[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Official Az HTF Big Game thread. (Page 1 of 2)
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Put your kids in for jr. hunts...the whole fun is getting them out there and enjoying the time with them. The harvest is just extra bonus. Quoted:
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Freakkin BUB. 2 years in a row now? And we don't even get drawn? ![]() Put your kids in for jr. hunts...the whole fun is getting them out there and enjoying the time with them. The harvest is just extra bonus. I know. Lol. I put I'm for my son and I in the regular hunt. Should have put in for jr. |
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I had some luck in unit 10, north of Williams on Saturday evening. Not a monster but he will taste good. Shot him just a touch over 100 yards, put the bullet right where I wanted it to go, The barns 308 TSX liquefied his lungs, it was a pass through. Very Pretty Country up there My first hunt with the G2 DPMS hunter, its been bloodied now, love this gun. |
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Helped a buddy of mine get this little 3 point 5 minutes into opening morning. <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg</a> 18A <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg</a> Whereabouts were you? Still out here grinding and not seeing shit. |
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Quoted: Whereabouts were you? Still out here grinding and not seeing shit. Quoted: Quoted: Helped a buddy of mine get this little 3 point 5 minutes into opening morning. <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg</a> 18A <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg</a> Whereabouts were you? Still out here grinding and not seeing shit. Just saw this post...I had to go back to work. Seligman is where we hunt. If you're still out there shoot me a PM. |
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oh crap! Just saw this post...I had to go back to work. Seligman is where we hunt. If you're still out there shoot me a PM. Quoted:
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Helped a buddy of mine get this little 3 point 5 minutes into opening morning. <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg</a> 18A <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg</a> Whereabouts were you? Still out here grinding and not seeing shit. Just saw this post...I had to go back to work. Seligman is where we hunt. If you're still out there shoot me a PM. We left yesterday morning. We were not far from you guys. We think we may have stumbled on your gut pile (or what was left of it) yesterday morning. Did your buddy's shot nick the gut on its way out? |
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I just got back. Missed a 3x3 coues over 500yds. Shot just low. But it was an awesome hunt! I glassed up bears (Which were in shooting range), coati, coues, and javalina. I found 1 male bear and a sow with 2 cubs. The Sow and cubs were on a different ridge than the male. Then in the morning on the 2nd day I glassed up a group of Coues does and a coati. The coati was badass! Couldn't get into shooting range of him, he was moving around to fast. Last day we got in on some decent bucks and I was presented with a shot on the younger 3x3 which I shot low on. The other looked to be a decent 4x4.
So now that Coues season is over (Sadly my favorite animal besides elk
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I just got back. Missed a 3x3 coues over 500yds. Shot just low. But it was an awesome hunt! I glassed up bears (Which were in shooting range), coati, coues, and javalina. I found 1 male bear and a sow with 2 cubs. The Sow and cubs were on a different ridge than the male. Then in the morning on the 2nd day I glassed up a group of Coues does and a coati. The coati was badass! Couldn't get into shooting range of him, he was moving around to fast. Last day we got in on some decent bucks and I was presented with a shot on the younger 3x3 which I shot low on. The other looked to be a decent 4x4. So now that Coues season is over (Sadly my favorite animal besides elk ![]() Well shit, let us see them, too!
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I just got back. Missed a 3x3 coues over 500yds. Shot just low. But it was an awesome hunt! I glassed up bears (Which were in shooting range), coati, coues, and javalina. I found 1 male bear and a sow with 2 cubs. The Sow and cubs were on a different ridge than the male. Then in the morning on the 2nd day I glassed up a group of Coues does and a coati. The coati was badass! Couldn't get into shooting range of him, he was moving around to fast. Last day we got in on some decent bucks and I was presented with a shot on the younger 3x3 which I shot low on. The other looked to be a decent 4x4. So now that Coues season is over (Sadly my favorite animal besides elk ![]() What unit? |
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What unit? Quoted:
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I just got back. Missed a 3x3 coues over 500yds. Shot just low. But it was an awesome hunt! I glassed up bears (Which were in shooting range), coati, coues, and javalina. I found 1 male bear and a sow with 2 cubs. The Sow and cubs were on a different ridge than the male. Then in the morning on the 2nd day I glassed up a group of Coues does and a coati. The coati was badass! Couldn't get into shooting range of him, he was moving around to fast. Last day we got in on some decent bucks and I was presented with a shot on the younger 3x3 which I shot low on. The other looked to be a decent 4x4. So now that Coues season is over (Sadly my favorite animal besides elk ![]() What unit? 30A |
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My wife got a nice buck in 4B this morning, spot and stalk with a 26 yard shot! Rifle is a Savage Lady Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor http://<a href=http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/treemite1/IMAG0899_zps5vhct9qh.jpg</a>" /> Awesome! I love unique cartridges, too.
