Red Rabbit Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Spent the weekend doing lots of driving to familiarize myself with the unit for a December tag. Firstcoues was the copilot and Rica the navigator (never got lost ) Figured I'd share some pics, although not of ridges to protect those places people have mentioned to me. Found some good areas and some not so good. One looked fine, until all the atv trails appeared in the binos. We did lots of looking and little glassing for deer. We did spend Sat eve looking over a basin and hour and glassed 13 does in 20 minutes, but no bucks. Will be back down over Thanksgiving to look at a couple more spots and to glass for bucks (and let Rica chase some mearns ) What's left for the lizards to crawl on Some hoo doos Looking south from the Mt Hopkins Observatory road From below Elephant Head Guess we ain't hunting those ridges Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Hey Doug, I think I recognize those ruins. Is that "building" off a little two-track that goes to the right off the main road to the observatory? If so, my son and I camped there one night several years ago. Then when we discovered a nest of a thousand or so scorpions the next day, we decided to find a another less "populated" spot for our camp. -TONY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Tony, The wall withthe lizard on it is on the east side close to Hwy 83. Scorpion nest? Bet ya shook your boots and checked your bags a few times. When living in S Texas, had a scorpion under the bed covers, and in the bathtub. I did see what is left of these adobe walls going up towards Josephine. Was told this might be an old post office? Doug~RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZP&Y Report post Posted November 5, 2007 RR, Looks like some familiar country. Good pics of the landscape. December is coming pretty quick - looking fwd to some time in 34A... AzP&Y Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
couesdiehard Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Red Rabbit, I will be heading to 34A Thursday morning to start my hunt. Hope to have good news to share when I return. What size buck would you like me to corral up for you? Lee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Lee, Good luck with your hunt this weekend. Take some good pics to tell the story of your hunt. RR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted November 5, 2007 That is some great country Doug, the fourth photo is pretty darn close to where I found that dead bear this spring. Those are the Amado Hills in the background I beleive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Tony, The wall withthe lizard on it is on the east side close to Hwy 83. Scorpion nest? Bet ya shook your boots and checked your bags a few times. When living in S Texas, had a scorpion under the bed covers, and in the bathtub. Doug~RR Oh, okay, so on the Patagonia side then? I hunted that area a couple times too, but many years ago. There was a road that turned right off the highway just before hitting the main part of the "city." It went deep into the area and up a mountain, if I recall. I had my 53 Ford panel truck then and towed my Jeep -- thankfully. On the way in, the drive axle on the truck broke. So I managed to use the Jeep to push it off the road. Then we set up a spartan camp for my grandfather and son, who was about 8 at the time to stay in while I drove back to town and called my wife. My dad had a service station at the time, so I had her get him to chase down an axle in a junk yard. I told her I would wait on the corner of the turnoff for her. By the time they found one, it was already late afternoon, but she left anyway -- in our 1969 Camaro Super Sport. In the meantime it got really dark and a bit cold, so I gathered some wood and built a small fire on the corner of an empty lot. The local sheriff didn't like that much. He stopped and asked me what I was up to. When I explained, he said fine but I had to douse the fire. Fortunately El showed up about 15 mins. later. It was now near 10, and I didn't want her driving back to Phx. Thus, I had her follow me to camp with the Camaro. She spent the night in the tent with us and I made her wait while I I swapped out the axle just in case it was the wrong one. It fit perfect, though. I followed her out to the highway when she left for home . -TONY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Forgot: RE: scorpions We didn't find them until the next morening when we went to build a fire. By then it was took late to shake our boots; we had them on already! -TONY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Tony, The wall withthe lizard on it is on the east side close to Hwy 83. Scorpion nest? Bet ya shook your boots and checked your bags a few times. When living in S Texas, had a scorpion under the bed covers, and in the bathtub. Doug~RR Oh, okay, so on the Patagonia side then? I hunted that area a couple times too, but many years ago. There was a road that turned right off the highway just before hitting the main part of the "city." It went deep into the area and up a mountain, if I recall. I had my 53 Ford panel truck then and towed my Jeep -- thankfully. On the way in, the drive axle on the truck broke. So I managed to use the Jeep to push it off the road. Then we set up a spartan camp for my grandfather and son, who was about 8 at the time to stay in while I drove back to town and called my wife. My dad had a service station at the time, so I had her get him to chase down an axle in a junk yard. I told her I would wait on the corner of the turnoff for her. That was all done at about 10 a.m. or so. By the time they found one, it was already late afternoon, but she left anyway -- in our 1969 Camaro Super Sport. In the meantime it got really dark and a bit cold, so I gathered some wood and built a small fire on the corner of an empty lot. The local sheriff didn't like that much. He stopped and asked me what I was up to. When I explained, he said fine but I had to douse the fire. Fortunately El showed up about 15 mins. later. It was now near 10, and I didn't want her driving back to Phx. Thus, I had her follow me to camp with the Camaro. She spent the night in the tent with us and I made her wait while I I swapped out the axle just in case it was the wrong one. It fit perfect, though. I followed her out to the highway when she left for home . -TONY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted November 5, 2007 Great pics Doug! I like that old adobe wall! I have never seen a nest of scorpions - hope I never do! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ajohunter Report post Posted November 6, 2007 Those are some great pics of some beautiful country! As for the scorpions I have never found a nest of them, but I did run into a "nest" of about 15 Coatimundi once! Kind of scary when one runs up your leg!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted November 27, 2007 Took another trip to 34A after Thanksgiving. Went on the east side Friday afternoon as was to meet Casey and head to Parker for some mearns hunting Saturday. Had the full moon poking between some clouds Friday eve. Rica sourced out a covey of mearns as I was running out to a claering to get the pic. Saturday morning was a bust with no coveys found, possibly due to the wind and some drizzle. Saturday afternoon, Rica earned her kibbles and found a handful of coveys. FirstCoues and I got 8 for dinner. That evening we were treated to a nice sunset illuminating low clouds on the Huachucas to the east. This was near the head of Fish Canyon Sunday morning. This hill was covered with bovine overgrazing units, so figure some of the coues will be pushed out. Did hear lots of shotgun blasts from the draws below, but I needed to look at some other areas rather than succumb to mearns nirvana. Rica says there are BIG BUCKS down there none-the-less. I'll point em out to ya. Hiked over the these ridges. Rica found three coveys along the trail hiking in and out. Guess I should carry the shotgun and pretend I am scouting for coues. Hiked up to a pass between two peaks, and she found another covey that flew way down the mountainside, screaming all the way. Drove over to the west side via Box Canyon road to glass a spot for Sunday evening. Stopped to glass a while off the road to Hopkins Observatory. Rica busted a quail and said, "come on, I'll go retrieve it if you shoot it" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted November 27, 2007 Excellent pics Doug and sounds like you guys had a fun time!! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
