Arizona Mossback Outdoors

My first coues with a bow!!

2012-01-21T22:17:00.002-07:00

Arthur Gonzales' 2012 Arizona Archery Coues

We were able to get plenty of tc photos of this buck.

Chad named this buck Boots, can you guess why??

Well, once again Joe and I were back in the field hunting together. This time we were hunting coues deer in Southern AZ. Joe and I have both taken many coues deer but neither had taken one with a bow. I was hoping to shoot any 3 point or better but Joe, true to his style, was holding out for something over 100". I was constantly chasing the action as every where Joe went, he was passing on nice bucks and when I showed up the next day to try and take one, they wouldn't show. We kept at it and had a great few days. My wife missed a nice buck, which would've been her first, and our friend Mark harvested his second coues with a bow. Over the last several months, Jay, Chad, and Joe were getting photos of some outstanding bucks but since they seem to be rutting over the last few weeks, nothing had been consistent at the cameras. With the rut winding down, some of these mature bucks began getting back into their routine. At the location that I was to sit on our last day out, the amount of rubs and scrapes was comical. It almost seem like someone was playing a joke because every manzanita and pine had scrapes and rubs. Unreal scrape line, and big rubs at that. Joe had me sit this spot as there were several good bucks in this area and my chance at one of them seem to be pretty good. After 4 does had come and gone, things slowed down. I figured I didn't have much to lose so I grabbed my rattling antlers and crashed them together for about 10 seconds. The instant I stopped, I could hear a buck running through the oak litter head straight for my location. Within seconds, the buck was standing directly beneath my stand. I barely had enough time to put the antlers down and grab my bow. The buck was on full alert, obviously looking for the bucks that were sparring. As he moved forward a few yards, I recognized his extras and knew this was a stud buck. I kept telling myself "It's Him, It's Him.." Fortunately things happened so fast, I never had time to over-think my situation and never really got nervous. Since the does earlier had spent about half hour wondering around earlier in the day, I felt like I had all their paths ranged. Once this buck walked by me stand, I could tell he was headed down the same path the does took. I drew as he went behind the brush and when he stepped out at 18 yards, I touched off an arrow. It all happened so fast, it's hard to imagine that I actually remember every detail of the next few seconds. I heard the distinctive whack of the Rage broadhead connecting. In a few leap and bounds, this buck was standing about 60 yards out looking around to try and figure out what just happened. This is the point were I started shaking. I didn't want to take my eye off of him so I watched without binoculars. After a few seconds, I thought I seen him leaning to the left. When he walked off, I heard some brush and limbs snap. I'm sure you've all been in my boots. I began second guessing what I had just seen. Did he look hurt, was he falling or running off?????? After a few minutes, I stopped shaking and started gathering my thoughts. I looked down were I shot and with the binos, I could see a blood soaked arrow sticking in the dirt. I now knew I had at least hit him. I climbed out of the stand and picked up my arrow, climbed back up and waited another 45 minutes. Still unsure, I quietly slipped out of the area and walked the 1.5 miles to Joe's location. I ran him through the scenario but failed to mention it was a big buck. He thought I'd shot a 90" buck. We drove back to my spot and slipped back in quietly. I couldn't take it anymore, I was a nervouse and scared wreck. I let the cat out of the bag and finally told Joe it was the big buck. He pretty much figured the buck was dead and sure enough, when I showed Joe the last place I seen the buck we tracked him a few more yards and found him piled up. My shot was true as the broadhead hit both lungs and severed the top of the heart. This buck was dead a few seconds after being hit. Then the hugs and smiles hit us. With the help of my big brother, I'd finally taken my first archery coues, and my biggest coues to date. I have to give thanks to my wife and family for putting up with my addiction to hunting, to Joe for giving me this opportunity, and Jay, Chad, and the rest of Mossback AZ for finding this buck. Even though I'll be waiting a full year to hunt deer in AZ again, its definately worth the wait. Enjoy.

This buck sports long beams and matching extra points on both horns.

MBAZ Guide and my brother Joe with "Boots".

Thanks again to Will at Gila Outdoors for ensuring my equipment was ready to perform!!

In addition to this buck, we were also able to harvest another great buck with Mark O. Mark's buck also frequented this area and we captured many tc photos prior to Mark making a great 20 yard shot on his buck. What a follow up to Mark's Freak Nasty buck. Two great bucks on back to back days. Congrats to Mark on his beautiful buck.

Mark O's 2012 Az archery coues

Arts 2012 AZ Archery Giant!

2012-01-19T23:13:00.005-07:00

Here is the first picture I got of a giant coues that Art put down today. I will leave the story for him to share. What a buck and Congrats Art on this beauty.

2012 Archery Javelina Double!!

2012-01-08T20:01:00.002-07:00

Gonzales Family on our successful 2012 Archery Javelina Hunt!!

Husband and Wife double!!!!

Those who know me well know that one of my passions is hunting javelina. It's right up there with chasing bugling bulls in my book. Most folks think thats odd but javelina offer a great opportunity to get up and close and if you blow a stalk, oh well, you'll find more. This also gives me a chance to get the rest of the family out with me and not worry too much about how much noise the boys make. This year, my wife Michelle wanted to get back into archery hunting and what better hunt to do it. Michelle has killed several pigs with archery and rifle so she is no stranger to closing the distance and since she is just getting back into shooting her bow after a few years off, we were hoping to get in close to better her chances. We decided to hunt close to home in one of the units in Northern Arizona that has huntable populations of javelina. Fortunately, I spend alot of time in this unit and just last weekend, I was able to find several locations that held fresh sign. Michelle and I purchased left over permits at the G&F office and the hunt was on. Within a half hour of our first outing we were in the pigs. Our boys were able to stay quiet enough as Michelle and I closed the distance. We found one herd of 6 pigs that obviously had not been chased much since they showed no fear and continued to feed even after the first time we bumped them (one bonus of hunting these northern units). After closing the distance again, Michelle sent a couple warning shots (that's what we're claiming) over the pigs just to let them know we were there. I struck first at 40 yards. Since the pigs split up after I connected, we decided the best opportunity for a close shot was to call the pigs to us. After some lips squeaking, we had them headed our way. Michelle came to full draw as a mature pig step out from behind a juniper tree. Her shot was a perfect hit and we never lost site of her pig as it only went a few yards and piled up. My first shot was a bit far back and as Michelle let the boys blow of some built up energy at the truck, I tracked my pig for a ways. Since there was not much blood, I backed off and went down to get Michelle and the boys. On our way back up to her pig, we spotted my pig bedded down. One last well placed shot at 27 yards and our javelina hunt was done. Our pigs died within 50 yards of each other which gave us enough time to get them down the hill and get some photos before we lost the light. This was key as our boys are taking after their mother and love to take pictures. It tooks some time but they managed to get some good shots for us. Just to make sure, Michelle and I took turns snapping some photos and setting up the self-timer. We loaded our pigs and head for home, another successful javelina hunt to add to our scrapbook!!

Michelle, Tomas, and JP pose with mom's 4th archery javelina!

Arthur, Tomas, and JP with dad's javelina. This makes 16 consecutive successful years!!

Here is the picture that JP took..

And Tomas' picture...

I added this picture to showcase the bow. Thanks to Will at Gila Outdoor for the work he has done on our archery equipment. He was very instrumental in getting my bow set up before our late archery elk hunt and his help carried right into this hunt. One of the keys to success in any hunt is to be comfortable and confident with your equipment. Since we starting using Will, we have been nothing short of amazed at his expertise. If you are in the Safford area, stop by and see will or give him a call to see how he can help you out. Huge thanks again to Will.

JP closes the distance on this javelina. What a great way to get the kids excited about hunting!!!

Wades 2011 AZ Coues Buck

2012-01-07T20:42:00.001-07:00

Wade was able to come down prior to the year end and tag out on this great coues buck. Wade looked at many different bucks that were 100+ and decided that this buck would work. One shot later at 350 yards and this buck was his. The buck scores 109 4/8", and is just under 17" wide inside. Congrats Wade, we enjoyed hunting with you and look forward to doing it again. Thanks also to Ronnie and Collin for their help.

Joe's 2011 Henry Mt. Buffalo Hunt

2011-12-27T12:17:00.002-07:00

Joe Gonzales' 2011 Henry Mt. Bison

Joe was fortunate to win a raffle tag at the Western Expo in Salt Lake City, UT for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hunt the rugged Henry Mt.s for buffalo. This truly was an experience that we won't soon forget. Beautiful and rugged country, jaw-dropping animals, and great company made for a fantastic hunt. Even though we were novices at buffalo hunting, we made the best of it seeing many great bulls. Joe even videoed one we dubbed the "Musk ox" bull. This bull had both horns dropping downward, a sight even the game warden have never seen. On the first day of the hunt, Joe was able to drop the hammer on this mountain of a bull. THAT WAS ONLY THE START... Then we had to figure out how to get this beast out. Being just shy of 2 miles from the trail head didn't sound to bad, until you throw in the fact that is was up hill through rugged country, with near a foot of snow, and at 9500 ft!!!! NEED I SAY MORE... We had some cowboys bring in horses but with the snow and difficulty of the terrain, we still had to pack the buffalo 3/4 of a mile to the horses. They sure proved to be worth there wait in gold.. Not to mention the cowboys' heroic effort in riding 10 miles on horseback in blizzard conditions since the weather did not allow us to get their trucks any closer. We would probably still be out there right now if they hadn't come in to help. Here are some great photos and a video that we put together capturing Joe's hunt. Joe passed on a bull that may have been bigger if not as big in order to get his hunt on video. It paid off. Enjoy the pics and video.

Joe's giant AZ archery buck!!! UPDATE!! More pics

2011-12-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

Joe Gonzales stands and admires his 2011 AZ archery mule deer.

Holy smokes, were do we start. Joe was able to fill his OTC archery deer tag today after having several close encounters with many smaller bucks. Joe's buck grosses 190 7/8". This buck is very decieving both in pictures and while we chased him. With 21" of mass per side which added up to an 84" left horn, an 81 7/8" right horn, and a 25" inside spread, the inches add up quick! The hunt for this buck actually started in September when we came across a new area that we seen several great deer in velvet. During the elk hunts we stumbled across several great sheds from these bucks and we began thinking we might be able to find these deer in the late hunt. Once the late archery season opened up, Joe and I were behind the big glass scouring the brush fields. Incredibly, everytime we went in to this area Joe chased nice bucks. This morning we glassed up a herd of deer with 4 bucks, including this bruiser. Once Joe got in close, he simply sat back and waited. The deer were rutting and since this buck was pre-occupied with chasing other bucks and does, it was only a matter of time before the opportunity presented itself. Well, if finally happened and at 43 yards, Joe's first hit was a bit far back so we sat back and watched him bed to give him time to expire. As soon as one of the other bucks in the herd seen he was hurt, he went in for another battle. Joe's buck gave a good effort but being wounded he was quickly beaten down and the other buck spent the next 15 minutes putting a good beat down on this buck. While this was happening, Joe took advantage of the chaos and close the distance to finally put this heavy buck down for good. I was able to capture some rough footage of Joe's final stalk through the spotting scope so we'll have to put a quick video together. Congrats to Joe on a whopper of a deer. Let's see what else our new spot may bring in the future..

Check out the mass on this guy!!

This is the shed from Joe's buck that we found in September.

