Help with Kaibab 101

[3darcher2]

On 8/9/2021 at 4:33 PM, NOTAGS said:

Great hunt that you drew. unbelievable luck with only one point as a NR.  What is said  above is spot on.  We've never had a problem on the hunt with camp raiders other than the squirrels .  Keep all your food enclosed, between them and the birds, we've had bread, chips etc. strewn all over when we got back to camp I've  never seen a snake up there if you're worried about them, and the only bugs in October might be the dang meat bees. I've seen one lion up there, but he was beating feet.  Big bucks are definitely there, but as Lance said, they aren't dumb and don't come easy. Depending on elevation and the weather, you could see the low 20's or below,  or a low of the upper 30's. Layers  for clothing are a must as it usually warms up fast with daylight.  I've not seen  snow on the early hunt, but we have been rained on in October.

You'll see lots of deer, hopefully the one of your dreams will show up too.  Good Luck and have fun!

Good to know on the bears and snakes, and the lack of lions.  I couldn't find anything about bears so I figured few and far between at most.  Just another thing to not have to deal with.  I also hate snakes, so that's all good too.  I didn't realize there were so many coyotes.

Drawing this with one point was a blessing for sure.  Really looking forward to it.

[3darcher2]

On 8/9/2021 at 12:54 PM, lancetkenyon said:

For the Kaibab, there are two schools of thought (from what I have observed).

Glassing:  The early hunt will still have foliage on the bushes, so glassing will be a bit tougher.  But it can be very productive if you can shoot well.  And when I say "shoot well", I am talking out to 700-800, which is very realistic.  This is my preferred method.  Our shots have been between 18 and 882 up there.    

Road hunting:  A lot of the guides, all they do, is drive all day.  I know this from several guys who have hired guides up there.  It works.  But not my personal cup of tea.  Not that I would refrain from shooting a big buck I happened to drive by.  We have seen a lot of good bucks this way.  

There are a ton of coyotes, I have seen numerous cats as well.  Like Flatlander said though, squirrels and jays are the top raiders of camps.  I do not think there are any bears up on the Kaibab any more.  Not in a long time.  I have never seen a single bear track up there in my 30 years of hunting.  As far as the two-legged raiders, I have not had an issue.  But you never know.  I don't leave anything expensive in camp when we are out.  Never had an issue with my vehicle either.

During the early hunt, most of the big bucks will still be almost nocturnal.  You can catch them at first and last light if you are lucky.  But they don't get big by being stupid.  They save stupid for the late hunt.

I definitely will not be taking any 700 yard shots.  I'll be trying to get on some longer ranges here and try to stretch my legs some but most of our clubs have 100 and 200 yards and that's it.  My club can go to 360 or so but it's only on special occasions.  I have learned to be a little more patient over the past few years so hopefully I'll pick the right place to sit down and glass.

I've read that a lot of northern NM is known for vandalism/break-ins, especially at trailheads where you might be packed in.  I wasn't anticipating and issues in AZ, but I figured I'd ask.  I had zero problems in CO last year.

[PRDATR]

1 hour ago, 3darcher2 said:

I did take a Buddy heater to CO last year, which ran fine at 10K BTW.  It was high 20s according to my dash thermometer at night.  I know a lot of folks say they don't work well over 8K, but I didn't have any problems.  I am planning on bringing a full 20# tank and some singles.  I have an 8 man Cabela's Alaskan Guide tent (a little big, but I got a super deal on it) and I just picked up a Teton XL giant cot and pad.  Hoping to sleep a little more comfortably this time.

I have a 10x14 Kodiak and usually go solo and take my son or a buddy. Great tent.

[Flatlander]

2 hours ago, 3darcher2 said:

I did take a Buddy heater to CO last year, which ran fine at 10K BTW.  It was high 20s according to my dash thermometer at night.  I know a lot of folks say they don't work well over 8K, but I didn't have any problems.  I am planning on bringing a full 20# tank and some singles.  I have an 8 man Cabela's Alaskan Guide tent (a little big, but I got a super deal on it) and I just picked up a Teton XL giant cot and pad.  Hoping to sleep a little more comfortably this time.

Here is my 6 man on the Bab last October.

@lancetkenyon has a sweet one of his on a Kaibab hunt.

