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in reply to: Guy's that take their bows in kayaks/canoes… #9123

LOVE my kayak(14ft freedom hawk, stand-up fishing kayak), best money I’ve ever spent(being towed toward open ocean off of Rhode Island by a monster Striped bass(52lbs) was a high-light on a flyrod hehehe…)

I have never hunted from a kayak, but from a canoe I took no special precautions, besides a trip to a carwash to rinse saltwater off kayak on the way home, and the sink at home to rinse gear…

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in reply to: Man can live on peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches #8278

Peanut butter and cheddar cheese on a bagel travels good in the pack, at least 3liters of water for a day trip, instant coffee, 2hour sterno…

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in reply to: Ready for Deer Season #62550

Thank You DocNoc and MHay… When I first hunted this mountain range, comeing from NY where we hunted 1300acs and thought that was a massive piece, I was overwhlemed by the sheer size and varied terrain of the Santa Ritas. By taking small chunks and walking them in a grid, I have learned the better travel areas and some knowledge of the Coues that inhabit this amazing range.

I have spent the most time centered on Madera Canyon for the past few years just because it is the most scenic, the Deer numbers are highest, hunter pressure is lowest, but I have hunted most of the westeren slope…

I still find old silver/gold diggings and Indian camps every year, so the Mt’s still have alot to give…

(This is the busy time of the year for the smugglers, so Safety and situational awareness are paramount…)

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in reply to: Backcountry College #6 – "keeping warm" #58691

Great series Clay, Thank You…

I would add that neck gaiters, from Buff, come in all thicknesses and colors, can be used as a face mask or over the head (I wear a bush hat(old habits die-hard) with burlap strips, they arent very warm but with the Buff’s you get the heat retention)…

Also I’m never without at least two shamagh’s, regardless of the temps, their uses are endless…

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in reply to: Bear spray videos #54043

We have A LOT of black bears here in AZ, very cool that it is rare to find one is totaly black in color, most are blonde, or dark red colored in the Santa Ritas…

I’m always armed in the Mountains (more for the 2-legged criminals), but I do carry bear spray also and I have system I haven’t tried but I think will work…

If it seems I’m about to become a bears chew-toy, I’ll take a deep breath, close my eyes and blast the pepper-spray from my head to my waist… And hope the bear doesn’t like spicy treats…

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in reply to: Are The Young Hunters Out There? #54025

Buddies kids in NY hunt, rifle and wheelies… Their wives used to hunt, now they can’t wait for deerseason so they can go shopping or get dressed in camo and go to local gin-mill for lunch and a drink hehehe…

I got to point some teenagers to some Coues this august early bow season, were very up-standing young guys, one got a nice Coues,they really liked my recurve so there is hope they will change over to trad….

I think if the parents hunt, the kids will for the most part at least think about trying it… But out of 7kids in my family, I’m the only one that still hunts now…

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in reply to: Rookie Mistakes #52112

Thought I made a mistake once… I was wrong…

Taking boots off to make a stalk and not being able to find them.. makes for a tough walk off the mountain in Arizona and I never found those boots…

Setting a stand WAY to close to a scrape, but it was the only tree I could use, figured I would surely get a shot before a buck hit the scrape… Wrong!!! a super Coues at 5FEET and no way to take a shot…

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in reply to: How long before your first harvest? #51932

The first deer I ever shot at, 8years old with a bundle bow made of sapplings and bailing twine string, field-point on an old cedar arrow of Dads…

Hunting with trad gear is different then with a wheelie, the draw is what messes most up when they switch over. Your not making the draw and holding while waiting for an open/nice angle with trad-gear. You have to make that move and not be busted. Either the deer is already in the correct spot/angle(quartering away, un-alerted), or a slooow, smoooth draw gets it done…About half of my practice is doing a very slow draw with the bow up with minimal movement…Yes I will shoot while they are walking..

And forget the grunt/bleat to stop the deer, all your doing is putting them on alert at the moment of truth…

I also never set my bow down or hang it, always have an arrow on the string, even when walking, just the way I’ve always done it…

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in reply to: Field Photos #39069

Holy Cow Mark, I checked-out the Sony rx100, price of 750.00 and not water-proof??? I have a camera with me everyday and am hard on them, they get beat-up and after busting another Kodak I looked for a tougher cam. The Fuji XP water proof is 120.00ish, pretty tough (I got a back-up Fuji for a bonefishing trip to Belize last year and lucky me I needed it as my older camera bit-the-dust first day after an underwater photo, but it was 3years old), handy with silent operation and gets the job done…

My only beef with the XP is that it can turn on alittle to easy while in the pocket, it will turn off automatic after like 1min…

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in reply to: Field Photos #37224

Yeah, we get snow in So. Arizona, last year during January Bow season…

Santa Ritas, looking toward Mount Wrightston…

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in reply to: Field Photos #37205

I carry my Fuji water-proof camera everyday, small, light and takes great photos…(I have some great underwater photos of trout and my trips to Belize(bonefish)). My daily wear pants are 5.11’s and the camera fits nice in the leg pocket…

Big, fresh rub in NY…

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in reply to: Lamentations #35732

I must visit the same site Forager, some of the questions, posts from the tree asking for advice, and the quest for the hottest, newest gear simply amaze me. The trad forum gets 5 replys to a hunters post, but let someone ask about 1 or nocks and their into 2pages of replys from the ‘experts”.

Individual woodsmanship is sorely lacking in A LOT of folks that carry a bow/crossbow,other arms into the woods and forests, it is not something that can be learned from a TV show, youtube or a forum. Hints, ideas, methods maybe, but you have to “live it’ to be it…

I only shoot mature Deer now, my choice, but it doesn’t distract from my enjoyment of the hunt, being there channeling my inner hunter, seeing the sights of nature, using my skills,is my enjoyment.

. I do post photos after the hunt, share my thoughts on the where/when/how in the spirit of helping another hunter.

Mark, I feel the same about this site, a great membership of folks that can share their love of not only the outdoors, hunting with trad gear, but without all the drama… (Though that thread on “Yoga’ did make me do a double-take hehehe)

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in reply to: Deep Woods Hunt #29843

While I love hunting our land in NY, a mix of corn, alfalfa, swamps, streams, cedar and hardwoods, and over-grown fields, it is only 800acs.

I really love the mountains of So. Arizona, to be able to strike off in any direction and not have to think about any borders, just going where my instincts take me, allows me to enjoy the hunt that much more.

Finding old mines,and indian camp sites adds to the wonder.. And when I do find that hidden spot with seeping water, oak trees dropping acorns like hail-stones, and beaten down game trails, it confirms my inner-hunter is alive and well…

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in reply to: Hunting Pressure in All It's Forms. #22152

Makes me glad to live in Az with all of it’s National Forests, but there still are problems with that also, cant leave stands over-night, road shooters, etc… But if willing/able to get off the beaten trails there is some prime country to explore…

Our land in Ny is different, trespassing, night/road shooting, cost… But we make it work…

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in reply to: Backcountry College #4 – navigation 1 #22141

Thank You Clay for a great series… Land Nav is very important to those of us that travel off the beaten path and venture into new places…

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