SunDevil Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Went out Friday after work and saw 19 deer (3 bucks). I also ran into this monster walking back to the truck. Also saw 2 rattlers on the highway driving home. Enjoy. CB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted September 19, 2005 You are right.........it is a monster.I have never seen one in the wild.How about the bucks?big ones? And whatch for rattlers all the way to the begining of November. Ernesto C Every hunter should carry a personal survival kit whenever afield. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Ernesto I guess you were in Gila county with a monster like that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunDevil Report post Posted September 19, 2005 The bucks were all 3 points (all together). A little one, a medium one and a big one (90+). CB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DEERSLAM Report post Posted September 19, 2005 that's big and ugly! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted September 19, 2005 Cool Gila Monster! I don't think they are ugly, they are neat looking! They spent most of their lives underground, so most people never see them. They are most active in the spring and around the monsoons. I have only seen one in the fall and it was at night. Most of the others I have seen have been in the spring. My neighbor found a little one this spring crawling up a screen on his house! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASS Report post Posted September 19, 2005 I too have only seen one. It was out near the river near Florance. We were messing around of the railroad tracks, and it crawled across the road. It was something I will never forget. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arizona Griz Report post Posted September 20, 2005 I ran across a couple this past spring in Queen Valley with 15 minutes of each other. One was pretty good size. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted September 20, 2005 never have seen one in the wild but hopefully this spring i might get lucky Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted September 20, 2005 I have seen several, a few while hunting, I have seen two crossing I-17 just south of cordes, one was huge I actually turned around at bloody basin and went to see if it made it, no squishes on the road after I completed my circle, I have seen several at desert mountain while working up there also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan H Report post Posted September 20, 2005 There are a lot of them up at Roosevelt/Apache lake area I usually see atleast one every Easter out there. When we were kids we actually caught 3 of them over the years in Mesa on Lehi road and Center near the river bottoms. They would always end up coming down the salt when water was released. We kept one for a little while in an aquarium before letting him go and it actually ate chicken eggs on occasion. Swallowed them hole with out breaking the shell like a snake. They look really cool right after they shed. I think the biggest one I ever saw was on Red Rock it was huge. Probably all of 3 feet long or more with a serious attitude. Dan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DEERSLAM Report post Posted September 20, 2005 Cool Gila Monster! I don't think they are ugly, they are neat looking! They spent most of their lives underground, so most people never see them. They are most active in the spring and around the monsoons. I have only seen one in the fall and it was at night. Most of the others I have seen have been in the spring. My neighbor found a little one this spring crawling up a screen on his house! Amanda <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The little one is neat lookin, the big one, he's ugly Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted September 20, 2005 I've seen quite a few Gila monsters, and not all of them have been in the wild. There was a time when at least two per year would wind up in our swimming pool filter. I also saw them often immediately after rains in the Willow Springs Ranch country when we quail hunted there. My best recollection about them took place while hunting whitetails in the Sierrita Mountains about 1980. I had walked out onto a big but thin, flat rock to get a better look at the country below me and the rock rocked. I put my Moses stick onto the rock below it and felt something hit the stick. I jerked the stick up, of course. There was nothing below me when I looked down so I put the stick back .... and watched a Gila monster run out from below me and bite the stick. I had quite a bit of fun for a while with my stick until the guy got tired of playing with me. Gila monsters are not supposed to be aggressive, but that one surely didn't want my stick invading its territory. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted September 20, 2005 dang... Who's that sexy dude in that uniform??? We found this guy out while we were working the other day. I'm throwing in a pic of where we found him. Any guesses? Its a pretty easy guess, but I like the pic. There are some nice bucks this year in this "area" where the pic was taken.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25-06 Report post Posted September 20, 2005 34a santa ritas? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites