Coues 'n' Sheep

Amanda, I can honestly tell you that CHEAP is better!!! I have spent up to $200+ on one radio and found that it worked no better than the cheapo's.... The best radio I have found lately and is the only one I personally will buy is the 5w Midland radios that you can get at SW, Cabelas, and probably BP..... I was in Saint George, UT.... and were short a radio.... I went to the SW up there and walked out the door with 2 radios, and 2 good earbuds for like $70! They work as good as any other radio I have had.... And then when someone loses one for you..... and they will.... you are not out a couple Benjamin's to replace it!! My last expensive radio is laying under a lot of snow right now.... lost last fall by one of my packers while packing out a bull.... I make sure everyone has a radio for the pack out incase we separate... if some gets hurt or lost that radio is a lifeline if you don't have cell service!

I've got the gear to do some back pack hunting, but just don't seem to get much opportunity to do it. I bought most of my stuff over the years preparing for hunts in Canada and Alaska.... I find that I do a lot more spike camping from my quad or ranger and light weight isn't that important... but if you plan to pack an elk out too, then compact is important. Here are a few things that I like to have in my Ranger, just in case and it is also how I pack for an overnight trip.... Here are my two Cabela's dry-bags and my J-107..... with my hunting gear in the J-107 i can live for days on just what is in thes bags.... if I have water... The contents of the blue bag..... My food stuff, coffee, stove, and utensils/etc. The contents of the green bag..... this bag is not my "best bag"... I save that one for when I need to conserve weight and bulk. And a good Therma Rest pad.... I prefir the full length models. I have a large "Bills" bag... it is a river rafter gear bag that has backpack straps on it.... No worries about keeping your gear dry and I can get every ounce of gear that I need for days in that one bag for "spike camp" hunting trips from the quad or ranger.... and we always use tarps vs. tents.... again for the bulk factor.... however I would like to find a good bivy or backpacker tent, one of these days.....

Truer words were never spoken! I learned than on an over night trip a big Carnitas or Carne Asada Burro from Alfonso's Mexican Food Restaurant (or equivalent)... wrapped in foil is AWESOME when reheated on the hot rocks of a camp fire! Better than out of a can food, freeze dried, or having to haull meal fixin's with you.

Dang, Blake.... lots of action!! Sounds like you are as bad at hitting coyotes as I am! Way to put a dent in those fawn killers!

Well said, Randy! I always thought a Big female was 80-90, in AZ.... Ya'll got big ol' tom for sure!!! You guys have sure found some Great cats in the snow this year!!! Congrats!!!! I Love hearing about a good plan coming together! Thanks for posting up the story and all the pics.... Just Awesome!

Beautiful Bird! I'd have had it mounted as well!

Why do the don't the Dems. just come right out and say it.... instead they really try to play it off as a stimulating bill! The amounts of money they are talking about these days between the "Bail Outs' and stimulous is going to take generations to pay back!!! There is only, like 3.5 trillion dollars in the Entire U.S. economy.... With this bill (and the previous two) we have created a Deficit Liability that is equal to our Nation's net worth!!!! Why is it that our Government is the most poorly run business in the U.S.???? There are only 300,000 million U.S. citizens...... 900 billion would go a long ways in our economy, if given dirctly to the people, in some way shape or form. If they took all the money... the Bank bailout, the Union (auto) bailout, and this spending bill.... that could really help folks stay in their homes, buy things they need, or even buy things they want.... and the Gov. would be collecting tax on every dollar! Instead they vote to just "give" the money to things that will Never benifit us or our struggleing community's. WE reall need to stop the Bleeding!! I, for one, think that targeting people who own there own home as the first stop for this Bailout money, and then Small business ( Truely small bussinesses, under 1.5 million gross), and allow the money to truely "trickle down" and saturate our economy. If the Gov. does not wise up we are going all the way to the bottom.... a complete melt down....IMO. Very Sad....

I figured this is a pretty good and anonymous way to make a cross section our group of junkies and the choices we may or may not have made.

Why is it so hard for people to understand that the draw is nothing more than the LOTTERY? Their are people who have never bought a lottery ticket in their life that may have gotten one for Christmas and won a million dollars. And there are those that may spend $1.00 $20.00 $100.00 a week and never won anything. The bonus point system is just buying you another lottery ticket. That simple. If you have good or bad luck, that is what it boils down to Sorry, Bud...... You did kinda throw ol' JLG under the bus by quoting him.... and your rant was pretty unwarented.... No one was debating the BP system.... as a modified BP system it Does have flaws.... that we all know. This was simply about three things.... Tags vs. BP's vs. Economy..... Lets get back to the the regularly scheduled poll.....

Baiting is still legal right? Touche, Mr. Wulkotte. Good point. Ya but who wants to attract a smelly, dread lock wearin', no shavin', naturalist hippy into camp!!! :rolleyes: If am gunna attract something I want to bust out with a can Axe spray and get it all over me and my camp!!! You see those commercials??? That is the kinda critters I want to attract to my camp!!!!!! Tyson, you can keep your Soy-Chilie Burros!!!! I want MEAT!!!!

