Where is the Kaibab?

[Outdoor Writer]

I guided in northern Arizona for a couple years with a friend of mine. There is big deer in all of those mountain ranges from Arizona and New Mexico all the way up through Montana.

Re Kaibab: those can be tough units to hunt with a bow and arrow, don’t think you were going to roll in there and have deer and elk running across in front of you.
We used to bump into hunters in those limited draw units in northern Arizona that had gone three or four days without seeing an elk.

The biggest deer shot in the Kaibab are during those late rifle seasons which are very tough for a non-resident to draw. Though my buddy, an Arizona resident shot a good buck with his bow last year on a very very long shot.

—-

There are quite a few big deer taken off the North Kaibab during the other seasons, too. Just a matter of knowing where & how to hunt. The same deer that wander down low during the late season, live at the higher elevations early. It isn't like they magically hatch later on. Just a different style of hunting because it's mostly timbered. Over the past few years, the late hunts have been a tough draw for everyone, not only NRs.

As for elk, I assume you're referring to south of the GC and not on the North Kaibab. As you probably know, ALL elk units are limited draw, and the ones just south of the Canyon are considered premium ones to get. If someone is not seeing an elk for three days, they are definitely spending too much time in camp.

Who did you guide for in and what units?

 

[Outdoor Writer]

I score em as one to sure nuff be proud of. Yeah the way you did those mounts looks fantastic.

I've never been a meat hunter or trophy hunter. For many years my goal was simply to kill the first legal animal that came along. When I hunted in Africa the PH says to me that he can guarantee every animal killed would make SCI's books. I told him I didn't really give a damn and merely wanted to kill a decent representaive trophy. So that's what we did. We did kill a couple that he said would make SCI and wanted to score them. I just said, "No need to."

I probably have 50-60 mounts of one sort or another spread over a couple rooms. Each one brings back memories and I recall evreything about it. And yeah, I'm proud of them even if I don't know what they score.

 

[sheffe]

Another vote for FLATLINE MAPS for anything in AZ. Their paper maps are way better than just paper and they have digital versions available too.
good luck.!

 

[Buck197]

I've never been a meat hunter or trophy hunter. For many years my goal was simply to kill the first legal animal that came along. When I hunted in Africa the PH says to me that he can guarantee every animal killed would make SCI's books. I told him I didn't really give a damn and merely wanted to kill a decent representaive trophy. So that's what we did. We diid kill a couple that he said would make SCI and wanted to score them. I just said, "No need to."

I probably have 50-60 mounts of one sort or another spread over a couple rooms. Each one brings back memories and I recall evreything about it. And yeah, I'm proud of them even if I don't know what they score.

So much respect for you. I've had goals in my mind since I was young. And while they differ from yours, yours are much purer, and truth be knownst, prettier. I have a general rule of thumb, and obviously there's factors, I look at racks for the front half, and look for meat the back half. But plenty of times when I'm in Oklahoma and such that I fill the freezer without so much as a thought. My hats off to you in nothing but absolute respect. A true hunter and outdoorsman, God bless my friend.

 

[Outdoor Writer]

So much respect for you. I've had goals in my mind since I was young. And while they differ from yours, yours are much purer, and truth be knownst, prettier. I have a general rule of thumb, and obviously there's factors, I look at racks for the front half, and look for meat the back half. But plenty of times when I'm in Oklahoma and such that I fill the freezer without so much as a thought. My hats off to you in nothing but absolute respect. A true hunter and outdoorsman, God bless my friend.

Thanks for the kind words. I really do appreciate your comments.

Probably should be carrying on this discsussion in another thread, but...

Back in the day when I began hunting in the eraly 1960s and there was no internet to brag about scores, you rarely heard or saw score mentioned. If someone killed an outstanding buck to get a photo published in a mag or the newspaper, the caption generally cited the numbers of points and/or spread where relevant. Yes, some were measured for recognition in the trophy books, but the emphasis on score was quite minimal in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't until the mid--to-late 1980s that scores became the the cat's-meow. In order to stay relevant, I had to start tailoring my articles to the trend. While I much preferred writing about a youngster's 1st buck, regardless of size, my editors wanted the biggest of the biggest. This trend was only promulgated more by the arrival of the "look-at-me" magazines such as Eastman's, etc. that used hunters to supply them with free copy & photos. while raking in the profits from advertisers.

Now back to our scheduled programing.

 

[Buck197]

Thanks for the kind words. I really do appreciate your comments.

Probably should be carrying on this discsussion in another thread, but...

Back in the day when I began hunting in the eraly 1960s and there was no internet to brag about scores, you rarely heard or saw score mentioned. If someone killed an outstanding buck to get a photo published in a mag or the newspaper, the caption generally cited the numbers of points and/or spread where relevant. Yes, some were measured for recognition in the trophy books, but the emphasis on score was quite minimal in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't until the mid--to-late 1980s that scores became the the cat's-meow. In order to stay relevant, I had to start tayloring my articles to the trend. While I much preferred writing about a youngster's 1st buck, regardless of size, my editors wanted the biggest of the biggest. This trend was only promulgated more by the arrival of the "look-at-me" magazines such as Eastman's, etc. that used hunters to supply them with free copy & photos. while raking in the profits from advertisers.