The day after harvesting this beautiful buck, Joe skinned and caped the buck in preparation for a shoulder mount. When he removed the hide, the true damage caused by the other buck was evident. The first picture below shows only the arrows entrance wound. The next pictures shows the bucks other side, this is the side the other buck stomped and gored him. We knew from watching the fight that the other buck had put a beating on him, but we had no idea of the damage he inflicted. Look at all the puncutre wounds and bruises! You can basically get and idea of the spread of the other buck based on the puncture wounds on this buck's side. This was the other buck's opportunity to show his dominance while the bigger buck was wounded, and he took full advantage of it.

2011 Late Hunt Fun

2011-12-12T22:41:00.000-07:00

The late hunts of 2011 were a lot of fun. We had some awesome hunters who hunted hard and had a great time. We will add more details to the bulls but we wanted to get some pictures up and say Thank You to all of the hunters who trusted us with their hunts. More pics of bulls to come.. Stay tuned.

Phil with "Droopy"

Phil with his great bull.

"Droopy" in 2010, we were able to get the sheds off this bull as well.

Another pic of him as he was passed up in 2010 with a score of 375.

Robbie with his hard earned trophy from a tough unit. Congrats.

Gene with his heavy 2011 late season bull

The bases on this bull were huge. Check out the mass.

Gene and his brother Dick with Genes bull.

Dick was able to take a great heavy late bull with time winding down as well.

This bull had awesome mass and is a bull we have watched for a few years.

Brian admiring his dark horned bull.

Brian with his 2001 late bull.

With a day left in the hunt, Brian was able to take this heavy old bull

Timm with his great late season bull.

Congrats Tim.

Mark hunted hard and was able to get this nice bull at the end of his hunt.

Mark with his first bull elk.

Congrats Randy on your beautiful late bull!

Randy and Crew with his bull.

Lance with his best elk to date, a dandy az late season bull.

Lance was a little excited when he got his bull.

Pete made a great shot to get this 3 horned bull!

Timm and Pete were able to enjoy a great hunt together!

James made a great shot to get his first elk! Congrats James!

196" AZ ELK SHED!!

2011-12-06T22:54:00.001-07:00

While up scouting for the late hunts, MBAZ guide Jay Lopeman found a world class shed. The shed tapes 196" as is, and is from a bull that was harvested several years ago. The bull is the "Parks" bull, and scored 435" I believe. This bull had moved quite a ways north of where he was harvested, and it gives us a good idea of the natural patterns of these animals as they move back to the winter range. Now we just need to go find the other side! Congrats Jay

Attached is a harvest photo courtesy of Jay Scott at jayscottoutdoors.blogspot.com.

As you can see the bull had a split 3rd, but for the most part kept the same horn configuration with a bigger front end the following year. We believe this shed was the yr prior to him being harvested.

As it lay baking in the wide open!

Shanes 2011 Muzzleloader Giant!

2011-12-02T21:48:00.001-07:00

Shane drew a coveted Utah muzzleloader tag and called on Mossback to help him on his hunt of a lifetime. He also had a great support team of friends and family that helped him throughout scouting and his hunt. I went up scouting with Joe Gonzalez for several days during the summer, and could not believe the number of big bucks. It is awesome to be able to look at 200" deer, that is something you just cant do for the most part south of the ditch in Arizona. We were able to look at many bucks over 200" that weekend, with two scoring over 230", and captured some amazing video of them. We were also keeping an eye out for buffalo, as we would be back in early November chasing them.
The hunt started out quick with multiple bucks over 200" being spotted. It was clear that the mossback guides had done their homework and knew what was out there. Shane passed on some very impressive bucks and put the hammer down on this beast. His buck is just under 38" wide and scores 222".

Shane with his great buck.

The best part of this hunt was being able to share it with family and friends. Congrats Shane on your giant buck! Watching him put a 3 hour sneak on this buck and shoot him at a close 40 yards was awesome. And it was all caught on video!

Back at camp just before heading home.

Another pic of this wide and heavy buck.

Shane and Dad.

Mossback guides Reed and Wayne, who did a great job with Shane.

Packing this bruiser out.

It was great to be able to spend time in a unit that is managed like this place. There were lots of folks just driving around taking pictures and enjoying the quality animals. Sure wish there were a few more spots like this around.

2011 AZ RAM

2011-11-13T21:50:00.001-07:00

I figured we better get a pic of Alans great ram up on the blog. We are behind on the blog with a lot of great hunts that need to be posted. He took this great ram with one well placed shot. More to come on this including some amazing video of this ram and many others. Congrats Alan, and thanks for all you do for conservation. He has had quite the year in AZ harvesting 3 world class animals!

MOM TAGS HER FIRST BUCK!!

2011-11-09T12:48:00.003-07:00

MOM'S FIRST BUCK

Martha Gonzales with her 2011 Az muley. This is her first buck!

Mom, Martha, was fortunate to draw a muley tag this year in a unit that we have always hunted with family. In anticipation of filling her first deer tag, she put in the time and effort in practicing shooting the 7 mm STW off "The Claw". Fortunately, Mossback AZ Guide Joe had located several nice bucks during pre-season scouting trips. Opening moring found mom, dad, and grandson Angel stalking this bachelor herd of bucks. Unfortunately, the bucks fed into the thick junipers before she was able to get a shot off. The group backed off and spent the majority of the day several hundred yars away, in hopes the bucks would feed back out in the evening. As the afternoon shadows lengthened, mom made her way back into position and the bucks did their part by standing up to feed for the evening. Although a bit nervous, mom was able to drop this nice buck right in his tracks with a heart shot at just over 100 yards. To make things even better, we had a bunch of family there to celebrate and enjoy the rest of the weekend with. Good shooting and congrats to Mom on her first buck!

Mom and Dad with a buck from a unit that Dad has hunted since he was a young hunter.

Grandma and the boys.

Mom and the boys.

2011 Arizona Elk

2011-10-12T19:30:00.001-07:00

Mossback AZ's 2011 elk success has continued into the early elk season's across AZ. After helping fill two special AZ elk tags with bulls well over the magical 400" mark, our guides continue to pound the hills in search of rutting bulls for our clients. Not to be disappointed, our clients were successful in harvesting many mature bulls. Here are some photos and descriptions of our success thus far.

ROCKY'S GIANT ARCHERY BULL!!

Rocky is all smiles as he and two of his sons hold his 2011 AZ archery bull dubbed "Headlights",.

Rocky was successful in drawing an archery bull tag for a unit that is well known for producing giant bulls. Rocky's family was extremely lucky this year in the draw as he and two of his sons drew the same unit. This provided an opportunity to hunt and scout for his hunt and his son's hunts. Rocky was unable to hunt opening day as he married off another son and celebrated into the night! After a long night of traveling, Rocky arrived in his unit early in the wee hours of the night but was able to grab a few hours of sleep before the sun started to rise. As you have probably all heard, this year's hunts started off slow but our scouting paid dividends as Rocky and his son where right in the middle of bulls at the start of their hunt. Rocky was able to pass on a mid 340s bull at 30 yards within the first half hour of his hunt. What a great start! We stood mobile and kept looking at different bulls trying to find that special bull that Rocky wanted to hang his tag on. On the evening of the third night, we were sitting on a hill listening to bulls bugle trying to determine which bugle sounded best. We knew at least one of the bulls below us was a 370+ bull but a hunter we dubbed "Buglin Bob" started sounding off. This individual bugled every 3-5 minutes and it quickly shut down the bugling we'd heard up until then. We decided not to pressure the bulls anymore so we backed out. With only a few minutes left of daylight, we figured we drive to another spot and listen for bugles. As we were driving down the main road we rounded a bend and there directly in front of us was a beautiful 6x7 bull escorting 3 cows. I immediately recognized this bull as a bull my brother and Mossback guide Joe Gonzales chased last year. This bull had grown and I guessed him to be in the 385"-390" range. Rocky dubbed this bull "Headlights" and made it clear that this was the bull he wanted to hang his tag on and since we'd learned so much about this bull last year, I figured we had a great chance. I also knew it would take persistence and patient. We'd have to follow the bull around and stay close until he made a mistake and gave us a chance. This bull would not fall for calling and the density and flatness of the pinyon-juniper forest he called home made glassing impossible. For the next several days we stood close. On one occassion we were within 20 yards and I could see the split in the hooves of this bull as he chased cows around on the other side of the trees. Every time we got brave enough to call, he get quiet and move his cows off. On day seven we started the day out like the last few days, get in front of this bull and hope he crossed close enough for a shot. Once again, he passed just out of range so we followed him to his bed. As he bugled from his bed we gave calling another chance and this time he came in quietly but stood 40 yards out never offering a shot. We backed out and let him rest. That evening we were in position, staying a few hundreds yards away until he started bugling again. As soon as he started bugling we started moving slowly and quietly. As daylight started fading "Headlights" finally made the mistake we'd been waiting for. His cows were up and feeding as he stood back bugling at other bulls. The elk didn't move more than 50 yards for 45 minutes so we stood still waiting for a chance. Finally the cows started moving towards water and he stopped to take his aggression out on a tree. Rocky quickly slipped in a little closer and was able to get a 30 yard shot as Headlights had his head buried in a tree. Not knowing exactly were he hit the bull we backed and gave the bull time. We had dinner and picked up Rocky's two sons and went back to pick up the trail at about 11 p.m. After several hours of following blood we lost the trail. We hiked back to the truck and slept for a couple hours. At daylight we picked up the trail again. Headlights had stopped bleeding and kept moving, never bedding. Once again, persistence paid off and after tracking this bull for 0.9 miles on tracks alone we found him bedded in a thick clump of junipers. Rocky worked his way around and was able to get another arrow in him. After a quick dash, Headlights was down for good. There was no ground shrinkage on this bull, he was everything we'd guessed him to be 4 days earlier. I still don't know what was longer, this bull's tine length or the smile on Rocky's face. To top it off, Rocky was able to have 2 of his boys with him. An official measure green scored Headlights at 391 5/8". WOW! Definately a hard earned but well deserved bull. Congrats to Rocky!!

Rocky and Mossback AZ guide Art Gonzales with a hard earned AZ giant!

Colton's first elk..

Colton and his dad Rocky pose with Colton's first elk.

