AZ hunting

23 sir.

 

If anyone is looking for a pair of swaro 15s or swaro scopes and spotters hit me up. I’m placing my pre-shot show order, I’ll save you a few hundred on your optics.

 

Thanks. I have my first ever Javelina hunt at end of february in 18b. I’ve been a small game hunter most of my life, starting to move up the animal chain.

If anyone has any tips for 18b, I’m open to suggestions.

 

Looks like Swaro is going to have some sales during and after SHOT if anyone is interested. Hearing they will be focused on Scopes and Spotters but may have binos on special too.

 

Did some quail hunting outside of Ajo.

 

I see 2 doves in there! I like to eat both dove and quail! Looks tasty!

 

Ok, so here's a rundown of my first archery season: first off, the reason I bought a bow is because I saw the biggest coues deer I've ever seen in my life in 38m (archery only unit). Not only do I not expect to ever take a deer like him, I don't even expect I'll ever lay eyes on one in his class again. He was a true world class animal. So I started looking into getting a bow and the wife and I decided it was a worthy investment considering all the additional opportunities it would give me to get into the field.

Fast forward to hunting season, I struck out on rifle deer so I picked up an OTC deer tag for December and headed out to where I saw the buck I call the "king of the foothills". The weekend before the season opened I spotted up two bucks in the predawn light about 150 yards from my truck. I continued on to the next hill over and a herd of javelina fed right into me. I had about 6 of them within 10 yards but this area is so dense with vegetation that I only actually saw two of them. As the season opened I tried to become an ambush hunter. The vegetation density makes it near impossible to spot and stalk so my best chance was to sit on a wash and wait. I quickly found that I'm just not the type of hunter who can sit in one place for 6-8 hours. Maybe 2 1/2 max! I had a series of hearing deer alarm or just run off just before I could see them, or spotting them from 100+ yards off and never seeing them again. By Christmas Eve I had pretty much decided that this was not going to be a productive area for me to hunt. Trophies (like the king of the foothills) are all good and well but I'm trying to bring food home to my family, spike or world record- it's the meat that really matters. On the way back to the truck that day I spooked a jackrabbit who decided to take cover behind a cholla cactus. I could see his ear, I took a couple steps to the side and ducked down and I saw his yellow eye through a 2" window in the cactus. I ranged it at 17 1/2 yards. Put my 20 yard pin in the window and let fly. I heard it flop a few times and then nothing. I made a perfect head shot through that narrow window!The broadhead cut the jugular and cut the brain in half. It was dead before it hit the ground. When I discovered it was a male I thought there was a kind of poetry to it. I got my first kill with my bow and my first buck, and I figured that maybe that was the only buck I was ever going to get out of this area.

After Christmas morning festivities the next day I headed up to saddlebrook in u it 33. I found exactly what I was looking for... a high ridge line with lower ones rolling out below and sparse enough vegitation to glass animals from 1/2 a mile or better. I glassed up a group of doe's way out and decided to go see if there was a spike with them. I got close enough to confirm they were all doe's and decided to head back to the truck as I was losing daylight. I dropped into the last wash before the truck and started heading up the wash. Looked up and saw a group of 8 mule deer staring at me, one was a 2×2 buck. I headed up the ridge fast and loud as there was only 10 minutes till sunset. I lost the light before I could get into range of the buck. They never spooked but they didn't stay still either as they definitely knew I was there. I headed home with good feelings about how I was going to spend new year's weekend. When I got there on Saturday morning I discovered that this is a VERY popular area. The next 3 days were a series of glassing bucks that were running with herds of anywhere from 2 or 3 up to 30 doe, getting to within 150 yards and watching for hours, waiting for them to bed. I put on multiple stalks, most were blown by other hunters coming over a ridge line and spooking them. One was blown by me when a group of doe's started feeding along the trail I was crawling on. The closest one was 10 yards out when she heard me move to get off the trail... and just like that- 30 deer got the hell out of Dodge in a hurry. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot but I went home empty handed. This buck was the one you could say I spent the most time with... and he's the only one I took pics of. Not great pics but he was a very nice looking 3×3 and had about 20 doe with him. The herd was spooked by something (not sure what) after I spent about 2 1/2 hours waiting for him to quit chasing tail and bed down. I ran after them, trying to head them off but never got there. The buck however kept stopping to make sure all his ladies were safe and ended up at the back of the pack, standing on a ridge line alone. I was about 100 yards from him when another hunter spooked them back the way they came. Never saw them again.

