Mullins Outfitters Recent Hunts

A Great First Hunt In Old Mexico!

2011-12-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back for a couple days from a great trip to old Mexico! Myself along with a couple friends headed south for our first hunt a little over a week ago. Knowing the moon would make it tough along with being an early hunt our expectations weren't very high. Immediately on the first day we started glassing up bucks and the midday activity kept us busy and hopefull that a giant buck would present itself!

It didn't take long before we finally had a great buck spotted and the stalk was on! Closing the distance quickly, my hunter and I made it to 513 yards from the feeding buck. I had the priviledge of trying out Swarovski's brand new 10x42 EL Range binoculars with the built-in range finder and those things are AMAZING! With these new binos on the tripod I was able to range the buck and watch the shot without taking my face away from the binos! My hunter made a great 1 shot kill and the buck was down immediately! We were both very excited to walk up and see

this massive 117" beast up close!

Next up was our other hunter and after relocating to check out a different ranch we immediately had another great buck spotted! Again, the stalk was on and the distance was cut from 700 yards to 270 yards and with 2 well placed shots the 110" 4x4 was ours!

So now with 2 great bucks in camp and several tags left we kept hunting! On one evening we located a pretty 103" 4x4 at 685 yards and my friend decided with the challenge of the shot, this buck was worth a try. He's practiced at this distance and with full confidence he proceeded to make a great first shot and followed it up with a perfect second shot to anchor the buck at 685 yards! It's not a giant but it was a great experience and some incredible shooting! We also had a pic of this buck on trail cam...

So there's the result of our first trip! We had smooth crossings at the border and we all felt safe and comfortable while on our trip. I can't wait to run out the door and head back down! Thanks and stay tuned to see what we turn up next! JIM>

Tony Get's His First Archery Bull!

2011-10-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

During the archery elk hunts this year I was fortunate to experience an awesome hunt with good friends Tony and Craig! Tony and his family have hunted Coues with me for the last few years and we've had some great times together. I knew this hunt would be no different. Tony had drawn the archery elk tag and despite the slow rut and bad weather he kept his spirits up the whole time and I knew it was just a matter of time until he got the shot he wanted. The time frame between the first and last shot was a roller coaster full of emotions with it's highs and lows but in the end we were rewarded for all our determination and persistence! Thanks Tony for letting me experience it with ya and congrats on a great first bull and great job stickin' with it!

Here's Tony's story.....

"We'll, we spent 10 days hunting in solid rain with almost no rut activity and finaly got a shot at a nice Bull and I hit a little bit back, not the best shot. After givin him plenty of time we started tracking we'll we followed blood until it stoped then we were able to track him in the soft ground. At 12:30 and two miles later we GPS the last track and went back to camp. After a night of no sleep we picked his tracks back up and followed them for another two and a half miles were we spooked him off his bed and he blew out like nothing was wrong I just knew we were not gona recover this bull. So we stayed put and gave him some more time after what seemed like forever we were back on his tracks. He had only gone 200yards and beded this time we were ready we closed the distance to 45yrds man I was shacking so bad but I took a deep breath and sent the arrow and place a great shot hitting both lungs. He blew out again and went 60 yards where he crashed and we recoverd him. What an awsome hunt and a great track job by Craig and Jim. It pays to be persistant!"

Cole Smokes A Beast With A Muzzleloader!

2011-10-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here's another great bull we had the great fortune to help with this year!

I got the call from Bob Horchler early on stating his son Cole had drawn a great muzzleloader bull tag this year! Cole only had a couple days to hunt as he just started college, so we knew we had our work cut out for us! The tag he had is one that you don't want to just shoot any bull, even with limited time you still want to take a good bull and that was our goal!

As everyone knows, the rut was very difficult this year but we had some great bulls lined up and the hunt was on. On our first morning, Jeff and I took Cole to an area where we had 2 bulls located. Both bulls would bugle very sparingly early and late but we knew their bugle and basically where they lived. We had Cole's mom and dad, Bob and Heidi, with us on that first morning as well! Right away we had the bugle we wanted. This particular bull is named "Floppy" because of a damaged ear. We moved in on the bull and played cat and mouse for a long time with him. Floppy was very educated and was smart enough to keep brush between us and him the whole time! It was frustrating being within range of him but never getting a shot! We didn't get the shot that morning but to have the family there to experience it all made it very cool!

I had to leave for home that evening and Jeff took Cole and the family back to the same area. The evening was quiet so they split up on two different waterholes that were close to each other. Cole's dad and brother were on one and Jeff and Cole were on another. They had only waited for a short time when Bob clicked the radio indicating a bull was visible where he was at! Jeff and Cole snuck over to the waterhole and got a visual on the bull that was now in the tank and right in front of Cole's dad and brother! Jeff knew instantly this wasn't a bull to pass on and Cole sent a perfect shot into the bull! The bull wasn't even down yet as the celebration started, everyone knew the shot was perfect and the family had a front row seat to the show!

