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I have a tag for the late hunt and will hunt the 24th - 31st. I plan to hunt around Portal but would welcome any suggestions for areas to concentrate on or tips for success for this time of year. Based on what I have read the rut should be kicking in and bucks should be on the move. Should the end of my hunt be noticeably better than the start in regards to the rut? I appreciate the help MikeTN

Game Planner Maps is excited to provide a preview of its latest map release; Project Red Zone maps. Game Planner Red Zone Maps are built on the same synthetic media as our Custom Maps. Red Zone Maps are designed with the Southern Arizona Coues Deer hunter in mind. These are pre-configured maps and printed one at a time. Red Zone Maps are bundled as a package and include a matching Digital Map and a USGS Topo Digital Map. These bundles provide you with unmatched coverage of your unit. Combined with the Game Planner Map Viewer, Red Zone Maps give you all the tools you need for researching your unit, recording data from in-field scouting, and use while hunting. Digital Maps are downloadable immediately after purchase. Each package includes a printed Red Zone Map, matching Digital Maps, as well as, our popular unit specific USGS Topo Digital Map. Red Zone Maps Feature: 1. Roads and trails. 2. Private Land Boundaries and Public Land Surface Ownership 3. Surface Water, Springs/Seeps, Water Catchments 4. Unit Boundary and Section Grid 5. Terrain Basemap with Vegetation Landcover 6. 100' Contours Digital Maps are compatible with the free Avenza PDF Maps Mobile App. Digital Maps are downloadable items and limited to two downloads per purchase. Downloads must be made within 5 days of purchase. Download maps from your order history immediately after purchase. Click the links to preview the maps. When zooming in it will take a few moments for the maps to digitize to full resolution. 36C Front 36C Back 36A Front 36A Back 36B, 34A and 35B to follow. Other units coming soon! Don't forget to check out the Game Planner Free Map Viewer by registering here. Be sure to check your email inbox/spam folder for your confirmation email. Then just login to your acct and research hunting areas and print maps for free. Once your registered you can also take advantage of the Free Google Earth Downloads we supply. You also download your digital maps from this page. Follow the link to the downloads http://www.gameplannermaps.com/index.php/download Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Ed ed@gameplannermaps.com (480) 620-3309 www.GAMEPLANNERMAPS.com https://www.facebook.com/gameplannermaps/

Embarrassed to post, but hoping some good samaritan found my dark blue 2x3 suitcase this past Monday in Unit 29. It fell out of my trailer when the door opened unknowingly while driving in Pinery Canyon near the private prop/National Monument. I can describe all contents. Long-shot but optimistic. Thanks.

I finally got my 2013 Chiricahua Goulds turkey mount done. Sven at Wildlife Wings Design out did himself. I had him mount it in a gobbling from the roost pose, just like it was on opening morning. Hunt story link: http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/40065-my-chiricahua-goulds-turkey-hunt/ I had found a cool juniper branch to mount it on, but it was a little small for this big tom. Sven found an awesome branch for it when he was on his elk hunt last year. I think it turned out excellent!

I had all 3 tags this year, hunted 37B for 3 days archery only, never got within 100 yds of one. The next week, I got my first ever archery kill (javelina) on a trip to Mexico. Then I couldn't go out on the HAM hunt, I stayed home and took care of Julie after her surgery. So I picked up a leftover general season tag in unit 29 and hoped everything went well with Julies recovery. She's been doing good, so off I went down to the Chiricahuas. I've never hunted javelina there, but have taken everything except a mountain lion and a coatamundi. Opening Day I hiked into a canyon 2 miles, on a "tip" from AZGFD. Didn't see any javelina or sign, even found the one water hole in there, but no tracks. Saturday morning I winged it and drove up into another canyon that had an old mine at the end. I glassed for a couple of hours and spotted a herd 600 yds away as the crow flies, across the canyon and 3/4 of the way up the mountain. Climbed up there after planning my route best as I could figure. When I got up there I had lost view of my landmark and wasn't sure if I was on the right ridge. Lucky for me I used some patience, stood still looking and listening. I thought I heard something in the bushes in front of me, where it dropped off a little into a small drainage. Then I saw them, 1 in the bottom of the drainage and 1 right in front of me behind some brush. They were feeding, but I knew there were more, as I saw at least 5 when I first glassed them. I had stepped up on a flat rock on top of the ridge just before I realized they were right there, so I made sure it was big enough for me to get a good stance. I hooked up my release and waited, looking around for the others. I waited 5 minutes or so, then I saw the one in front of me start walking out from behind the brush, so I drew, it stepped into the open and I released my arrow. I hit it a little far back, but it ran in a circle about 30 yards and piled up. Then all the other javelinas ran over to it grunting and woofing frantically, then started coming at me! I picked up a rock, threw it and started yelling and waving my arms. Then they all charged me, woofing, snorting and grunting. I started to panic...I drew my .45 mag, thinking I don't want to shoot any, but I'm not dying over this either! There were a couple of hawgs in that group of 6 or 7, and they're all coming at me! I actually cocked my pistol, and as the biggest one got within 5 feet, I swung my pistol at it and darned near hit him in the head. He ducked and went past me, but they were still right there, woofing, snorting and grunting - heck they were po'd! I kept yelling at them, then they finally moved off. Wow, what a rush! Well, my javelina was a sow, she weighed 46.5 lbs. After dressing her out, 36.75 lbs. So after never having killed with my bow before January, now I'm 2 for 2 and 2 in a row. Lucky for me it's National Margarita Day and I just happen to have lots of them! Here's a photo from the field; Meanwhile, back at camp; Look what I found down the road from camp;

