God, where to begin.

I will start with the fact that I left Stillwater, Ok., at Tuesday morning. I had eaten an early lunch with my wife, and actually got out of town about 11:30AM.

I had to stop at Bass Pro in Oklahoma City, to get a few items that I might need. I left shortly after that and headed west. I got caught in a snow storm in New Mexico, but I didn't get stopped. I have never driven in a whiteout before, but did that night for about 15 or 20 minutes. Going through those mountains at night, with lots of snow, what a nightmare. I arrived in Globe at about 4:30AM on Wednesday morning, and checked into the hotel. My room wasn't ready so they put me into a different one until morning. I slept until about 9:00 and then got up and around. I got to check into my room around 10, and then went to the San Carlos Wildlife department to get my permits and tags.

After this, I went up to meet with Daveyboy, Junior, Clint and Tommy. They were camping at Bobcat Tank, and I wanted to see what they were doing. These are the first members of PM I have ever met, except those that I brought onto this board. What a group of guys.





We sat around and talked. I stayed there with them for quite a while. We had an enormous heating bill. That was one expensive campfire. Junior got to take out some of his frustations from his past employment though.

I left about 8:30 that night, arriving back into Globe and the warm bed at the hotel about 10:00PM.

Day Two:

It started out pretty early, I got up and around. I had to scout out some areas to hunt. I looked at a lot of ground, and decided upon an area called Quail Mesa. It was pretty brushy, but looked promising.

I found about 5 good stands, and then I decided to call a couple.

My first stand in Arizona, I had set up and got started blowing some "cotton tail blues". I was in a perfect position. I had the wind blowing to the North, and I was overlooking a little draw. I was sitting between 2 bushes, I thought I was very well disguised. I hear the pitter pattering of feet, but not where I expect.

I had been blowing on a Bell's Magnum, and all of a sudden, something blonde jumps over my right shoulder at a distance of about 4 inches from my face.

Well, I had convinced myself that I was looking for Mountain Lions while I was in Arizona. Having never seen anything this blonde before, I knew I was Mountain Lion scat already.

Well, when the critter kept going and I regained my composure enough to see that it was a very light coyote. It must have just come from the beauty parlor, cause these things aren't supposed to be this light in color. Anyway, I called him back in, and got a good bead on him. I slowly squeeze the trigger and click! No Bang. My new mags were so tight, that they wouldn't strip a round. I jacked one in, but the coyote had already been down this road I guess, cause he was gone.

Here are some pics of the stand. I was about 10 feet left of the green bush.





I made a few more stands, including a stand on Sontag Mesa, pictured below, but didn't see anything or hear anything else all day. I called it quits early and got back to the hotel about 4:00 to meet up with the guys.

Here is Sontag Mesa.



That night, we began the festivities that would become a common theme. I met up with Ranutah, Dogboy, Crapshoot, Sean Martin, Tony, and the elusive Redfrog. I know I left a bunch of you guys out, I will have to come back and edit. We had a good time, talking and what not until about midnight.

Day Three:

We left the hotel about 8:30 because we had to get some tags for one of the guys. I was guiding Elkeholic, Hasstyl, and a friend of theirs named Steve. After a fun trip to the wildlife department, we found our way through San Carlos, and out onto Quail Mesa.

We set up on the first stand, and didn't do anything good except calling in 6 Javelina. The next stand produced 3 coyotes, but no clear shot was offered. A couple of more stands were made before a lunch break in Dourine Canyon, and then after lunch, we hunted Black Mesa, that wasn't quite as thick, and Sontag Mesa. I was able to get 2 more coyotes to come into the area for the guys, but they busted us. Score is coyotes 5, PM guys 0. Well, we made our last stand at Blue River Pasture, where Elkeholic got that great sunset shot.

We made it back to the hotel just in time. The coyotes were having to much fun in the parking lot, and we had to go join them.



Here are some coyotes coupling, I mean here are a couple of coyotes.

Day Four:

Saturday, Lion Day. I had told myself that today was it, I was gonna kill a lion. In order to do this though, we had to goto the high country. I had a new partner, named Sean Martin. He had been on several of the PM hunts before, and he was helping me out today.

We left the hotel around 6:10, and we made our first stand about 7:30, just a little south of Chiricahua Butte.



This later turns out to be almost in the same area that Daveyboy sees a lion.

All we see was a pack rat, which I had to dispatch. It was touch and go for a moment, but I eventually got the upperhand, and the unwieldy "lightsaber" that I was hunting with completely obliterated the beast.

We went on around towards Jackson Hole, and made our second stand at Phillips Park tank. This was a beautiful area, and I knew we could do some good. We stealthily walked in and got setup. I started a series of Jackrabbit in distress, ready to make a long stand, when all of a sudden, a rumbling came in from the west. It was only about 2 minutes into a great setup, when a white chevy came blaring down an almost impassable road. Who could this be, some cowboy no doubt, most likely someone almost my own age, and from Arizona. (If I ever find out who this was, I am gonna kick his butt.) Right Clint?

Anyway, they pull in, back up, pull in, back up, and then head east. They stop about 100 yards past our truck, and let out a blood curdling elk bugle or coyote howl. I still can't be sure which one it was. Anyway, Sean and I make the best of a bad situation, and we continue to call, but cut this stand short.

