Best year yet, families first perfect season; 3 more bucks added I was able to help out on

[gotcoues]

I haven't posted my son's youth deer yet and my daughter has taken another one out of the general late November hunt. I decided to do a family post rather than two stories. As a family we have never done better than %50 success for deer and this year turned out to be very special for us.

 

Along the way, I've met some great new friends and literally scouted my tail off with one of my new buddies Andrew. Helped him on a first for both of us, a pack in hunt which was an awesome experience. So far I've helped kill and pack out 7 coues deer this year and I've loved every second of it. Hopefully two more to go!

 

There is no animal I'd rather hunt then our very own coues deer!

 

I'm sure some of you will remember, but I'll start off with my best archery buck to date. I took this buck in January and I'm chopping on the bit for 2013 to come!

 

Second is my son Dillon's first archery big game animal at age 13 taken in the August/September season. He also insisted on trying to hunt javi's in the Nov jr hunt with his bow. He came to full draw once and had pigs at less than 20 yards in the brush. I believe we have a bowhunter for life in my youngest son who has already said he'll be holding out for a 3 point next year. Anyone who hangs out with us knows this kid is so pact with personality, that he could give half of it away and would still be the center of attention in the room. D is hardcore, doesn't matter who as the tag, he'll always volunteer to help. If you told him you were gonna hunt grasshoppers with a blow gun, he'd jump on board. My boy D is gonna be posting up some big trophies in the years to come! D's first archery kill.

 

Third is my 15 year old son Cody, he has been trying to take his first coues since he got his first deer at age 11 which was a big two point mule deer. He's been dragged to the top of the mountain many a times to get on a buck. We lost a big 90" in 2010 and he opted not to shoot another deer and finished that hunt still in search of his lost deer. This deer is so well deserved, I couldn't be happier for him. He has worked so hard soooo many times and although he has two bucks and cow elk to his credit, it seems now a days, he lacks the ambition to get up early and bust his tail on the hunt. I'm hoping this great buck will help add some enthusiasm back into hunting for him. He doesn't come out in the field much anymore and I miss those days when he was always in the truck.

 

Last but certainly not least, my daughter Ashley has also harvested her first coues buck and Javelina this year. We've chased bucks year after year and it was always something. Amazing how these deer can vanish after an hour stalk up the steepest mountain we could find. She has sat blinds, treestands, spot and stalk with a bow and been on a good handful of rifle hunts in pursuit of the grey ghost. Luck was never on her side until now. All the close calls and hours of chase has led to the biggest buck to date a Leitner has taken. Ashley has set the bar high and the whole family is a bit jealous to say the least. She made a perfect shot at 320 yards after we waited over an hour for him to get up and step out. My buddy Nelson glassed this deer up a week earlier while we were in search of pigs to close out the youth hunt for my boys. We had planned on his wife hunting this deer and Ashley hunting another 90"plus deer we had also found the same weekend. The 90" buck was killed on Tuesday of the jr hunt and we needed a plan B. Nelson and his wife didn't find the big buck opening day and decided to go into a completely new area. Ashley only had Saturday morning to hunt, she had to be to work by one. She had taken the second weekend off for this hunt. Nelson suggested we go look for the big one and the rest is history. On Sunday, I got to help Nelson and his wife Erika take her first coues as well.

 

My good friend John's daughter Tina took her first coues in the Oct jr Hunt.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of this awesome day.

 

I spent more time with Andrew in the field this year than anyone else. We probably glassed over 100 different bucks scouting and hunting this year. Here's Andrew's 2012 coues buck, he made a killer shot at 500 yards and the buck expired within feet of his bed. Andrew waited over an hour for him to stand up. We packed in over 4 hours in a large bowl for his early October hunt and saw tons of bucks. He put a stalk on a really nice one while we were in there, but the buck gave him the slip right when he was in range for a shot. We came out Sunday night and opted to hunt an area where we'd seen some good bucks. We found this buck in Velvet, it was one of many plan B bucks in case the backpack hunt didn't go as planned.

 

 

On Sunday I was help to go out and help Andrew and his wife Erika on her hunt. Erika took this old buck on Sunday morning. We guessed him to be over 8 years old. He had no teeth, he was blind in one eye, his knees were all just scar tissue and he had a two inch curled up funky dew claw on a back leg. Erika's buck was definitely the oldest coues buck I've seen. Congrats to Erika on a fine first coues buck!

 

 

I, we have been blessed this year. Spent time with old friends and new on almost all these hunts.

To top this incredible year off, my smokin hot wife as finally showed an interest in more than cooking all these delicious animals we bring home to her. She is the proud possessor of her first big game tag and hunting license and we'll be chasing pigs in February with her favorite pistol! She is really interested in bears and lions, but no hound hunts. I put her in for spring bear and if she had drawn the tag, I was going to make lots of phone calls, cause I am NO bear hunter LOL. Maybe we will try an OTC bear hunt next year if her javelina hunt goes well.

[kazpilot25]

That's awesome! Congrats.

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on a heck of a season for all! Loved the recap and the pictures to really put it all in perspective and your family has taken some beautiful animals. Ashley's buck is a stud with huge g-3's, way to go girl!

[YOUNGGUNZ]

Way to go guys. It was a lot of fun hunting with you and Dylan this year. One heck of year for you guys.

 

Carl

[trophyhnter]

Great writeup! Congrats to your family on a job well done! Good luck to your wife! My wife tried hunting once and she didnt like the cold or getting up early to get cold!!!

[WHALE]

Great job to you family and your January buck got me excited for january as well.

[200"mulie]

congrats all around good job

[bow.hunter8971]

Nice write up and awesome bucks good job you all are throwing the smack down on those animals good job and good luck with 2013 need to hook up again some time maybe have a burger ha ha lol take care brother

[Chef]

Man what a post!

You guys know how to get it done!

Beautiful family you have there Justin....and they HUNT!

How awesome is that?!?

[couespatrol]

Congrats to you and your family on an awesome season and a lifetime of memories!

[bonecollector]

Great job Justin getting the family out and taking some great animals. Good luck with the rest of the tags this yr.

[HUNTAZ]

I knew when I first ventured into that area 3 yrs ago that it had big buck potential, I've spent tons of days an hrs in their an seen many good bucks, never did see that buck though! Congrats on a great buck!!

[Mocha1545]

great job and awesome write up. You guys kicked butt this year. So much fun to have the whole family hunting and sharing memories!

[bowfishAZ]

HUGE CONGRATS ON GOING 4 / 4!!! ASHLEYS BUCK IS AN ABSOLUTE STUD!!!! LETS DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!!!

 

 

ASHLEYS BUCK 7 DAYS BEFORE SHE KILLED IT

[Pine Donkey]

That's one heck of a year!