Kaibab Buck photos taken on the late 2012 hunt

[DonMartin]

I am going to show you just SOME of the photos I got this year (2012) on trail cams and through my spotting scope during the late 12A West (Kaibab) hunt.

You'll notice a lot of them were taken at night, that was due to the full moon we had during the hunt, which allowed many of these bucks to water then.

The photos are mostly of bucks that I estimate are in the 3 1/2 year range, though a few MAY be little older. Remember these are the bucks that the Department figures will make up 55-75% of the harvest on the late hunts.

Enjoy them, and just imagine what some of these fellas would look like IF they were to get a few extra years on them!

There are 18 photos, so I'll break em down into three posts!

A neat buck, but no eye guards and weak backs!

One of the better bucks we saw.

This is a typical "cookie cutter" 4x4 we saw on the hunt!
He is 24 inches wide.

Nothing wrong with this buck except he is young!

Another young buck comes in to drink!

End of group 1.

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

 

[DonMartin]

Ok, here we go with the second set of six photos.

Just another young 4 x 4.

Just imagine what this guy could look like in a couple of good years!

Another young buck that given the chance to grow up who knows what he would be?

Kind of a weird looking buck, wonder what he would look like in a couple of years?

End of set two.

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

 

[DonMartin]

This is the last set that I'm going to post. By now, hopefully you've got the point I'm trying to make.

These guys by design are suppose to make up 55-75% of the the bucks taken on the late hunt.

While they are neat bucks, as a sportsman I would like to see more of them get into that 5+ year age range.

I know that would require some different management actions that might not set well with some folks, but that is my opinion.

He we go!

A nice 4 x 3

He is a 4x4, just hard to see the other point.

A young buck with some "junk". In three years what would be be?

photo doesn't due this buck justice! This 3 x 3's rack looks like an Eastern whitetail! He was one of few bucks we saw with more than five does!

Talk about junk in the trunk! This obviously young buck was sporting a 7 X 5 rack. If he makes it another couple of years he will be a really neat "Freak and Geek" buck as I call them! They are my favorites!

Anyway, that is all of the photos I'm going to post. I have others but for several reasons not going to post 'em (location give away).

Hope you enjoyed looking at them. We looked at 125 live bucks on the hunt, some of these bucks we did see in person and obviously passed on them.

We as sportsmen need to keep being engaged with the Department and Commission when it comes to management of our wildlife.

If you are happy with the current management, especially on the Kaibab, then let the Department and Commission know. If you have a different idea on how you'd like to see it managed, then let them know that too!

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

 

[brian390]

Thanks for posting the pictures.

 

[huntazido]

Even though I would like to see more live longer to an older age class than we currently have, I think things have improved some over the last 2-3 years. They issued 500 tags for the early hunt this year. Three years ago they were giving out 850 tags. I think this reduction in permits allows a few more deer each year to live a little longer.

As long as people keep shooting the young bucks there will continue to be a shortage of older animals. Maybe a campaign of telling people that success is not measured by whether or not you fill your tag but how you enjoyed the experience.

This is still a neat place to hunt. I have had 4 tags for the early hunt over the last 12 years and I have yet to tag an animal yet. Out of all these hunts I have only seen one deer that was a "real" wall hanger. He would just never slow down enough for me to get a shot.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[AZ8]

Thanks for posting the pictures. I have enough points for the Kaibab, but gonna go all in for 13B at this point. Then I can move on! LOL.

By the way...congrats on your Mentor of the Year award from G&F! Good job!

 

[WyoXtec]

I know how ya feel Don, I often wonder what a few limited hunts in western Wyoming could produce with a few years of growing. It's a dream but i have a pretty good idea of where the new Strip, Henry's, Paunsagaunt and Kaibab could be

It was already there in the 80's and early 90's, bigguns!

 

[brian390]

>I know how ya feel Don,
>I often wonder what a
>few limited hunts in western
>Wyoming could produce with a
>few years of growing. It's
> a dream but i
>have a pretty good idea
>of where the new Strip,
>Henry's, Paunsagaunt and Kaibab could
>be
>
>It was already there in the
>80's and early 90's, bigguns!
>

My dad says the same thing about the 80's and early 90's on the kaibab. He says that there were a lot more big bucks back then when he hunted it. Maybe they should look into how they were managing the kaibab back then, and apply it to the present.