GIANT 13B STRIP DEER

[cactusbull7]

Congrats to JoAnn & Kelly Helgason from McClendons Guide Service & The Cactusbull Crew who harvested this giant 211" 6x4. Great job guys!

 

[AZ402]

Joann is ruthless on AZ big game, congrats!!

www.cactusbull.com

 

[brian390]

That is a monster, congrats!

 

[stealth_archer]

So what's the story on the deer.....

 

[tcinkgm]

Doesn't look like they want to talk about it, can't blame them

 

[MEANTTOBBUCK]

Congrats on a great buck.

 

[rackhunter400]

Congrats to JoAnn & Kelly,friends of the family for a long time.Dads got 14 points and is all in for the strip,cant wait!!!

 

[chase]

beautiful buck!

 

[muleyskinwatcher]

Very nice buck!

 

[stealth_archer]

I have to say its a nice buck, but unfortunately I think the way they shot it was pretty unethical which is probably why they haven't said anything. Spot lighted the buck 20 mins before they shot it and lied about the size to get around other hunters, and then shot it from the road at 30 yards. Pretty amazing a highly qualified guide estimated this buck as "might go 180," only 30" off on a mule deer that was 30 yards away. Pretty questionable if you ask me...

 

[zukicrazy]

Weired i heared the same story .

 

[MEANTTOBBUCK]

I did observe some spotlighting on opening morning. I guess some have to try to bend rules to get an advantage. In that hunt it is just a great feeling to get drawn to have a chance to hunt. Being an ethical hunter is something to be proud of. I hope more of us are ethical hunters and true sportsmen and sportswomen.

 

[cactusbull7]

Sounds like sour grapes to me! Taking advantage of every opportunity that the law will allow is definitely not bending any rules! Getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning to spot light while everyone else is snuggled fast asleep in their beds is going above and beyond what most hunters and yes even some outfitters will do. Our job here at the Cactusbull Crew is to find our clients the biggest bucks possible by any means neccesary within the law, and thats what we strive to do. It doesnt matter if thats in a canyon or on the side of the road besides in 15 plus years of guiding i have never once heard a hunter say they wouldnt shot at a big buck because he was on the side of the road, thats just nuts.

ps
We also passed the same buck up opening morning because we truly did think it was in the mid 180's but after all it is the strip and deer can defenitely fool you. So please dont say we lied its just not true.

 

[azhuntography]

Sour grapes indeed. Congrats to the hunter and guides that's a huge buck.

 

[tcinkgm]

Having her shoot from the road is not legal, no matter how you justify it. The lying to get around the hunters is cheap at best. Nice deer, bummer it took the tactics it did to get it done. Sour grapes, sure, I would be too if you told me it was for your wife and the buck "might go 180" being a guide and with your experience.

 

[cactusbull7]

Why would you have "Sour Grapes"? Does the deer being bigger change anything? If yes then what? What would you have done? Driven around Kelly race him to the deer that he already found and wanted to hunt? Would you have flown open the doors throw a bullet in the chamber and fire one off before they could? Would you both be throwing lead at the deer at the same time? Would there be a huge controversy on who killed it first? The way it happened was the only and best way it did happen. It just so happened to be bigger than expected and somehow that makes Kelly a liar. like i said before this deer was passed up on the opening morning. You have the right to assume many things and i cant stop you from doing that but saying that someone is straight up lying when you dont know them or know the situation is just wrong. Kelly is one of the most stand up guys there is on this planet. I have known him for over 30 years, we have played sports together, worked construction together and have hunted together more times than i can count. If he told anyone that he thought that deer was 185 then thats exactly what he thought. Even the most experienced guides on the strip will tell you they get fooled each and every year. It is very easy to mistake the size of strip deer because of their huge body size and ears. If i had a dollar for everytime a guide told me that the deer their hunter shot was way bigger then what they thought (on the strip) i would be a lot richer.

It is unfortunate that I have to make time defend a legal and ethical harvest against false accusations and assumptions. It definitely takes the JOY out of it!!!