Not to be excluded from the family passion of hunting elk, Colton drew his first Arizona elk tag in the same unit his dad harvested his great bull and was looking to hang his tag on an exceptional bull. Opening morning we glassed an incredible non-typical bull and within five minutes of opening day, the hunt was in full swing. Unfortunately this bull knew how to use the sparse cover in this open country and we spent 10 hours under a blazing sun at less than 100 yards waiting for him to stand out of his bed. We used our binos for hours on end looking for this bull in his bed with no success. Finally, in the evening the bull blew out of his bed never giving us a shot and leaving the burning image of those giant split beam antlers haunting us. Not to be discouraged, we continued our hunt seeing many giant bulls in the process. Colton showed the commitment and restraint that seasoned hunters know is crucial in harvesting a mature bulls. We had bulls literally drooling less than 10 yards away and Colton held his composure as we waited for a mature bull to give us a chance. One evening Colton had a split second chance as a 380+ bull crossed a small opening. Unfortunately this brief moment was not long enough to make sure this bull was put together well enough. This unit is well known for hunters shooting bulls that look good on one side only to find the other side completely broken. Towards the end of the hunt, those bulls starting showing up. We were seeing bulls with multiple broken tines. On day 6, Colton passed on a what would've been a 370" bull had he not been busted after his left G3. With all four eyeguards pushing 20", this bull is sure to be a whopper next year. Finally, the last day of the season arrived. Having enjoyed a hunt filled with close encounters with rut crazed bull, Colton was ready to drop the hammer on a bull. We were able to get right in the middle of a bugling frenzy with the bull absolutlely going nuts. After making our way through the smaller bulls we heard a bull with a bugle like none other I've ever heard. I'd call it more of a roar than a bugle but definately a sound right out of a horror movie. As we closed the distance we watched the bull following a cow across a small opening. Seeing a 7x7 frame on a giant body, Colton made the decision to take this bull and as he crossed back, Colton was able to make a tough and quick 50 yard shot that connected with the bulls heart. 20 yards later Colton's first bull toppled over. I believe Colton's bull was an older bull on the the downhill slide in regards to antler size. Nevertheless, this bull is awesome. With giant bases, 10" first mass measurements, 54" beams, 20" G2s, and a 7x8 rack, this bull scores 373". Not a bad first bull! Congrats to Colton on his first bull. The lessons learned and the experiences encountered on this hunt has made for many memories that will help hold Colton over until he can draw another tag.

Colton and Mossback AZ guide Art Gonzales with Colton's awesome AZ bull.

Kent also drew a great archery tag and contacted Mossback AZ to assist him on his hunt. Days on end were spent scouting the best bulls the unit had to offer, and there were a handful that would surpass the magical 400" mark. Opening morning of the hunt Kent was able to look at a solid 360 and decide to let him live another day. That afternoon, we began working a old loud bull with soft cow calls. After about an hour, this bulls lone cow made her way to us, and we could tell two different bulls were on her. One sounded huge and the other just a bull. Well as the cow passed by us at a mere 20 yards, we saw a 300" bull acting nervous trying to follow her, and behind him was the bull we were after. A bull well over the 400" mark coming in on a rope. This giant bull came by at 18 yards and was glunking the entire time, when he did stop he was not in a good lane for Kent to shoot a good shot. Kent waited several minutes as the bull moved and looked for this cow that was making all the racket.. Finally the bull moved off never presenting Kent with a shot he was comfortable with.

As many can attest, the rains certainly came and changed the patterns of the elk. Fortunately, we were able to locate some great bulls that nobody was messing with. With the rut being pretty slow, we were able to glass these bulls and follow them by sight and bugles. We chased a bull we call Beamer, with huge 60" beams that was an awesome bull. He met up with another bull that we felt was a solid 380"+.

While an arrow was never sent at these bulls, we played cat and mouse with them all day long waiting for the right opportunity which never presented itself. At one time we pulled one of the twenty cows off the herd and called her into 5 yards, about 70 yards out, the big bull decided to quite trying to corral her and get back to the herd! Roger and Shane were having a heck of a time on the hill watching us try to close the gap on this bruiser.

While Kent had to get back to work, I kept scouting and we went after one of the bulls that I had scouted. This was a great bull, with a 5th that layed flat. We followed his bugle all morning long, and finally he peeled off from the cows and came up towards us. Kent was able to get a shot at this bull and it didn't work out. With time running out, we went to old faithful, and we were able to bring a bull in on a rope using a decoy. This was another special bull with a split 5th on the left and Kent was able to get a shot at it, someone was looking out for this bull that day, as he narrowly escaped Kens arrow.

Kent was able to come back with Roger for one last day of hunting, and not far from where he shot his last shot, he did the same setup and connected on this great bull. He shot him at 30 yards.

I would like to thank Kent, Marc, and Roger for all the good times and help. These are guys that truly love the outdoors and know how to have a good time. I would also like to thanks Shane and Chris for glassing for us and your help. Congrats Kent on a great 7x8 bull. We have some great trail cam pics of this bull from the summer. This bull has great mass and an extra brow on the left with huge devil tines! Not too bad for the last day!!

Kent with his great bull.

Great job Kent.

Mossback AZ guide Brent was also able to assist his daughter once again on her quest for a giant bull. Last year, she had this tag and shot a great 373" bull. This year however, she had limited days to hunt, and was given a permit to use a crossbow due to medical conditions. Brent had put in many days scouting, and it all came together opening morning as she was able to put on in the pocket of this awesome 364" bull at 40 yards. This was the 9th bull to come in, and she knew this was the one. The bull came to a wallow, and after looking him over, she took the shot and drilled him. Brent was able to share this special moment with his daughter and 2 sons. Congrats to Christi and the Curtis family. They have taken 6 awesome bulls from this area ranging from 355 to 390"! Keep clearing the wall space Brent!

Christi's bull moments before the shot

Here she is with her opening morning bull!

How about that shot placement!

Congrats on a great bull!

Mossback AZ Guides Lee & Drake took Lou and Mike from Michigan on their long awaited elk hunt. Right off the bat they were into huge bulls. Lou was able to take several shots at 360"+ bulls and it never worked out. One bull in particular was a giant 400+ bull that Lee was able to call in. As luck would have it, the arrow missed its mark and this bull lived to see another day. These guys stayed focused and passed up many smaller bulls, especially after they got a dose of what Arizona has to offer. Later on in the hunt, with time winding down, Mike was able to connect on this beautiful Arizona bull.

Thanks for letting us help you out on your hunt, and congrats on a great bull!

Mossback guide Lee with Mike and his wide bull

Congrats Mike on your awesome 7x8

Gordon B. took this great bull after chasing some giants and letting a few arrows fly. When this bull presented himself at the end of the hunt Gordon made a perfect shot putting the bull down quickly. Congrats Gordon!

Gordon with his 2011 AZ archery bull.

Corky also hunted with Mossback and had a great hunt. Lots of laughs were shared throughout the hunt, and more importantly, he was able to have his father along with him. Great times were had and memories were made. He was able to have some very close encounters with some giant bulls and ended up taking this bull on the last evening of his archery hunt. Congrats Corky on a fine AZ bull.

Congrats Corky on this beautiful 6x7

Russ hunted with Mossback several years ago and this year guide Jay Lopeman assisted him on this heavy old AZ bull. Russ chased some great bulls and passed on many other good bulls. With time running out he let the hammer down on this beautiful, wavy 6x6.

Russ with his great bull.

Mossback guide Joe Gonzales assisted James on his early archery hunt. James was able to take this beautiful 7x7 with one well placed arrow. Congrats James on a great bull!

James with his early archery bull.

Congrats James on this big ol bull!

James admiring this beauty

Garron drew his first elk tag and had a great hunt with us. He chased some great bulls and had several close encounters. On the last day he connected on this old heavy over the hill bull. Congrats Garron on this old monarch.

Archery Mtn Lion!

2011-10-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Well its about time to start adding some pics and videos from the fall thus far! It has been a great fall with some awesome animals being taken. While my hunter took a break from the archery hunt, I was out scouting and helping a friend, when I got a call from good friend PT Carter. He told me that he had a friend that found a fresh lion kill right where we were hunting! He asked me if I was interested and he didn't even finish before I asked "where and when"? I met him the next morning and we started about a mile or so away from the kill. This was my first lion hunt with dogs and I couldn't wait! PT mentioned that it could be tough with it being dry ground, but he felt his dogs could do it. Well, we had gone about a half mile or so and all of the sudden his dogs started going crazy! Watching his dogs work to find which way the cat came from was absolutely amazing. It took them all of a minute and they were off on the chase. Another couple minutes and they had this cat treed. Good friend Chris Jacobs was there with me and let me use his bow. Chris was able to catch it all on video, which I will be posting. It was an experience like no other. It was short and sweet, and PT could not believe how quick it all happened. It was no more than a 15-20 minute hunt. I would like to thank PT for the call and for all the hard work. I gained a whole new respect for houndsmen and the endless hours they spend working and training their dogs. If anyone is looking for a great lion hunt, give PT a call, he is with muleybulloutfitters.com and will take care of you.

This cat was collared and when I checked her in I found out she was one of the oldest out there. Estimated at 12 years old from the biologist, she had done her share of killing! Thanks Again to muleybull outfitters and PT Carter for this awesome hunt. I will be adding the video soon!

Ran across these while out scouting today....

2011-08-28T20:25:00.002-07:00

Well the bulls are starting to bugle and wallow and things are starting to heat up! I watched a couple big bulls first thing this morn then decided to go for a walk. I'd been wanting to try a new area were I believe Big J sheds his antlers and since I have two of his sheds so far, I was hoping to run across the other sides. Plus, this would give me an excuse to check the rubs and wallows in this area in anticipation of the upcoming hunts. About a 1/2 hour into the hike I ran across a bunch of javelina. I never pass up an opportunity to stalk in on stink hogs and I quickly found myself in the middle of about 20-25 javelina. I got the video cam out and gave them a few squeaks to get them all worked up. I had pigs of all sizes within 10 yards and as I was done messing around and was in the process of putting my camera away I noticed a couple odd looking pigs coming towards me. I got the video cam rolling again and captured these twin yearlings. Not quite albino but as light as I've ever seen. They had more of a vanilla look to them. This is as close to an albino pig as I've ever seen.

These pigs might be better off when the snow starts to fly!!!

About an hour laters as I was making my way through the thick junipers I finally stumbled across a good shed. This shed has all the characteristics of the bull I was looking for and quite possibly could be his shed from about 3 years ago. I spent another 2 hours looking for the match with no luck. This shed is a beauty. Long tines that are still intact and great mass. I measured this shed at 175 4/8". Another great horn to toss on the bone pile.

"As it lays" Got lucky and caught a glimpse through the brush..

Check out the tine length!! Measured at 175 4/8"

Want to see what makes me pay attention to every step......

Even though it wasn't a rattlesnake, it sure made me watch every step for the rest of the day!!

ENJOY THE PICS!!!

One and done!! Opening day success in AZ's 2011 Archery deer season

2011-08-20T16:10:00.002-07:00

Mossback AZ Guide Arthur with his opening day 2011 Archery deer

Ha ha!, it's gonna take me as long to do this post as it did to bring my archery deer season to a heart pounding start. Since I spend so many days in the field chasing bulls, I'd figured out the bucks in this area but had yet to scout them this summer. Thursday night I made up my mind to start in this area as I have chased some nice bucks in the past. 15 minutes after first light, I spotted a nice buck feeding on a ridge 300 yards out. Knowing that he'd feed my way en route to the thick ridge behind me, I slowly kept myself in line with him. He was traveling with a spike but since he was leading the way, I thought my chances were pretty good. As luck would have it, he feed right up to me and I was able to get an arrow in him at 35 yards. Unfortunately he jumped my string and I ended up hitting him just a touch back. Knowing he needed time to bed, I backed out and went to pick up my wife and boys so they could help me track him. After 3 hours we picked up the track. With good blood on impact but a rapidly diminishing trail, I figured he was gonna need time. I tracked him right up to his bed and was able to get another arrow in him but I hit low on the shoulder and he sprinted off. Fortunately he ran right back towards my wife and boys so they were able to keep track of him as he walked over the hill. We left the area again to give him time to bed again. 6 hours later and with the help of a good friend Mike, we took up the trail again. Slow but persistent tracking led us right to where the buck had bedded for the last time. I spotted the buck laying beneath a juniper so I had the boys follow the track until they found him, giving them a great thrill to find dad's buck. I was very tickled to harvest this deer as this is the first year in a long time that I did not draw a rifle tag. It also gives me the opportunity to hit the hills again in search of giant bulls. Enjoy the pics

My boys trying to drag the deer out!