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It was great meeting the Horchler family and hunting with them! Cole is a great hunter and we were all excited that he tagged a great bull! Congrats Cole!

2 Hunters, 2 Great Tags, Over 750" of bone!

2011-10-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not going in order here but I'm excited to share this story with you all!

We had 2 hunters, Davey and Gene, in Unit 10 this year on the early rifle hunt. Bryan would be the guide and my brother and myself would be helping throughout the hunt. Bryan did a great job and scouted for weeks before the opener and had some giant bulls picked out! Our hunters, Davey and Gene and Gene's brother Robert, are great guys and the atmosphere in camp was awesome and I only wish I could've been there during the whole hunt! Camps like that are why I love doing what I do and killing big bulls is only icing on the cake on those ones!

Matt and Bryan took both guys out seperately, Matt with Davey and Bryan with Gene. Bryan had some big bulls hitting a tank so he took Gene to sit it. I'm very surprised anything came in because I know how much I laugh being around Gene and I know Bryan had to be rolling in the dirt trying not to laugh out loud in the blind! Gene is one of those characters that even when he's not trying he gets ya laughing! Bryan would keep getting out of the blind to splash in the water in hopes a bull could hear it and come to investigate, but I know he was just needing a break from Gene! LOL! Eventually a big ol' bull came in to check out the noise and Gene was ready for him! Gene laid the smack down on him and tagged the biggest bull of his lifetime! Matt and Davey were close enough to hear the shot and they all were excited to see Gene killed a great bull!

Now it's Davey's turn! Matt and Bryan tag teamed and even with the help of Gene's brother Robert they relocated a bull that Bryan had some history with from the earlier archery season. Bryan had his archery hunter on this bull on opening day and his hunter shot him with what they thought at the time was a high lung shot. Unfortunately another guide ran in on the bull even though they knew Bryan's hunter already shot him! A whole mess of unfortunate events followed and everyone thought the bull ran off and died....but that wasn't the case! The arrow had actually passed through the back straps just above the rib cage and the bull was healthy and rutting his harem of cows 2 weeks later!

Matt, Bryan and Davey hunted this bull hard for several days with some very close calls but no shots fired. Bryan knew this bull intimately and everytime he moved Bryan knew exactly where to relocate him! Matt had to go back to work so I headed over to take his place. On my first evening there I watched as Bryan and Davey moved in on the bull but unfortunately bumped him again. Bryan told me exactly where to find the bull in the morning and the plan was set!

The next morning Bryan headed to a high point as Davey and I moved into the country where Bryan said the bull would be. Sure enough just after light we hear a bugle! There are no other bulls in this area so we knew it was him! I grabbed Davey and moved quick into position just as his cows came across a clearing at 200 yards! I threw the tripod down, Davey dropped his gun into place, I ranged the opening, here comes tines....It's him, 210 yards.....BOOOM! WHOP!!!! He's hit, He's down!!!!

I called Bryan and assured him that 5 weeks worth of watching him and all the drama he's endured with this bull, it was finally over! Davey and I walked up to the beast first and it never gets old for me, something about walking up to a giant bull and seeing the emotions on the hunters face is why I do what I do! Bryan came up shortly after and it was dead quiet. Davey and I didn't say anything and I could see through Bryan's watery eyes as he picked up the rack what he was feeling. He spent a crazy amount of time trying to kill this bull and had gone through some crazy bullcrap with other hunters in the process. This was his second hunter to shoot this bull and getting to put his hands on the antlers was a long time coming!

Even though I loved every second of the short time I spent with Davey and Bryan, it should have been my brother Matt standing there with Davey when he killed this bull. Matt had been there for everything but the kill and I felt bad just showing up for the finale...but I'll get over it, I had a blast!!! LOL!! Here's the beast named "Sidekick"! Average 61" on beams, over 44" wide, 390" straight 6!

Again, it was a great hunt, and I know it was an awesome camp with great folks! To kill two great bulls in the end was just icing on the cake and I'm glad I got to at least see one of em' hit the dirt! Bryan and Matt did an incredible job and their hard work was obvious to all that shared in the hunt. Thanks to Robert and Glen for all your help in camp and Dad and Gary for their help as well early on! Congrats to Davey and Gene on your great bulls! Mullins.

Our Second Archery Bull from the 2011 Season!

2011-10-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well now that we got these bulls and this crazy rut figured out Jeff and I tag teamed our second hunter, Rich. Rich, an accomplished archer and hunter had his sights set on one of our biggest bulls for the first part of the hunt. He had the same issues with the hunter pressure and although he had some close calls with the giant bull he decided it wasn't worth the hassle. Jeff and I took Rich over to our secret spot where we killed John's bull and again had the area and the bulls to ourselves. The first night there we had some close encounters with smaller bulls and had a game plan for the following day. The next day we came in the backdoor on an area that holds a big bull and immediately had a good bugle. We set off after him with Jeff and Rich going low and myself heading high. The country is broken up cedars with sage draws and not knowing the bull had cows we bumped into them. We heard the commotion and then noticed the bull heading up the draw alone. I bugled at him and he stopped and looked back. The bull didn't know what busted his cows but after I bugled he thought maybe another bull ran into them! This bull turned and started coming back to find out! Jeff and Rich noticed this and Rich took off to get between the bull and where his cows went.