 

[cactusbull7]

And as far as the shooting it from the raod! #1 it has to be a maintained road (this one was not), that being said we made sure that she was completely 100% off the road anyway, just in case! So it was fully legal and ethical. PERIOD! end of story!

 

[azhuntin]

Awesome buck! Congrats to the hunter!

 

[AZtrophyhunter]

Nice buck! Unfortunately, this is what you get on MM, a bunch of whiners & complainers. I stopped posting on here a long time ago.

 

[stealth_archer]

One I was in the vehicle that they drove around to shoot the buck and yes they did see it opening morning and videoed it with a spot light. And no they were not off the road as I was 20 yards behind them watching it all go down. In fact we passed them while they were at camp getting his wife which was 6:37 just in case you want to know. They hauled ass up on us road that way for a while before finally backing off (it was in a white jeep in case you would like to know). And even the best gudies can make mistakes I agree but typically not when they are 30 yards form an animal that's not moving. And as for being top notch I seem to remember a couple of questionable situations with the guide service over in show low....so way what you would like but it is unfortunate that this great buck was taken in this manner.

 

[stealth_archer]

And on an additional note, I'm not sure who is behind the name but if it is Travis you were no where near deer when it was harvested. There were 5 of us.

 

[cactusbull7]

boy you got that right!! Lesson learned

 

[azdogman]

Doesn't suprise me

 

[cactusbull7]

well heck if you were just 20 yards behind kelly why didnt you guys just shoot the deer. Seriously dude you have to be kidding me! This is getting ridiculous the fact is you didnt kill the buck and we did! Its sour grapes and it happens deal with it! Im Done

 

[kellyh]

To whom it may concern that is my wife yes we spotlighted everynight.Which is legal when you dont have any firearms.Not only did we not carry firearms she was snug in the trailer.Yes the size of this buck fooled me.We also showed the video of the buck to these guys bad mouthing us and asked for there opinion he said he thought it was 175".Yes we did haul butt up and ask them if we could go around them cause we had a buck in the meadow we wanted her to shoot thank god they let us go around.Its hard to believe they would now turn on us. My wife just killed a buck of a lifetime waited 12yrs for the tag so I would appreciate it if you would drop it and let us enjoy it.

 

[junior]

That sure looks alot like the #1 buck from cactusbull7 trail pics in oct,4 BUCKS TO HARVEST IN 2012?
Congrads to the lady.

 

[MEANTTOBBUCK]

Kellyh,
Were you the one that loaned me the socket to change tires? If that was you thanks again and did you find it? I left it in your camp. Your wife did get an absolutely great buck! What a wonderful trophy, congratulations!

 

[AZ402]

>Kellyh,
>Were you the one that loaned
>me the socket to change
>tires? If that was you
>thanks again and did you
>find it? I left it
>in your camp. Your wife
>did get an absolutely great
>buck! What a wonderful trophy,
>congratulations!

Meanttobbuck, Just talked to KellyH and he said he did get the socket back and that you're very welcome. He's in the field the rest of the week and won't be able to reply...

www.cactusbull.com

 

[azbuster]

If a guide this year would have known it was a 211" deer on the first day he would have had her shoot. The growth is down and that is a nice deer this year, congrats to the lady. The rest is just foolish hunting stories better told around the campfire.

 

[Cozmo8]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-12 AT 10:50AM (MST)[p] I was on the Strip (13B)for the first time this year during a hunting season. I am in the max point pool and hope to draw some day I wanted to get a "feel" for what happens there. It is definitely different than what I had anticipated and nothing like any other place I have hunted.

I ran into Travis (cactusbull7) with his client on the second day of the hunt and would have to say he was a complete gentleman.

