Red Rabbit Report post Posted January 25, 2006 Thought we could share our thoughts on how new techniques and equipment which we tried this past season fared. I tried the Jim Horn Alaskan pack by Blacks Creek. It's not made of saddlecloth, so it does not get stiff inthe cold. Held all my stuff. Comfortable. The zippered expandable section was great to put a quarter of Kevin's October 36c coues in without having to lash it down on the outside. Use a trash compactor bag to put meat into so the pack stays clean. Also used a water bladder for the first time. Was nice to take small sips to moisten the mouth, rather than take the pack off to bet out the canteen. Negative was when the pack was atop the bite valve while glassing and the packweight emptied the days supply of water out of the bladder at 8 am . Opportunity did not knock to test the Barnes TSX bullet. Resolved to hike/backpack in further to get past most of the hunter pressure and into areas not hunted as much and bucks might survive longer. And be in better shape fot he hike since I'm past the half century mark. 180 grain Accubond on a cow elk did the complete pass-through job. No-gut field dressing method worked neat and well on the elk and a Kevin's coues. RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SunDevil Report post Posted January 25, 2006 One thing that didn't work was having Red Rabbit tag along for good luck!!! Just kidding. We did see a nice bear and a few does. Another thing that didn't work to good was putting in for big game in AZ. They need to give natives 5 extra bonus points. Either that or increase opportunities by reducing Dec tags and increasing Oct tags. Ha! Putting in for NM worked awesome. My new Nikon optics (rifle scope and spotting scope) worked awesome. I would highly recommend Nikon products to anyone. My new Cabelas pack worked okay. It is really big which leads to me putting to much stuff in it. The hip/waist strap does not fit me right and seems to be for people that are not as tall as I am. My new Canon S2 IS camera worked awesome. Trying to take pics with it through my binos or spotting scope did not work out. I will have to play around with that during my HAM hunt in Feb. Trying to take video of deer through my spotting scope worked out pretty good. I learned many things about this. One, of course, wind and heat make it difficult to get good footage. Two, the position of the sun is crucial. Forget about filming into the sun. Even filming with the sun to your side is hard. If possible, having the sun at your back will definetely produce the best footage. Finally, for my scope and camcorder, the animals need to be at least 600 yards out. To film through my spotter I have to leave the scope down at 25X and zoom the camcorder out to 12X. That gets up close and personal pretty quickly. I got some good footage of a couple bucks that I would guess were about 1000 yards away. Maybe for closer shots I will try using my camcorder through my binos. All for now. CB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted January 26, 2006 I'm just glad you didn't cut off my "gut gluk" foot to stick in your pocket. I noticed you were sharpening that knife back at camp. In all seriousness, I can say that the dutch oven worked extremely well for upside-down cherry chocolate cake . RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted January 26, 2006 I used the Eberlstock just one pack to pack out Coues buck and all gear, tripod and 15x's etc... and had room left over. Not that I could have picked it up anyway. I was very pleased. I had the chance to try out the Montec G5's and loved them. They really did a number on the rocks behind a Coues buck. Actually one in August and then again in Jan. If I could hit the broadside of a barn when I get excited I might have better news, anyway I guess I get another day or two before the end of season. I also bought a knife from Arizona Guide Bark River knife and tool and caped and quartered a mule deer of my brothers and my Coues buck and a few odds and ends and would recommend them, as long as it comes back okay from getting sharpened. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted January 26, 2006 Lets see here: 270wsm made by Bettin Custom guns: gun is a tad heavy but over all not bad. shoots very well, except when there is a buck in the crosshairs, then the accuracy goes to poo!!!! in that gun used 140 gr Nosler Accubonds: seemed to work well as there was a lot of damage to the area of the buck that i hit several times, accuracy on the bench was superb! Zeiss 15x60's worked well, i didnt spot many deer this hunt but when i did, i could tell what they were! Velbon Chaser efl-4: (bought from amanda) this tripod is very sturdy! one thing i didnt like was when i would get it in just the right spot, one of the legs would slide out. Mad Dog pack- this pack works very well for the price! it has a rifle carrier on the outside that i use to carry my tripod. when we knocked our bucks down, i put the tripod inside the pack, put either my rifle or my dads in the rifle holder, and put the deer on my back and away i went! like sundevil, the hip wasit strap came up around my gut and was not all that comfortable and had to keep adjusting. leupold vxIII 4.5-14x40 Varmint Reticle Scope. if i could do it again, i would get the boone and crockett scope. at different times, the varmint reticle is difficult to see. when my buck was bedded under a tree dieing at 251 yards, i cranked the scope up to 14 power and it was blury. not enough time in the field to adjust the side focus, had to go back down to about 9 power. the boone and crockett is easier to see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted January 26, 2006 No new equipment but I did get to try the No-Gut method of field dressing! Pretty slick, and I wil do it again on lopes and coues. Maybe even bigger game! