Andygrand 2016 HAC

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I decided to give the HAC a shot this year. My main reason for doing this is
because I want to be able to go back and read a lot of the stories and
details from when they are fresh. I tend to remember the big things but
think that having this "hunting journal will be pretty cool.

A little bit about me to start things off. I grew up in Utah where I
casually hunted through my early years. What I mean by that, is that we went
deer hunting every year but we didn't take it very serious. We were in it
more for the experience than anything else. I now call Yuma, Arizona home.
I was transplanted into this desert oasis and when I was medically separated
in 2014, I chose to stay. I love to hunt and I am blessed to spend a lot of
time in the woods. My patient wife accommodates my obsession and I try to
involve her and the kids as often as possible.

2016 started out like most years do for me....chasing rutting desert mule
deer in between trips to Mexico. I am lucky, a trip to hunt coues deer
several years ago turned in to a friendship that ultimately led to me
guiding some Mexican Coues deer hunts. This year I got to take some of my
close friends from back home, and I was especially lucky because I would be
able to hunt also.

Getting to the ranches in Mexico is always an adventure. I am completely
comfortable crossing the border, crossing firearms isn't a problem for me,
Mexico doesn't scare me....but, I have learned to always be prepared for the
worst. Well "the worst" this year came in the shape of a gas station screw
up. I drive a newer model diesel truck and have made multiple trips to
Mexico with it. I have gotten gas several times and never had a problem, so
I didn't even think twice when I pulled up to the gas station (green pump)
and told the attendant to fill it up while the clients and I went in to get
a drink. Well as I walked out of the gas station I quickly realized that I
had pulled up to the green pump, which north of the border is diesel but in
old Mexico is premium unleaded. So there I was 3 hours from the U.S.
Border, with a tank full of unleaded in my diesel truck. Luckily one of my
clients was a self-proclaimed "syphoning expert." After some tense moments
and a lot of work he was able to get all 28 gallons of unleaded, and the 15
gallons of diesel we put in to "rinse" the tank, out of the tank. We filled
it up with the correct gas and we were on the road...400$ later!
There were going to be 4 hunters on the ranch for this week. We were the
first hunters to hunt the ranch and two days before I picked up the clients.
I was able to harvest this great buck. He is my second Mexico buck and was
definitely one of the mature bucks in the area.
[URL]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/83671image.jpeg[/URL]


Over the next week we were able to harvest 6 other deer, including a second
deer for me. The highlight of the trip was watching my good friend Mike
harvest this once in a lifetime coues buck with great mass and tons of
character
[URL]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/3492image.jpeg[/URL]


[URL]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/46302image.jpeg[/URL]


Here are some pics of the other deer and life in old Mexico!
[URL]http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/75338image.jpeg[/URL]

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After week one in Mexico it was time to head home and chase some desert mule deer....

Getting caught up to where we are now is going to be the hard part of this
thread!
Anyhow, after a week in Mexico I returned to Arizona where it was the
January archery season. I love to use this time to chase rutting mule deer
and javelina closer to home. I still have dreams of hunting the Kaibab or
the Arizona Strip one day, so I am usually pretty picky during the January
season. This guy would have fit the bill though, unfortunately he slipped
through the cracks and I wasn't ever able to get on him.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/91662image.jpeg

One of the best parts about guiding in Mexico is that when there are
management tags to fill, you usually get a call. That is what happened this
year, and so I was headed south for another weekend this time chasing some
management mule deer and Javelina. Our ranches have some giant management
bucks on them. I have seen some really big 3 points and a giant two point,
so I was excited to get down there. Of course as luck would have it, we
could only find the young or big bucks this trip. First morning we looked
over a lot of bucks including this young 4 point that has some great
potential if he can get the cactus out of his eye!
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/99729image.jpeg
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/82906image.jpeg




We saw some good bucks including a 200+ inch monster that had eluded us
every time we had a hunter. I jumped him at 20 yards and despite how big he
was, there was no way I was shooting him. On the afternoon of the first day
we found some pigs and the fun started. My good friend and fellow guide
Vince and I were able to knock down a couple of pigs out of the same herd.

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After we got the obligatory pics done and the pigs cleaned up, we were back
after the mule deer. It was tough hunting, as all we seemed to be able to
turn up were big bucks or deer that we just couldn't justify shooting. So
we closed out the night with a couple of coyote stands that were blank.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/62090image.jpeg

The next morning brought high winds and not the best hunting conditions.
Deer were really holding tight to thick cover and not moving much. We
hunted hard all day and at the end of the day turned up this buck that we
had seen several times this year. He was a deer that we didn't think was
ever going to be more than a three point and so we made the call to shoot
him.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/68790image.jpeg


Definitely not my biggest trophy but, he is one more in a long list
of great memories from a fun weekend with my friends.

Here are some more Mexico pics to close out the Mexico chapter of this story

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With Mexico complete for the year it was again time for me to focus on the
States. It was time for spring application season or as I like to call it
"ramen and water" season because that is all I can afford to eat or drink
this time of year. I usually put in for several states and almost always
hunt at least two states. This year was no different and when all was said
and done, I had apps in for Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California, and
Wyoming. While waiting for results to come out, I was able to go and chase
some turkeys on a public land tag that I had drawn in the Arizona fall draw.


Day one brought high winds and less than favorable weather conditions.
While making our way through the woods we crossed paths with this guy and
chasing some mule deer. Luckily he won't be harassing any fawns this year.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/54331image.jpeg
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I had never killed a turkey before and even though high winds and less than
favorable weather made for a tough hunt, I was able to take this great tom
on our second day of hunting.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/13236image.jpeg
http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos_2016/59338image.jpeg



During our celebratory trip to breakfast we met this little fella and
quickly named him Bill, and had an impromptu photo shoot.
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