couesmagnet

I think everyone on here strongly agrees with poaching being a very bad thing. I think everyone on here agrees that what happened wasn't right and definitely was in very poor judgement. I want to make it clear that I don' know one game and fish officer personally and never have in my 30 years of hunting. I rarely run into the g and f in the field and besides the strip and the kaibab, I might not see an officer for years at a time. That being said the ones I have met ,especially luke thompson up on the strip, have always been very nice to me, to the point of helping me search for a wounded deer in the strip. In this instance and only because they were g and f at the scene, and only because they called it in to their supervisors, I don't look at this as being poaching in any way. If this is poaching then what about when the highway patrol issues roadside tags to people who hit animals on the highway, and in some instances even dispatching the wounded animal on the side of the highway with a service revolver or better yet a civilians weapon who pulled over to assist. This has happened many times in our state ,year after year. This should be considered poaching in many peoples eyes, but not mine. Usually but not in all instances the officer calls the situation into their supervisors and what happened to these g and f guys, happens right there on the side of the highway. How are you poaching if you tell the proper agency in charge, and they give you permission to so? I'm against poaching at any level without a doubt, but this wasn't poaching. dave melde

I agree ThomC, Jcubed, and deserttacoma, enough gets to be enough at a certain point. I can only hope that everyone else on here is as perfect as they make themselves out to be at ALL times. Mistakes were made indeed, but those mistakes were granted to be made in this situation by their superiors. I hope "other" people on here never make their supposed first mistake in life, and have to hear the rumblings of the lynch mob coming for them with a rope. It's called being human!!! I bet the officers involved have a new appreciation for the concept of "being human" though. Dave Melde

Well said bonecollector, and i agree with you, but it's sad when a judgement call can't be made within the same agency used to enforce the law, especially when everything is put out into the light and up front. The intended use of all these laws is to stop poaching, it's just sad that judgement calls can't be made within a certain law while still maintaining the "spirit" of that same law.

I agree with all you guys it was wrong, and that's a fact. It's just that all these laws that have been created to stem poaching where created to do just that, stem poaching. From not being able to tag an animal you wounded after the season even if it's only a day after to several others, it's frustrating indeed. All i'm saying is that the whole deal revolves around retrieving a wounded animal, and i'm all for an individual retrieving a mortally wounded animal and it not going to waste or worse yet never found and another animal on top of the one lost being harvested. In this case cause they were honest about what had happened and because they told several of their supervisors of the situation, i'm personally ok with what happened. By the way you can read my initial response to this whole thing on rutnhard, where it too jumped in with my negativity. This one's just hard to swallow because the one's that did it are the one's handing out citations for the same thing. Again, at least it was done in the light, and permission was granted to do so, i just wish i had a person to call to give me authorization to do the same but i don't. Oh well!!!

At least wagner or the others weren't trying to be sneeky about it. It seems they told enough people in the g and f about it as it was going on. I'm not saying i agree with any of it, but at least it was done in a forthcoming way. I'm glad for the elk, at least he didn't have to suffer another minute. The game and fish should be able to make certain judgement calls within their ranks. They can't allow us as the public to make those judgement calls, cause it opens up to many loop holds for poachers. I'm not trying to defend or justify what took place, but i'm ok with the game and fish making a judgement call like this one seeing that they (the game and fish) had one of their own there at the scene. When i first read the news i too became bitter about the whole deal, but that's only because i wish i had the same lee way to make the same judgement call. Sounds like wagner did what we all wish we could do if the same situation came up.

Found that one 4 years ago also. Lots of people know about that one. That tank is dry more often than not. Try looking due west of that one a couple of miles under the wilderness area for bears. Far more over there. Good luck anyways

I wouldnt change a thing with our bonus point system. While some with tons of points get their expected tags after reaching the needed points to draw, others can still draw without the needed points. I've had 4 elk tags, including unit 9 since 2008, and i never had max points for any of them. That's why i love our draw system. If your lucky, you can draw a tag every year. It's only the unlucky ones that are unhappy with the system, but what the unlucky one's need to realize that they could draw unit 9 the next 3 years in a row. As for non residents, well they are just hosed right out of the gate unless they have tons of points.

My brother drew 23 north archery, and my little brother drew 23 south archery.

One of my brothers drew 23 south archery elk and the other drew 23 north archery elk. As for me i drew a limited opp. archery bull tag. Good luck to all in the field.

Like jim said you get what you pay for. I would go with jim mullins for sure if he's willing to fit you guys in for that price. Jim is one of the best elk guides in the state, and a heck of a nice guy. Just my 2 cents.

We got another hit last night under pending charges, and we have been checking the card since tues. A couple early archery tags with a sprinkling of 1 or 2 early rifle tags. Good luck to all this year in the draw and in the field.

Our whole family gets put in on a B of A credit card every year with more than 12 apps for 6 people. We drew last year and again this year. Never had them reject any of the the tags we draw or cancel for multiple of the same charges. Sorry to hear your bad news though.

Sounds like fun. It must have felt like such an accomplishment after all you put into your hunt.

Damm right your dad hammered a good one. Awesome buck jim. Being with my father is always the best, and its always the highlight of my season. It just seems like an honor every time i'm with him in the field.

Nice job, congrats.

It was all the new people applying for unit 1 and 27. Lol

What a cool buck and story.

Awesome job guys. What a brute!!!

Jay he looks a little bigger than 114 to me. Some of those deer that you have video of look like young deer with some really good genes. It should be fun next year seeing what they turn into. Huge congrats to you and darr and the crew for doing such a fine job down there. It doesnt get much better than that!!!! Wow.

Holy smokes, what the heck is going on down there. Another dandy buck. Hats off to the crew and the hunters. What does that buck score jay? i know your tape hit his horns within an hour. Heck of a job on the other bucks also!!!

What an awesome buck. First 2 solid bucks in az and then that beast. Congrats to all.

Another dandy buck for sure. I dont know whats worse for the coues deer, lions or jay and darr. Both were born with the killing instinct and both are hard on the coues deer.

What does that dandy buck score? Looks like maybe a 100, but night photos are hard to figure out sometimes. Congrats to the crew and hunter for tagging a nice one.

JLW, we need to talk, i would like to meet you. We have those bucks on trail camera also, including that other bunch of bucks that you posted earlier. Our pics are only 15 minutes apart and on the same day!!! Maybe we could share lunch some day the walk shouldnt be to far for either of us if we meet in the middle. Looking forward to january for sure!! Back to the 3 smaller bucks way earlier in your post, there was also a 108-110 3 point buck that was hanging around with that group of bucks off and on. Was he with those bucks on your cam ever??

No big deal dude , i would have asked myself. Keep the videos coming jay.