CHD Report post Posted November 5, 2004 I took this 6.5 year old buck in November 1994 in 13A at the base of Mt. Trumbull near the mouth of Tuweep Canyon. Again, don't have decent field pics, but here he is on my wall and in my hands. Same as the rest of the animals I've posted here, he was taken on BLM land all by myself. I was just floored to draw this tag. In fact, I didn't believe the recording and hung up and called back just to make sure. I did a great deal of telephone research, which didn't lead me to any particular honey-hole, but narrowed my hunting plans to the Trumbull area. Many so called experts said I would never kill a big buck unless I tracked one from a water hole. Others said I may not see a deer at all. Others said "don't go in early to scout, as you will be completely discouraged by the time the season rolls around". But, it turned out these guys were full of it. I went down several days early from my home in Wyoming. Never had set foot in the Strip, but had done a lot of map work. Drove the roads and looked for some areas to hike thru looking for big tracks and water plus..................FEED. In one of the areas, I found a water trough that was supplied by a piped spring a ways off that was shown on an old USGS map. This spot also had another rain encatchment nearby. This spot was at the edge of a thick PJ jungle and had some sagebrush flats interspersed with the PJ with some rimrock. Classic big buck habitat. While hiking thru it, I found a great small hogback that was loaded with cliffrose, a superb muley favorite in that region. Not coincidently, this hogback was also loaded with big blocky tracks, old and recent. So were the nearby sagebrush flats. In addition, there were plenty of doe tracks in the area, which meant the buck didn't have to leave the area to find does to rut. I had found just what I had hoped to find. I decided I would spend the entire season in this one spot looking for the buck that made those tracks. I glassed the area from afar before the season, not wanting to enter it again and let the buck know I was there. I only spotted 1 deer in the 4 days before the season, a 3.5 year old. Opening day, I just sat on the hogback and glassed the sagebrush flats, sparse PJ's, and the cliffrose. Only saw a forky. The second morning, I spotted a small 4x4. Then, I ran into a Texas hunter who had just crashed thru the spot. Man, he had just ruined my spot, I thought. I heard him coming from a long ways off, the noisy sob. So I decided I would slowly move thru the sparse PJ's into the wind, and end up at the far end of the spot looking into some small canyons. I walked right back up his path for 15 minutes when I walked up on this buck at about 20 yards. He heard my quiet footsteps, but didn't see me, and certainly didn't smell me. He trotted into a PJ stringer going up the hillside, giving me a glance at his rack that said 'shooter'. He then stopped out of sight and listened for me for 5 minutes (read 5 hours!) wanting a confirmation from sight or smell to add to what he had heard, 'cause he still wasn't sure. I didn't move or make a sound, but my heart was pounding fast! I was ready with my 7mm Mag in hand anticipating a one shot chance off hand at prolly a moving buck. He finally starting trotting up the slope again and stopped in a opening to look back at 125 yards. But he only stopped for 2-3 seconds, saw me and confirmed his suspicions, and wheeled to trot away. I double-lunged him and he bucked like a bronc. The next day, on my trip out, I ran into Ted Riggs, who also had a tag. Ted took a pic of me with my buck, but I never thought to have his buddy take one of me with Ted and my buck. I sure do regret that. I was just in a daze over having the trophy muley hunter's ultimate dream come true, whacking a big buck on the famous Arizona Strip! That Texan would be sick if he knew what he had just walked past. But he ain't the first and won't be the last. He told me in our brief visit that he had hunted this unit in the '80's and never saw a deer in 10 days. I'm not surprised. In 1999, I visited this great big buck hole again while in the area, quickly spotting a big 'ol fat-necked, heavy-antlered buck about 29 or 30 inches wide. As I said before, I love it when a plan comes together! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Very nice CHD, you have harvested some quality animals. I had you pegged for being a bit older than you appear. Once again congrats and good luck on your upcoming coues hunt....right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rembrant Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Wow that's quite a deer! Thanks Chris for the pics and the story. I'm glad you posted both pics. This really helps with the perspective on the size of the rack. The Strip and Kaibab bucks seem to have big ears. And the rack is so tall that it doesn't look like it'll clear 30" wide. But with it in your hands it looks like an absolute monster. If I killed a buck like that, my wife would tell me to quit hunting. Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
