Things are looking good!!

Well there has been more wind this spring than I can remember for a long time. I went out in the 30+ mph winds this past weekend to go check out the conditions and was excited to see the browse and grasses flourishing in many areas.. It is great to see the cliffrose blooming out like popcorn. I also was able to lay eyes on a great bull. He just turned into a 6 point, and is going to have a great top end. I am sure we will see some more of him, and hopefully some pictures.

Fundraiser for Sadie

I wanted to post this to bring to light the need for one heck of a girl, that comes from a great family.  Sadie is in need of a liver transplant, and a fundraiser as been put together to help out the family with the costs, etc.  As you can see in the pic, she loves hunting.  I am sure she gets that from her dad!!  There is a link to pay by credit card on the following site.  http://www.surprisefc.org/donations.html
Just make a note that it is for Sadie.  You can also contact Derek Taylor for any other questions, and his number is listed on the flyer.  Stay Strong Sadie!!!  

Littlehorn Outfitters AZ Sheep

Good friend and sheep guide Geoff Moss, owner of LittleHorn Outfitters here in Arizona, has a great blog that shows his dedication to sheep hunting and the outdoors in general. He is one heck of a sheep expert, and is as dedicated as they come when it comes to chasing big rams. Take some time and check out his blog, you wont regret it.

Joe's 2009 AZ Archery Mule Deer

Well Joe was able to get his 2009 mule deer mount picked up a few weeks ago. Chris Favour at Mount-N-View Taxidermy, http://www.mountnviewtaxidermy.com/ , done a great job on this mount. Joe had a great hunt last year and despite tough conditions, was able to harvest a beautiful typical buck.

This hunt started out several days before the opener with Joe, Arthur, and Shane doing some glassing and checking out water sources. We were able to locate many good bucks and followed a buck we named "Cash". We estimated this buck to be around 220" and during the hunt Joe had several close calls with this buck. On the morning of the second day, Joe was within 50 yards of Cash but bucks don't grow that size by being fooled easily and he was able to slip away again. That afternoon brought a heavy rainfall which shut the deer down for a week. Talking to other hunters, the story was the same with everyone, most folks had spotted big bucks prior to the hunt but the rain put them all in hiding. Those hunters that only sat water done great on the first day and half, then had no activity for over a week. Our strategy stood the same, glass, glass, and glass. We would find high points to glass sage flats and when we located a buck, Joe would put a stalk on. Joe stuck with it and passed many opportunities at bucks up to 170". Joe was set on harvesting only a buck that would exceed 180". Well, it all came together when Mark spotted this typical feeding in a sage flat. Joe put a stalk on and was able to get ahead of the bucks and let them come into archery range. Joe's arrow found the mark and he was able to drop this 33" wide, 187" gross 4x4. This deer was opposite of the other big bucks that we'd seen. Most other bucks were narrow with deep forks and extras. Regardless of its genetics, its a truly awesome archery buck. Joe is a hard core hunter and left us shaking our heads as he let those 170" bucks walk on by. He is truly deserving of a buck of this caliber and this hunt will go down as one of our favorites. Special thanks to Dad, Arthur, Angel, Mark, and Shane for helping Joe on this tough hunt.

One Last Brown for 2010

Well, we were all able to pick up some fantastic sheds this year and had a great time in the mountains. I couldn't find the other side which I believe was picked up by someone else who beat me in there this year. This antler weighs about 13 lbs. The horn growth should be unreal and we're all looking forward to the upcoming elk hunts. Good luck to all those who have tags this year. It's going to be a rodeo.

Giant Strip Buck Hits the Dirt

With respect from so many requests to see the buck Linda Lopeman killed on the strip, I thought I would put together some highlights of the desert slammer she killed. We have a lot more footage of great bucks that we were watching and had passed up before she had the chance to pull the trigger on this 195" whopper! Enjoy the video and we would like to thank Kayle McCleve, Chad and his little boy Tate Rhoton for coming along and enjoying this hunt with our mom. She loved it all! Keep your fingers crossed that we will be back there soon!

Bull in Velvet

Here is a neat picture of a young bull just starting to grow his 2010 antlers. If you click on the picture you can really see the detail. We have spent a lot of time out scouting already, checking the water and feed situation throughout the state. 2010 is going to put out some tremendous bulls, I am certain of it. In fact, some records just might be broken. The bulls bodies look great for this time of year. They are starting to peel off their winter coats fast and furious, which is a good sign. One thing that mossback clients get when they book a hunt with us, is video still shots and trail cam pictures of bulls in their units all summer long up until their hunt. We do not show up and hunt the old standby spots, hoping to find something good. We like to be hunting specific bulls that we have scouted out.

Thunder Chicken Fever

Well, I was able to get out for a half day and go fill my turkey tag. Things were really slow in the morning (maybe that was because I was more interested in the elk), so during the middle of the day, I went to an old hangout for birds and was able to call in this bird. With limited time, I didn't hesitate and knocked him down. It was a great time. There is some more to this hunt, but I will save that for Art or Joe to tell. I was by myself so the pics didn't come out as good as hoped for, but they will do.