Gonzales Family photo!!

Mike U. came out to help on the final track. Thanks Mike.

Future hunters!!!

HUGE 2011 AZ BUCK..Congrats Robert Kay

2011-08-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Robert Kay with his 2011 AZ Buck. This buck is a 13x14 that is 35" wide and scores 283 5/8". Tory Brock and Team Mossback assisted Robert with this buck of many lifetimes. Congratulations Robert and thanks for what you do for wildlife conservation.

Another GIANT AZ Bull!! Congrats to Pete Shepley!!

2011-08-12T20:16:00.002-07:00

Congratulations to the 2010 Arizona Super Raffle Elk Tag holder Pete Shepley.

Well what can we say, the smile on Pete's face says it all!!

Pete Shepley, a resident of Tucson, AZ, and owner of PSE Archery was fortunate enough to have his name pulled from the Arizona Super Raffle barrel last year and has had this elk tag in his pocket for just shy of 365 days. To say Pete and Mossback AZ put their time in and deserved a bull of this caliber would be an absolute understatement. Pete tallied over 50 days in the field in pursuit of bull he felt was worthy of this once in a lifetime opportunity and was willing to hold out "Until they turned the lights out" (These were his exact words). Mossback AZ guide Jay Lopeman located this bull in June and instantly recognized him as the caliber of bull that one would be happy to hang their tag on opening day of a year round tag. However, this bull Jay dubbed Corky, proved why he has been able to elude hunters long enough to grow a set of "drop-jaw" head gear as he took Mossback AZ and Pete on a 3 month long game of cat and mouse.

In an attempt to pattern Corky, MBAZ guides sat water, slow stalked ridges and valley bottoms, glassed, and scrutinized every topo we could get our hands on just trying to figure out any type of pattern this bull would have. Unfortunately this humbling experience continued week after week. Jay was able to get trail cam photos and videos but finding this bull in daylight seemed to be impossible.

Mossback AZ Guide Jay Lopeman and Pete Shepley

Throughout this chase, Pete passed many absolute giant bulls with bow in hand. One morning, Pete had a bull we've named Donkey come in to water. Unbelievably, Pete had the will power to hold off on this estimated mid-390s class bull while he drank 25 yards away for several minutes. Even though thoughts of doubt crept in as the hunting continued to get tougher, Pete remained persistent and patient while waiting for the right bull and the right opportunity.

As these bulls are now beginning to rub, they all head to the thick cover and are rarely seen in open country in the daylight. These bulls are starting their big moves to their rutting ground and will spend countless hours rubbing their velvet off and strengthening their necks. Over the last few days, Jay and Pete seen very little elk and even went 2 entire days without seeing a bull. When most others would have settled for lesser bulls in order to fill a tag, Pete kept hunting with his bow, but with only few days left in a year round season, he now began carrying his rifle for that "Just in Case" moment. Well on the morning of August 11th, 2011 that moment finally presented itself. On a hunch, Jay decided that he and Pete would approach one of Corky's water source from a previously untried angle hoping that this would provide an different outcome from the countless unsuccessful previous attempts. As daylight crept in, Jay's jaw just about hit the floor when he spotted Corky with two other bulls. Pete had seconds to get set up as the wind swirled and the youngest of the bulls caught Jay and Pete's scent and went into full alert. As big bulls usually do, Corky and his other giant buddy did not stand around long to see what had the younger bull nervous. Pete made a split second decision to get behind his rifle as Corky made his way back into the heavy timber. Call it fate, luck, curiosity, or whatever, but Corky made the fatal mistake of pausing for a fraction of second and Pete wasted no time is dropping the hammer. Pete said everything happened in the blink of an eye but the end result was exactly what Pete Shepley, Jay Lopeman, and Mossback AZ had set out to do almost a year ago, have an exciting, rewarding hunt with the chance to hang this special tag on a special bull.

We had score estimates from the high 380's up in to the 400" range but despite having trail cam photos and video clips, this bull was a very tough bull to score. From certain angles he looked 420s then he'd turn and look 380's. Now that we get to compare the real deal with photos its easy to see why he was difficult to judge. Look at the size of this bulls body. He's an all around giant. His body was so big, it made judging antler size tough. Range conditions had Corky in prime condition and the amount of body fat we encountered while field dressing this bull was incredible. Hopefully this means more giants will fall if body conditions are any sign of what the rut may hold in store. Once again, a huge congratulations to Pete Shepley on harvesting a true AZ giant bull. Pete spent more days in the field on this hunt than most folks have done in a lifetime of elk hunting. Enjoy the pics and we'll update the blog with more pictures in the near future.

Corky's body was huge making him a difficult bull to judge.

The amazing conclusion of a 3 year quest!!!!

2011-07-24T22:39:00.003-07:00

Alan Hamberlin and his giant 2011 6x6 Arizona Bull

2009 Photo of Button

"And thats how it's done...." Alan Hamberlin, July 23, 2011. Those are the words we at Mossback AZ have been waiting 3 years to hear. On July 23rd, 2011 at approximately 7:30 pm, Alan Hamberlin dropped the hammer on a bull we named Button (When we were out scouting bulls before they started shedding antlers, this bull already had buttons on his head before the other bulls started dropping), an absolutely giant 6x6 Arizona bull that we have followed over the last 3 years. This bull could not have fallen to a more deserving hunter as Alan is as dedicated to the conservation of Arizona's wildlife as anyone that we know. Alan was able to obtain a special Arizona permit that allowed him to hunt any where in AZ for an entire year. Last August, Alan came down to hunt with our team but Button was able to prove why he has outsmarted many hunters over the years.

2010 Photo of Button

After a few days of searching, Button was no where to be found. We believe this bull makes a big move for the rut. This spring, Alan contacted our team again and asked us to find Button for him. This entire summer found us pounding the hills in search of this great bull and our hard work paid off as we were able to relocate him and learn his daily habits. This bull was very habitual and kept a daily routine until a few weeks ago as more and more folks began scouting. This activity forced Button into a new area and after a few days of searching, we were able to learn his new stomping grounds. Our team was able to capture some unbelievable HD video of Button.

Button 1 week prior to being harvested

With this news, Alan arrived to continue his quest of harvesting Button almost a year after his first attempt. Over a period of 4 days, Jay and Alan attempted stalks on this bull on all but one evening. Button liked the thick cover and was usually bedded only a few minutes after sunrise and didn't come out til just before sunset. This kept Alan, his brother Jim, and Jay making mad dashes to try and close the distance before Button would melt back into the cover. Although they were often within a few hundred yards of Button, the cover was too thick to allow for any attempts at a stalk in the trees. Their patience paid off after closing the distance once again on the morning of the 23rd. The hunters let the heat of the day set in before backing out knowing that Button was bedded only a few hundred yards away. That evening, Button finally presented a brief moment of opportunity when he was out of his bed with enough light to allow Jim and Jay and close the final distance. Alan was able to bring this cat and mouse game to a close with a well place shot. Alan and the Mossback guides finally fulfilled the 3 year quest of harvesting Button. Alan has seen many giant bulls over his hunting career but was overwhelmed with emotion when walking up on this giant. Any scoring system and field photos cannot do any justice to the size of this bull's body and antlers. Jay was set up to video the conclusion of this hunt and captured amazing footage seconds before the hammer fell. Unfortunately, Alan needed a higher shooting support and had to use the camera tripod to steady his rifle. Even though the shot was not captured on video, the camera was still running and captured the quote that started this story. Congratulations to Alan Hamberlin on harversting a true world class bull. There have been very few 6x6 bulls that are in the catergory that Button is in and although many have claimed to have chased this bull, Alan and Mossback AZ were able to seal the deal. Keep checking back in as we will create a video that follows this bull over 3 years all the way up to the conclusion of this great chase. Enjoy the pictures.

Alan was accompanied by his brother Jim.

Alan and Mossback AZ guides

Arizona Elk Update

2011-07-05T13:32:00.004-07:00

The scouting has been intense, with lots of great bulls being spotted. Those with 2011 elk tags in AZ should be very excited for the antler growth. If the monsoons can hit good the rut will be awesome. Its been a while since a post, so I'll throw up some a few pics from scouting.

Huge AZ Elk Sheds

2011-06-13T22:30:00.020-07:00

Mossback Guide Drake S. found these sheds off a bull we have watched for 5 years. He picked up the first shed in March, and was not able to make it back out until this past weekend.. After 10 minutes he was able to find what he was looking for. He realized he had walked a close 100 yds from this shed the first time out. Just goes to show, you never know what you are walking by. Congrats Drake..
This bull with a 40" inside spread will gross just over 390". I will add some trail cam pics and video shots over the years of this great bull. He changes some from yr to yr, but stays pretty consistent for the most part. Congrats Drake!

As it lay.

Huge top end.

Bulls are looking great!

2011-05-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

We think the bulls are going to have great horn growth this year in the central/western part of the state. Their bodies look great and they are not working very hard for the feed. The eastern side of the state has not received the timely showers and it is evident in the browse and feed, however there will still be some great bulls taken. Here are a couple pics of some nice bulls. By June 1st, any bull that is going to be in that 380+ range is typically a defined 6 pt or better from our experience.

This first bull was on the 17th of May.

This bull was on the 19th of May.

Mossback AZ Coues Deer Video

2011-05-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got around to going through some of our video, and although its not all the good stuff, its enough to get just about any coues deer nut excited. We love coues deer hunting, and you can see in this clip we get a little excited out there! This little clip has plenty of coues over 110", with several others ranging from 120 and all the way up to the 140" class! If you are looking to go a coues deer hunt in AZ, give us a call or email, there are some awesome bucks to be had! Several of these hunts can be drawn with very few points. Thanks for watching. Enjoy.

AZ Archery Bulls-2nd Times a Charm

2011-05-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Evan Fretz and Kyle Curtis with their monster AZ archery bulls that they took with Mossback Arizona. The funny story on both of these giants is that they were both shot at more than once. Kyle actually busted the G5 on his bull as it cocked its head back to bugle. The 2nd shot was perfect and Kyle had his hands on a giant first bull. Congrats Kyle. An interesting point is that Kyles bull moved 21 miles for the rut.

Scouting Pic of Kyles Bull

Another Pic

Kyle and his Dad with his awesome bull.

Check out the left G5, this is the tine that Kyle hit on his first shot.

Evan Fretz had a similar situation with his giant archery bull. Evan was bound and determined to get a giant. After passing on several awesome bulls he found one that got him excited. This bull narrowly escaped us one morning, and in the evening we put a plan together and it worked out like a dream. Evan shot at this bull and hit just under him the first shot. About an hour and a half later, Evan was able to seal the deal with this bull we dubbed "Concreter". Not sure why that was the nickname but he was a bull that was on the hit list. Evan was a pleasure to hunt with and I can't wait to do it again. Congrats Evan!

Here is Evans bull on the 10th of June.

Here he is again a few days later.

Here he is all done growing.

Congrats Evan on a monster bull!

Evan with his dad Dave and good friend Randy Ulmer.

Here are 3 of the 4 archery bulls taken that year, with the one missing scoring 387" . I will do another post on those great bulls later.