I sneaked down towards Jeff and bugled again which got the bull bugling back at us which helped to keep tabs on his location. Once behind Jeff and Rich I started rattling the two antlers I carry to simulate two small bulls sparring. This was enough to assure the bull that there were other bulls there and he kept coming! In the process of rattling I had a small bull sneak in behind me and watch me at 30 yards throughout the whole event! I could see the big bull coming and knew any second he was going to get an arrow in the ribs! Rich had snuck up closer than we thought and as the bull passed through an opening at 30 yards Rich sent an arrow through the beast! We all watched as the bull blew out across the sage meadow and knew he was a dead bull runnin'!

The tracking was easy with the recent rains and we had our bull! We had Rich's friends John and Scotty there with us and they got to experience it all with us! It was a tough rut this year but we adapted to it, got away from the pressure, made some changes to our calling tactics and produced a couple outstanding bulls within the first week of the archery hunt! Congrats to Rich on your biggest bull to date and thanks for letting us share in the experience! Mullins.

First Bull of the 2011 Archery Season!

2011-10-07T11:30:00.001-07:00

So with the elk hunts finally here, our anticipation and excitement is boiling over! The bulls were screaming and the rut seemed like it would be good prior to the hunt but that would not be the case! The rain storms started rolling in and kept rolling in one right after the other and the rut seemed to wind down more and more with each storm!

I was in our main camp in Unit 9 with 3 hunters and even though the rut was slow and the pressure was heavy we still made it happen!

First up was John. John's expectations matched ours and we were wanting to kill a huge bull! We had several picked out and hunted them hard but we soon realized the competition for those bulls was too much so we went to find a bull of our own. After relocating to the other side of the unit we found what we were after! We had big bulls all to ourselves and they were talking enough to locate them. We knew cow calling was not productive so we changed up tactics.

We had a bull bugle in the treeline shortly after light. We grabbed our gear and ran to get ahead of him. After about a mile of getting into position, Jeff ran back as I took John ahead and set up. The bull bugled once more and that reaffirmed we had set up correctly. I ranged the shooting lanes and told John that this is gonna happen fast! Jeff let out a perfect bugle and the bull was interested in checking him out! We saw his legs first and just before he stepped into our shooting lane he stopped and put his head down. As he swung his head up I got a good enough look to know this was a shooter class bull and it was about to get western! Jeff's perfect subtle calling had this bulls curiosity and he wanted to check out this new bull in his area. The bull then started into our lane, 35 yards was the mark as the bull veered broadside and just as I stopped him John's arrow was on it's way and smacked him perfectly! We sat and listened as the bull ran and crashed within 100 yards!

We were all excited for John and his incredible archery bull! John kept his composure through the tense moments and made a perfect shot at the perfect time to claim this huge bull as his own! It was one of those moments that I live for. We took a tough hunt, adapted, relocated and smacked a whopper of a bull in the end! Congratulations John on a bull of a lifetime! Mullins.

P.S. Thanks to our packers, Vance, Matt, Glen, Dad, and especially my nephews, you all made it easy! Thanks!

Dad's Long Awaited Muzzleloader Antelope Hunt!

2011-10-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Switching gears from Bears to Goats! We had just got done with the Bear hunt and headed up for Dad's Antelope hunt! Dad has waited a long time for this hunt and even though it's a trophy unit, the trophy bucks were hard to find! Dad only wanted to kill his biggest buck to date so any 80" class buck would fit the bill and with what we were finding we felt we had a good chance at that!

Bryan came down from elk scouting and Gary came up to help Dad and I. On opening morning we scattered to find a buck that Bryan had found the night before but with no luck so we then ran over to relocate our initial Plan A buck. Once there we found several hunters flingin' lead at a smaller buck and working him and his harem around in circles. We looked past the circus and relocated our buck several miles out so Dad and I loaded our packs, grabbed the Zebu decoy and headed out. It was 100 degrees and we knew we were on a death march across the prairie! We had gone about 1 mile when we noticed the buck those other hunters had been shooting at was headed our way. We stopped and got a better look at him and then noticed we had underscored him! Dad and I dropped behind the decoy and waited to get a better look at him. Eventually the does appeared at 150 yards and following behind them was the buck! At 112 yards we realized this wasn't a buck to pass up with a smokepole! Dad leveled his canon and BOOOM!!! The buck humped up and stood there while his does just stood looking around confused. Dad excitedly reloaded and hadn't packed the powder tight enough but after several missfires we realized what happened, packed the powder tighter and BOOM! The gun finally fires and the buck dropped dead at 112 yards!