111 Report post Posted November 5, 2004 That's one nice buck. Thanks for posting the pics. I put in for the strip every year, but after about four years with no tag I always put in for coues second choice. Coues deer are a blast to hunt. How many more big bucks do you got hanging on the wall? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Thanks CHD, that is a great buck and love to read your stories. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CHD Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Azpackhorse, I sense some doubt and confusion in your message. Here's some stuff that may clear things up for you and others. I am: 1) A holder of an AZ unit 22 2004 Dec Coues deer tag 2) A former holder of an AZ unit 10 2004 late bull elk tag 3) A proud, card-carrying member of the 'Satire is great, but sarcasm is better' humorists club, especially on forums 4) A very serious, hard-working, successful, dedicated trophy muley hunter 5) A 41 year old 6) A complete prick 7) A mean, nasty, tired, pissed off, sob and borderline sociopath 8) A very serious, dedicated, successful trophy pronghorn hunter 9) An educated scientist, and practicing civil engineering manager 10) A dang poor photographer 11) A dang poor trophy Coues deer hunter 12) A whiskeyman 13) A buckaroo boot wearin' cowpoke 14) A borderline redneck 15) A troublemakin' sob, especially on forums 16) A firm believer that the best way to harvest big critters is to learn to think like one 17) A hater of stereotypes 18) An extremely intense person 19) Very direct 20) Very intimidating 21) A huntin' and scoutin' fool 22) A lover of sharing my huntin' knowledge with younger hunters I am not: 1) A 400 lb naked fat man with a long grey beard 2) A loser computer geek with too much time on his hands 3) In prison, an anti-hunter, or in need of a girlfriend 4) A shallow person 5) A youngster 6) A punk 7) A phony when it comes to presenting huntin' stories and lessons and trophies I've taken 8) A liar 9) A poacher 10) An egomaniac who is in hunting for "the books" or to show off This post will prolly scare the sheet outta some of you, but it is the truth. I appreciate your responses to my picture posts here, and I'll continue to try to accomodate you all. And yes, Rembrandt and others, I do have some more nice muleys on my wall. After all, don't ya think that just 3 or 4 of 'em might get lonely there? They require at least 7 or 8 just for adequate company, don't ya think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CB1 Report post Posted November 5, 2004 dang CHD, we have alot in common, you forgot smartass, by the way. I have a 13b tag that starts on friday, and i'm not going to be able to go due to work related issues and that story and pictures hurt, i waited a long time for the opportunity, still a heck of an accoplishment you did, like to see some more of your trophies....CB1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CHD Report post Posted November 5, 2004 (edited) 23) A smartass Edited January 1, 1970 by CHD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimhdawson Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Great pictures!!!! Thanks for showing all of them. Your stories are interesting also. Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted November 5, 2004 congrats, heck of a buck, he sure looks a lit bigger in your hands then in the mount! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
111 Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Yep, I would have to agree three or four muleys would get lonely. Can't wait to see the others. I would be very satisfied if I could put everything together to get one of them. Thanks again for some great pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGAINES Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Great pictures, thanks for sharing them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azpackhorse Report post Posted November 5, 2004 Well anyway.....congratulations on the animals and good luck on your coues hunt. I guess you are kinda old. "only two things that scare me......women and the police" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CHD Report post Posted November 6, 2004 Azpackhorse, good quote, one of my favorites. Burt Reynolds in "Gator" wasn't it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arizona Griz Report post Posted November 6, 2004 (edited) CHD, nice buck and story, I am curious why you would take the time to post what you are and are not. Why would you care what people thought. Edited January 1, 1970 by Arizona Griz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