Spring Scouting & Albino Elk

2011-05-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

For those who have drawn elk tags in AZ, this year is looking to be a great year for antler growth. Many of the "older" bulls are showing up in their old haunts, and look to be in great shape. Here are some pictures of a few bulls that were taken recently. We are familiar with these bulls and know what kind of bulls they are going to be. Hopefully we will have some pictures with them this fall. One of our guides also ran across an albino cow elk while out scouting, and got some great pictures.

Heavy

Look at the bases and front end of this huge bull. How big will this bull be?

Here is another bull on the 15th.

Here is the same bull on the 28th. He is growing like a weed. Any guesses on what this bull will turn into?

Check out this albino cow elk.

Another pic.

Mogollon Taxidermy

2011-05-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Clay Goldman with Mogollon Taxidermy wrapped up my dall ram that I was fortunate to take last August in Alaska. He did great work as always. Check out his blog. Thanks Clay for the quick turn around and beautiful mount.

Mossback Arizona Scouting Packages

2011-04-23T09:41:00.012-07:00

One of the services provided by Mossback Arizona are our scouting packages. Since our guides are in the field year round, our scouting packages are unrivaled by any other outfits. What sets our packages apart from others? Our scouting packages included video and trail cam photos of bulls from your unit throughout the summer and into the fall. With our scouting packet you'll also receive maps with detailed information on water sources, bedding areas, and general elk activity. Our scouting package also includes a day in the field with one of our guides showing you the locations of bulls that you've seen grow throughout the summer. This is not a one shot deal. Throughout the summer we'll keep you current on what we are seeing in the field including feed and water conditions and antler growth. You'll see and know about bulls in your unit before 99.99% of the other tag holders. Our package differs from others as we do not just mark up a map with areas we've hunted in the past. You'll get photos and video of bull from this year's scouting. I'm sure you've heard about someone seeing or chasing a 400" bull. With our package you don't just get the story, you get the proof in the form of video and photos. Elk habits and conditions change year to year so the information you get from our scouting will give you the upper hand come opening morning. You'll be hard pressed to find another public land outfitter that can provide you photos and videos starting with shed antlers picked up in your unit all through the summer leading right up to opening morning. Our scouting packages regularly draw the attention of AZ's commissioner tag holders as we are annually following the top end bulls across AZ premier elk units and we can back up our claims of giant bulls.

Still not sure? Consider these two facts.

1) Gas is not getting any cheaper these days. Most of the small towns located withing AZ's elk units are very proud of their gas and often you'll pay more at the pump than in your home town. Let's take the current average price of gas, $3.75 per gallon and assume you drive a well-tuned 4WD truck for scouting which means you are probably getting on average 18 miles to the gallon. If you are lucky enough to live witin the state of AZ and live only a few hours away from your unit, chances are you'll put on at least 450 miles per scouting trip. In gas alone, you are already pushing $100 per trip. Throw in groceries, oil changes, vehicle repairs, and you'll build up quite a bill for scouting. That's all based on weekend scouting trips. Most of our guides live in prime elk units and scouting is done almost daily throughout the summer.

2)Most folks ask if we send photos and videos of the top end bulls that we find or do we save them for ourselves. Well here is a prime example of the service we offer. Last year, I was out on a field day with one of our scouting package clients when we glassed up two giant bulls. One was a bull that we'd gotten trail cam photos of previously. We harvested this 410" bull several days later by Stan Atwood and the other 400" bull was never harvested. Can you imagine the confidence you would have entering the hunt armed with info on bulls of this caliber?

You have more than likely waited years to draw your Arizona elk tag, don't trust your tag to an outfitter that shows up several days before you do. Watch bulls in your unit grow throughout the summer and know more about antler growth in your unit than most other tag holders will have.

Give us a call if you are interested in our scouting package or any other service we offer. We would love to talk to you about the tag you've drawn and what we may be able to provide for you. To give you an example of what you can expect, I've reduced one of our scouting package DVDs down to a highlight video. This is from a 2009 package as our 2010 packages still contain bulls that were not harvested last year. Enjoy the video and we look forward to talking with you.

Clints 2010 AZ Giant 402 Bull

2011-04-14T19:29:00.007-07:00

Well my cousin Clint was able to draw a tag of a lifetime last year, a northern AZ early rifle bull tag. After all the months of anticipation, within 2 hours of opening morning, it was all over. Clint took this amazing bull with a couple shots from about 25 yards. This was bull number 13 that he had in his sights in a matter of a few hours. He was passing great bulls and his patience was running thin. Some of the other bulls were not far behind this guy, but when this one stepped out, Brian gave him the go ahead. As the bull screamed in his face at a mere 25 yards, Clint let him have it. Unfortunately, they were so excited the footage is a little shaky! This bull scored 402 gross, and is larger than we had thought. We had followed this bull for a couple of years. He had made a move this year and became quite elusive. As you can see the antler configuration is very similar. With all the scouting that we do, it is nice to put some of these bulls on the ground so we know how big they really are. This helped Brian give Clint the go ahead on this monster bull. We also have some scouting video of this bull from 2009 that you can watch. Congrats Clint!

2009

Here he is in 2009.

Clint with his AZ Giant.

The big royal was over 27"

Clint admiring his beautiful bull.

Here I am holding this giant.

This picture shows the huge front end.

Clints nephew Tate loved holding this bull.

With 57 & 61.5" beams, this bull has it all.

Another picture.

Congrats Clint on a bull of a lifetime.

2011 Barbary Sheep

2011-04-10T21:23:00.002-07:00

Well, this was a great hunt for some awesome animals. Once you have the sheep bug, you take what you can get I guess. Here are some pics of this great time. We were able to capture a lot of amazing video, which we will post at a later date. This is a challenging hunt to find quality rams on public land, but we have taken some dandy rams out of this country, including the largest which is 32". I missed a golden opportunity at a great ram, and with limited time, was not able to find another "shooter" ram. It was fun to get "buck fever" again, even though I missed, and listen to my brother give me a hard time for missing a chip shot. It was the next day that he grabbed the gun and made an amazing shot on his great ram.

Still shot from video

Big glass is essential in this country.

Glassing with the KOWAS.

Shane looking at a big ram.

Shane with his great ram.

My brother and I with Shanes trophy.

Beautiful Country

Shane and I in a packin out!

This was very rough country to get to the animals, but it made it all the better.

Alaska Sheep 2010 Part 5 of 5

2011-04-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the final video showing our pack out and a grizz from the brooks range.
Enjoy

Alaska Sheep 2010 Part 4 of 5

2011-04-03T20:17:00.001-07:00

Here is the video of my first dall ram!

Alaska Sheep 2010 Part 3 of 5

2011-04-03T20:14:00.003-07:00

Well here is Shane harvesting his first dall ram! Enjoy.

Alaska Sheep 2010 Part 2 of 5

2011-04-03T20:10:00.001-07:00

Here is part 2 of the sheep hunt. We locate Shanes ram and sit on him all day anticipating opening day!

Alaska Sheep 2010 Part 1 of 5

2011-04-02T09:59:00.004-07:00

As promised, we have finally put together a small video of our 2010 Alaska sheep hunt adventure. If possible, make sure you watch it in full 1080 HD. Click on the video and in youtube and change settings to whatever your connection will support. Enjoy part 1.

2011 Elk and Antelope Draw Results Available

2011-03-29T18:21:00.001-07:00

The results are available. Good Luck to all those that received tags. Contact us for that hunt of a lifetime!!

The Scouting Never Stops!!! A great start to 2011

2011-03-26T16:47:00.001-07:00

2010's haul

Let me start off by saying we've had a great start to the 2011 shed season. Be it the price of gas, the falling price of horns, or whatever... one of the areas we have honed in on lately seen little to no pressure on the bulls (other than us of course). Joe and I said we weren't gonna go all out like we typically do when looking for sheds. (As you can see in this 2010 pic) We are usually pounding the hills by February but I didn't make the first trip til March 10th this year and was only out for a couple hours. Anyways, with little pressure the bulls didn't move like they do when they are chased by ATVs or by too many people walking their beds. So this year, we were able to do great on finding matching sheds, to the tune of 8 sets thus far. Shed hunting is just an extension of the scouting that all Mossback AZ guides take part in. Picking up sheds lets us understand where and why bulls move into different areas throughout the entire year. Finding sheds in the spring lets us know which bulls have made it, and it leads us to discovering new bulls.

Take for example this shed. We found this horn last year and knew he was a great bull. By knowing where he was living, we were able to look hard and long enough to find this bull on the hoof this year. Joe was first to video him in June and we were also able to get some awesome tc photos as well. It also helps to compare tc photos to the actual horns so we can get better at estimating scores on the hoof. Photos are very deceiving and the only way to get an accurate score is to put the bull on the ground or pick up their sheds.

As exciting as it is for us to see which bulls we'll be watching and chasing this year, its gotta be just as exciting for clients that end up booking with our guides get to see bulls in their units, MONTHS before 99.99% of other hunters. Not to mention how fun it is to watch these bulls grow through the year and compare the environmental conditions to this year's horn growth. AND BELIEVE ME, it makes a difference. Last year, we all thought the conditions favored those 340-380" bulls but those 380+ bulls didn't get that boost the others seen. The weight of the horns have been heavier and seemed prove our assumptions were right on last year's conditions. If you're out to make money, this is a great year (except the price of gas makes an impact on the profit). Anyways, enough talking

let's see some bone..

On my first trip out, I picked up 2 great brown horns and 3 whites, including a set of whites from a bull Joe ended up with this year's set too. One of the brown horns was a great bull that we had followed the last couple years. He done quite of bit of growing from 2009 to 2010. His burrs and body lead us to believe he may potentially have more growing to do. That remains to be seen. Since no one had been into this area, I called Joe and gave him the coordinates for the horn I found and told him we needed to find the other side. Well he found it, and 9 other browns that day. The other side was about .21 miles away in a direct line from his water source to his bed.

2009 TC Photo

2010 TC Photo

This set weighs 29 lbs total.

The other horn I found on the first day out was also a dandy. I believe this is the bull we videoed last year but he wasn't photogenic so he avoided our trail cams. My family and I went to CO to visit my kids grandparents and I kept thinking about where the other side could be. Well, when we got back, 10 days later the boys and I got back out and found it, about .25 miles away. I can say on this one, I'll take luck over skill anyday.

JP and Tomas were all smiles with this find!!

During our 2010 scouting we turned up this bull. I was able to find these sheds from the bull with alot of roaming through flat juniper countryUnfortunately, with the thousands and thousands of photos we have, I'm having trouble finding the tc photos for this guy. I'll turn them up soon but yet another great looking bull. Hopefully he'll keep it up.

This was a bull that we followed throughout the summer of 2010. Of course, he made a move before archery season but he turned back up in October. Even though he had completely broken his 5th and chipped other tines, we chased this guy during the late hunt. They sure know how to use thick cover to slip away. But, we are on to him now. With what we learned about this bull in 2010, if our clients are interested, he's in trouble. Joe found the 7 pt side on his first day out and 8 days later, I was able to find the match.

2010 TC photo

After hours of zig-zagging, the left side!

Bases Loaded!!!

This bull we call "Bases loaded". Look at this size of his bases. Other than bases and 57" beams, not much to speak of. We believe this bull is on the decline. Joe found the first side and yesterday, my boys and I stumbled across the match, 14 days later.

Even though not big, my boys and I turned up this match a week apart. I'm not convinced they know they are a set, but they are already trying to figure out what they are gonna buy with their share of the money.