We called Bryan and Gary to let them know that we didn't feel like hiking the extra miles so we decided to shoot this buck instead! We knew once they saw this buck they would realize it had nothing to do with the hike we had ahead of us, this buck was an absolute stud! The mass is insane and he's absolutely gorgeous! He didn't seem that impressive to us at a distance but up close it was appearant that he wasn't a buck to pass up and most likely scores better than the buck we were originally after.

It was awesome to see Dad get all worked up and excited and it was even better to see him tag such a great Antelope! Thanks to Bryan and Gary for being there to help out and share in the experience! Congrats again Dad! Mullins.

Auction Bear Tag Hunt 2011

2011-10-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks, sorry for the long delay between updates! I've got a ton of cool hunts and giant critters to share with ya, stay tuned!

First we have a phenomenal bear hunt to share with ya! It all started with a phone call from Phil Townsend from Yuma, AZ. He purchased the auction bear tag and was interested in a spot and stalk hunt! We love hunting bears with optics and have some great country to hunt so the hunt was on!

Mullins guide, Bryan Waitman, started the scouting early and found several handfulls of bears with several being great trophies. As anyone that's done it knows, stateland bear hunting can be one of the toughest hunts you can do, and looking for a trophy adds a huge element of difficulty to it. With dogs you can shop around and pass on bears at close distance, but spot and stalk hunting is much more challenging and much more rewarding for the hunter as far as we are concerned. With tons of experience behind him and tons of scouting done, Bryan was ready for the hunt!

Myself and friend Steve showed up several days in advance to get our bearings and Phil, along with his son Matthew and friend Ernesto showed up later for the hunt. It was on the first day that Steve found a huge bear and Matthew and Ernesto helped him pin down the location. Later that evening, after a grueling climb up one of the biggest mountains, we settled into position and relocated the giant bear in a small canyon. The rain started pouring down on us but with tripods in position and Phil on a steady rest, we waited for the bear to present a shot!

Finally, after a short wait the bear stood up and turned broadside..BOOM! Phil sent a bullet towards the bear but unfortunately instead of a solid hit he gave the bear a haircut instead! The bear then ran down the canyon and we sat and watched as the bear ran a full mile in a circle below us in the flats and then dissappeared unhurt! We hunted that bear exclusively for the next couple days without success and then decided to move on to hunt different bears. We looked over several other good bears in the next few days and had a great time!

Finally, after sorting through numerous different bears, we finally found the one that Phil liked and he said that was the bear he wanted! Here's some pics of the bear as he fed below my glassing position.

After a quick lunch and reveiw of my pics of the bear from that morning, we headed out early to set up on the bear. I had watched the bear go into a thick draw to bed so we had high hopes we would get back on him. With Ben and myself up high and Bryan and Phil coming in from the bottom, our plan was set but as soon as I got set up I looked down and the bear was out! It was hot and way to early for him to be out but he was and our plan shifted into high gear! Bryan and Phil had to hike the mile in faster than expected and in just a matter of minutes the bear got hot and went back into the thick draw to bed again.

Bryan and Phil finally got into position and after only a short wait the bear finally came back out! The bear walked up the same ridge that they were set up on and then skirted around the side just below them! Because of the slope and close proximity of the bear they had to sneak in close! Ben and I were on pins and needles freaking out at how close they were! I think it was 40 yards when Phil could finally see the bears head and neck above a prickly pear. Phil, not wanting to take any chances, decides to take the shot he had...BOOOM! The gun went off and the bear piled up in a heap! It was exciting just to watch such a hunt, I couldn't imagine the excitement they had up close and personal with the bear like that!

It was great making new friends with Phil, Matthew and Ernesto and I definitely look forward to hunting with them in the future! I wish Matthew and Ernesto could've stayed longer but I'm glad they got to share in Phil's hunt as much as they did at least! Bryan did an amazing job and put us in great bear country with tons of bears found, actually, I think last count was over 20 bears sighted which is amazing for stateland bear hunting! Thanks to everyone that helped out, Glen, Ben, John and Pam, and Steve! The hunt couldn't have happened as well as it did without you all! Congrats again Phil on a beautiful stateland, spot and stalk trophy bear! Mullins.

6 Weeks In Mexico!

2011-02-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks, I'm back from the last trip for this season in old Mexico! It was tough hunting most of the time with different extremes in the weather conditions and battling a full moon smack dab in the middle of the rut! We returned home safe and with some great trophies and memories in the end which all adds up to a successful season! Here are some links to stories I've written on CWT.com of different events and there's also a slideshow which sums up the adventure through pictures! Thanks for visiting us here and enjoy!

http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23771

http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23240

http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23720

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Coyotes Kill A Big Coues On Trail Camera!!!

