Tyler Hall's Archery Coues Buck

Tyler Hall sent me a photo of an archery buck he just harvested with two days left in the season.  Way to go Tylo!

Arizona Elk Hunts

Above pic, Darr Colburn with Tim Allen's 2009 401 inch Archery Bull and bottom pic, Jay Scott and Michael Park with 2009 435 inch Archery Bull

Darr and I have been getting lots of emails on where to apply for elk in Arizona.  Here are some of the units that Darr and I love for archery elk hunting in Arizona, not in any order, Realistic goals for our hunters are bulls that gross over 350+ inches, we will hunt for the biggest bulls possible but sometimes there are some limiting factors, we like the following units (400+ bulls are located in each of these units):

Unit 9-Very huntable, has pines and junipers, good concentrations of elk, some big bulls, hunter can expect to see bulls between 300-340 on a regular basis. Elk are vocal in morning and usually around water in evenings.

Unit 10-Very glassable, all junipers, lots of bulls and few cows, hunter can expect to see bulls between 300-340 on regular basis. Elk are very callable in this unit, usually a bugling frenzy and lots of chaos, people problems is sometimes an issue but unit is huge

Unit 23 South- Extremely physical terrain, low densities of elk, not for your average joe hunter, lots of quad riding to and from spots, not big pockets of bugling bulls like other units but has some big boys, if expecting 4-8 bull bugling pockets don't apply here, 300-340 bulls are seen everyday but not in as many numbers as other three units

Unit 23 North- Not as physical as 23 South, more accessible by good roads, more elk than 23 South and better bugling, hunters can expect to see 300-340 bulls on a regular basis, can be chaotic rutting action depending on the year

Early Rifle hunts for elk that we like are 23N, 9, 10 (Great chance to harvest 350+ bull)

Late Rifle hunts we like are  Unit 23. (Beware of broken points) A few good bulls are harvested each year on this hunt.

If you have further specific questions please email us!
For more info go to Colburn and Scott Outfitters Website

Band of Rams

Check out this group of rams!

Logo Ram Video

I shot this video a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy!

Christmas Gift Ideas

By Darr Colburn

My wife always complains that I am hard to shop for and if I want something for hunting I just buy it. I will admit that I am very picky about the gear I use and won't settle for anything less than the best. Here is a list of a few gift ideas for that hard to shop for and discriminating hunter like myself. All theses products can be found at the Outdoorsmans store in Phoenix or online @ http://www.outdoorsmans.com/ Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

• Havalon Knives $39.95 (Great knife with replacement blades)
  


• Spudz Ultimate Lens Cleaning Cloth or Lens Pen $5-$10
  


• Sportman Adventure Medical Kit $29.99



• Mechanix Gloves $29.99



• Wilderness Athlete Performance & Nutrition Bars $41.95 (Box of 15 Bars)



• Wilderness Athlete Hydrate & Recover Mix $29.95



• Wilderness Athlete Energy & Focus Mix $29.95



• Western Hunter Magazine Subscription $19.95 (1 year)
  


• Outdoorsmans Backpack $499

Bucks & Condors

By Darr Colburn

I was recently on a hunt up on the Kaibab and was able to capture some video of some mule deer bucks and California condors. I saw several condors over the 12 days I spent up in the Kaibab. They are huge!!!! Enjoy the video.

Oldie but a Goodie

Here are some photos that were mailed to me by Charlie Wilmer, of his son Brian and I, quite a few years ago.  I had lost track of these pics and was excited to see them.  Brian harvested a 130+ and 110+ droptine buck on back to back days with me in Mexico.  Its always a fun time when the Wilmer's are around. Sorry for the reduction in quality this was back before digital cams! Enjoy!