JP and Tomas' 5x6 set.

Here's a good example of what a good moisture season can do for a bull. I mentioned that I had found a set of white horns on my first trip. 2 days later and about 1.5 miles away, Joe found this set in the road on his way in. When we were looking at the horn out in the garage, I noticed similarity in the webbing between the right eyegaurds. Unbelievably we had 2 set from this young bull. This is a photo of the white and brown set. Looks like this bull is living right and we'll see what he looks like in 4-5 years.

Here are a few more shots of the sets.

8 sets and counting!!

Of course, hauling these sheds around have been well worth the aches and pains but we rely on our Outdoorsman packs to make the heavy loads as comfortable as can be. If you get the opportunity, try these packs while you're out shed hunting. It will sure make a difference, a difference you will truly appreciate at the end of the day.

These are just the matching set. We've found some great singles as well. Keep checking back. We've got some video to put together to show our shed hunting season thus far. You'll get a kick out of watching us stomp around the woods looking for horns. Fortunately our 3 and 5 year old lucky charms are into shed hunting. I hope this post gets all you pumped up for the coming season. We should be days away from the AZ results. Don't be shy when you get your results. Give us a call and let's talk antlers. Enjoy

A legend falls!

2011-03-22T20:27:00.001-07:00

Congrats to AZ hunter Lynton Leslie on this awesome bull that he harvested in the 2010 archery hunt. This bull was featured on the cover of the January 2011 edition of Huntin Fool magazine. This bull scored an amazing 409"! In 2010 he became a solid 7 point on his right side. This is a bull we have seen many times over the years. We first spotted this bull in 2006 and thought he was pretty wacky!

Here he is in 2006.

Note the horn configuration he kept over the years.

We learned that this bull was very transient and would move 20+ miles at times. We were able to get some more video of him in 2009 and 2010, and here are some still shots from the video in 2009. You can see that in 2010 (top photo), he grew into an awesome 7 point on his right side, including a 60" beam. It just goes to show what age, good feed, and genetics can create!! Enjoy!

2010 Arizona Elk Video

2011-03-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some clips from the 2010 elk season. If you would like to view them in HD you can do that as well! Enjoy.

And so it begins..

2011-03-03T22:02:00.003-07:00

Well it is that time of year. I don't think the fun ever stops.. If it isn't hunting season, its horn hunting, then scouting, and on and on.. The horns are beginning to hit the dirt, and the velvet will soon follow. We are really excited to see what bulls show up this year in the old haunts. We know many of the larger bulls made it through the hunts, so we cant wait to see what they turn into this year. Here are a few pics to get everyone excited. Good luck finding those sheds!

Here is a set we all dream of.. This bull scores 413" with a 40" spread. We were able to watch this bull during the rut, and were fortunate enough to pick his sheds up. They were about 150 yards apart with one of them sticking straight up out of the mud as it sat on its kickers and royal.

Here is a nice 370 class horn. This bull was much larger in 2010, and we are really excited to see what he looks like this year.

We take the kids every chance we get. Here is JP and Tate with a nice set they picked up last year.

Here is a neat picture of a few bull still packing with the one already shed and growing his new set of antlers.

Here are some pics taken in march that show how fast the large bulls start growing. You can tell from this bulls body and bases he is an older bull.

Here is a close up from some video of a younger bull with some devil tines.

ALASKA 2010.... SHEEP, GOAT, and BEAR!

2011-02-17T23:25:00.002-07:00

Well, I am trying to play catch up with all of the video and pictures from this past year. I was able to go up to Alaska and hunt with my brother. It was a hunt never to be forgotten! I was fortunate enough to take an arctic grizzly, mountain goat, and a dall ram, all in a matter of a few weeks. Good friend and guide Joe Gonzales went with us to experience Alaska and help be a pack mule. I am indebted to Joe and my brother for all of their help. All I can say is it won't be the last time I get up there. I will post a few of the pics from the hunt for now while I work on something nicer with the incredible video we were able to capture. As you can see from this first picture these animals are magnificent and impressive!

My brother made an awesome shot and scored on this great ram after we sat on him for 13 hours.

His ram was aged at 9 years old. Congrats Shane on one awesome ram!

Joe and Shane heading off the hill!

With one down, it was my turn. We hiked and hiked, and then hiked some more before we came upon this gorgeous ram. We could tell he was broomed and was really heavy. A definate shooter for us!

Shane and I tried and tried to get on this ram. He was on a knife ridge, with only one way to access him. We knew we would scare him if we went that route, and the other routes we could not make it due to the steepness of the terrain. The only option was to wait straight below him at almost 700 yards. We waited and waited until he finally presented a good shot. I hit him hard the first time, and followed it up with an insurance shot to make sure he didn't move anywhere. Here is a pic of me just before I took the shot of a lifetime.

He did a tumble but was caught quickly before he rolled hundreds of yards. This is how we walked up on him.

It took quite a while for us to get up to him. The terrain was very dangerous, which will be shown in the video at a later time. Aged at 13 years old by the Fish and Game he was more than I'd ever dreamed of. His body was in poor condition and the biologist mentioned that he probably wouldn't of made it through the winter.

Good friend Joe Gonzales and I.

Now we had our work cut out... I still had a bear tag in my pocket, but up until now no bears had been spotted. We took our time packing the ram out and enjoying the trip. Sheep is YUMMY!

While watching a band of ewes and lambs one afternoon, I suddenly noticed them running for the cliffs. Out of the bottom of a cut came this arctic grizzly chasing them with all he had. You could see the frustration as he was unsuccessful in his attack. I got excited and Shane and Joe came over to take a look. This bear looked like a savage out there, wanting to eat anything in his path. After a short stalk to put us within a couple hundred yards, he was down with a couple quick shots. These bears are awesome looking animals. I guess they are only out of hibernation for a short amount of time so they are extremely aggressive as they try to put on fat for the winter months.

Well we were now loaded down to the max! We made it back and completed the first leg of my Alaskan Adventure!! It was now off to Kodiak Island for mountain goats. I knew we were going early in the year, and the goat hides wouldn't be grown out all they way. This was the only time my schedule would permit so we were on our way.

This truly was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

We landed on the far lake in the picture after waiting for the ice to scoot off to the side!! Roland with Seahawk Air is the best pilot on the island, and it showed as he maneuvered his Beaver into this lake.

We immediately saw goats up in the cliffs around camp. What a feeling to know we were the only hunters in the area and we had spotted what looked like some nice billies from camp!

We knew we didnt have long with the weather forecasted to take a turn for the worst. We woke up early and started hiking up the steep face. On our way up we spotted this nanny with her kid. Learning to judge these goats was difficult, as they all looked great. The billies stood out, but telling one from another was challenging. We used our spotting scopes and hd cameras to really get good looks before deciding to take the one..

After doing a good hike and looking at many goats, I decided to take this guy at 340 yards straight down the mountain. One shot and a long slide later, he was down.

Here I am just before taking the shot.

Just after the shot.

While Shane and I were not any experts at judging these things, we actually did a great job, as this billy was 9 5/8"

What an awesome experience.

We got back to camp and watched this huge sow with her cubs.

Thanks Shane and Joe! This truly was an experience that will be forever etched in my mind. My wife was a trooper, as I was gone almost 3 weeks. I returned home just in time for the elk and deer season! There is no way this trip could of happened without the help of Shane and Joe. I hope someday to return the favor.

I have hundreds of pictures from this adventure. Clay Goldman is mounting our sheep, and I cant wait to see them!! I will put up some video and more amazing pictures at a future date. Some of the video we were able to capture was truly amazing.

Happy Birthday Garrett!! A great up and coming hunter!

2011-02-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

We'd like to wish Garrett a Happy Birthday. Garrett has been an outstanding help on our javelina hunts over the last several years. His hunting and tracking skills are getting better each year and he's been there with us step by step each time. When he's not out hunting with the adults, he's been a blessing to our kids as they love playing with him and his brother Ethan. It won't be long before Garrett will be out chasing critters with his Dad and all of us will become his helpers. So from the Gonzales Family, have a Happy Birthday!! Thanks for being a great family friend and hunting partner.

2010 Late Elk Hunt Catchup

2011-02-07T21:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple more pics that good friend Seth Staples of Rim Country Rifles took on his late bull hunt with us, as well as Blair A with his late bull. Blairs bull scores 378 as is and had he been intact, he would be 420+. His bull has 60" beams, is 53" wide, and great mass. Seths bull is a heavy old bruiser as well. Seth builds amazing custom rifles at a very reasonable price. They shoot nothing short of incredible. In the short year we have used them, they have proven flawless at long range from Alaska to Arizona. Contact us if you would like to talk to Seth about his work. Congrats to both of you on two awesome bulls. We were able to capture some amazing video of their bulls scouting and during the hunt as well and will be putting that up later.

Also here is a video we put on you tube on some awesome bulls we have seen over the years. This should get anyone who draws an elk tag a little excited. We have some amazing video from this year that will be added soon. Many of the bulls are well over the 400" mark.

2011 Elk and Antelope Regulations

2011-01-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well its that time of year again, the regulations for the fall 2011 elk and antelope hunts are available, and game and fish is now accepting applications. Several huge bulls made it through the hunts, so we are excited for the upcoming year. The winter feed seems to be in great condition, and there is no shortage of water, so things could line up to be a fantastic year for hunting. Here is a link to the regulations. 2011 AZ Elk and Antelope Regulations
Please contact us should you have any questions on which hunts to apply for. On a second note, we have a lot to post in the coming weeks to play catch up, so stay tuned.

Team Mossback Arizona's 2010 Elk Season...... Thus far

2010-11-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well this is gonna be a tough blog to start and will undoubtedly undergo several edits. Once again, Team Mossback AZ had an outstanding year during the early AZ elk hunts. As good as this year has been, it still isn't over yet. We still have several late hunts to tackle before we close out the season. As usual, once the turkey and shed antler hunters left the woods in May, we began our annual ritual of locating and watching many great bulls. One thing we noticed this season was that this seemed to be the year of giant typicals. Last year, we watched several non-typical bulls that would've potentially scored over the 420" mark. This year some of these bulls grew typical racks or we were not able to relocate them. However, we did locate some giant typicals during our scouting. It seemed that the upper end bulls did not get the boost that many of the bulls in the 350"-380" got. Nevertheless, big bulls were still located.

We started the season with Stan Atwood's AZ commissioner tag. Stan was a pleasure to hunt and spend time with, he is a true hunter and we appreciate his tenacity as we hunted some rough country. We'd located several giant bulls but as everyone knows, early September is a tough time to follow bulls as they are in the middle of their big moves and spend lots of time in the thick stuff raking trees. Stan patiently hunted a giant typical for several days before we turned this bull up across the state. This is a bull that we'd gotten trail cam photos of in July. We lost him for some time and during some preseason scouting, we were able to relocate this giant. After several days of watching and hunting this bull, Stan was able to bring him down with a well placed shot. This bull had moved 23.8 miles from the last place we got tc photos of him. This was a move across great country with tons of cow elk so he obviously had his mind set on this piece of real estate. Jay was able to get some awesome HD video of this bull while hunting with Stan. At nearly 49" wide, this was one of the widest bulls we seen this year. Congrats to Stan Atwood and Team Mossback on a beautiful typical bull.

