Coues 'n' Sheep

Lousy, I think I understand what you are asking...... I think it really depends on many factors: Laws, time, ability, knowledge, confidence, as well as circumstance. For example: I have been on guided hunts in Canada and Texas. In Canda I was with two guides whose physical abilities were certainly better than mine, but I felt that my over all knowlege of the animal I was hunting was probably better than that of my guides.... I mean sheep are sheep.... Deserts and Dall all act exactly alike... but the law said I had to have a guide and I was very happy to have those two guys and their knowlege of mountain hunting with me all the time! Besides how many buddies do you have that can afford to "tag along" on a $15K hunt..... like 3,000 miles away from home. In Texas... my guide gave me knowlege and put me in good situations to have opportunity, but the extra efforts that I put forth durring the hunt is what made me have the most success in our group. On the flip side, I have gone on DIY hunts in AK with moderate success and alot of hard/expensive lessons.... A guide would have increased our success on the first trip by a 1000%... but we were too cheap to spend the extra $$$$..... The second trip we made better choices and had a lot more knowledge which created success in our DIY hunt.... Also, having been paid to hunt with people (residents and non-residents), I can assure you that having a guide does not insure success... it insures a quallity hunt with "Better" odds of success. I don't care how good of a hunter you are if you pair yourself with an equal (or better) hunter you are doubleing your chances of success for many reasons. I personally only like to guide in units where I have knowlege of the unit or have excellent resources of knowlege available to me..... knowing where you are and how to hunt it = success. Example: In the late elk hunt I hunted with a young man (20 yrs. old) that had never hunted elk for himself and had very limited knowlege of the unit. Where I found and ultimately helped him take a Thumper bull was in a place he would have never dreamed of hunting.... and never would have known how to get it done. I opened doors and opened his eyes all at once.... giving him the hunting trip of his life. He experienced things that he had maybe only read about hunting.... but never dreamed he could or would personally do. Being a Guide is in an opportunity business... meaning we are there to provide opportunity (not success). Success means many differnt things to many different people. I have hunted with some very good hunters that in their own element might be able to guide me to an opportunity, but while in my element their success was directly connected to my knowledge. That goes for some of my Resident hunters as well as non-resident. On a separate line of thought......often times I find that many hunters know that on a rare AZ hunting opportunity (Lotto Tag), they can make better use of their limited time away from work/family commitments as well as limited scouting $$$$, by paying someone else to do the (often) frustrating pre-hunt work. Making them very relaxed on the hunt, and therefore making the hunting experience much more enjoyable for them. Hope that sums it up a bit... I could ramble on and on, but my fingers are already wore out.....

Way to go Arthur!!! You got him!!!! I know how much effort you put into that hunt, you deserved that bad boy!!!! sorry I didn't call you back..... I was elk hunting, for almost a month. Lost your number, so call me when you have a chance! Gino

I'm with you Matt!!!! Truely.... I love every aspect of the hunt right down to good meat and trophy care.... quartering, hanging, boning out, caping the head, capping the skull, and even the pack out! The memories are what it is all about!! Knowing that all your hard work, time, effort,skill, and equipment worked! To me, a perfect hunt is: days and days of scouting (pre-hunt), planning how to out-smart the Monster (you hopefully found in your scouting), and Ground Checking him!!! Then the pictures and getting him out!!! What a day... what a hunt!!!! Oh yeah.... and size does matter!!!

Congrats Jeremy... Heath kept me up to date on the your hunt, you guys had quite the adventure!!! Sure am glad you both got bulls!! Congrats!!!

Way to go, Kevin!!! Helluva Buck!!! A big congrats to Brad and RSO as well!

Whooo Hoooo!!! Way to go Kalyn! Nicely done Seth, you are a great Dad!!

Outstanding bull!! Love those beams!!! Congrats!!!!