2011-01-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

While walking up to a hidden spring in a rock crevice last week in Mexico I noticed a Coues deer tail and some guts floating in the pool of water! I crawled down into the rocky canyon and then noticed a freshly eaten back leg with a worn down buck hoof. With a stick I pulled the remains out of the water and figured it was the ranch owner who killed a deer and threw these parts in there. I had a trail camera pointed almost directly at this spot and hadn't checked it in almost a week so I figured I had pics of the rancher with this deer.

I went back to the ranch house and loaded the pics on my laptop only to be completely amazed at what I saw! At first I noticed there were more Coyote pics than usual and then there was a pic that clearly explained everything! Instead of the rancher with a deer, I had a picture of 3 Coyotes killing a great Coues buck! Looking at the time frames of the pics you can tell that the unfortunate deer put up a fight for at least an hour and a half! For several days after this incident I would get pics of Coyotes traveling in and out of this canyon and leaving with chunks of deer meat in their mouths!

I had to be home that next day after checking the camera so I couldn't go back and search for the rest of the carcass. My partners Scott and Santos went back and dug around in the pool of water but only pulled out a turtle. They also search the nearby area and still hadn't found the head yet but I'm sure we'll find it soon and I'll add the pics of it when I return.

It's an amazing thing to catch this on camera and it really sucks to see it happen. I never thought much about the impact Coyotes have on older age class bucks but appearantly they are fair game just the same. Lions don't deserve all the credit people give them, these pics clearly show that Coyotes are just as efficient at killin' the trophy bucks!

It's hard to see but this is actually a great buck, if you look closely you can see the long tined 4 point left side. These pics are in order as they happened, it's crazy how long the fight lasted, who knows how long it lasted off camera! It seems unfortunate but it's a rare glimpse of reality in the wild!

Sonoran Surprise!

2011-01-16T20:09:00.000-08:00

Howdy all, here's some pics of an amazing critter that I found while hunting in Sonora, Mexico recently! I've only heard rumors about these Boa's existing in the same areas that we hunt Coues deer in and have only heard of two others that were found by other hunters. As I sat glassing with a friend of mine on a rocky hill I kept hearing something move near me. Continually looking for the noise It wasn't until I looked down and seen this Boa looking up at me with his dark shiny body extending way around a boulder from where he came! I couldn't believe I was fortunate enough to see one of these beautiful critters in the wild and it'll definitely always be one of the highlights of my hunting career! This snake was one of the most docil snakes I've ever caught and it was hard to let him go. I took him to the ranch house that night so everyone could see him and then let him go in the exact spot the next day. After leaving my backpack that next morning, he dissappeared and then came back that evening and coiled up below me to catch the last hour of sunlight! He dissappeared one last time and I didn't see him again over the course of the following 2 days I spent sitting there. An amazing encounter and gorgeous critter, just another reason why I love spending time in the woods! Take care and hope everyone had great holidays!

Makin' The Most Of Leftovers!

2010-12-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

To start, I've gotta say that this past hunt was simply an awesome time spent with great guys! The only pressure we had was the little bit of pressure Craig and I put on ourselves to hold out for 100" class bucks. I held out for almost a full day and found a buck I wanted opening evening.

The buck was buried in thick catclaw at around 600 yards. I could see enough of him to know that he "could" hit the 100" mark but I also knew that I don't have the patience to pass any high 90's class buck on a Oct. leftover tag! The gun was set up on the tripod with the new "Loc Jaw and Rifle Railz" adaptor and I just shot a 4" group the day before at 600 yards with this setup, so I was confident with the shot. There wasn't a angle to worry about but the wind was variable and I could see it wasn't windy where the buck was but was windy where I sat. I pulled out my phone, called my dad who was on an elk hunt and told him I was getting ready to whack a buck! He knew I wanted to hold out and also knows how trigger happy I am so he told me, "Don't do it!" I laughed and told em' it was big enough and to just listen then I set the phone on a rock. There were 2 canyons between us and I decided the wind was going to be a factor so I held into it considerably and just as the buck stopped mostly broadside, the crosshairs were rock solid and level...BOOM! Craig says, "He's hit and running left!", I reload expecting to hear Craig say he's down but instead he says "maybe he's not hit"!!!! WHAT! Now I'm back on the buck and through trees I can see him just standing there then he starts walking around normally and seemingly fine! I'm frantically trying to get a good range on him but with the brush I know I'm getting wrong readings. Finally, the buck clears the brush and I get a good range, hold tight..BOOM, "To the right, the winds pushing it"!! I'm now realizing that the wind is blowing very inconsistently in the canyons between the buck and I and 2 more failed shots ring out leaving me disgusted and frustrated!!! The buck trotted down into and out of sight in the bottom after my last shot and I didn't even have to tell my dad what happened, I basically just said "I'll call ya later" and hung up. Craig and I both replayed the events and Craig swears the buck "humped" up at the first shot but then appeared completely normal. I agreed, the buck seemed perfectly fine as I missed my last 3 shots and I could see where the wind had blown my shots each time except for the first.