I decided not to go out for javelina on New year's Day. I was in a shitty mood after not getting a deer in rifle or bow season and I felt like if I did get a javelina it would feel like a shitty consultation prize instead of an achievement and a trophy. I don't ever want to hunt in that frame of mind, so I didn't. I was on call last weekend so today was my first chance at a javelina. I headed back to 38m and was able to locate the herd I'd seen twice while deer hunting there. I was 20 yards out when some hikers spooked them. I got back on them and had one at 15 yards but with a bush between us. We woofed back and forth at eachother for a few minutes as I tried to maneuver a clear shot. No dice, he spooked. I started to follow when I saw the rest of the herd heading up the next hill over. I ranged one broadside at 50 yards. There were some small branches in the way but I figured fuck it, we've been playing this game for 1/2 an hour at this point and my adrenaline is starting really affect my fine muscle control. I let fly and watched them as they trotted off. I retrieved my arrow... no blood- clean miss. I got 20 yards into following them when I heard a noise behind me. I looked and saw the last member of the herd trotting up behind me, late to the party. I had an open shot to either side of a cholla cactus. I decided it was close enough to 20 yards to skip the rangefinder. He stepped through the first gap as I drew my bow. I took two steps backward and put the pin where I expected to see him. As soon as he stepped out I touched off the arrow. I saw that it was a solid hit and saw the arrow skip off the dirt behind him and keep going. I closed in on where I'd shot him and found the tracks where he pivoted, then I heard him trying to breath. He hadn't gone far. I didn't want to spook it into a chase so I looked around. There was no blood pools but it looked more like arterial spray on the dirt, just a fine spray reaching several feet from the tracks. I gave it about 15 minutes and I found him 50 feet from where I shot him.

I didn't get a deer but it feels really good to score a win and take my first big game animal with a bow! His quarters and trimmed meat are in the fridge now and I'll butcher him tomorrow with my family. I guess I can call myself a real bow hunter now!

 

Is that a j-13 javelina call around your neck there? How does it work for you?

 

Right On! Great job with your first big game animal with archery gear! It’s a great accomplishment and like I’ve said Javelina are some of the most fun with archery equipment.

Great summary of the mental aspect of hunting as well. I’ve felt similar at times going through highs and lows and ask myself do I really want to get out there and go after certain critters?

I really have 2 criteria prior to and after a hunt., that I ask myself. Did I have fun? Did I learn something new? 90+ % of the time , I answer “yes” to both questions and I call that success.

Always fun to witness a world class animal. Glad you got the opportunity and helps pass the down time and increase the motivation for what I call “luck”- “where preparation meets opportunity”.

My first big game archery animal was a 5x6 Pope and Young bull elk (2004). So after that I too said , hey it all came together , but I’m still a meat eater. In the end you can’t eat antlers. LOL.

Yep, that’s the ol’ J13. I have used it with mixed results. Sometimes they bolt. Other times they have circled back around. Another tactic that is not used very often is to “woof” them. Just make a “woof, woof” sound at low decibels. That is more of challenge and sometimes they will engage, meaning turn around and come towards you. I find if you have 2 archers the J13 can be effective. Usually after 1 person flings an arrow they will scatter and the call has the opportunity to bring them back.

I’ve only had the weekends to hunt, so we’ve had some sketchy weather. Although I did locate a real nice Muley buck, but he had 8 does in his harem.

 

@mbmack1 what broad head are you using ?

 

Thank you! It definitely felt good to make my first big game kill with a bow. Honestly, the shot happened so fast I was almost shocked when it was over. I had it in my head that there was going to be this big work-up to the shot with having to work at controling my breathing and trying to steady the bow sight like I do during practice, but when I saw that javelina trotting up behind me and I knew he was headed to an open shooting lane, those hunter instincts just took over and it was almost like sighting down a dove when you only have a second to get on it and fire. I drew and got into position and as soon as he stepped out I banged the release. No shaking or second guessing. I didn't even have time to make sure the bow was level and that the peep was aligned with the sight housing... just drew and fired. I told my wife that I was lucky I had practiced enough that muscle memory put that arrow where it needed to be. I'm definitely going to be putting in some serious time with the bow in the off season to make sure I continue to develop that skill set.

I hear ya 100% on the highs and lows. Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to succeed and it makes it hard to see the fun part of it. I look at the money for equipment and tags and the time I spend away from my family as an investment and I try my damnest to make a return on that investment. But fortunately, my wife was raised in a hunting family and she fully supports and encourages all of my exploits in hunting and she also understands that sometimes I'm going to come back empty handed. Her attitude and understanding help me to ease up a bit and enjoy it the way I should when things aren't going my way.

Every time I go out, it becomes apparent to me how much I still have to learn, but that's ok, as long as I keep absorbing every experience. I hope to never stop learning and always have the love for the experience of the hunt, not just the moment of success.

It must have felt incredible to make P&Y on your first kill! That's awesome. Probably hard to temper your expectations for awhile after that one, huh? Lol

Good to know about the j-13. I have one but I haven't used it yet. If I was unable to locate this herd, I was going to attempt a blind call just to see what happened. I'm also wondering about potentially calling in predators with it. It seems like it could be effective for bears or mountain lions.

