Northwest Nevada Antelope Hunt

 My dad and I drove 14 hours to NW Nevada for an antelope hunt this past week. It was fun to discover the hidden treasures within this vast and rugged landscape. This part of Nevada is very remote and we ended up staying in Cedarville, CA, the closest civilized town that had a gas station, etc. The huge valleys and vistas surrounding the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge was beautiful and something I will not soon forget.

 The Sheldon refuge protects over 900 square miles of wildlife habitat in the NW corner of the state and is home to pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, huge muleys, and many other forms of wildlife. This refuge is the heart of the high desert and a place few people visit.

 The remains of old homesteads and ranches were scattered throughout the valleys and a good reminder of the hearty pioneers that came before us.

 Free roaming horses frequent refuge waterholes and are a tremendous impact on the range and environment. These horses are at the heart of controversy within this region since they compete with native wildlife for water and food. 

Check out of camp #1 location...

 An unfortunate sparrow flew into my mirrow and remained straddled around my mirror through Utah and Nevada...

 Bruce found some cool rocks on the trip from Gran...these rocks (forgot the name) resembled glass and were used to make arrow heads, etc during primitive times.

 Around the turn of the 20th century, pronghorn (antelope) populations were dwindling in North America. Conservation efforts, such as the establishment of refuges, have helped them rebound. Large numbers of pronghorn gather around the perimeter of the refuge in late summer and fall. Although this goat had no clue I was around, these animals rely on keen eyesight and remarkable speed for safety.

Sonora, Mexico Coues Deer Hunt 2011

 Here are a few pictures from our recent Coues Whitetail hunt. The Coues white-tailed deer is one of the smallest deer in America. Coues deer stand around 28-32 inches tall at the shoulder and measure about 56 inches (1426 mm) from head to tail. A large field-dressed buck will rarely exceed 80-90 lbs. (although some can exceed 100 pounds) and a doe tends to weigh about 65 lbs. The Coues deer varies in color from a grayish coat in winter to a more reddish-brown color in the summer and they are very difficult to find.


Jacob and I drove to Mexico over the MLK Weekend and hunted these ‘gray ghosts’ with Tucson Native, Todd George. We had a great time and enjoyed many great glassing sessions. Jacob chased Javelinas with his bow and wants to go back again next year. Enjoy the pictures!

Pastor Manny's 2010 Nebraska Whitetail Hunt

Manny Parks, pastor of Faith Bible Chapel (http://www.faithbiblechapel.com/), sent me a few pictures of his latest Nebraska deer hunt. Once again, Manny was successful and harvested a very respectable buck. Although Manny looks very happy in these pictures, I can assure you that his greatest pleasure rests with the camaraderie he developed with his family and new hunting partner, Travis Brenner. Travis tagged a double in the first 20 minutes of the hunt and developed some memories that he will not soon forget. It is awesome to have a pastor who loves to hunt!  Thanks for sharing. 

 

CJ Ripka's late season bull

CJ Ripka harvested this respectable bull in Northern AZ on the late season rifle hunt.  CJ is an outstanding student-athlete at Page HS. Congratulations CJ!

2010 Fall Hunting Pictures

Duane Hempsted harvested this nice ram on his recent Navajo Lands hunt.  The ram scored just over 150". Congratulations Duane

12 A West buck 2010

John Tkalcevic harvested this nice buck on the late 12A East hunt. John, a retired P.E teacher and wrestling/football coach from Page HS, was recently selected to the AZ Coaching Hall of Fame. It looks like John's grandson, Anthony, had a good time on the hunt. 

 Jen Keisling, killed this nice 180 class buck on the 12B late hunt this year. Jen is pretty good at drawing late dear tags and has taken several nice animals in Northern AZ. Although Jen is a good shot, she benefits from having a close relationship with one of the finest guides in our region.  Thanks for sharing the pictures

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Damion Thomas harvested this respectable bull on the late season archery hunt in Northern AZ. This was Damion's first archery hunt and he hunted very hard to take this bull with his bow.

Charles Berry's 2010 Unit 70 Buck

My brother drew a unit 70 mule deer tag and harvested this respectable four-point. According to Charles, the deer were plentiful and he passed on several bucks before harvesting this one. My dad accompanied Charles on the hunt and it sounds like they had a good time.

12A West early season hunt

Carrie Crowther from Flagstaff, AZ

Eileen Stubbs

Lance Crowther from Flagstaff, AZ

Kiabab Mule Deer Hunt (early)

Aaron Anderson sent me a few pictures of his brother and nephew from the 12A East early rifle hunt.  Although the Kiabab produces many great bucks, the 'Indian Summer' weather made the hunting extremely difficult, with only a few mature bucks taken on the east side.  Congratulations guys!

AZ Strip Bucks

oink, oink....I don't know much about these bucks other than they were taken on the strip in 2010.

Cole Hyson...2010 Mule Deer

Cole Hyson took this buck near his home in Durango, CO.  According to Cole, the buck's left back hoof and right ear were damaged. Perhaps the deer was caught in a fence or tangled with a mountain lion.  Pretty cool buck regardless.

SW Colorado, 2010

Dan Hererra sent me these pictures this past week.  These mule deer were taken in SW Colorado.

Colorado Elk

I don't know too much about this bull, but I thought I would post it. The caption stated that it was a 450 class bull, but I doubt it.  Maybe a high fence hunt?

Kiabab Muzzleloader Hunt

Although the deer hunting was extremely slow, the scenery was awesome.