ready2hunt

My father/grandfather taught me to hunt and his father before him. I appreciate the fact that they emphasized that the expereience is the trophy you take away from each trip....the meat & antlers of the animal is just welcomed bonus. I am slowly getting my wife to enjoy the hunting experience more and more but she is creek/cherokee so her hunting heritage goes much deeper than mine.

Sorry guys I got the itch already....it been a few months now with no hunting. Any account hits for the draw??

That's funny and annoying all at the same time. What did we do before tail cameras!? thanks for posting

That bear is cracking me up! He's pretty photogenic. What is that animal in pic #5?? Looks like you got a great spot!

Looks like a 2 blade rage bounced off him. I guess shot placement isn't everything haha NOPE ya still need to use anything other than a Rage! Had they used the Shwacker the bull would be on a wall right now

Looks like a 2 blade rage bounced off him. I guess shot placement isn't everything haha

Those are great. It looks like the bull in pic # 3 has a scar or cut behind his shoulder....maybe he took a weak arrow last archery season or is it just me?

Hey Everyone, I am relatively new the forum and everyone seems to be quite knowledgeable so pardon my question as I am sure it’s been asked. I drew an early rifle tag for 6A and to celebrate I bought a new Remington 700 BDL (30-06). My only issue is that it does not come with a recoil pad and I cannot simply replace the butt plate. Per Remington- I have to grind down the stock and then install a pad (and possibly grind the pad to fit the shortened stock). My question is…can anyone recommend a good recoil pad and gunsmith to do this? I am located in the East Valley and would rather have a (recommended) expert handle this than make it a DIY disaster. Also, any sage advice regarding unit 6A would be greatly appreciated- haven’t hunted there in years! Thanks in advance for any help.

About 6 years ago I was helping my dad with a cow tag. I left him and went hiking to scout out an area so he could save his energy and knees. Lo' and behold I stumbled upon a decent size herd feeding and milling about. There were only a couple of bulls and one decent size 6 pt. I sat there and watched them for a bit to see if they would move and was trying to figure out how I was going to get my dad up there for a shot at one of the cows. At the time the 6 pt mounts a cow he was trailing and starts going to work makin' elk babies....out of no where I hear the boom from a rifle and see the cow fall to the ground dead, shot right out from under the bull. The bull looked down at her and then appeared as though he was trying to mount her on the ground. When she didn't respond he ran off with the rest of the herd. I looked around to see who would have shot a cow out from under this bull right in the middle of all that. Sure enough there was my dad on the edge of the clearing pulling his tag out of his wallet as though nothing had happpened. I couldn't look at him at church the next day haha....it was a weird death.

Just read the news today and we have a 50% chance of having an "El Nino" year which brings us much more rain!!!! Apparently 2010 & 2011 "La Nina" years. I'll keep my fingers crossed...the state needs it! http://news.yahoo.com/chance-el-ni-o-developing-increases-192935650.html

Word on the street is next week the payments will begin to be processed. Anyone hear or see anything differently?

Thats good advice from elkaddict. From what I have learned in a seminar before is there are 3 phases to the Rocky Mt. Elk rut. The 3rd phase or round of the rut may or may not take place at all depending on the weather therefore its only smart to have a cow call handy. More than anything like was previously mentioned it can just give you that crucial 3 sec window to make a bull freeze and allow you to squeeze off your shot. Its all about practice like BASS is talking about. My family and I have done the Fall turkey hunt every year I can remember (if we were drawn of course) just to be up in the rut. Its all about practice.

A shout out to our Freedom on this day and those who are still fighting to preserve it. May we all be blessed in the defense of freedom and a special thank you and prayers for those who are serving to protect our families. "By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability and expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho' death was levelling my companions on every side." GEORGE WASHINGTON, letter to John A. Washington, Jul. 18, 1755

I hope you get him! Good luck!

That is a pretty cool timeline and pictures. Thanks for sharing. I am hoping to kill a nice Tom one of these years

Hopefully! I keep checking the account every day....I can't help it.

Oh that is going to be a great hunt. PM sent

This type of subject will give you as many responses are there are hunters. I like the hoochie mama call myself as well. If you have an early bow hunt you will likely just a cow call and wont need to bugle that much. If its still pretty warm the bigger bulls are more interested in just gathering and protecting their cows. You tube can give you tons of calls and how to use them as well. what unit were you drawn for? I swear by the primos hyperlip single, its easy to use and just seems to call more in...My father and I go out and call em in during the rut every year in 5A just for the fun of it. Try not to carry the call yourself if you can help it that way the elk will go past you and focus on the caller rather than you therefore giving you an opportunity to shoot. If I was on my own or it was my first time calling I really would grab a primos hyperlip single and use it. Yes it can be cumbersome especially during archery season however the biggest mistake that elk hunters make (again in my opinion) is over calling. In all the years we have been calling them in the biggest trophy bulls have just walked up on us without sounding off....every now and then I see them call but most of the time the just walk up looking for the fight or don't bother altogether. It seems the juveniles are more ready to duel all day long. One turkey hunt we were in hunter orange and called 2 herds within 5 yards of us...they were so close we could smell them and I could have poked about 4 cows with my shotgun haha it was a great time. Just grab a call....practice with how too videos and then mimic what you hear when you are out in the field.

I love seeing nice bulls like that harvested. Congrats!

I would agree that there are many who oppose this on both sides. I hope that this translates into a large voter turnout to oust Obama. This has not only been a waste of 4 years but also we have slid downward on every major front.

Judgement passed haha Welcome aboard....great group of outdoorsman and women here! Looks like you had some pretty memorable hunts. Look forward to seeing picture of more!

awesome...I almost get misty eye'd seein' something so great (just kiddin')

Excellent point of view "SCOUTM" I am glad you shared that with all of us. "DesertBull"- You're correct HOWEVER that is how the justices who upheld it and justified it. The justices who are against it said that for this very reason it is illegal as a whole. Cheif Justice Roberts who switched sides to support the liberals wrote: "If an individual does not maintain health insurance, the only consequence is that he must make an additional payment to the IRS when he pays his taxes," Roberts writes. He adds that this means "the mandate is not a legal command to buy insurance. Rather, it makes going without insurance just another thing the government taxes, like buying gasoline or earning an income." Justice Anthony Kennedy- "usually the court's swing vote, dissented, reading from the bench that he and three conservative justices believe "the entire Act before us is invalid in its entirety." In a 65-page dissent, he and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dismissed Roberts' arguments, writing that there is a "mountain of evidence" that the mandate is not a tax. "To say that the individual mandate merely imposes a tax is not to interpret the statute but to rewrite it," they write. Taken from Yahoo http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/supreme-court-issue-obamacare-decision-135554880.html

Not only can they mandate it but now companies who have 50+ employee's can face a fine if they don't offer health care options????????? This will start to curb our successful capitalism model....all small businesses will just hire 49 to avoid the law....many wont be able to afford the jump in the cost to grow. Sad day for us....here's hoping congress wont fund it or that it'll get repealed. I have a feeling our forefathers would be shaking their heads in disappointment that the people have become so dependent on the government.

+1 Well said and great story!