That hunt was just the start of a crazy month of hunting. I could go on forever with stories behind all of these hunts but just to get everyone caught up, we'll just post some pics for now. Hopefully we can find time to get stories posted for each great bull that was taken.

Mossback AZ guide Marc Lopeman teamed up with Kayle McCleve in their unit to take these giant bulls.

Kayle McCleve's 2010 Archery Bull

Marc Lopeman's 2010 enormous non-typical bull!!! Gotta love those extras on the back end.

Mossback Az guide Jay Lopeman teamed up with the Curtis family, Darrel Neff, and Shane Church and took several giant bulls in their unit.

Trail Cam photo and field photo of Christi Curtis' typical 7x7 2010 Archery AZ bull

Trail cam photo(above) and field photo(below) of Shane Church and his huge 6x6 2010 Archery AZ bull

Chad Curtis' long beamed 2010 Archery AZ bull

Team Mossback AZ guide Joe Gonzales and his whopper 2010 Archery AZ bull

Darrel Neff with his battle-tested 2010 Archery AZ bull. Look at that left horn!! Even though he's busted on the right side, it doesn't take much of an imagination to realize this is a giant bull.

ARE YOU STARTING TO SEE WHY I SAID I COULD GO ON FOREVER!!! That was just the archery season!!!

Jay Lopeman and client Bob Brocchini's early rifle bull. The two had passed on this bull opening day of the hunt and after passing on many other giants, they were able to return and find his 2010 Rifle AZ bull. Although by this time he had broken several tines, he was still a stud of a bull.

In a different unit, opening morning found Clint Sorensen, the cousin of Chad and Brian hunting in a different unit . Brian and Clint passed several giant bulls and connected on this giant all within the first hour and a half of his hunt. Clint's 2010 Rifle AZ bull is a bull that we watched last year and always wondered just how big he really was. Now we know!! This bull has a 61.5" beam and a 27.5" royal!!

Not to be outdone by the rest of the family, Terri Curtis filled her 2010 Rifle AZ tag with this very heavy 6x6 bull. What a gorgeous bull!!

With only a day and half to hunt in his mid-October rifle hunt, Jason Arnett hunted with Mossback AZ guide Arthur Gonzales to down this beautiful bull. Jason passed on several other trophy bulls that sported busted beams and tines. In the hopes of finding a bull still intact, Jason passed on 26 bulls opening day and put the hammer down on this fine 2010 AZ Rifle bull early on the second morning.

As we put this blog together, it is still jaw-dropping to realize the true quality of the bulls taken with Mossback AZ thus far. I'm sure we'll add several more giants before the season wraps up. A congratulations to all of Team Mossback AZ's guides and clients for such a successful early season. All of these bulls are public land Arizona giants that anyone with a tag had a chance to hunt. We pride ourselves in the amount of time and effort we put into each year's scouting and it continues to produce great results. We rarely run into any other guide/outfitters in May through August. By the time most others start their scouting, we are honed into the best bulls in the units.

Stay tuned for more as we enter the 2010 deer season and finish the 2010 late elk hunts. Take care and enjoy!!!

2010 Arizona Archery Antelope

2010-10-30T19:09:00.001-07:00

Well it had been a few years coming but we were able to draw a couple archery antelope tags this year. It seemed as though the antelope felt the effects of a delayed spring green-up as we had a tough time locating the giants that the unit we had was known for producing. We did find and watch a buck that was in the low to mid 90s. He was a very habitual buck never seeming to stray from his daily routine. That was until the late July rains hit. With all that rain, who didn't change their daily habit when those storms hit. Matter of fact, I couldn't even make it out this buck's stomping grounds for several weeks because the roads were impassible. Believe me, I'm not one to be run off by a little mud or running water but after having running water roll over my hood, I tucked my tail between my legs and was forced to scout closer to pavement. Once we were able to return, this buck was not to be found. The hunt itself seem to only have minimal rutting activity. We were able to chase many bucks each day while continuing to look for giant bulls. Of all years, this was the only year I'd been waiting for a chance to sit a waterhole so that my kids could be with me. However, with all the water out there this year, we never honed in on a very active tank so we continued our spot and stalk tactics. Our persistence finally paid off when Joe was able to decoy a buck into me and a 63 yard shot brought down my second archery goat. Not my biggest buck but the one thing I like about archery antelope is any legal buck is a trophy to me!! (He's not picking his nose)

A few days and a few missing arrows later, Joe was able to put his tag on another great goat. Jay and his dad Dick watched this buck chasing does around and they were able to get a hold of us. About 45 minutes later, we arrived and relocated this herd. Fortunately this buck was in lala land with his does and Joe was able to close the gap quick. His 73 yard heart shot brought his goat down after a 30 yard dash.

We were sure grateful to be able to hunt goats together and with several great friends and best of all, we were able to replenish the meat supply in the freezer. Antelope meat does not last long around our house. Now we begin the wait for our next tag, who knows, maybe we'll be back out there next year!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that during this hunt and while scouting, my boys learned to open the gates on their own. This is a nice treat for mom and dad but it does come with a considerable time delay. Oh well, no arguments here!!

2010 Shed Antler Season

2010-10-30T18:23:00.002-07:00

Well we have been long overdue for a new post. We've all been out pounding the hills and now we have a slight pause between the early deer hunts and the late elk and late deer season so now is a good time to catch up.

Soooooo........, if we're not hunting or scouting, we're probably looking for sheds. This is always a favorite time of the season for us. I remember when I used to be off work for the winter season and my brother and I would literally walk from sun up to sun down for days on end picking up sheds. Now, I'm a weekend warrior but I managed to do alright this year anyways. My boys like hiking the woods with us and always bring good luck, along with a lot of snacks, and they are now hooked and like to pick up any bones they find in the woods, be it hip bones, rib cages, or sheds. I've always said I like counting by two when looking for horns and this year was no exception as we picked up 14 sets along with some dynamite singles. We were able to relocate some bulls that we found sheds off of during the early season scouting this year. Its quite interesting to see what bulls made it through the hunts and how they compare to years past, very educational and really helps to understand the bull's year round habits. Although we continued to pick sheds up through the past several hunts, I have not consolidated all of those pics yet but here are a few favorite photos from this shed season.

We hoped the bull that dropped this shed last year would put some length on his beam but that was not to be. Still an awesome bull. His third was 23" last year but looked to be about 20" this year.

Here another bull that we watched this year and his sheds we found.

Does anyone want to take a guess at what we'll be doing next Spring???

Spring Turkey 2010...... Finally!!

2010-08-01T18:56:00.001-07:00

Well, after Chad has threatened me multiple times, I'm starting to play catch up. We've got a lot to share with you all and since my job had me out of town for quite some time, here it is now, better late than never. Here's the first post of a few to follow. This was our AZ spring turkey hunt. Our tags were a long time coming and we were sure pumped to get back after the birds. Unfortunatley, things started out tough as the winter really put a hurtin on the birds this year, as well as the drinkers. I don't know for sure if its the actual snow load that hurts them more, or the predators having easier picking, but one things for sure, they took a beating. Once we honed in on the activity things really picked up. We had many exciting encounters and the birds got fired up for a bit. On the stand in which Joe took his bird, we called in an entire flock with 5 screaming hot gobblers with 7 very talkative hens. Things got wild as they started charging the decoys. That stand was followed by another in which we had 2 gobblers tripping over each other trying to be the first bird in. Although we had lots of fun, the highlight for me was being able to call in a very, very vocal tom to within 15 yards of my dad. While his grandson and I got to watch the whole thing unfold, I wasn't sure who's eyes were wider; my nephew's while we listened to the gobbler then watch him meet his maker, my dad's as the gobbler came strutting in, or the gobbler's as he finally realized that he'd been had. Once again I had my entire family out and we got to enjoy the beautiful weather. It's been very important to us to keep our kids and our nephews involved in the outdoors. Chad worked his magic as well by toppling over a thunder chicken. I've put toget a quick video to share some of our photos. Enjoy and there is more to come as I catch up.

2010 AZ Fall Draw Results Available!!

2010-07-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

Click here to check to see if you were drawn AZ Draw Results

Good luck. Things are shaping up to be a great year in AZ, we drew our fair share of deer tags and have some great hunts coming up this fall.

2009 Jr Hunt Coues Buck

2010-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well things have been beyond busy around home and the woods, so its been a while!! Here is good friend Wyatt Reynolds with his great buck he harvested a couple hours into his Jr hunt in AZ last year. Wyatt and his dad make for some great fun when out in the woods. We were able to help out Wyatt and watch him take this great buck. In 2008, he took a great desert muley with the help of guide Jay Lopeman, and decided he would like to get a coues. A few hours into the hunt Wyatt was standing over his first coues which scored over 101". Congrats Wyatt.... Good Luck in the Draw!!!

My son Tate and Wyatt.

Some still shots of Wyatts buck taken off video moments before he takes his shot.

Check out the bullet just before impact.

Shepherd Family Trophies 2009

2010-06-20T15:44:00.007-07:00

Good friends Wendy & Colby Shepherd sure did have a great year in 2009. Wendy drew a unit 9 antelope tag and made the best of it with this amazing buck. Guide Jay Lopeman assisted them and was able to show them a buck we have seen several times since 2006. She made an amazing 1 shot kill at 525 yards, and downed this heavy old buck. It was officially scored at 87 5/8". It is a beautiful buck and looks great on their wall.

Not to be outdone by his wife, Colby headed north to Utah and shot an amazing 200" mule deer. Colby always said he wanted a buck with "trash". I think his wish came true!! Congrats to both of you on some awesome animals.

Updated Scouting Report

2010-06-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well things have been really really busy out in the woods. There are some great elk this year, and they are putting on some awesome growth. Here is a picture of the same bull that I have posted below, look at the dates on the camera and then look at the growth that he has put on. This is a testament to good range conditions. The bodies on the elk look great. They are extremely "fat" this year. I will add more pictures in the coming days.

Here is another neat picture.

Weekend Scouting

2010-06-06T22:18:00.001-07:00

Well it was a productive weekend out in the woods. One really big bull was spotted last week, that I am sure we will see again. The bulls look very healthy and the feed is exceptional. It is at this time, that the large bulls really start putting on some serious growth. The rate at which they grow is truly amazing, and by mid June, one will know if a bull will be at or near the magic mark of 400". Here are a couple pictures of a bull, check out how much he grew in a matter of days. Although this bull will not be anywhere near the magic mark, he will still be a very solid bull. I will make sure to add pictures of him later on. We have pictures of this bull last year as well. Check them out.

Here he is last year in July.

Things are looking good!!

2010-05-23T21:09:00.003-07:00

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

2010-05-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-13T08:05:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-11T12:38:00.002-07:00

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

2010-05-07T16:06:00.006-07:00

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

2010-05-03T21:29:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-02T20:41:00.001-07:00

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.

2010 Arizona Deer and Sheep Regulations

2010-04-29T20:52:00.002-07:00

The AZ 2010 Deer and Sheep Regulations are available. This is shaping up to be a great year for wildlife, so make sure you get your apps in on time. The deadline for applications to arrive in department offices is June 8th. Please contact us at mbazhunts@gmail.com for any questions or recommendations regarding Coues Deer, Mule Deer, and Sheep Hunts. Good Luck in the Draw.

Finally was able to Hike to the Camera Lost in the Snow!