As we sat there replaying and discussing what just happened, 3 bucks that were bedded near my buck had gotten up. We watched them feed directly towards the trail my buck walked down. Immediately as their noses hit that trail they all stopped feeding and started sniffing around! Then, 1 by 1, they walked down the trail where my buck went and after a while they came back up and resumed feeding. We both knew that wasn't normal and I planned to be on that spot first thing the following morning.

Bryan aka "Butters" came up that night and he hiked over to the spot with me in the morning (this part is on the video). We arrived at the exact location of my last shot and I trailed the tracks back up and around and couldn't find any sign of a hit. As I stopped on his tracks back at the spot where my last shot drifted just off his right shoulder I told Bryan that i must've missed the first shot too. Just then a buck blows and busts out of the brush below us! I swing my rifle up, jack a round in, find em' in the scope and notice he's walking stiff legged. I glance at his rack and it appears similar, then look again at his back end and notice he looks humped up so with all this going on in a fraction of a second I find his shoulder..BOOOM! He piles up like a potato sack and my emotions just poured out! I had said prayers that night hoping I was able to finish this deal if i had indeed connected on the buck and my prayers were answered! My thoughts were confirmed as I walked up to him I had indeed hit him the night before with my first shot but the wind had caused a huge drift carrying the bullet almost 2 feet from where I held. There obviously was more wind then was evident and this new 7mm is way more finicky than my .300wm when it comes to wind, next time the 7mm is stayin' in camp if it's windy!

The lesson here is "Always follow up on your shots and make sure you didn't wound the animal"!!! I would've swore that buck wasn't hit, he acted completely normal, never licked himself, never walked funny, and I never noticed him humped up at all. It was great when those 3 bucks gave me that clue but I still would've gone over to double check and I'm very glad I did!

Craig did an outstanding job holding out and it almost paid off on the 5th day of the hunt when he barely missed a buck that no doubt would've hit the 100" mark. The shot was 407 yards but I forgot my inclinometer and we guessed wrong on the angle so the buck got a hair cut and an education! We didn't see the numbers of quality bucks like usual but we did still find 5-10 bucks a day so it was an awesome hunt. I still haven't taped out my buck yet other than some rough measurements, but he's right around 96-97" and is gonna look great on the wall!

And now for the rest of the story, check out the video!

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First Time Elk Killer!

2010-12-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

This year has been awesome with tons of great experiences and most importantly a bunch of firsts! We had the priviledge of helping 6 folks take their very first big game animals and that honestly is what i live for! I LOVE helping folks kill giant critters but nothing is better than watching somebody take their very first!

The first and one of my favorites from the 2010 season was a cow hunt with Grant Larson. He and his father Kurt hunted with us on a hunt that none of us will soon forget!

My plan for the hunt was to help Grant get a genuine "Elk" hunting experience which would be tough in a unit known for TONS of hunters and lots of roads. I found a spot that held a few elk and was far enough from the roads there hopefully would be very few if any hunters. To make the experience the best it could be our friend Glen was there to cook for us and my dad along with Bryan Waitman and Bryan Hurley were there to help with the hunt as well. The hunting was tough for a few days with only bulls up close and lots of walking and hiking in the mix. We even called in a nice bull right into Grant's lap one day and had a great "stare down" with him and that was a great experience for all of us! We made several long stalks and had some close calls in very thick country but it wasn't until the evening of the 3rd day when it all came together!

The elk were spotted and the stalk was on! We didn't have much daylight left but Grant and I made it to the elk only to realize we couldn't see the elk through the brush and the wind was swirling. They eventually got our wind and busted out but I was able to call one of the cows back and unfortunately for her, Grant was already on the shooting sticks and ready! She poked her head up over the brush long enough to look at Grant through his scope just as he sent a fatal bullet her way! The blood trail was insane and perfect for a first time hunter to follow and we found her piled up in no time! It was an amazing experience for us all and I'm very glad to have shared the experience with Grant and Kurt! Grant is a killer and we will definitely see more critters with his tags on them in the future! Congrats buddy! Jimmy>

To read a more in depth story and lots more photos click on the link to CWT.com

http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21470

Another Hunt Goes The Distance!

