull, this bull is something you need to hold to appreciate. The mass throughout is amazing and the top end is world class! Robert had mentioned early on that he liked character bulls and this bull is definitely not lacking in the character department! The bull is just a giant and his body more resembled a moose, especially his head! he had 66 1/2 inches of mass, over 21 G3's, and pushin' 25" on his G4, but all the "roll" that he has makes him very unique and gorgeous! I do want to thank the Dunn family for allowing us to be a part of such an awesome experience! I'm not just sayin' it to say it, but I sincerely feel that Robert is truly a deserving person of that tag and that bull. It was refreshing to hunt with folks who appreciated all the little things that most of us take for granted. Robert wanted that bull not because of what it would score, but becuase of what it meant to him and his family. I knew it as soon as they named him after their Grandad it was all over, that bull was going to hit the ground and the bull will probably be more admired and respected than any other bull taken that is comparable in score! I think this sport and this world could be a little better place if there were more people in it like the Dunn's Congrats again Robert!

Good point! I didn't even think about the folks that carry bigger glass outside of the pack such as 50mm's. I did however just go and put my 15x56's in this Bino Pouch I have and they fit. The only thing is that the top flap doesn't fully cover the binos but it does cover enough and will snap shut with room to spare on the strap that secures the buckle. With the exception of length, all other size dimensions of the 15x56's are fine and fit good in this Bino Pouch, just need a bigger top flap which is already in the works! I would imagine that the new model will work fine for the larger 50mm objective binos, but it does appear as though the design of this model is better suited for smaller, more commonly neck worn binoculars. JIM>

Could be a Lion, kinda looks like he's walkin' left and you can see the higher shoulders on the left and it slightly humps up towards the rear on the right? Who knows!

I love the color and patterns in that stock! Gorgeous thunderstick right there Doug! Who did the cerakoting for ya? JIM>

Freakin' Awesome Troy!!! I still haven't completed that goal yet and can't wait till I do.........that buck would have more than fulfilled my goal! Huge congrats to you on a great archery Coues! JIM>

Like has been already said, the warranty stays valid even with the Outdoorsmans adapter installed. That certain adapter installed by Outdoorsmans is the only way to go with EL's, but it is best to buy the same threaded adapter for your other bino's as well, that way you are still only using the one Outdoorsman post. I will say that Swarovski did a major repair on my EL's recently but they did not replace my Outdoorsmans adapter and it is gone! I was so appreciative of the fact they fixed my binos free of charge that I didn't want to complain. I'll just have to take them back and get a new adapter installed JIM>

Ahh dammmit NOW I GET IT "Shakin'"...."Bedding".........OK, ok, sorry if I ruined it..........Mike that was a good one

Hey guys, I know it's 4:00 am, but this is the only time I've had to get on here.....I'll be sleeping in tomorrow....uh, i mean today My buddy brought the rifle over to me last week in Williams so I could play with it and see what all else I need done to it. I stopped on my way back to camp to shoot it and without it even being sighted in I used the turrets to "walk" the bullets in to about a 5" group at 600yrds!!!! The gun is going back to Cali this weekend to get finished and there is still some fine tuning on the load to be done. A muzzle break will be added next week and eventually spiral fluting and skeletonizing on the bolt, straight fluting on the barrel, and finally either black or tan cera-kote on all the metal! The gun started as a 300 Win. Mag. Remington 700 that my brother had that I stole and sent to my friend in CA. I then ordered the Lazzeroni Thumbhole stock from McMillan and my buddy ordered the barrel from Hart. I recently purchased the VXIII 6.5-20x50 Leupold Long Range Target Model scope with the fine duplex reticle and shipped it off to him. My buddy has been a custom rifle builder for many years so I know he know's what he's doing and he told me all the different things he did to the action, rings and barrel but i can't remember, I just know there's a lot more to gun building than I ever imagined! 6 months have gone by and all the peices have finally arrived and put together. I can't wait to get it back and get shootin'! JIM> OH........AND HERE'S THE BEST PART!!!!

That rest from Jim White is cool and would be easier! I have tried Stoney Points Doug and you are correct, they are not strong enough to hold the gun steady! They are not near as sturdy as the custom sticks I use. My buddy built these sticks for the sole purpose of using on the rear of the gun, they have absolutely no wobble or bend like the Stoney Points do and that makes a huge difference! Thanks JIM>

Hey all, I just found out that it was a mistake for me to pick this day as the day for me to run home for the night! My brother and the hunter just put down the bull we've been waiting for and he's a freakin' monster! To give you an idea of what he is.......We have passed up two 400" inch bulls in the last two days on video, holding out for this pig! Preliminary measurement is roughly pushin' 430" ..........TYPICAL!!!!!! I'm headin' back up there right now, lots of pic's to follow...... I wanted all you CWT.comers to hear first!!!!! Take care, JIM> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Several Days Later Alright, sorry again for the delay, we had a bunch of chores left to do before coming home today This is the 2007-08 Big Game Super Raffle Tag and the lucky winner was Clark Guy from CA. Clark had made several trips last year and hunted hard but was holding out for a true monster of a bull! Clark's good friend Tim Pender accompanied him on those hunts last year and they passed up some incredible bulls........ including Wrongway at less than 100 yards!!!! Clark later saw that we took Wrongway and contacted my brother Matt to talk about the bull. The friendship started that day and we invited him to tag along with us as we scouted for our 2008 archery hunts and hopefully we could find that special bull he was looking for before his hunt ended. With months of scouting and thousands of dollars spent on fuel and food, we finally felt a few of the bulls were worthy of Clark's tag and they were finishing out their growth so the hunt was on! Clark invited his friend Tim along to help out and we had Pops and several of our close friends along as well. Pops and a good friend Gary relocated the biggest bull and we hunted him everyday and passed up some incredible bulls in the process.....two of which were 400" class bulls! Clark had his mind made up that he wanted to see our biggest bull in person before he shot a different bull, and with the video camera rolling he actually passed up the bull you just saw in the kill photos! After he passed up that bull I knew this guy had nerves of steel and this hunt could last longer than I thought, so I took my dogs home that evening and planned on returning before the morning hunt.......as you guys now know that was a mistake! That evening, Clark, Tim, and Matt went to the same spot where Clark passed up his bull and that same bull came back out, but he had a buddy.......it was our big bull! Clark had two 420+ bulls standing broadside and decided which one he liked better and took him.....our biggest bull walked off unscathed!!! Clark really liked the huge fronts and mass on this bull and decided he was the one worthy of his tag! The hunt was a blast and was a dream hunt by any standard and we were very excited that Clark would let us help him and share in the experience! We appreciated all the help we got from our friends and family and especially to those who donated their time and money to help scout or be on the hunt! I think it's awesome that Clark's tag is wrapped around such a great bull, there was a lot of money raised for wildlife through the raffle of that tag and it's only fitting that Clark was able to make the very most of his year-long tag and still end up with a bull of a lifetime!

Dangit.......I'm cussin' this stoopid carp tag in my pocket right now I can't beleive the bucks harvested today, the best part is it's CWT.com members layin' the smack down on em'!!! FANTASTIC BUCK!!!! TOTAL DREAM BUCK RIGHT THERE!!!! CONGRATS! JIM>