[3darcher2]

25 minutes ago, Flatlander said:

Here is my 6 man on the Bab last October.

@lancetkenyon has a sweet one of his on a Kaibab hunt.

My 8 man in CO Unit 71 looking for elk last September.

[Ed67]

19 minutes ago, 3darcher2 said:

My 8 man in CO Unit 71 looking for elk last September.

Curious about your archery elk hunting experience in 71 last year?  2020 was the first year they made 71/711 a draw unit but I know they had a lot of leftovers. I’ve spent a lot of time the last several summers in 71 and it seems the population is in decline. 90% of the elk I see up there are on private land.  

[3darcher2]

6 minutes ago, Ed67 said:

Curious about your archery elk hunting experience in 71 last year?  2020 was the first year they made 71/711 a draw unit but I know they had a lot of leftovers. I’ve spent a lot of time the last several summers in 71 and it seems the population is in decline. 90% of the elk I see up there are on private land.  

Well I got it as a leftover.  There were about 1000 leftovers when I got mine.  I made the mistake of waiting for the rut and moon because I read several places that muzzleloader hunters had little to no impact for most archery guys.  Well my little corner of 71 was the exception.  There were elk around but they were up really high where I was and I just couldn’t get there.  They were super skittish because of the muzzleloader guys too.  I got close a couple times, but I felt like had  I come a week earlier I would have been in them.  If I ever return to CO for archery elk I promise I’ll be there before the frontstuffers get there.

[NOTAGS]

Frontstuffers? Ouch!  I guess that better than being called a backstuffer.... I’ve taken my Knight to CO a time or two, glad the nickname didn’t stick.

[3darcher2]

10 hours ago, NOTAGS said:

Frontstuffers? Ouch!  I guess that better than being called a backstuffer.... I’ve taken my Knight to CO a time or two, glad the nickname didn’t stick.

I can’t take credit for that.  I’ve heard that term since I was a teenager.  

Fun fact, I killed my first deer ever in the 80s with a kit built TC Renegade 50 cal flintlock.  In PA the traditional ML season is in winter and is flintlock/open sights/patched ball only.

[lancetkenyon]

Cabelas 8-man tent here too.  Used it from -10° to 60+.  With a buddy heater on the late hunt in 2019 in the snow, had to keep it on low and sleep with the bags cracked open.

2016 was no snow, but even colder.  Nice and warm.

[Jazz]

14 hours ago, 3darcher2 said:

Good to know on the bears and snakes, and the lack of lions.  I couldn't find anything about bears so I figured few and far between at most.  Just another thing to not have to deal with.  I also hate snakes, so that's all good too.  I didn't realize there were so many coyotes.

Drawing this with one point was a blessing for sure.  Really looking forward to it.

MEAT BEES omg I remember the horror. I promised myself to bring a screened canopy next time. 

[Coueser]

Not trying to get off topic too much but I’ve been dying to ask. . .
 Lance and others that run your Mr Buddy heaters, do you run them all night snd leave a flap of the the windows open?  I want to since it gets so dang cold but always chicken out and turn it off and on multiple times a night when I get too miserable

[Chef]

I've ran Mr. Buddy Heaters up in the Kaibab during both the early and late hunts.

I normally run them up until I'm in my sleeping bag and start it up first thing in the AM.

I wouldn't have an issue running it all night as long as I have a couple vents open.  For the 

most part, I'm trying to save fuel so as to not run out.

 

I recommend using plenty of sleeping bags and blankets both between you and your cot, as well

as on top of you as you sleep.  A great trick that I have is to use bungee cords to keep the top blankets from

moving around and falling off.  I just wrap the bungee around the cot and the blankets while I'm tucked in.

[PRDATR]

I have always run them all night and yes I do open a flap. I've had mine for at least 10 years maybe 15.

[CatfishKev]

2 hours ago, Coueser said:

Not trying to get off topic too much but I’ve been dying to ask. . .
 Lance and others that run your Mr Buddy heaters, do you run them all night snd leave a flap of the the windows open?  I want to since it gets so dang cold but always chicken out and turn it off and on multiple times a night when I get too miserable

It should automatically turn off if oxygen gets low. And even though they are indoor safe i absolutely would not run it in my tent without my trusty battery powered carbon monoxide detector.  And as far as oxygen i doubt any tent seals well enough for that to be a worry of mine.