All of us have our own opinions of what is ethical and unethical so each one of us has to decide what we choose to do in the field. If a participant is not breaking the law then generally we should accept it even if we disagree or will not take part in that activity. As long as there is a demand for 200 inch bucks (which there always will be and probably to get worse as time goes on) every legal tactic possible will be deployed. At the end of the day it comes down to the hunter. As he/she gazes at the buck on the wall he/she has to decide if they are happy and content with how that animal fell. If it was spotted by artificial light and then killed within a stones throw from a road and the killer is okay with that then all is fine. 10 game cameras on one water hole, spot lighting, 5-8 scouts per hunter. All this appears to be legal. I personally think that these tactics take the "hunt" aspect out of it if I were a client. These guides start scouting in June and follow bucks for months up until the hunt. I think it would be a blast if I were the one doing the scouting.

I plan to do the Strip hunt on my own and know well that the competition will be fierce and I will be greatly out numbered. More than likely I will come home without an animal or one that is not as desirable as what a guide could help me assasinate. I am okay with that.

Take a mature 200 plus inch buck on public land, DIY, in a general season and there is no greater sense of accomplishment. Just my opinion.

 

[huntazido]

Excellent comment Cosmo8 and for better or worse, I would have to agree with you 100%.


Now, if I only had max points like you.

 

[Iguideme]

This is the problem of money being involved so much with hunting. if you have to pay somebody to find you an animal and take you right to it, how can you call yourself a real hunter. stealth, you can't tell me you wouldn't have pulled over and shot it if you didnt let them by, maybe your mad because that buck could have brought you easy money and you wouldn't have had to do to much.

congrats on the great buck,jealous people are always negative

 

[jodog]

I hear ya Cozmo8 and agree with you 100% ! It's called ...The Thrill Of The Hunt...doesn't seem like many people have it anymore. I have a lot of points for AZ elk and when I draw the unit Im looking at I will hunt it every day diy...might eat the tag , might kill a nice bull or I might just arrow a monster. Anyway it turns out I know I'll have a great hunt.

 

[BRUIN4L]

>LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-12
>AT 10:50?AM (MST)
>
> I was on the Strip
>(13B)for the first time this
>year during a hunting season.
> I am in the
>max point pool and hope
>to draw some day I
>wanted to get a "feel"
>for what happens there.
>It is definitely different than
>what I had anticipated and
>nothing like any other place
>I have hunted.
>
>I ran into Travis (cactusbull7) with
>his client on the second
>day of the hunt and
>would have to say he
>was a complete gentleman.
>
>All of us have our own
>opinions of what is ethical
>and unethical so each one
>of us has to decide
>what we choose to do
>in the field. If
>a participant is not breaking
>the law then generally we
>should accept it even if
>we disagree or will not
>take part in that activity.
> As long as there
>is a demand for 200
>inch bucks (which there always
>will be and probably to
>get worse as time goes
>on) every legal tactic possible
>will be deployed. At
>the end of the day
>it comes down to the
>hunter. As he/she gazes
>at the buck on the
>wall he/she has to decide
>if they are happy and
>content with how that animal
>fell. If it was
>spotted by artificial light and
>then killed within a stones
>throw from a road and
>the killer is okay with
>that then all is fine.
> 10 game cameras on
>one water hole, spot lighting,
>5-8 scouts per hunter.
>All this appears to be
>legal. I personally think that
>these tactics take the "hunt"
>aspect out of it if
>I were a client. These
>guides start scouting in June
>and follow bucks for months
>up until the hunt.
>I think it would be
>a blast if I were
>the one doing the scouting.
>
>
>I plan to do the Strip
>hunt on my own and
>know well that the competition
>will be fierce and I
>will be greatly out numbered.
> More than likely I
>will come home without an
>animal or one that is
>not as desirable as what
>a guide could help me
>assasinate. I am okay
>with that.
>
>Take a mature 200 plus inch
>buck on public land, DIY,
>in a general season and
>there is no greater sense
>of accomplishment. Just my
>opinion.


I too have max points and I don't think I could express my feelings about the hunt better than you did Cozmo8. I was able to hunt it last year with my friend who drew. It is a TOUGH hunt and I, like you, would rather do it myself and not kill a 200" buck than have a "team" find one for me. Everyone is different and I don't judge others on this but a buck taken with the "team" would not mean much to me.