Deer Hunt In the South Western U.S.

[etprescottuk]

I drew a deer tag this year in Arizona, not always easy to do, for any antlered deer that would be either a white tail or mule deer. Tags are dispensed by lottery and getting a tag only means you have an opportunity to hunt deer in such a vast landscape deer can be hard to get a shot at.
So last week I camped out for four days and nights, slept in a tent, spent sunrise and sundown on mountain ridges in the wind cold and rain. I saw three doe's lots of quail a few jack rabbits and one tarantula.
So here are a few pics for anyone who would like to see a change of scenery. I found some Native American pictographs on some rocks, not a documented site as this was just another pile of rocks in the middle of nowhere in a very vast landscape.

[etprescottuk]

A few more pics

[Blu]

Cool pics buddy, did you get your buck?

Blu

[Watcher]

I would so love to do that; the whole wilderness camping and hunting thing. Its just TFD in the UK.

[etprescottuk]

Cool pics buddy, did you get your buck?

Blu

No, unfortunately did not get the buck, only saw the three different doe, prohibited from taking. Turned into a camping trip, perhaps next year.

[Blu]

I wasn't even aware that it was a lottery system for a buck tag in Arizona, so what is the score with doe tags? Are there any to be had or is it a complete ban on taking does. Here in Michigan one just needs to pop along to the local KMart to pick up a doe tag, buck tags are bought online after which the DNR sends it out and it takes maybe two or three days to arrive.

Blu

[etprescottuk]

I wasn't even aware that it was a lottery system for a buck tag in Arizona, so what is the score with doe tags? Are there any to be had or is it a complete ban on taking does. Here in Michigan one just needs to pop along to the local KMart to pick up a doe tag, buck tags are bought online after which the DNR sends it out and it takes maybe two or three days to arrive.

Blu

Blu doe are never taken in Arizona, we have an abundance of game though it's just not the same kind of country you have in Michigan. Game birds such as dove and quail can be hunted much of the year, most everything else is by lottery. From time to time there are unfilled javelina tags (similar to a wild pig, but not a pig) that can be bought over the counter. The state is also divided into zones for the tag drawn as many areas are much more abundant with game than other areas. The pics I posted are deceptive, that vegetation is much more dense and taller that a person would realize, the area is so vast hard to put it in scale, also even the areas that look flat are covered by stream beds and gullies chocked with vegetation, lots of places for game to hide.
Next year I hope to draw an elk tag for the elk found in the higher elevation northern mountainous part of the state, much harder to draw but worth the expense and elk is better tasting and will provide hundreds of pounds of meat.
Bet you did not know Arizona has several thousand wild bison (Buffalo) the herd started in 1913 from Yellowstone bison after we were granted statehood. Buffalo (bison) is a once in a lifetime draw, meaning only one in your life and it's a $750.00 dollar tag though a sure kill as once the herd is located taking the bison is not that difficult. When drawing a bison tag one needs to be ready to have the cape turned into a rug and have it properly butchered and own a freezer as that is a lot of good meat.

Included another pic of some turn of the century cowboy/miner graffiti I found on some boulders, the state is rich in hidden history. (we know J.P. Gill whoever he was was there on 10-15-1919)

[Blu]

I wasn't even aware that it was a lottery system for a buck tag in Arizona, so what is the score with doe tags? Are there any to be had or is it a complete ban on taking does. Here in Michigan one just needs to pop along to the local KMart to pick up a doe tag, buck tags are bought online after which the DNR sends it out and it takes maybe two or three days to arrive.

Blu

Blu doe are never taken in Arizona, we have an abundance of game though it's just not the same kind of country you have in Michigan. Game birds such as dove and quail can be hunted much of the year, most everything else is by lottery. From time to time there are unfilled javelina tags (similar to a wild pig, but not a pig) that can be bought over the counter. The state is also divided into zones for the tag drawn as many areas are much more abundant with game than other areas. The pics I posted are deceptive, that vegetation is much more dense and taller that a person would realize, the area is so vast hard to put it in scale, also even the areas that look flat are covered by stream beds and gullies chocked with vegetation, lots of places for game to hide.
Next year I hope to draw an elk tag for the elk found in the higher elevation northern mountainous part of the state, much harder to draw but worth the expense and elk is better tasting and will provide hundreds of pounds of meat.
Bet you did not know Arizona has several thousand wild bison (Buffalo) the herd started in 1913 from Yellowstone bison after we were granted statehood. Buffalo (bison) is a once in a lifetime draw, meaning only one in your life and it's a $750.00 dollar tag though a sure kill as once the herd is located taking the bison is not that difficult. When drawing a bison tag one needs to be ready to have the cape turned into a rug and have it properly butchered and own a freezer as that is a lot of good meat.

Included another pic of some turn of the century cowboy/miner graffiti I found on some boulders, the state is rich in hidden history. (we know J.P. Gill whoever he was was there on 10-15-1919)

About the bison herd, actually I heard about them, a friend of mine up here worked in AZ at one time and he was telling me about how he and some folks down there saw them. I've visited AZ a couple of times in the past so I have some idea of what you mean when you say don't be fooled by the flat looking landscape. The Inscriptions on the rocks are really cool, I wonder what became of J.P Gill and the rest of those guys. Did you inscribe your name on the rocks? Hey who knows, if you have folks in the 22nd century might just wonder what became of you.

My wife found the photos of the Indian drawings interesting as she is really into the Indian history thing, she has quite the collection of small artefacts she has found over the years. She always checks with the local authorities and museums about keeping such things if we are out of State, Michigan she already knows what she can keep and what she must hand in for research and investigation.

Looks like you had a great time even if you didn't harvest a buck. It's deer season here at the moment, I'm not a trophy hunter as such and over the last couple of days I have past up a couple of two year old doe's and their yearlings as well as a spike buck. I prefer to take the older 3 - 4 year old doe's and give the younger ones a chance to thrive some and mate. I have a buck tag and if one happens to wander in, well the way I see it is his meat is as good as doe meat with the added bonus of the antlers but as I say I don't go out of my way to harvest bucks for the antlers. Hell even if I get nothing I'm not disappointed as I love being out there in the fresh air and just watching nature go by, it's amazing what one will see just by sitting still for a while and watching. Yesterday morning I had a flock of turkeys walk right by me not ten feet away, how come they are never that bold come turkey season?

Thanks for sharing Bro.

Blu

[whoowhoop]

That looks like the sort of country where a good dog would be very handy.
Certainly keep you fit covering that sort of terrain, and some real memories to treasure, I'm sure.

To think I only need 6 numbers......

[Scotsgun]

Great pics.

Whoowhoop makes a good point. Don't you ever use dogs for finding deer. A good GSP or even a lab can track deer.