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Quoted: We left yesterday morning. We were not far from you guys. We think we may have stumbled on your gut pile (or what was left of it) yesterday morning. Did your buddy's shot nick the gut on its way out? Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Helped a buddy of mine get this little 3 point 5 minutes into opening morning. <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0121_zps7c869ce8.jpg</a> 18A <a href="http://s166.photobucket.com/user/genesiscom/media/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/IMAG0146_zps0992e465.jpg</a> Whereabouts were you? Still out here grinding and not seeing shit. Just saw this post...I had to go back to work. Seligman is where we hunt. If you're still out there shoot me a PM. We left yesterday morning. We were not far from you guys. We think we may have stumbled on your gut pile (or what was left of it) yesterday morning. Did your buddy's shot nick the gut on its way out? Took out his spine right above the shoulders and hit the ground dead. 330 yard shot uphill with 7mm mag. Where were you guys hunting?...or did you go back this weekend? |
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Quoted: My wife got a nice buck in 4B this morning, spot and stalk with a 26 yard shot! Rifle is a Savage Lady Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor http://<a href=http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/treemite1/IMAG0899_zps5vhct9qh.jpg</a>" /> |
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My wife got a nice buck in 4B this morning, spot and stalk with a 26 yard shot! Rifle is a Savage Lady Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor http://<a href=http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/treemite1/IMAG0899_zps5vhct9qh.jpg</a>" /> nice job!!!! |
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Alas no luck. In fact we didn't see a damn thing. No deer, no droppings, no prints. In fact the freshest set of prints we saw was at least two days old and had already been walked by someone else. We were in 37A down near Owl Head Butte and off Pecan/Deep Well Ranch Rd. Some friends of mine hunting in 37B were having the same luck. A large group of hunters and they reported only 3 doe. |
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Alas no luck. In fact we didn't see a damn thing. No deer, no droppings, no prints. In fact the freshest set of prints we saw was at least two days old and had already been walked by someone else. We were in 37A down near Owl Head Butte and off Pecan/Deep Well Ranch Rd. Some friends of mine hunting in 37B were having the same luck. A large group of hunters and they reported only 3 doe. That's the way it goes. I've never been to that unit, but I've had bum luck more often than not. But, I'll tell you what: when I do find success, it blows all the failures out of my memory! At least for a while, there's nothing like it! |
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Quoted: That's the way it goes. I've never been to that unit, but I've had bum luck more often than not. But, I'll tell you what: when I do find success, it blows all the failures out of my memory! At least for a while, there's nothing like it! Quoted: Quoted: Alas no luck. In fact we didn't see a damn thing. No deer, no droppings, no prints. In fact the freshest set of prints we saw was at least two days old and had already been walked by someone else. We were in 37A down near Owl Head Butte and off Pecan/Deep Well Ranch Rd. Some friends of mine hunting in 37B were having the same luck. A large group of hunters and they reported only 3 doe. That's the way it goes. I've never been to that unit, but I've had bum luck more often than not. But, I'll tell you what: when I do find success, it blows all the failures out of my memory! At least for a while, there's nothing like it! It took me four years of hunting in some really bad units to finally have success. In four years I hadn't fired a single shot and had seen maybe two bucks. On the very last day of my hunt in 2012, I finally got within range of a pair of bucks and dropped the larger one. It made all the frustration and failure worth it, and I can't wait to get back out there again. |
| No luck on the western side of Unit 8 either. We saw three bucks and a mess of does when we were out scouting last weekend. This weekend, nothing. Saw a huge herd of pronghorn, saw a bobcat, no deer. We were going to head south and try the Verde when I got a flat tire on Saturday afternoon. Sunday was thunderstorms all day, didn't want to risk it. I'm going to go out again on Wednesday and Thursday and see what I can see. |
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Unit 22. We had a great hunt. Six hunters = 6 bucks. I got my first this year, so I am thrilled with this little guy. (On the left) 340 yards with a .308 Remington 700 LTR. https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1459293_10205200897086760_7664996386350539246_n.jpg?oh=0979869bc52cdbdf57fb27e84f9ad071&oe=54E27885 https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10343530_10203765578194680_6466834840461581403_n.jpg?oh=600e1b9ce089fda9814b7df27d1e4304&oe=54E54E70 https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/67310_10203766734303582_535870985117572001_n.jpg?oh=00a935cb855a9286b97ea8f665e7a38c&oe=54F22A0F Wow! Talk about a successful trip! |
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Quoted: Unit 22. We had a great hunt. Six hunters = 6 bucks. I got my first this year, so I am thrilled with this little guy. (On the left) 340 yards with a .308 Remington 700 LTR. |