We drive on around, and set up near Turkey Tank. We had been calling for about 10 minutes when Sean almost got hit by a pine cone that a squirrel threw at him. This was followed by a good cussin' that the squirrel was givin' him. I had a good chuckle at that, and decided that we would cut this one off also and look for a better spot.

We drive on around towards Sawmill Tank, making a stand here and there. A tasty lunch ensued. Sean had imitation pork riblets, and I had Chicken with Salsa. We had been tracking an Elk all morning, and never could seem to find him. I guess he had gone to his other job as a logger, because he was destroying 6 inch trees, rubbing them down to the heartwood, from the bottom all the way up to about 8 feet.

We decide to make some coyote stands in the afternoon, and leave the high country, coming down around Bear Canyon Mountain where I got these photos.







For those not hunting the reservation, these were Black and Sontag Mesa's and also in the distance, Blue River Pasture and Antelope Flats can be seen.

We make a few more stands, but nothing was heard or seen. We decide to head home, arriving about 6:30. Ready for more parking lot fun.

Tonight, it was Lance's Birthday, so we celebrated. A little gift from up north, something about a Crown, aye Lance? Redfrog showed us how to skin a coyote, and Tommy learned that what goes uphill, well, it comes back down too.

There where a lot of other hunters on the reservation, mostly bird hunters, but some were staying at the Comfort Inn. Here is one that came out to see the skinning exhibition.



We had lots of Fun, and didn't disturb to many people I hope.

Day Five:

No Hunting for me. Sleep in day. I got up and around. We went to the banquet and had a good time. Here are some pics of it.

Jay and Rich put on a great seminar.





When Rich needed a little backup, Brent was there to help.



Here are some shots during the Banquet:





RanUtah, Randy Black, won the Will Craig Award. I know about the award, and what it means, but I would dearly have liked to have met Will. I never got to, but I am convinced, this would have been a better world if he was still with us. I am sure that these guys, they know what it means to get this award, and I know that Randy will keep doing what he thinks is right for us, the sport, and ultimately Will's dream.



Here is Rita and Matt, along with Matt's friend.



After the banquet, we went outside and took the group photo.

Here are some pics of the after banquet stuff.

Junior and AZCowboy76



Crapshoot, Tonlocus, and AZCowboy76



Matt, Crapshoot, Michael, Redfrog, and Tonlocus.



I believe this is Huntingvswife, Shameless, Rich in AZ, oneshotpaul, and Tyler.



Here is Dogboy



Mike Paul and Redfrog



Sean Martin and Daveyboy



Sean Martin, Crapshoot, and Tonlocus

More Random Pics:

Tonlocus and KeeKee at the Banquet



RanUtah at the Banquet



Moose57 and Redfrog



Crapshoot and Friend



Sean Martin and KeeKee



Jay with the Purex Master



Albertacoyotecaller, KeeKee, and Shameless



Tonlocus and Moose57

Headed Home:

I got checked out of the Comfort Inn, and started on the road at 10:00AM. I wasn't in any big hurry. So I decided to stop and take some pictures of the Salt Fork Canyon. I also decided to just ease along through New Nexico. I got almost to Socorro, when I see the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Okay, actually, I am looking at the Antelopes on the side of the road, and I see these big antenna's. Not on the antelope (antennalope) either, for you Nextel users.



I took some more, but doing 80 down the highway, well, they didn't turn out so well.

Anywho, I made it home last night about 2:30AM. I drove it straight through both ways. What was I thinking?

I had a blast. This doesn't really compare to a whole lot of other things. I got to meet a great group of guys. I got to put names with faces, and I got to have loads of fun. Thanks to all, and especially those that made it so enjoyable. I know I would leave a lot of guys out, so I am not even gonna start, except for one. Tommy, Thanks a bunch. You did an excellent job. I look forward to hunting less brushy areas with you soon.

J.Holly,that was a great recap to your hunt.I hope if the hunt is in Az next year you can make it a few days early where we can hunt a day or 2.It was great to make a new friend from OK.Take care and keep in touch,daveyboy

J. Holly remember when I walked over to you at the banquet and whispered in your ear, think about that for a moment.

Great pictures and great story...Can't wait till next year.

I hate you all!!!

J. Holly, Thanks for posting all of the pictures.
I took pictures with a disposable. Wish I could post some of them. Looks like you posted for most of us. Thanks a ton.

No problem. I had a lot of pics that I could have posted. I just posted what I thought most people would like to see.

Awesome job duuuuude!!!

You were great to have, let me tell ya. I already have you down for the comic relief again next year. Huh, imagine that.

I would like to say publicly that daveyboy is a heck of a guy. He let me stay at his camp for 2 nights, well it was the coldest two nights that I have ever spent in my life but thats besides the point. Let me just say that it got awful up in the high elevations.

I cooked a few ribeyes the first night as a sign of being from a peaceful tribe. Thats an old 'indian trick' daveyboy and you fell for it. This guy knows how to camp and for sure knows how to make a guy feel at home with friends. He gave as much and then some. I got to visit with azcowboy76 and Junior and J. Holly came out for the festivities around the fire. All good guys in my book.

Thanks guys.

Great photos buddy! I especially like the landscape pics.

Has anybody else noticed how many pics there are of Redfrog? He's especially photogenic! Crapshoot must be quite the ham too!