Stormkloth II Gear

By Darr Colburn

Glassing in the Stormkloth II Pants

Stormkloth II Jacket

I just got home from two different late hunts and spent 23 days in cold winter weather.  I used the Stormkloth II Jacket and Pants on both of these hunts to keep me warm and dry with snow on the ground and temperatures in the single digits.  The Stormkloth II jacket and pants are windproof, breathable, warm, comfortable, and waterproof.  The jacket and pants are available in my two favorite camo patterns Realtree Max-1 and AP.  The pockets on the jacket feature waterproof zippers.  I also like the draw cord on the hood when the wind was howling or riding the quad when the temperature was cold.  The pants have draw cords on the bottom of each leg to keep snow and debris out. Each leg has 17" leg zippers to allow you to put your boots on easily.  The pants also feature an adjustable waist, gripping dots on the waist to help keep your under layers tucked in and zippered cargo pockets.  During the last hunt I was on we got over a foot of snow one night.  I glassed all day over the next several days sitting in the snow wearing my Stormkloth II jacket and pants and my base layers never got wet.  I was very impressed and would highly recommend adding the Stormkloth II jacket and pants to your cold weather gear.  Another great feature of the Stormkloth II line is the price.  The jacket and pants retail for $89.99 a piece.

Stormkloth II Jacket

Stormkloth II Pants

Waterproof zippers and drawstring hood

Zippered and drawstring pant legs

Down Goes Rattlesnake Ram

Kerry harvested the Rattlesnake ram with the help of Shane Koury from Show Low!  Preliminary score 170 6/8 gross.  Congrats to Kerry and Shane!

Video of Glenn's Hunt

More of the Colorado Mule Deer Hunt

Here are some more clips from the Mule Deer Hunt in Colorado.

Badlands 2200 Pack

post by Janis Putelis

Overall, this pack has treated me well. To date it is the best daypack/overnight pack I have found. Its greatest attribute is its ability to comfortably carry out an elk quarter. A lot of packs can carry meat quarters, but the Badlands 2200 can do it after a silent stalk. Therein lies the difference between it and other packs I’ve tried. All the others were quiet, but too wimpy to carry the meat or sturdy enough for loads but way too loud and cumbersome for the actual hunt. The 2200 seems to blend my pack needs well. It cinches down small for the hunt, staying out of the way and quiet. When I have game down, the integrated meat shelf/pocket pops out and I’m rollin’.

I’ve overnighted out of this pack a few times and made it happen, but I really had to go light and fore go some items that I normally would carry along. It is best suited as a big daypack, great for guides that might be carrying someone else’s gear.

The pockets are good sized and well positioned, I especially like the waist belt pockets. They are on the small side, but perfect for my headlamp and GPS, which I like to have close to me. The 2200 has a rear access, which is a blessing. I use this zipper to get into the main compartment about 90% of the time. The primary zipper to the main compartment is a little awkward, especially if the pack is loaded. The pack also has a spotting scope pocket and a wing-design which is great for lashing and carrying bigger items. My shooting sticks fit great into the pocket opposite the spotting scope pocket and I can get to them in a flash.

On a final note, I’d like to comment on the packs durability. After three hard years of use, my 2200 is showing virtually no signs of wear. If anything, it has broken in some and fits a little better. If the pack does fail, I’m sure that the Badlands unconditional warranty would take care of it.

Rattlesnake Ram

Here are a few photos of a ram that Glenn and Tyler nicknamed the rattlesnake ram because the tip of his right horn looked like a rattlesnake tail. We saw him many times scouting and during the hunt but he was always in a different spot.

Nebraska Deer Hunt

Post by Janis Putelis

A few friends and I headed to Western Nebraska for opening day of Whitetail deer rifle season this year. Opening day was Nov. 14, which put us right in the middle of the rut. Although after two days of public land pressure the bucks quit acting rutty and turned into the gray ghosts that they are. I was lucky in my opening morning set up and saw lot’s of deer activity. I even rattled in one small buck. After the morning rush, I had counted six bucks and maybe 15 does all within shooting range. Being my first time deer hunting this area, I decided to let them all go and continue hunting. My plan was to sit all day. I had seen two bucks that were worthy of shooting, but I really wanted to continue hunting and maybe see if the area would produce something a bit bigger. Late that evening, with only about twenty minutes of shooting light left, one of the eight pointers fed out of a small draw in the timber, heading towards the agriculture fields. His antlers looked wide and I could see tall tines through my Zeiss 10x40s. After a terrible first shot, I connected with my second and took my biggest whitetail buck to date. He’s not a monster, but a fine buck at that, and I’m tickled. He grossed around 120 B&C.  I also killed a couple does to top off the freezer.  Tender vittles!