2010-04-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering if one of our trail cams was destroyed or not by the Winter storms. With the rapid storms that surprised us, we were unable to remove one of our cameras that we had locked up on the mountain. So, I took a long road trip and went hiking after the camera in hopes that it wasn't already destroyed by the accumlative snow that we've recieved. We had previously taken out the SD card months before so I knew there wouldn't be alot of pics on the internal memory of the camera. To my SURPRISE...after being locked down for nearly 7 months, the camera read clearly...Image Full with still 22% battery life on our Moultrie trail cam! I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe the camera was in perfect working condition after enduring the harsh winter months up there. Of course, there weren't alot of pics worth bragging about, but I will post a few to show you how high the snow was. The camera is about 4 ft from the ground. Look at all the snow still on the ground in APRIL! Enjoy.

Jay Scores!!! Big Buck Shed

2010-04-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend was quite eventful. Art and I took the kids out and found a few sheds while we were out scouting and checking out the moisture conditions. That guy finds more antlers out his truck window than anyone!! Jay also found a great brown muley shed. It is off a buck we saw many time while out scouting, and we never had our bows with us. I remember us both laughing as we watched the buck stand and look at us at 45 yards before he ran off. I am sure Jay will get to know this buck a little better this year. This buck would score over 190" with his other side and a 20" inside spread. This bucks friends are right in the same class of deer. Congrats Jay

We also found a few elk sheds.

We also were able to check a trail camera that had been out since the archery elk hunt last year, amazingly, the battery was still at 100%, and took a picture of us as we went to check it. Here are some pics, we are also very excited to see several of the large bulls in the area that made it through the seasons. An interesting note is that most of the big bulls did not break up this year due to the lack of intensity during the rut. We are not experts, but have many years of observing the water and health of the herds. We believe the 2nd driest monsoon on record contributed to this, as the cows were not as healthy as they should of been and did not cycle like they typically do. The scouting season is getting underway, and there are going to be some great bulls. The bulls are in great condition, and are growin their 2010 antlers in rapid fashion!! Enjoy the pictures, it is going to be an awesome year.

This is what we like to see!!! Moisture is a good thing.

Here are a couple neat pictures.

Weekend Fun

2010-04-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

My brother and I took our sons out to do some fishing and do a road trip checking some new country out and checking a few trail cameras. These cameras havent been checked in a while and we had some great pictures of all the snowfall throughout the winter. We saw a great coues buck but were unable to get any video of him, hopefully we will next time.

3 Great Days

2010-03-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hello all, this is Art again. Its hard to find a place to start but let's give it a whirl. The last 3 days have been action packed around here! I got a kitchen pass from the wife to get out shed hunting with my brother so we planned an early start in a unit we used to do alot of shed hunting in. This area has never produced big sheds for us but it has always given us great numbers. Things started off with a bang when we picked up our first brown of the day on our drive in, right off the road. I love those kinds of starts. We ended up with 20 sheds that day with 4 of those being brownies. In the afternoon, as were driving to a different spot, we jumped a big lion off of it's kill. When I say jumped it, I really mean it. We actually heard the lion jump from a juniper tree a mere 15 feet from the truck. The wind must've masked our noise because we startled him as much as he did us. All lions look big at 15 feet but this guy was a brute. After making a few phone calls, we were able to get a hold of Floyd Green of OUTDOORSMAN, http://www.outdoorsmans.com/ , and we made plans to meet early the next morning to give the dogs a run at the lion. Floyd and Julie Green, Joe Mitchell, and Alan Hamberlin met with my brother and I and we spend the better part of the day following the dogs around as they trailed the tom. This was my first experience with dogs and I'm hear to tell, it was absolutely unbelievable!!! Even though the river swimming cat pulled a fast one on us, Joe and I enjoyed watching Joe M. and Floyd's dogs work the trail. I'm still at awe on how good these dogs were and how much Floyd and Joe actually think like lions. If you've never seen a pack of dogs work every square inch of dirt and every blade of grass for the slightest scent of a lion, even with the howling winds we had, you wouldn't fully understand why I was drop-jawed amazed. Had the river not been running so hard with ice cold, snow melt-runoff, that old lion would sure have been in for a fight. We finished our 3 days off with another shed hunting trip. Joe and I loaded up my kids and met Chad and his two kids for a day out in the woods. We done well considering we were just trying to learn new area while trying to keep the kids entertained. We were able to pick up a four more browns and a few white horns as well, including a nice 6x6 set that Chad and I teamed up on, and another whopper of a shed. I'm convinced my kids are good luck because we've been fortunate to haul in some giant sheds over the last couple weeks. You want to see how excited we still get, check out the video. It's like watching kids at Christmas time. Then watch as we try to teach 4 kids how to synchronize, or not synchronize in this case. Hilarious!! We hope you enjoy the video and pics as we sure enjoyed making them!!!

AZ Elk Preview

2010-03-29T21:50:00.002-07:00

This should get a few hunters excited for their upcoming elk tags in AZ... Scouting, and lots of it will produce the bulls that we all dream of. Enjoy.

AZ Draw results are out!!!

2010-03-29T20:35:00.004-07:00

Well, it is shaping up to be a year for the ages...
Draw results are now available at the AZGFD website
Good Luck!!!

https://www.azgfdeservices.com/

Dad's 2009 N.M. Ibex

2010-03-28T10:56:00.002-07:00

Clay Goldman of Mogollon Taxidermy sent me an email the other day saying dad's ibex was ready to pick up. It didn't take long for dad to drive to payson and pick it up. It is an awesome mount and will provide a lifetime of great memories. Thanks to Brent Curtis, Joe Gonzales, and of course my Brothers and Dad for making this hunt one of the best in my life!!

Mother Nature Ends Our Shed Hunting Trip Early

2010-03-26T12:34:00.015-07:00

Just as luck would have it.....my good friend Ronnie Michaels and I took a trip to the mountains to look for elk sheds. The morning started out fantastic as we were able to glass up 7 - 10 different bulls with most of the bulls that have already dropped their horns. We were so pumped to start our hike even though we knew we were going to cross several canyons to get where the bulls are. We glassed up 4 good Coues bucks as well with the biggest pushing 110. I love this time of year where you aren't worried about weather conditions or which direction the wind is blowing. Its all about spending time with your friends in the mountains and picking up giant antlers!

Another Nice One

2010-03-18T21:47:00.008-07:00

Well I made it out to do a hike today, and finally was able to find a nice antler. Unfortunately I was a long way from the truck and it was getting dark, so I was not able to look for the match too long. It was from one of the bulls that we saw several times this past year. It was nice to be able to size up an antler with one we have video and pictures of. Some of his measurements are 23 3/8" G4, 16 7/8" G5 and a 56" beam. He has broke the tips off some of his tines but is a solid bull I am sure we will see again. I added a pic of him in velvet and a video clip of the shed and the bull on the hoof after he had rubbed his velvet.

A tribute to Freak Nasty

2010-03-17T19:31:00.004-07:00

I've had alot of people ask to see some video of Mark's incredible archery coues buck. Well here is a little video I put together. I've made a full length video for Mark that included more footage of this buck and his stalk, I think it came out great. This is some footage of him feeding and doing what got him killed. I sped up his stalk a little so we could get it all fit into one clip small enough to be able to post. Mark is nearing the 60 day drying period so we can see what the official score will be. It will be interesting to see how some of his points will be scored. The footage quality suffers a little in order to downsize it enough to fit the blog. You can see that when Joe videoed this buck he had a point on the left side that was broken when Mark finally arrowed him. What an incredible buck! Joe and Mark definately showed patience while waiting for this buck to slip up. Congratulations to Mark on slipping an arrow into this beast.

Brown Gold!!

2010-03-14T22:28:00.007-07:00

We gave shed hunting another try this weekend. Things are so wet and muddy it really limits where you can go. (Most importantly, it keeps some of the ATVs out right now) On Saturday, my wife and I loaded up the boys and went to a spot that I thought might have some potential. We gave it our best but walking was difficult for us, let alone my four year old. The only one that didn't get muddy up to their knees was the youngest, and that's only because I hauled him around in the back pack. After a few hours, we gave up and headed home. I spent this morning cleaning and packing my hunting truck so the wife and boys could head to NM. After they got on their way, I headed out for what I thought was going to be a little walk. Since I only had my 2 WD truck, I had to park on the main road and walk an extra couple miles just to get where I wanted to try. I left the truck full of energy at 1:30 pm. I was finally in good sign, at 4:30 pm, when I had to turn around. Of course, when I was furthest from the truck, I finally glassed up a brown horn. I got carried away looking for the other side and it quickly starting getting late. I didn't think I was going to make it back to the truck until 10:00 pm. Fortunately Chad called and offered to come pick me up and take a few miles off of my trip. I made it to Chad's truck at 8:00 pm and put on 12.9 miles. I ended up finding the match to my first horn about 1.25 miles away. Sheer luck!!! As I was on a death march to make it to Chad's truck, I stumbled across a 3rd shed. I didn't have time to look around for the match as it was starting to get dark already. Chad and I put a tape to the horns, and estimated a spread for the set, and came up with 365". The single side doubled with the same spread would be around the 370" mark. I love finding antlers in sets. Counting by two's is the way to go. You can guess where I'll be this coming weekend.

The first one, tines down.

Match to the first horn, about 1.25 miles away.

Third one, deceptively big, 57" main beam.

Let the fun begin!!

2010-02-28T23:01:00.006-07:00

Well Jay Brent and I went out scouting and checking over some country. While Art and Joe were up north, we were down south checking out some coues haunts... As we were scouting, I caught a glimpse of a nice buck, and we moved up to go find him again. I was telling Jay how it was a very compact and heavy buck, and no sooner did I start talking than Brent jumped off the quad and ran over to this massive shed. It has got to be the same buck I saw. We had a great time during the day and are excited about the coming season... Stay tuned.

Brent holding his prize. It looks like last years shed.

This guy needs a few more years...

THEY CAN'T FIND THEM ALL !!!

2010-02-28T21:54:00.010-07:00

Here's a couple pics and short video clip of our shed hunting trip this weekend. Fellow Mossback guide and brother Joe picked us up as my hunting truck is out of commission with a broken leaf spring (hauling to much game and antlers). Weather started out nice then got cold and windy. I had my youngest son in the backpack so we had to tame our hike down a bit. We thought we'd glass an area that we usually do well in but over the last couple years, its been getting hammered by everyone that owns a quad. We knew we were early so we mainly just glassed to see where the bulls where hanging out. We seen 58 bulls, including one herd of 37, but none had dropped yet. The big herd fed up and around us as we glassed so my boy was jazzed to see them all filter by (he kept calling them deer??). Before we left, we walked a feeding area that usually gets pounded and on our way back to the truck, I glassed these bad boys up. I think being so close to the main road, 400 yards, and the fact that they were both tines down, allowed them to stay undiscovered for about 4-5 years. They are a great set with the left side being the stronger of the two. The right side only grew 5 points but had awesome character on the 4th. This is one of the heaviest sets of sheds I have found, the left horn was 15 pounds and the right was 14 pounds. The left horn scores 175" on a mere 50" beam, with 32" of mass. This shed has similar character to one that I picked up in the same area with my 4 year old. My son was holding the deer shed that Joe found and when I told him this set was his, he wanted to hold them as well, HaHa. I've also thrown in a pic of both boys with their sheds. The season has just begun....

Yep, they're not brown but they'll do.