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I got mine! Just got home. Unit was 36A. Bagged a nice three point whitetail yesterday afternoon. It was the middle of the day, so my buddy and I were just driving around doing a little exploring with the occasional stop and glass. We pulled over at a stock tank to take a little break and I decided to set up my binocs and tripod. As soon as I looked through them I saw the characteristic deer head silhouette under an oak tree near the top of a ridge to our East. I had my buddy set up his 15x Zeiss to see if he could confirm what I was seeing and help me determine if it was a buck. After awhile the buck moved his head a few times and we were able to see his rack. At that point, I lased him with my 10x45 Zeiss Victory RF binoculars and he was at about 950 yards line of sight. I began my stalk right at noon. I reached my first potential firing point and ranged him at 479 yards. I decided not to shoot from this point because all I could see was his head and neck and I had grass and small branches in my line of fire that I was worried about deflecting my bullet. I looked around and spotted another potential firing point I could get to while staying outside of his line of sight. The second potential firing point was 420 yards to the target. I had a clear line of sight, but it was all rocks where I was sitting so I couldn't get my shooting sticks to dig in and give me a stable position. I decided to hold off for a better opportunity. To my 2 o'clock was a nice rock outcropping that I knew I could put my pack on and get a nice stable shot from. The only problem was, I would be exposed to his line of sight during the entire movement. He was bedded down so I figured from past experience that it would be unlikely for him to get up and run unless I was right on top of him. I made it into my third and final firing point and got set for the shot. I lased him at 345 yards with a small incline and consulted Strelok for a firing solution. Strelok advised 19 Mils, which jived with the dope I had gotten two days prior. He was laying behind a rock so I could still only see his head and neck. Naturally, I didn't want to shoot him in the head so his neck was my target. That's a pretty small target at that range, plus he was partially obscured by the shadow of the tree he was laying under. Fortunately, there was no wind. I waited for my heart rate to decrease and once everything felt right, I squeezed the trigger. Bang, my scope goes up and then settles back on target. He's still laying there, not even a flick of his ears! I panic and hastily fire again, thinking he is going to get up and unass the AO ricky tick. My scope settles back down and still he is laying there. I'm a bit perplexed at this point. I thought I must have hit him, otherwise the bullet impact should have scared him away. He's still laying down, clearly not interested in leaving so I call up my buddy who is still down below watching through his binoculars. He can't see my impacts, nor did he see any indication of a hit. We both figure I must be high, otherwise the bullets would have hit the rock he was laying behind. I dialed down 1 Mil and held right at the base of his neck. Breath in, hold, take-up the first stage, and squeeze. Bang! My scope goes up and in lower third I see him tumble over. I come back down on target and see him keeled over and not moving. I check my watch. The time is 1:45 pm. The view from my final firing point. http://i59.tinypic.com/2cor7r4.jpg Looking back at our trucks from the kill site. Note the elevation of the nearby ridges in relation to where I took the picture from. http://i61.tinypic.com/16jlt85.jpg My buddy met me at the kill site to help me cut him up and pack him out. The terrain was way too rough to try field dressing him and carry him out in tact so we boned him out. It was almost dark by the time we finished. My buddy leaves for the trucks before I do and we end up taking separate routes. I figure I can follow the canyon down and it would spit me out near where we were parked. I figured wrong. I'm about a third of the way down by the time it is pitch black. I stayed in the canyon, and because I couldn't see my surroundings I didn't know it was leading me Northwest when I needed to be going due West. Long story short, after many signal shots, honking and driving around with his lights on, my buddy picks me up about a half mile north of where we parked. That was at 9:00 pm. I've been deer hunting before, but this is the first time I've been successful. Last year, I hunted whitetail in an adjacent unit and never even saw a buck. I still feel as high as I was out on that ridge and can't wait to go again next year. If you really want to challenge yourself as a hunter, try hunting whitetail in southern AZ. I've got nothing against guys that hunt from blinds and tree stands, and I understand in some areas of the country that stand hunting is necessary, but I don't think that it can even remotely compare to the sense of pride and satisfaction I felt yesterday. I used my 16" LaRue Tactical 7.62 PredatOBR w/ Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50 FFP. My load was a 165 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip atop 44.5 gr. of TAC and a CCI 200 primer in Lapua brass. The bullet entered the base of his neck on the right side and exited about 3" or 4" down from his ear on the left. http://i61.tinypic.com/2cr3rkj.jpg http://i62.tinypic.com/15g58xv.jpg Awesome write up, stalk and shoot. Congrats!