The weather was clear and cold on opening day, with highs only in the upper twenties. I sat all day and stayed plenty warm by incorporating the following gear.

Icebreaker Merino long underwear, 260 weight, top and bottom
Smartwool socks, Heavy Trekking
Lowa Sheep Hunter GTX boots
King of the Mountain Bun-lite wool pants
Montbell Eldo jacket, synthetic insulation
Cabela’s MTO5O Jacket
Icebreaker Merino stocking cap worn under my blaze orange hat
Marker Montana Gloves

Other gear that I found usefull on this hunt: Badlands 2200 Pack, Stoney Point shooting sticks, Case XX Stag Hunter Knife. On this hunt I used a Winchester Model 70, 300 WSM, shooting 165gr. Barnes X bullets that I loaded myself.

Horn in the Nose

I have been getting emails about the knot on the nose of Glenn's desert ram.  If you look closely you can see a piece of horn from another sheep is stuck in his nose and has caused some serious swelling and inflamation.  I can only imagine the nastiness underneath the hide on that one.  You can actually see some trauma up by his eye also probably from the same fight.(UPDATE)  Upon further review the horn in the nose is actually this rams and the taxidermist says it is not that uncommon.  The trauma by the eye though had caused some infection causing the knot.

Glenn's Desert Ram Pics

Here are the preliminary measurements that we took in camp of Glenn's ram.  Tyler, Logan and I got it at 176 5/8 gross.  It has been taped unofficially by a measurer at 177 2/8 gross.  It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.  Glenn shot this ram with his muzzleloader and it should score high in the books, we have been told maybe new world record SCI muzzleloader and top five in the Longhunter book.  Here are the measurements we got: Right Horn length 34 5/8, 15 4/8, 14 2/8, 13 4/8, 10 3/8--Left horn length 34 7/8, 15 4/8, 14 4/8, 13 1/8, 10 3/8 for a grand total of 176 5/8 gross and 176 net.  I have a feeling we were a bit conservative but that is ok.  Check out some of the additional photos!

Michael Park's Giant Bull Update

Michael Park got his AZ bull that we harvested in September officially scored and here are the numbers!  He is a little bigger than we thought:
Right side: 52 4/8 MB, 19 0/8, 24 1/8, 23 0/8, 23 1/8, 19 6/8, H1-H4- 10 6/8, 6 7/8, 7 3/8, 7 4/8 for a total of 193 6/8 on the right side.  Left side: 54 3/8 MB, 20 3/ 8, 24 1/8, 25 7/8, 26 7/8, 11 6/8, H1-H4- 10 6/8, 6 5/8, 7 2/8, 7 0/8 for a total of 195 0/8.  He has 11 6/8 inches of extras and is 35 0/8 wide.  That makes the GROSS SCORE 435 4/8 and NET SCORE IN THE NON TYPICAL CATEGORY OF 416 4/8.  I have a Pope and Young book that is a few years old and it should put him at Number 6.  I am sure there have been a few entries since then but it will be interesting to see where he falls.  Awesome job Michael!

Pope and Young Official Score 435 4/8 gross and 416 4/8 Net Non Typical!!

Glenn Hall's Monster Ram

I just got in from the Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunt in Western Arizona with Glenn Hall and family.  It was a awesome hunt and was shared with many friends.  Glenn, his wife Cindy, sons Tyler and Logan and I put in many days of scouting prior to the hunt and had a ball doing it. Glenn harvested a incredible ram with his muzzloader on the second day of the hunt.  He scores 176+. I have tons of video and pics to post of the whole hunt and scouting experience but have to run to help on an elk hunt so this will have to do for now.  I would like to give special thanks to Shane Koury, Jed Larson, and Josh Esparza who helped another hunter in the unit named Shawn Vaughn, who harvested a nice 171 inch ram and then offered to glass with us. Great guys!  I have some other people to thank that offered all sorts of knowledge and advice in regards to desert sheep hunting, Greg Koons, Josh Flowers, and Geof Moss. Enjoy the pics!

Glenn's Ram Live Pics