This hunt is the most pleasurable hunt I�ve ever had the been on. It was solely for my nephew, Darren. He is 14 years old and has successfully completed the Hunters Education course and has won numerous awards and/or trophies. With rifle, both big & small bore, shotgun and archery. This was his first experience at hunting big game and hopefully he will continue to pursue this great American sport.
Now about the hunt. The story starts months in advance, in fact back in March of 2004. I was returning from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation�s �Elk Camp� in Reno, NV and crossed over the Sierra Nevada�s into CA to see Aunt, Uncle, my cousin, Bill, and his family. I heard of my cousin�s son proficiency at the shooting sports so at our next meeting we got talking about it. The next day Darren shows up bring his 22LR target rifle and we proceed to create a pile of used brass. During our target shoot I ask him if he has ever thought about going deer hunting and if he would be interested. He said he�s thought of it but so far the opportunity hasn�t offered it�s self. I then committed myself and told Darren that I�d enter him into the Arizona draw and that it is a lottery system so no guarantee that he would draw a permit. After I got home and red the hunting regulations I called Bill and Darren to ask if he would be interested in a doe hunt. During the first week of June the application process opened and I sent in his application. The results wouldn�t be available until the 28th. of July so we all sat on pins and needles waiting. Darren was lucky aand he got permit #123 to hunt Arizona�s prime Mule Deer hunting area up on the Kaibab Plateau.
I mention his tag # because a guide service from NM filed a lawsuit against the AZ Game & Fish Dept. contesting the non-resident drawing cap. The 9th. Circuit Court agreed with the US Outfitters from NM that the cap was a violation of the Inter-state commerce clause of the Constitution and that will effect the hunting of residents of every state. Plus extra permits had to be issued disrupting the wildlife management plans.
Getting back to the hunt. My Dad and me agreed that we�d leave on Wednesday to have camp set up for Darren�s hunt. We arrived late that afternoon and the wind was blowing at about 15 mph. A few hours later the wind died and the rain started up. The next day it was still raining as Bill called from Kanab, UT to check on the weather up at Jacob�s Lake, AZ. Bill and Darren arrived right around noon and as Bill stopped his truck the rain changed to snow then kept it up for the next 24 hr. But it still spit snow till Saturday morning. A friend, the ex-president of the AZ Deer Association, told us to be sure to stop into the Youth Deer Camp. That was setup by the Ariz. Deer Association, Ariz. Elk Society, Ariz. Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ariz. Bowhunters plus a Fishing tackle store, whose name I fail to remember, and Southwest Meat Processing out of Chandler, AZ. Breakfasts were served every morning from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM then from 9 to 9 PM hamburgers and hot-dogs were cooked and drinks served by the ADA. The AZ. Bowhunters had a archery range setup with 10 3D targets and about a dozen bows set with a light draw weight for the kids. After the kids got some practice shots and they felt that they were proficient enough to enter the contest. That each got one shot at each of the 3D targets and their scores recorded.
With our camp all setup we settled down awaiting opening day. But with the weather as it was we decided that it would be no use to be ready to go before the sun was up. It ended up it was a good thing we decided to wait because the sun never came up and a cloud settled on us cutting visibility to about 3 foot. By 7:30 the cloud started to rise and you could see maybe 50 yards so we went out looking for some venison. About a half hour out of camp we spotted our first deer. They crossed the road about 150 yards in front of use were and there were at least 4 does. And the stalk was on they were gone from the truck about a half hour when back they came. Bill and Darren found the deer�s tracks but there were people tracks on top of the deer. So we loaded up and off we went looking again. Only went a short mile when we came on some more fresh tracks and at least one was a big buck from the size of his tracks and his dew claws were showing telling us he was definitely a big boy. As we were checking over the tracks a herd of a dozen deer crossed the road not 30 yards in front of us. Unfortunately Darren left his gun in the truck and by the time he was ready for the stalk those deer had a very good lead. After a couple hour walk both were back at the truck. We only went maybe a 1/4 mile when here was a doe standing behind a bush about 50 yards off the road watching us. Excitement got the best of me and not in a gentle voice I told the shooter �doe -- 2 o�clock -- 50 yards -- go�. By the time he was ready the doe had vanished. He walked over to the bush she was hid behind and he kicked up 8 more does. But because of the brush a clear shot wasn�t offered so off on another stalk his Dad and him went. About 4 hours later Bill got on the radio for us to come pick them up after running some roads we found them. By now it was lunch time so we headed back to camp for some chow. After lunch we got out the map and figured out a new route to take South of us. We all loaded back up in the truck and took off we were in some beautiful country and getting higher the further South we headed. We camped at 8400+/- a couple feet and had about 8 inches of snow. As we went South soon we were at 9600 and there was a good 16 inches of snow on the ground. When we got to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon we stopped and took some pictures. But not as many as hoped for because most of what we saw was the top of a cloud laying in the canyon. We turned back North and went into a huge old burn area. I think the forest fire claimed about 25,000 acres. With our view unobstructed and the sun sinking we looked for deer till the daylight faded and the temperature started to plummet. Kept hearing from our fellow hunters that in that burn area is the place to be. At first light we were in the area that yesterday showed us so many deer but we didn�t even see any fresh tracks. So into the burn area we headed. Went maybe a mile when we came across a wounded doe maybe 50 feet off the road. She was shot up bad, taking 3 hits that left her unable to stand. We sat there hoping that the hunter who shot her would come and claim her. But no one showed up leaving the poor wounded animal to suffer. Darren didn�t really want to shoot her because he was hoping for a challenging shot. But we finally convinced him that dispatching her was the only truly ethical and moral thing to do. Plus he should be proud of the fact that he was showing the world that he is a true sportsman. Besides it was a excellent refresher course for me. Figure she weighted in at about 140 +/- she yielded about 100 pounds of meat + she had some fat on her. After she was field dressed we loaded her into the bed of the truck and headed back to camp. We passed some of our fellow hunters that where glassing a hill side with spotting scopes. As we headed towards camp with the dead doe wouldn�t you know it we came on a herd of about 9 deer standing maybe 50 yards off the road in was a beautiful 4 pointer with a small spike and the rest made up the big boy�s harem. When we got back to the Youth Camp we were directed over to the Southwest Meat Processors. There they skinned and quartered the young sportsman�s deer for free and told us we needed to take the head to AZ Game & Fish check station. First we deboned the meat then cut & wrapped it before we took the head to check station. There she was inspected for both CWD and West Nile Virus, had a tooth pulled and was told she was old, around 7 or maybe 8 years old. She was very old for a Mule Deer doe. They start breeding at the age of 3 and by the time they are 7 they�re to old to breed and their teeth are so worn that they are dying of malnutrition. But she was well fed and was a very healthy.
That afternoon we decided to find the East Side Game Trail and head down to
Houserock Buffalo Ranch. But because of the snow we made a Bill�s truck was a
muddy mess after all our running around but I told him it was a badge of honor
and not to wash it till he got home so he would have some bragging rights.