Now back to our scheduled programing.

And actually, while the magazines were publishing scores, scoring animals didn't become more mainstream til the 90s and more at the turn of 2000. People still referred to the 5x5, or eleven point..Yup, ive got a few years in me as well, I know EXACTLY what you mean.

 

[Buck197]

And actually, while the magazines were publishing scores, scoring animals didn't become more mainstream til the 90s and more at the turn of 2000. People still referred to the 5x5, or eleven point..Yup, ive got a few years in me as well, I know EXACTLY what you mean.

I seem to want to say aroubd mid nineties, youd hear people talk of 180, 190, not the 4x4 or whatever

 

[Outdoor Writer]

I seem to want to say aroubd mid nineties, youd hear people talk of 180, 190, not the 4x4 or whatever

I might have noticed it more because I was already administering an outdoors./hunting forum in the '80s. As I had said, my editors were clamoring for "Boone & Crockett" critters. But you're correct that it was definitely much more prevalent in the 1990s.

BTW, yesterday I recalled that I actually do have a critter that was scored & is in the SCI book, or at least it was many years ago. In the mid-1980s I hunted blacktail deer on a private timber ranch in CA. Two brothers were trying to get it going as a hunting resort. It was a neat place with an old hotel built there on the old stage coach route not too far from Eureka. They also had a special season that ran over the Thanksgiving weekend during the rut! I was hunting with Bob Robb (Petersen's Hunting staff), Holt Boddinton, a Safari Club honcho & another friend. We all killed decent bucks. Holt was an official scorer for SCI, so he taped all of them, and they all made the book. I refused to pay the $25 to get mine entered, however the two brothers paid the fee so they could get the recognition. It's one of the few trophies I didn't get mounted because the tanned cape got ruined when I stored it too long. So I just have the antlers sitting on a table. In this old photo, the antlers are on the wall lower right below the two 'lopes, but they are currently just sitting on the table.

 

[Buck197]

I might have noticed it more because I was already administering an outdoors./hunting forum in the '80s. As I had said, my editors were clamoring for "Boone & Crockett" critters. But you're correct that it was definitely much more prevalent in the 1990s.

BTW, yesterday I recalled that I actually do have a critter that was scored & is in the SCI book, or at least it was many years ago. In the mid-1980s I hunted blacktail deer on a private timber ranch in CA. Two brothers were trying to get it going as a hunting resort. It was a neat place with an old hotel built there on the old stage coach route not too far from Eureka. They also had a special season that ran over the Thanksgiving weekend during the rut! I was hunting with Bob Robb (Petersen's Hunting staff), Holt Boddinton, a Safari Club honcho & another friend. We all killed decent bucks. Holt was an official scorer for SCI, so he taped all of them, and they all made the book. I refused to pay the $25 to get mine entered, however the two brothers paid the fee so they could get the recognition. It's one of the few trophies I didn't get mounted because the tanned cape got ruined when I stored it too long. So I just have the antlers sitting on a table. In this old photo, the antlers are on the wall lower right below the two 'lopes, but they are currently just sitting on the table.


View attachment 291011

Your a fellow id kill just to sit and visit and talk huntin with. God bless that passion and pureness, and if this phone autocorrects pureness to pyrenese one more time making me call you a dog I'm chunking it out the window.
Thank you, I thoroughly love reading everything you've written on this, im going to search other stuff just for the smiles hoss.

 

[Outdoor Writer]

Your a fellow id kill just to sit and visit and talk huntin with. God bless that passion and pureness, and if this phone autocorrects pureness to pyrenese one more time making me call you a dog I'm chunking it out the window.
Thank you, I thoroughly love reading everything you've written on this, im going to search other stuff just for the smiles hoss.

Thank you. BUT..you'd probably need to wear pretty high boots to wade through my BS.

 

[j930]

the kaibab as us from Az call it was one of the best draws as you always see deer. I remember when I was a kid my dad seemed to get drawn all the time and the deer were everywhere. we never got anyting huge but always had opportunities. my son got a doe tag in 12A as a junior hunter and we had a blast. its become a much tougher draw now.. hoping next year my points get cashed in up there. anyone get a nice buck this year out of there?

 

[Outdoor Writer]

the kaibab as us from Az call it was one of the best draws as you always see deer. I remember when I was a kid my dad seemed to get drawn all the time and the deer were everywhere. we never got anyting huge but always had opportunities. my son got a doe tag in 12A as a junior hunter and we had a blast. its become a much tougher draw now.. hoping next year my points get cashed in up there. anyone get a nice buck this year out of there?

It was pretty easy in the 60s because there was no state draw. BUT...you had to apply for a USFS $5 permit on a 1st come, 1st served basis via mail. If I recall, there were like about 2000-2500 available. So I would take my app to the main Phx PO on 1st St to mail at midnight. I never missed getting one.