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Quoted: I got mine! Just got home. Unit was 36A. Bagged a nice three point whitetail yesterday afternoon. It was the middle of the day, so my buddy and I were just driving around doing a little exploring with the occasional stop and glass. We pulled over at a stock tank to take a little break and I decided to set up my binocs and tripod. As soon as I looked through them I saw the characteristic deer head silhouette under an oak tree near the top of a ridge to our East. I had my buddy set up his 15x Zeiss to see if he could confirm what I was seeing and help me determine if it was a buck. After awhile the buck moved his head a few times and we were able to see his rack. At that point, I lased him with my 10x45 Zeiss Victory RF binoculars and he was at about 950 yards line of sight. I began my stalk right at noon. I reached my first potential firing point and ranged him at 479 yards. I decided not to shoot from this point because all I could see was his head and neck and I had grass and small branches in my line of fire that I was worried about deflecting my bullet. I looked around and spotted another potential firing point I could get to while staying outside of his line of sight. The second potential firing point was 420 yards to the target. I had a clear line of sight, but it was all rocks where I was sitting so I couldn't get my shooting sticks to dig in and give me a stable position. I decided to hold off for a better opportunity. To my 2 o'clock was a nice rock outcropping that I knew I could put my pack on and get a nice stable shot from. The only problem was, I would be exposed to his line of sight during the entire movement. He was bedded down so I figured from past experience that it would be unlikely for him to get up and run unless I was right on top of him. I made it into my third and final firing point and got set for the shot. I lased him at 345 yards with a small incline and consulted Strelok for a firing solution. Strelok advised 19 Mils, which jived with the dope I had gotten two days prior. He was laying behind a rock so I could still only see his head and neck. Naturally, I didn't want to shoot him in the head so his neck was my target. That's a pretty small target at that range, plus he was partially obscured by the shadow of the tree he was laying under. Fortunately, there was no wind. I waited for my heart rate to decrease and once everything felt right, I squeezed the trigger. Bang, my scope goes up and then settles back on target. He's still laying there, not even a flick of his ears! I panic and hastily fire again, thinking he is going to get up and unass the AO ricky tick. My scope settles back down and still he is laying there. I'm a bit perplexed at this point. I thought I must have hit him, otherwise the bullet impact should have scared him away. He's still laying down, clearly not interested in leaving so I call up my buddy who is still down below watching through his binoculars. He can't see my impacts, nor did he see any indication of a hit. We both figure I must be high, otherwise the bullets would have hit the rock he was laying behind. I dialed down 1 Mil and held right at the base of his neck. Breath in, hold, take-up the first stage, and squeeze. Bang! My scope goes up and in lower third I see him tumble over. I come back down on target and see him keeled over and not moving. I check my watch. The time is 1:45 pm. The view from my final firing point. http://i59.tinypic.com/2cor7r4.jpg Looking back at our trucks from the kill site. Note the elevation of the nearby ridges in relation to where I took the picture from. http://i61.tinypic.com/16jlt85.jpg My buddy met me at the kill site to help me cut him up and pack him out. The terrain was way too rough to try field dressing him and carry him out in tact so we boned him out. It was almost dark by the time we finished. My buddy leaves for the trucks before I do and we end up taking separate routes. I figure I can follow the canyon down and it would spit me out near where we were parked. I figured wrong. I'm about a third of the way down by the time it is pitch black. I stayed in the canyon, and because I couldn't see my surroundings I didn't know it was leading me Northwest when I needed to be going due West. Long story short, after many signal shots, honking and driving around with his lights on, my buddy picks me up about a half mile north of where we parked. That was at 9:00 pm. I've been deer hunting before, but this is the first time I've been successful. Last year, I hunted whitetail in an adjacent unit and never even saw a buck. I still feel as high as I was out on that ridge and can't wait to go again next year. If you really want to challenge yourself as a hunter, try hunting whitetail in southern AZ. I've got nothing against guys that hunt from blinds and tree stands, and I understand in some areas of the country that stand hunting is necessary, but I don't think that it can even remotely compare to the sense of pride and satisfaction I felt yesterday. I used my 16" LaRue Tactical 7.62 PredatOBR w/ Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50 FFP. My load was a 165 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip atop 44.5 gr. of TAC and a CCI 200 primer in Lapua brass. The bullet entered the base of his neck on the right side and exited about 3" or 4" down from his ear on the left. http://i61.tinypic.com/2cr3rkj.jpg http://i62.tinypic.com/15g58xv.jpg Nice!!!! |

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