LMAO!!! I was thinkin the same thing.... ... well... .... almost the same thing!!!!

Best of luck on a hunt of a lifetime!!! Get a Big Ol' Tusker!! ... And a Big Ol' Dugga Boy!! And for the record... I am Jealous! If I had your Money..... .... I'd burn mine! Best of Luck and Safe Travels!!!

Thanks! You are Right that is a Wasp Nest. I still enjoy looking at the Pics of your Buck and Mount! You are Right Chris work is artwork at its best. Thanks Dan . I think Chris is putting wasp nest's on all his mounts now. Mine has one, so does yours, and so does a buddy's sheep he did recently. Kind of a signature, or 'Where's Waldo' type thing. Pretty smart idea actually. Well, I guess I better load my sheep mounts up and take them back... I want one too!!! Sorry... I'm bored! Gino, I dont think you need to do anything with those Sheep Mounts. They are Perfect like they are. You can see Chris love for Bighorn Sheep in his Sheep Mounts! Amen to that!! I marvel at them every day! Chris is not only my friend, but also the only person I would allow to do the Artistry on my sheep! Nuff about that!! CONGRATS AGAIN, DAN ON A BUCK OF A LIFE TIME AND A TRUE NO BRAINER FOR SURE.... AS WELL AS A ONE OF A KIND MOUNT!!

Thanks! You are Right that is a Wasp Nest. I still enjoy looking at the Pics of your Buck and Mount! You are Right Chris work is artwork at its best. Thanks Dan . I think Chris is putting wasp nest's on all his mounts now. Mine has one, so does yours, and so does a buddy's sheep he did recently. Kind of a signature, or 'Where's Waldo' type thing. Pretty smart idea actually. Well, I guess I better load my sheep mounts up and take them back... I want one too!!! Sorry... I'm bored!

+1!!!

I want to put an arrow in it!!! That is pertty neat... where is it??? Oh.... I mean what unit??? Where are my manners?????? Never mind... I'll find it one of these days on my own!

Thanks, Mike! I think that the pole numbers show pretty high numbers considering just that. If the hunting Junkies have to make changes/choices, just imagine what the recreational hunter are doing with their apps..... I know several families that did exactly what Jason (AZOnecam) did. Heck, Colton (my Son) had to make a choice... he put in for elk and only BP for goats.... That is 30% less Antelope apps in my house... and it looks like even among the Junkies there may be 25% less goat apps???? That could make a big difference in draw odds.....

It works exactly the same as bear hunting.... we all get to hunt our favorite unit the opening week... if it gets closed down before we fill our tag, then we just simply pack up and go hunt a different unit... every hunter I know has 2-3 different units that they love to hunt. Bottom line is that we all can hunt anywhere we want the opening week, just like bear, and it is only about 3-4 units state wide that will shut down due to reaching a harvest objective and it probably won't happen in the first week of the hunt. Oh, and it is no easier for a guide to hunt multipe units than a lone hunter.... actually the opposite.

For that unit, yes.... then you can still go hunt any other unit that is open and hunt, just like bear season.

Way to go John!! Brought out the bow for your hunt, eh? Congrats, Bud!

Tim, If more people were to get on the Harvest Objective band wagon, I think it will ressonate with the comissioners....IMO. It is such a logical management tool and does not reduce hunter opportunity!! All hunters need to stick together, or it is a house of cards we are building....

Just don't ask him after 5 pm... geeesh!! He gets really crabby if you get between him and his evening plans!!!

So did you address just this one issue in a letter or did you address several issues at once? Did you send the same letter to all your Reps??

Mark, I responded to that letter with this short note. I thought that her responce was well thought out and not without merrit. I think that she has drawn conclusions but has not made a final call on which direct she will go on this, meaning that we still have an ear to speak to. These commisioners do not respond to angry words, but seem to respond to well thought out responses that get them thinking about the other side of the coin. Here response IMO, leaves the door open to keep after her support.... and that is what I intend to do. Ms. Martin, Thank You for your reply and for your, in my opinion, open minded approach to this issue. Based on your point of view on this subject I would only like to bring a couple of points back to your attention from my original letter. "If the real issue at hand is hunter success in the archery deer hunts, then why not implement harvest objectives similar to the bear seasons. We are half way there with mandatory reporting and we keep one more law off the books" and "There are many young hunters, disabled/disadvantaged hunters, elderly hunters, and woman hunters that will be forced out of bow hunting with the passing of this law. That in itself is a direct hit on the Opportunity objective that the commission has laid out." These points might give one more reason for us to not implement this law or one like it, instead to use alternate methods. As to the CWD issue there are many scientific reasons why the spread of disease is not really as much of danger in our state as it is in other parts of the US. And simply stated any natural water source has a greater chance of spreading disease than an man placed "bait". As a whole I am truly against adding more laws if we can work with those we have in place… Again thank you very much for your time and consideration.

That is some very impressive bone! I am speachless about that hard horned buck... holy eye guards!!! Congrats on lthe bucks!!! The Coues Gods have smiled on you!