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25-06 Report post Posted January 26, 2006 I know what does not work out in coues country.....One gallon jugs of water Had one slip off of a rock and land in some shin daggers opening mornin on my Oct. hunt, and just a couple weeks ago had another blow out on me from a branch that hit it.... From now on I will carry my water in gatoraid bottles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan H Report post Posted January 26, 2006 The legs worked the best this season. A lot of cactus thorns pulled lately though. The sportsman warehouse $3.99 tripod chairs worked only thing we wore out 3 glassin between Aug and Jan. And before you guys comment I ain't a fat boy either. New camera worked great with the scope. Downloading pictures did not work. New Encore works but did not have any work. 80.00 Plain frame pack worked good haulin out a friends MZ elk. Last I probably worked to much. Dan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dodger2 Report post Posted January 26, 2006 What worked...My new Swarovski binoculars . I was able to pick out a lot more deer this year (could be the new hunting spot, but spending that much money, saying it was the binoculars sounds better.) My Modern Calls Products Coues Deer call worked! I was able to call a buck in from 120yds on January 16th. I screwed up the rest, so I guess you could say I didn't work. My Badlands 2200 pack. This is most comfortable pack I've ever had, carries really well. What didn't work...my shooting! It worked in Wyoming on my antelope hunt, but missed 2 bucks in November. I still lose sleep over those. One more weekend for archery. I have to go to Phoenix for a Friday/Saturday, but on Sunday one more last chance until Aug. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted January 26, 2006 What worked -new 15x56 Swarovski's -new bogen tripod -new bogen fluid head -wolf pack system that I got last year -POWERBARS What didn't work -scope -water bottles (need to put black sock around them to cut down on glare and not to soak my other essentials) -gloves (ripped opening morning had to wrap hands with extra shirt while glassing to limit skin seen) Thats about it good season for me even though I didn't tag. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ernesto C Report post Posted January 26, 2006 younghunter,you can also use a pair of soxs................just cut off a hole for the thumb and the tip and use them as a fingerless glove. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azcouesandelk Report post Posted January 26, 2006 Never thought of that Ernesto. This pig season and deer season I wil lbe carrying an extra pair of gloves for sure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DEERSLAM Report post Posted January 26, 2006 New Eberlestock j104 pack worked great on a mulie hunt and a coues hunt. Also used a Badlands Monster fanny pack for the first time this year and loved it on hunts were I did alot of still hunting. Jim White panning attachment worked great on my Outdoorsman pistol grip. What didn't work, Nosler Ballistic Tips, I'm done with them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bullwidgeon Report post Posted January 26, 2006 Scouting all summer long, videoing and then busting my ar$e opening day to get on and then shoot the buck of my choice didn't work out at all. In fact I felt like a chump when 2 other dudes were set up on him trying to shoot him and carp hunters were swarming the ridge he lived on like flies on a dead possum. He wisened up and disapeared after all that comotion opening day. Drinking 748 beers and a half jug of whiskey in celebration because my buddy finally shot his first coues then sleeping in and subsequently crawling up the hill behind camp because I was too hungover to go anywhere else the next morning worked out great. I saw the 3rd biggest deer I had seen the entire hunt and managed to flop him. Who says you need to scout, video and bust your hump all summer long and preseason to kill these things? All that scouting and trying hard will do is lead to frustration and wasted time . Bret M. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatfootdoc Report post Posted January 26, 2006 DID NOT WORK__ Carrying unsecured 4 wheeler down bumpy road in back of new Dodge cummins DID WORK My now new sliding rear window in above mentioned truck DID NOT WORK putting in for NM 24 elk for 3rd choice to get to hunt, there are not many elk in that stinking unit! DID WORK putting in for NM 24 elk for 3rd choice, at least I got to hunt! DID NOT WORK applying for the burro mountain archery hunt in NM for coues DID WORK The NMDGF by letting be draw a tag in an area that I did not put in for DID NOT WORK Letting my new badlands pack set on my nozzle for my water bladder, nice putting on a soaking wet pack! DID WORK badlands 2800 pack That thing is pure awesome, had that thing packed with all my gear and it was only half full DID NOT WORK Trying to get my rifle into position without being seen to shoot a 100+ buck that snuck in behind me at a water tank DID WORK That bucks tail when he flipped it at me like a middle finger DID NOT WORK telling my wife that I need new swarovski binoculars so I dont hurt my eyes while glassing DID WORK My good old fujinons DID NOT WORK glassing fully camoed for several days and hiking my butt off in Nov DID WORK My buddies red shirt, blue jeans , tan cowboy hat and sitting on a point 100 yards from camp(tagged his first coues buck here) DID NOT WORK taking my buddies son and my son on our elk hunt(One of them managed to step in their own crap and then got it on his fingers and had one nice smelling scnet trailing after him the rest of the day, Oh by the way it was my buddies son!) DID WORK taking our sons with us because aside from the cover scent my buddies son applied to himself it was a good time in the woods with our boys DID NOT WORK for 2 weeks and loved it DID WORK not having to work for about 2 weeks and getting to do what I like to do best All in all I had a great hunting season even though I did all hunting and no killing AG Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