2010-12-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Immediately following Bill Kelley's "Overtime Archery Hunt" we had the priviledge of hunting with another friend who's family has hunted with us over the past few years. Bob MacMillan and his family have been very fortunate drawing tags and we've shared many great hunts with them. This year was Bob's turn as he drew an early rifle bull tag and called us up! Knowing Bob's tag was dang near a once in a lifetime tag we put a great team together with Jeff, Manny, Mel and myself as the guides and Glen Dishmon as our chef! Bob is a dedicated trophy hunter and a person who enjoys all aspects of a hunt. He told us from the beginning that he would rather hunt the whole hunt for a giant bull and go home empty handed then shoot a big bull early on! Bob lived up to that promise and we hunted for our biggest bull which was the one and only King Henry but the rut was slow and he no longer bugled as much making it very difficult to locate him. We hit it hard every day, called in good bulls every day and chased King Henry several times but no shots were fired. On one day while realizing we had no chance of catching up to King Henry we heard a Lion take out one of his cows! The noise was unmistakeable and by the time we got to the cow she was dead and the lion was gone. I set up a camera and got some great pics of the Lion that same evening and over the next few days... Bob was very excited at the chance to take this Lion so we set up a blind and Bob put in quite a few hours hunting over the kill but the Lion would never show up while he was there. It was still a neat experience and made the hunt that much more special. Just like my archery hunt, we finally decided to give up on King Henry and go look for the big bull that Bill Kelley and I saw just before he killed his archery bull. My friends Manny Madrid and Mel Kincaid had been scouting that area for us and had several bulls up to 380" located but they still just weren't big enough, even halfway through the hunt! Bob, my other friend and guide Jeff Wright and I headed down to this new area and during our first morning there we found the bull most guys dream about! This was a bull I hadn't seen before, extremely long beams with tons of distance between each tine, wide and good on all of his tines, this bull would no doubt beat 390" and most likely was mid 390's! This was where I realized how dedicated Bob was when he told us he just didn't like that bull and we still had a couple days left so let's keep looking! Like Bob said earlier, he wanted to hunt the whole hunt for a true giant and only in the last few minutes he would downsize if the chance presented itself. We were in search of a certain bull that i only had a brief glimpse of on the archery hunt. The bull had a huge extra tine on one side and abnormally long G4's with a really good frame. Several other hunters had seen the same bull and figured his G4's were around 28" long! With what I saw and what the other hunters saw, this was definitely a bull we needed to see again. We named this bull "Kickstand" because of his abnormal tine that "kicked" out to the side like a kickstand on a bike.

We spent a ton of time looking for "Kickstand" and passed up opportunities at several bulls between 360-390" in hopes that Kickstand was around and not broken. It was on the very last day when Manny and Mel called stating they had found Kickstand but he had broken both of his G4's and a G3 and was a little smaller than we had hoped on the frame. This was the last minute of the hunt and Bob said "let's go look at em'"! We took off and as we ran up and over the last mountain we found his herd and snuck in. We never got a good look at the bull but as they finally winded us and started taking off I stopped Kickstand in an opening and Bob quickly and instinctively hammered em'! Bob had already made up his mind that he was going to shoot this bull regardless of the breakage simply because it was a bull we had hunted very hard for and it had a history. It wasn't any ordinary bull, this was the ghost that had eluded us for days and this was the last chance to take a bull on this hunt so it was a no-brainer! This bull had huge G4 tines before breaking and great character making him a special bull and a great bull with 7 full days of hard hunting behind em'! Congrats again Bob, it was a hunt we will always remember! Jimmy>

Bill Kelly Kills In Overtime!

2010-12-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to hunt with a friend this year on the 2010 early archery hunt and I was super excited for it because I know what a character Bill Kelly is! Bill has hunted with us before several years ago and took a great late season bull on a tough hunt. That hunt was filled with TONS of laughs and good times despite the tough conditions but just being around Bill we always had fun! Here's the bull he took on that first hunt....
Now that Bill drew a coveted archery bull tag he called me and the hunt was planned. We had been scouting extensively in his unit all summer long and although there were very few "giant" bulls this year, there were definitely plenty of great bulls to hunt! We planned on a 7 day hunt but figured we'd be done well before that because of all the great bulls and the good rut starting early! Little did we know the hunt would last for 12 days! We were on huge bulls daily, a couple were 370-380" and one bull in particular, named "King Henry" was a huge 6x6 bull and he teased us every day. We would chase King Henry daily but the country was flat and thick and he had his harem with no desire to add to it. To know we were hunting such an amazing animal was awesome and kept us going but in the end we realized he was simply untouchable and we had spent too much time on him. If it weren't for the fact we were chasing our dream bull the whole time Bill could've taken several other great bulls but he stayed vigilant and held out. Here's King Henry..
By now we were already into the 11th day and Bill decided to call it quits. He was very happy with the hunt and the bulls we passed up and called in, some to under 10 yards! I agreed it was an amazing hunt regardless of not killing but I haven't had an archery hunter go home empty handed so I told him to get back up before the hunt ends. Bill said he'd try and then headed home. Later that night he called and said he'd be back up the next day! Wore out but excited the game was still on I decided to hunt a different area and call it quits on King Henry. The new area had good bulls but our expectations for these last 2 days would be only for the first 6 point to give us a shot! The first day out was overcast with light sprinkles. The bulls were screaming and Bill and I were set up in some open country callin in bulls! The first bull was a raghorn and he veered around us. The second bull was pushed towards us by a much larger bull that we caught a quick glimpse of. This larger bull had some seriously long tines but was obviously only interested in his cows. The bull he pushed towards us was good enough and Bill and I both agreed, a bird in the hand is better so we got ready. The bull stopped behind brush at 60 yards as Bill drew and held on an opening at 50 yards and waited. In no time the bull came into veiw and stopped perfectly just as Bills arrow arched towards the bull! THWACK! The shot was perfect, the bull ran 20 yards and fell! I ran around the tree to get a visual just in time to see the bull get back up and run falling again shortly after!
Bill and I both were very excited and happy to still wrap a tag on a good bull after such a long hunt. We had opportunities at much larger bulls, seen a couple huge bulls, had tons of great experiences and still put down a good bull with a phenomenal shot in the last inning of the game! Thanks Bill for a great experience and congrats again! Jimmy>