Well the stage was set when the draw results came out…. Two of the boys in our family drew early junior’s tags, my nephew (Clayton) and his cousin (Cory). We were excited that the boys would have first whack at any buck in the unit. As the hunt drew near it was planned out for the whole family to go to my little cabin and hunt from there as we would be centrally located in the unit. With much anticipation the scouting began…. Short on time, my Bro-in-Law (Larry) and I were very busy and enlisted my son (Colton) to handle some of the scouting duties for the hunt. As the hunt grew near the deer seemed to be harder to come by than normal and we were nervous and hopping for a break in our luck! The night before the hunt, our two hunters (Clayton & Cory) arrived at “camp” with Cory’s Dad (Dallas) and all our cards were on the table. Colton had videoed a nice 4x3 that day in a spot that Larry considered to be his “Back up/for-sure deer spot” and it was agreed that Clayton would have first shot on this buck in the morning. Opening morning as the six of us were pulling our packs on and starting to walk, there is a “Boom” a half mile away on down the road…. Colton throws up his Swaro’s and says, “There are the hunters… and the Bucks are running right at us!!” The other hunters are chasing the bucks around in the cedars and here they come…. At this point I am scared we are going to get shot at!! I grab Clayton and move to get in position so that as the deer go past us we can possibly get a safe shot…. the bucks had other plans, as they race past at a mere 60 yds with no shot! We then run down the ridge to try for a shot on the other side…. I finally find the bucks at 385 yds and still moving away… it is the buck from the video and no shot. We regroup and set down to try and relocate the bucks or maybe some others that should be in the canyon. Within an hour we had 10 other deer including 2 spikes and then our boys showed themselves at 580+ yds…. with almost no chance of a shot or a stalk. Time to wait…. By 2:00 pm we had found and lost the bucks several times, Larry and Colton had exhausted every angle to look in on those bucks, and then…. the bucks just up and moved back into a spot where we could hunt them. We had set Clayton up a couple of times to try to get a shot, but the bigger buck just never gave him the time he needed to get off the perfect shot. At 3:15 he was sitting behind my 300 Weatherby looking through the scope at just the head and horns of “his buck” at a distance of 350 yards, waiting for him to stand….. and then he did. “Whenever you’re sure, Clayton”…. BOOM! “He’s Down!” The gang roars!!!! Patience and persistence got it done for Clayton on his first deer!! Way to go, Bud!!! Congrats!! You earned him!! Day two dawned with fuzzy/ hung-over eyes, lightening in the sky to the South, and a brutal wind! We had big plans to make a long ride into a piece of country that would have no hunting pressure, but with the look of rain, and the terrible wind we opted to just take the trucks to a couple of easy, “kid spots” and hope we got Lucky….. We all got out of the trucks at our prospective glassing points with a tinge of disgust as the winds gusted over 30 mph. After hours of glassing the same barren hillsides, a lone buck literally stood up in the middle of a pair of Swaro’s as a piggy passed by his perfect hiding spot on a very windy knob. No one would have expected to see a buck in that spot on what appeared to be an open, but brushy knob right out in the wind! Not to mention that it was only 440 yards away from the truck!!! The buck stood for a moment and bedded again. An hour or more later found Cory set up behind the rifle patiently waiting with just a bush in the scope, and Dallas right next to him coaching and keeping him focused. The buck, for no apparent reason stands and is immediately moving. He stops in an opening and Cory shoots! “You shot over his back!” his Uncle Larry whispers, and the buck is gone into a thicket. The minutes were like hours…. the buck did not leave the thicket, and then a break! With an amazing spot an ear and a horn of the buck is located in the back of a very small hole/shadow in the wall of brush, after staring at the hole/shadow long enough it is determined that the “shadow” is the buck’s bedded body!!! The only place that the buck could be seen in his bed was at a distance of 375 yards…. and so Cory was set up in a comfortable and stable situation to take the shot at the non-moving buck. When he was 100% sure that he had acquired the proper spot in which to shoot at, he squeezed the trigger on the Weatherby…… The buck was gone at the shot, as if stung and a distinctive “whack” was heard. The escape routes were watched, but no buck emerged from the thicket….. so a plan was made to sneak in there and relocate the buck…..While the spotters wait on the ridge. A short time later, Cory put his hands on his first Mulie buck less than 60 yards from where he had put that shot on the bedded buck! The Paper Punching Berger 168 gr. VLD’s made for a short recovery on the buck. Way to get it done Cory! It was a Pleasure to get to participate in another “Family Hunt” and to see the boys have success in the field. Due to a joint effort of the adults in the Family, Colton with his amazing eyes, Larry and his game plan & “Honey Holes”, and me with my 300 Wby, (which I now plan to call “The Tradition”). Thanks to the boys for making it so fun for us adults…. What a weekend! Here is a pic of me and my new huntin' Pard (Zip)! He got Bloody three times in three days... he is well on his way!!