For the fall of 2013, I got drawn for an early unit 29 whitetail hunt and also a mule deer tag in New Mexico unit 23. During the vacation planning process some months before, I inadvertently wrote down the wrong hunt dates for the NM hunt and planned a Hawaii trip with my wife Julie and her sister, which fell between the two huntsor so I thought then. A few days before I left for the Arizona hunt, I realized my mistake. The NM hunt was actually a week earlier and at the same time as the Hawaii trip. Yikes! Luckily the trip wasnt our first time to Hawaii, it was to visit our old neighbors, and not the first time to go see them (or the last), so I exchanged my airline ticket for a future trip and told Julie and her sister to have a nice trip. Thank you Julie! What that meant now was that I had 2 full weeks off and back to back deer hunts! This marks the first time I have ever been able to dedicate the full time for a hunt and now I have 2 full hunts to go on. Awesome for sure. Back to the grocery store I went to stock up, after expanding my menus and beverage lists. Julie and I recently bought a new 5th wheel toyhauler-its our retirement home, as we plan on traveling the country when the time comes. The original hunt plan was to just take it on the NM hunt and tent camp on the Az hunt, but that all changed with the trip to Hawaii off of my plate. So I loaded all my clothes, food and hunting gear and the Ranger into the trailer and off I went to live in it for 2 full weeks! By the time Jorge, my hunt partner, showed up later on Thursday, I had camp already set-up. We were right next to Pinery Canyon Road, just past the Forest Boundary. Before Jorge got there, I heard a quad coming down the road, so I looked to see who it was and saw them kick up a nice 4x4 coues, which apparently was right by the trailer! Wow, right there! Maybe I can just hunt from camp tomorrow, I thought. Naah, thatll never work. The 1st day neither of us even saw a deer. No worry, this has happened before. The 2nd day, the morning was going by fast without seeing anything again. I was giving my eyes a rest from glassing and just looking around, when I saw something had showed up in a little clearing down the canyon from me. I glassed it up, it was a coyote laying on its belly, just looking around. I ranged it to 172 yds, got my varmint call out and set-up my rifle on it. When I let out a series of rabbit distress sounds, he snapped his head to look at me, then when he got up and took a step in my direction I blasted it! Fawn killer down! Turned out to be a male dog. I went back to glassing for deer and after a while I glassed up a real nice buck about 700 yds away in a canyon beyond a ridge that was between me and it. I studied him and the area so I could grab my range finder and not lose him. I grabbed the range finder and.lost him! I spent about 15 minutes looking, but couldnt find him again. Finally I radioed Jorge, who was further around the side of the hill I was on, about the buck and where it was when I saw it. Several minutes of silence went by as we were glassing, then BOOM. Jorge radios back, I think I found him, ha ha ha. Jorge later went on to say that he was glassing, looking for the buck I mentioned, heard a noise, dropped the glasses from his eyes and sees this buck running right at him! He didnt have time to aim, just pointed the gun and shot itat 20 feet! So yes, we figured for whatever reason, this buck got spooked out of that canyon and ran right at Jorge, in fact was about to run him over. It was a nice 3x3, but unfortunately the shot hit him in the eye and not only emptied its head, but destroyed the skull plate as well. Too bad, as it was Jorges best buck ever. The 3rd day we were both glassing one of our favorite and most productive areas. Not one deer was seen all morning, so when Jorge radioed me that it was time for lunch after 11 oclock, I didnt argue. I stood up and began repacking my gear into my pack, my back now turned to where I had been glassing. On the other side of the hill I was on is a large meadow, over near where the Ranger was parked. I happened to look down the hill and saw a deer walking across the meadow. Theres a deer I thought as I grabbed my binos and brought them up for a look. Its a buck I said to myself. As I was grabbing my rifle, range finder and binos, I noticed it started moving faster, so I started hurrying over to the side of the hill I was on to get closer. By now the deer had flagged its tail and was in a full run, and I ran too, wondering if the deer was running from me. I only had time to kneel and aim at the deer, guessing it was under 300 yards. As I did this, I thought I shouldnt be doing this, but I did anyway. As soon as I got the cross hairs on him, I fired. I looked over the scope in time to see him kind of kick-up in his gait, just before he disappeared off the meadow edge and into the next draw. I thought I think I hit him-hope it was a good hit and he doesnt get away. Then Jorge radioed me Another coyote? he asked. I replied, no, a buck and hes like A BUCK? No way. Way I said. About that time I see Jorge at the far end of the meadow, near where the buck had come from. Apparently Jorge had spooked the buck out from below me as he was making his way towards the Ranger. I think that buck was bedded below me all morning. Jorge asked me where it had gone, and from my vantage point on the hill top, I directed him to where the deer went over the edge. A couple of minutes later, Jorge radios me YOU GOT HIM!, a 2x3 piled up just off the hill. I ranged down to where I hit the deer, it was 250 yards. So I packed up my stuff and headed down there. As luck would have it, I hit that deer in the perfect spot. He was quartering away from me as it ran, and I hit him inbetween the ribs, the 130 grain .270WSM Nozler Accubond bullet traveled through his vitals and came to rest against the hide in his lower neck on the opposite side. Hes a small 2x3 with weird eye guards. One pointing inwards, the other forwards. High fives! This was the first time ever that we both got a deer on the same hunt. Two filled tags! Back at camp, we had him hanging and was carving him up, when I saw some movement on the road next to us (Pinery Canyon Rd). It was two Hispanic guys, each with huge back packs on, walking West towards the highway. Neither was carrying anything in their hands and the back packs were plain looking with nothing clipped or strapped on them.drug runners!