Arizona, 2023 time to apply Here is what my friend got!

[DonMartin]

Its time to apply in Arizona for deer tags and I wanted to share why maybe you might want to apply for Unit 13A this year.

My good friend and fellow Kingman resident Joe Herrero drew a tag last year--tag 34 out of 35 I think in 13A, and having never hunted there before, asked me if I would go with him as I have guided in this unit before.

Also on the hunt was Joe's son, Jimmy, who is one heck of a glasser.

We saw a lot of bucks the first few days, and a major snow storm really made things tough to get around.

On Day 3 we spotted this buck and off we went.

Unfortunately, another guide was watching us, and when we took off so did he. He started to follow us.

Joe spotted the buck with his does and him and Jimmy were heading out after them when the other guide drove up. I motioned for him to stop as his old Dodge diesel was clanking and banging while the guys were heading up the hill. He turned off his truck for a short time, then started it up and started to go around me.

I told him, "Stop, the guys are after a buck," and the driver replied, "Then go kill him," and went around me. The loud truck spooked the herd and Joe didn't get a shot.

We continued to look around for over an hour in the area and Joe spotted some deer in the brush. I saw what looked like two bucks behind some brush, but when it stood up, I knew it was the buck we were after.

Joe shot it and the huge buck's antlers measures just over 35 inches wide.

I'm applying for 13A and you should too if this is the kind of buck you'd like to see.

Oh, another Kingman resident who was up there on her first mule deer hunt, asked if I would stay and help glass after Joe was don.

We saw more nice bucks and she took this one on Day 7.

Here are a couple of bucks that were passed. How big will they be this year?

 

[HntHrdr]

Congrats on some great bucks! Can’t wait to hunt AZ in a couple years

 

[Brushbuster]

Congrats on some great bucks! Can’t wait to hunt AZ in a couple years

Couple hundred years for me.

Congrats on those awesome bucks

 

[HntHrdr]

Couple hundred years for me.

Congrats on those awesome bucks

I won’t be hunting anything premier, family has land around Prescott and Kirkland, it’s not a high point tag

 

[270Whatelse]

Wait 20 years for a tag so you can road hunt?

 

[BeDawg]

Thanks for the write up. Good luck on getting the tag to everyone. No secret that 13 A has booners shot every year!

 

[DonMartin]

Wait 20 years for a tag so you can road hunt?

FYI, buck was spotted from a long distance by glassing from a high point. We moved towards him as he was close to an old two-track.

We were lucky to re-locate him about an hour later as we were driving out.

As a guy once told me, "Be grateful when you get lucky" and I agree.

By the way BOTH of these bucks were located by glassing from a high point and they were a long ways off.

 

[money]

Wait 20 years for a tag so you can road hunt?

So you spend 20 years getting a tag. You go on the hunt and while hunting you happen to see a trophy animal from your vehicle. I take it your sticking your nose up at that animal because it's not pure hunting if you see if from the truck at any point and doesn't fit your high standard of hunting? Give me a break!

On the Strip (and many other areas in the west) it is very common to see giant deer from the truck or while glassing only 50-100 yards from the truck. Doesn't take away from the hunt or quality of animal.

Hunt big animals where they are! If that is close to a road so be it. I grew up in some of the best public land elk hunting on planet earth and lots of giant bulls get killed very close to roads and can be driven to and loaded whole in the truck. And despite that, it's still some amazing elk hunting and as fun as anything else out there. To act like an animal or hunt is less than because a road is involved is laughable. Not to mention some of my favorite memories are from times that something happens unexpectedly and an animal is spotted from the road in a spot that was overlooked or missed. I even jumped a really big Coues deer one time that was bedded under a main highway bridge. If I was hunting Coues I would have absolutely slammed him even though he was under a main highway.

 

[Fireplug]

Nice bucks Don. That’s the kind of deer we were looking for when my buddy Tom and I spent some time with you,J and the Utah boys in 12aw late a few years ago. What a great time. Saw lots of really nice bucks but couldn’t turn up “the one”.

 

[270Whatelse]

So you spend 20 years getting a tag. You go on the hunt and while hunting you happen to see a trophy animal from your vehicle. I take it your sticking your nose up at that animal because it's not pure hunting if you see if from the truck at any point and doesn't fit your high standard of hunting? Give me a break!

On the Strip (and many other areas in the west) it is very common to see giant deer from the truck or while glassing only 50-100 yards from the truck. Doesn't take away from the hunt or quality of animal.

Hunt big animals where they are! If that is close to a road so be it. I grew up in some of the best public land elk hunting on planet earth and lots of giant bulls get killed very close to roads and can be driven to and loaded whole in the truck. And despite that, it's still some amazing elk hunting and as fun as anything else out there. To act like an animal or hunt is less than because a road is involved is laughable. Not to mention some of my favorite memories are from times that something happens unexpectedly and an animal is spotted from the road in a spot that was overlooked or missed. I even jumped a really big Coues deer one time that was bedded under a main highway bridge. If I was hunting Coues I would have absolutely slammed him even though he was under a main highway.

Cool.

 

[SureShot]

Wait 20 years for a tag so you can road hunt?

I thought the whole point of waiting 20 years for a tag is so you can road hunt and see big ones...

 

[bucks]

Hec,20 years aint crap anymore,The norm is around 25-30
Sad

 

[Su35-5]

Its time to apply in Arizona for deer tags and I wanted to share why maybe you might want to apply for Unit 13A this year.

My good friend and fellow Kingman resident Joe Herrero drew a tag last year--tag 34 out of 35 I think in 13A, and having never hunted there before, asked me if I would go with him as I have guided in this unit before.

Also on the hunt was Joe's son, Jimmy, who is one heck of a glasser.

We saw a lot of bucks the first few days, and a major snow storm really made things tough to get around.

On Day 3 we spotted this buck and off we went.

Unfortunately, another guide was watching us, and when we took off so did he. He started to follow us.

Joe spotted the buck with his does and him and Jimmy were heading out after them when the other guide drove up. I motioned for him to stop as his old Dodge diesel was clanking and banging while the guys were heading up the hill. He turned off his truck for a short time, then started it up and started to go around me.

I told him, "Stop, the guys are after a buck," and the driver replied, "Then go kill him," and went around me. The loud truck spooked the herd and Joe didn't get a shot.

We continued to look around for over an hour in the area and Joe spotted some deer in the brush. I saw what looked like two bucks behind some brush, but when it stood up, I knew it was the buck we were after.

Joe shot it and the huge buck's antlers measures just over 35 inches wide.

I'm applying for 13A and you should too if this is the kind of buck you'd like to see.

Oh, another Kingman resident who was up there on her first mule deer hunt, asked if I would stay and help glass after Joe was don.

We saw more nice bucks and she took this one on Day 7.

Here are a couple of bucks that were passed. How big will they be this year?

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[Su35-5]

Hello Don, I sent you a PM.