I had a chance to woof twice on this stalk. The first time was when the hikers spooked them, I woofed as the last one went through an opening and it paused, but only it's hind quarters were exposed, so I let it go and continued the stalk after they settled. When I was woofing at the one that I had at 15 yards he was definitely curious and wanted to see who was talking to him. He'd step toward me once or twice after I woofed and then woof back at me and wait. If I didn't respond, he would start to turn and walk after a few seconds, but another woof from me would turn him back around. It was a very cool experience! But in the end, I think I got too loud in my excitement, and that was when he spooked and trotted off. Lesson learned... control your actions in the heat of the moment. Haha

As it turns out, I'm not done with my bow season just yet. I was invited to go on a coues hunt this coming Saturday with an old hunting buddy of me and my dad. We all used to rifle hunt together (20+ years ago, when i was in my teens) and apparently he's really big into bow hunting and using trail cams. I told my dad that I hadn't planned on bow hunting deer this month because I didn't want to miss rifle hunting with him this fall but he said I should go and learn as much as I can from an experienced bow hunter and I could always spot for him and my brother in law in the fall. So I'm headed out to the Santa Rita's on Saturday where we (him, really) will attempt to rattle and grunt some coues bucks in. He's got a ground blind he built out there overlooking some trails and says there's some buck scrapes near by. I'm hopeful that I may yet bring home a buck this season, but mostly I'm excited to hang out with an old hunting buddy and to learn from someone who's forgotten more about hunting then I've ever known. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Good luck on your hunt, I'm thinking the weather will be a bit more clear this weekend. Hopefully that will help us both.

I'm using slick trick standard 4 blade fixed broadheads. Before I even bought my bow I decided that I wanted to use fixed blades, applying the k.i.s.s. theory, it just seemed like there's less to go wrong with no moving parts. And I read dozens of reviews on these broadheads that said they fly just like field points so that made up my mind. True to their reputation, they fly just like field points so there is no need to resight my bow when I go hunting. The shot on the javelina was a double lung. The arrow made a clean pass through, without hesitation and I eventually found it about 45' past where it hit the animal. When I gutted him, I found that both lungs were completely flattened, not full of blood like I've found after a bullet on some occasions, so he suffocated quickly, as opposed to drowning in his own blood. Based off this first kill, and their accuracy in relation to field points, I like what I see.

What do you use? Any thoughts or advice on what I've said about these broadheads?

Dinner was butterflyed javelina heart (to respect the old ways) and a cut off the rear quarter (to try the flavour of the meat before deciding how to cook the rest of it). The only seasonings I used were olive oil, salt and pepper, cooked on a cast iron skillet on a gas range. The heart tasted like heart. Lol. The meat I found to be interesting. The grain and texture were pleasing. There was a bit of gaminess, kinda tasted like they smell, but it was not overpowering and I feel like the right seasonings will cover it without much effort.

We saved the tender loins and backstraps for grilling, kept the hams for the crock pot and will use the front quarters as blade roasts. The rest went into the grind bowl and we've got about 6 1/2 lbs of that, which will probably become chorizo.

 

Hey if you are getting good groups with those broadheads I would stick with them.

I started out using the 3 blade 100 grain muzzy fixed blades. Then switched to the Muzzy 4 blade 100grain. But last year I needed a change. I’ve been shooting them for over 15 years. I decided to switch to the Montec G5 Carbon/Steel 100 grain 3 blade. I’ve been getting some nice groups and I like the simplicity of not having to construct the blade. Muzzy you remove the tricar tip and place the blades in there and tighten. I honestly haven’t killed anything with the Montec’s but I have confidence they will do the trick.

Since I started bowhunting in 2001 the expandable blades have gained great popularity and I’ve seen some quick clean kills with them, but I do prefer the fixed blades myself.

Nice job on the prep and presentation of the food. That is really a fun part of hunting , experimenting with the game that you’ve taken and enjoying the possibilities.

Best of luck this weekend.

 

Nice Geese! Those are big !
Az

 

Thank you. Hunting waterfowl in AZ is definitely different. Last year managed two snows but nothing even close to these canadians... counting down the days to next years season already.

But for now, trying to give quail hunting a go until the season ends shortly.

 

Nicely done! Birds have been a little spotty from time to time. I had decent luck up in the white mountains and also in the rivers down here. I think I'm at over 100 quackers and about 5 honkers. This has been a decent year, last year I didn't get anywhere near 100 quackers.

 

Wow nice work! Last year I got about 100 ducks 2 snows. This year I got about 25 ducks 2 Canadians

Sounds like you killed it! Hopefully next year brings another healthy bird migration

 

Can someone explain to me why trapping in AZ Sucks?

 

How have the AZ archers been doing with deer and javelina?

 

I can say I had a blast. No arrows flung , but new country discovered. Also learned where there are pigs located in one year, they may not be there the next.
Oh and Mother Nature reigns supreme!
Loved all the snow and rain .
Just not the wind so much ! Lol

 

Those are some beautiful scenery shots!