DotShot

Well here i am again soliciting help in regard to hunting. I have a nephew comming in from Texas this weekend and would love to tke him out and try to kill a lion. Any suggestions as to where ( in the Tucson area ) units 32,33,37B, or 36C. And as always, any help would be greatly appreciated. ( To be honest this is a perfect reason to take the new Rem 700 XCR 300 WSM out and lay the smack down on a cat )

Well no luck on the lion hunt but we did manage to see 3 coues bucks that were VERY nice and even found a shed from last year in the area we saw the 3 bucks. But, the most exciting part of the hunt was as a waterhole we decided to check before departing the area for home. We pulled upi nice and slow on the outside of the watehole dam and noticed a group of approximately 10-15 mulies making their way to the water. Me and my nephew decided to walk the perimeter of the tank to check for sign, as we cam around the back side my nephew froze and got my attention at which point approximately 20-25 UDA's busted outa the brush surrounding the tank and headed deeper into the thicket. Just as i thought they had all dispersed we started walking and jumped another group of 10-15 UDA's outa another thicket not 100 yards from the frist group! even had one of the females in the group who got caught up in a fence trying to get outa dodge just free herself and get on her knees with her hands behind her head, i just motioned for her to depart and go find her compadres. So prior to heading out i GPS'd the location and stopped a Border patrol agent at the store there at junction 286 and gave him to coordinates. What would you guys have done?

This is my oldest sons first deer of any sort. It was killed on the family ranch year before last and we just got it from the taxidermist today. I have hunted the same ranch for 17 years and have never got a shot at a buck like this and he was in the blind no more than 5 minutes, i didnt even have time to set up the video cam! Anyhow hope you all enjoy it as much as i am!

There is more to the story than i had originally intended to state. The ranch that this deer was killed on is owned by my wifes sister and her husband. Cody ( my son who shot the deer) had always been his aunts favorite, she was diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2004 and had struggled in her battle but was still with us when we went down to the ranch to spend what would end up being our last Christmas with her. That deer was destined to be killed by my son while his Aunt was still alive so that she could share in his accomplishment. The last picture that was taken of my son and his aunt was taken by the local newspapers outdoor editor for entry into the big buck contest. Sadly my Sister in Law passed away in May of 2005 4 days after her 47th birthday. I for one do not beleive in coincidence so as i stated previosuly, that deer was destined to taken by my son and not only will I remember his accomplishment, but he will look at that mount and remember his aunt. So instead of ruining him, i think its a blessing.

Maybe I am missing something here, how have I ruined him? This was not a paid hunt on a big game ranch. This deer was killed off an open range, family ranch, one that i have hunted for 17 years. It is not managed for deer we just plant some food plots to help them out. I personally had never even got a shot at a buck like that in all the years i have hunted the ranch. It was his day plain and simple....

Well all we officially got here in Tucson was 2/10 of an inch. I guess its better than nothing.....

He was killed in Texas approx 45 miles south of San Antonio

Well i'm glad someones getting some precip, cause where i am in NW Tucson we havent got anything to get overly excited about, i hope its not one of those storms that promised alot and gives nothing

Well, the new rifle is all sighted in, i put 16 rds downrange today and am very satisfied with how i'm hitting and to be honest the 300 WSM does not kick near as much as I expected. Also, looks like we will be hitting 36C in search for lions on Tuesday, i think this weekend will be a bust due to the weather and that i can handle as we desperately need the rain.

Retract that last bit of ignorance on my part, all i had to do was zoom in just a tad bit more and i would have seen the Coyote Mountains... Thanks again!

Ernesto, I cant find anything in regards to the Coyote Wilderness Mountains on my topo program, any specific peaks or named mountains that would give me a good reference point?

Leave it to a Marine to jump the gun, and I only say that cause i'm an Army Dog

Hmmm, is it just my eyesight? or does someone need to fix the date stamp on their digital camera?

ANybody have any advice on where to find these critters in 36C? My son has his first pig hunt this comming Friday and I am not framiliar enough with the area to know where to find them. I hunted the area for archery deer in Jan but concentrated my efforts in the Browns Canyon/Mildred peak area but saw not a single pig. Any tips woould be greatly appreciated

Doug, The Ranch is located near Christine Texas in Atascossa Country, or simplified, about 45 miles south of San Antonio. I try to get down there several times a year as the hunting is just awesome - feral hogs, turkey, deer, quail, predators galore and a stock tank that was stocked with bass years ago and rarely gets fished, a true sportmans paradise.

Well here is my sons first pig, not the largest critter in the world but you would think it was a record book pig the way my son talks about it. I can tell you this about him, when it comes to hunting he has the blessing of the hunting gods. His first turkey hunt was successful, his first deer hunt (2004 south Texas on the family ranch) he killed a 145" whitetail and the very next day killed a 300lb feral hog this year on the family ranch in Texas he shot 2 120 class whitetails and i didnt even see one worth shooting! anyhow I hope the pic turns out ok and once again thanks so much for the help.

Well, thanks to those who suggested hunting by the Elk Horn Ranch. My son and i headed out on Friday morning and after an hour drive, and a 30 minute hike we set up to glass a bowl and within 5 minutes of getting set up to glass my son had spotted a lone pig about 150 yards below us, i asked if he was cofortable with that distance and he pulled the trigger the pig dropped in its tracks, it was simply amazing. I will try and get a picture posted later so y'all can see my sons ear to ear grin, and THAT is what its all about in my book.

I too have always used Barnes bullets and I have not a single complaint. I've shot feral hogs, Eastern Whitetail, Mule deer, javelina and Elk with them and they have performed as advertised in my 30-06. I recently purchased a Remington 700 XCR in 300 WSM and will also shoot barnes bullets until they give me a reason to switch.

THe only reason this picture even interests me is because while i was down in south Texas deer hunting on the family ranch this Dec/Jan we stopped at a convenience store off of Highway 281 between San Antonio and Corpus Christi and on the bulletin board was this exact picture but in black and white on regular copier paper. Now, having said that, each year down in that part of Texas they have a big buck contest and everyone (and i do mean everyone) enters big, little, indifferent and i never once saw this buck entered nor did i hear anyone talking about this deer and usually when a huge buck is killed in texas word is everywhere (i.e the Bullis buck of 2004). If you havent read of the Bullis Buck do yourself a favor and look it up its worth looking at and the story is amazing and sad at the same time. Now back to this particular deer it very well may be legit but I for one am going to have to be a doubting Thomas......

Well, when i hunted the ranch last year (chuckle) i shot one that looked way similar, but without the drops..... Cmon peeps, photoshop is a wonderful tool and can give anyone the trophy of a lifetime! btw.. it took me about 5 minutes to remove the 2 drops and the shadows, someone with patience could do alot better in more time....

First off this is my first post in any of the forum areas as i have just registered as a user on the site, having stated that i would also like to ask for any suggestions in the 36C area as i am heading down there this weekend for 4 days in hopes of at least getting the chance to unflung some carbon at one of the Grey Ghosts. I was down there on the 23rd of December and was fortunate enough score a small 3x2 Mulie (mind you, that was my first ever archery hunt). I really would like to get a shot at a coues but realize it is a difficult task especially with a bow, so, if anyone has any tips or suggestion i would greatly appreciate any help i could get