Well... earlier this week my Bro-in-Law, Larry, took his hunting buddy out to a "honey hole" and a Dandy Carp deer hit the dirt! The largest buck his buddy had ever killed! As you all know, the further into a hunt you go, the less number of "honey holes" there are left for you to hunt.... With conflicting work schedules and other obligations, Larry knew that the only other day he would have to hunt was the last day (today).... no preasure. I had told Larry earlier in the week that I would go on last day and he accepted the help, he also called his Bro (Dallas) in Phoenix.... and of course he was in, too! As 4:45 am this morning roled around all our trucks parked together on the side of the highway at our usual meeting point. As I loaded my gear in Larry's truck I asked, " You want me to throw in 'The Tradition' for today, just incase?" "You bet!" was his response, and it was on!! We had no real game plan on where to hunt, but we headed out down the highway... We needed a for-sure spot. Today was meat day and Larry was willing to settle for a 3x or better buck. Our Goal: "Lets get Bloody!" Larry said, "Lets go to point "A" and start there..." I said, "Heck yeah! There is always deer in there!" At grey light we were pirched on a ridge looking for deer. Larry finished his sweep of the near ridge first and then began looking at the further ridges behind us. Just minutes later he says, " I gotta deer." It was a skin head.... but now we were all lookin at the far ridge and in a matter of minutes I spotted a buck feeding up a cut going away from us. "He's atleast a 3x4, Larry," I say.... and we were off to the races! The buck was far enough away that we went for the truck and drove closer and to a better stalking location. As we jumped out of the truck I asked Larry if he was gunna pack his rifle or 'The Tradition'... I twisted his arm and as we headed over the hill he was packin' my 300 wby. When we found our buck again he had turned into two bucks... choices! They were at 400 yds and we were as close as cover would really let us go over the ridge. Moments later Larry is standing behind the double tri-pods with the scope set @ 400, asking, "Which one?" I respond "Take the darker one on the right." BOOM! " You got him! Get him again," I say. And Dallas says, " God! Look at all the blood! He's going Down!" One shot- one kill! Larry got it done on the last morning! His buck is a 4x4, but also has a double eye guard that splits on his right side.... Bonus! Another Great family outing for us Brothers! Then it was Biscuits & Gravy and Bloody Mary's by 10:30! What a morning, first or last day!!! Congrats, Larry... you da man!! As always.... A pleasure to be huntin' with you and Dallas!!

Congrats to both of you!

Wow! Oustanding bucks!! Congrats!

Congrats! Good lookin' bear! Was it a boar?

If you are into Berger 168 gr. VLD's or Balistic tip 150 gr. bullets for that 300 WBY, extreme coues or I can thow you a bone.... when you are ready. GH had great advice for you above... Mike, I need those books! extreme coues is my reloading partner and he is dang good at it, so I have cheated the whole reading thing.... but need to still get that done one of these days.... Best of luck!

Congrats on a Fantastic bull!! That is a Dandy bull from the "Hood"!! Hey ElkAddict.... Are you that guy that had the 2007 Super Raffle Bear Tag?

Great bucks and a great hunt... Congrats!

Um.. I think it is 45... ... Casey!

Coues7, If you don't mind carring a stonypoint tripod as well as your glassing tripod, this set up will be as solid as a shooting bench. Just lay the pistol grip down flat and us the polecat under the gun butt.... rock solid! Good luck!

Amazing Deer!

Great buck. Congrats!!

Have a good one!

+1!!!! Ya know.... I been thinkin' about this thread a bit, and the Carl painted a picture in that 1st post.... I guess he could have called me by name.... ... but, I am glad he didn't! Here is how I fit: I am 33 yrs old.... almost middle aged and.... Here is one of my tats.... Here is my Nut-Giggler, with custom break..... Difference is that My nut-giggler has helped 6 AZ public land critters hit the dirt in the last 11 months... 5 of which were for kids aged 11-17!!! Not to mention the previous half dozen kills it has.... But, I could easily be the guy you outlined in this post..... Thanks for the gut check, Carl.... I don't want to be exactly like those guys.... Ever!!! We have all seen them.... I think we call them Posers!!! They are the guys that spray the hills with lead when hunting, because hunting and shooting off a bench are two very different things!

Congrats on lyour success! Welcome aboard!

No doubt!!! Congrats!! What a great day and another great chapter in, what appears to be a long and illustrious hunting career! You are an inspiration..... Thanks for sharing!

Congrats Kayln! Congrats to you as well Seth! She is a chip off the ol' block!!! That is a Fantastic first deer!! Again, Congrats, what a special time for you both!

Dang! That is getting it done, right there!! Congrats!!