Mike Schnable's Giant Velvet Monster!

2010-08-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Well folks, the 2010 season is underway! We just completed our first hunt of the year and we started the season off with a "BANG".....literally!

We've been helping Mike Schnable with his coveted statewide raffle tag which was good for an entire year in 2009-2010 and we made the most of the tag! Mike hit it off with us right from the start and we shared some amazing moments during his hunt. We hunted for 37 days total and passed up some giant bulls ultimately taking one of our favorite giants named "Deuce"!

This bull scores an amazing 415" with dried velvet and without velvet will gross score around 410-412"! This is our 7th 400" class bull in 4 seasons and 8th overall and we hope to maintain our reputation of 2 400" class giants per season! We have some great hunters hunting with us this year on some great hunts so our expectations are high! Stay tuned to see what else the 2010 season has to offer!

For a full story about the hunt and more pictures please follow the link below......

http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20343

Tyler Mullins' First Big Game!

2010-03-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a special story that I'm proud to share with you! My nephew Tyler drew a tag for Javalina and did it right from start to finish ultimately taking his first big game animal with one shot! Great job buddy, I know it's the first of many!

Here's his story in his words....

Hi my name is Tyler Mullins and I am 11 years old. For a long time my papa, dad and uncles have been hunting and I couldn’t wait until my dad would let me go out hunting with them. I am thankful that my dad would take me on lots of scouting trips during my summer breaks looking for big bulls and teaching me how to find animals. After every scouting trip I could not wait to get started on my first big game hunt.I was finally able to get my hunter safty class finished and then I had to shoot alot and make some scouting trips for pigs. I did shoot a lot but we never saw any pigs when were scouting. There was lots of tracks but the wether was bad every time we went out. I was shooting a old 308 magnum that my uncle tom shot his first pig with when he was my age with papa in the same unit I hunted for my first hunt. Opening day of my hunt came and I was very excited to go find some pigs. The wether was bad agin so my dad said that we would go glassing and scouting our hunting area. We drove a long time until we found a spot that “PW” the pig whisperer, (thats what my uncle calls him) told my dad about. The spot looked really good and not long after we sat down to glass for animals my dad said I got pigs. I got to look through the binos at them and it was awesome to see them running around and how cool it would be if I could get one of them. Me, my brother Cody, dad and travis were going after them now. Travis is a friend of my dad and he had a pig tag too but he said that I could shoot one first before he would shoot one. Thanks to travis he waited for me to shoot first and the pigs got away that time. My Uncle Jim and papa couldn’t be there until later on the first day so they would have missed me shooting my first pig. My dad called papa and jim to tell them that he has a good spot now and to hurry up and get there. We left those pigs to go get my uncle for the afternoon hunt. Uncle jim got to camp and it was getting late so we went out to try varmit calling. Uncle Jim turn on the call and said that a fox was coming tous. Then he said that another fox was coming and then he said bobcat. I didn’t know what to do so I just kept the gun pointed where he said the fox was. All of a sudden I could see the fox right in front of me. Uncle jim said there he is and then I shot, BOOM the fox was gone. I hit him really hard because I saw the hair go everywhere and all I could find was meat and hair. I will use a smaller gun when I hunt foxes with Uncle jim again. I had a really fun time with everybody that afternoon but we never saw anymore pigs that day.Now the second day of my hunt was starting. We went to the same spot from the first day where I could not get the shot at the pigs. The wether was going bad again but we had Uncle Jim, PW, papa, Travis, Cody and dad to help find me a pig. PW (Brian) found some pigs really fast and I got excited again. We were looking at the pigs in the binos for a minute and my dad said there is pigs right by us. I saw a coyote running past me with the pigs running after him. Now I was really excited. The pigs turned and went back down the canyon and we went to the edge to look for them. We couldn’t find them again so PW went to find some more. After PW left us Uncle Jim found my pig in the canyon by some trees trying to get out of the rain. There was 2 pigs so Travis could shoot one too this time but I still got to shoot first. Uncle Jim told me to get down and try to get a rest and then find the pig in my scope. I found the pig and then took my safety off and shot her. I had my first big game animal down. There was still 1 pig there so travis got to get his pig too. We were all soo excited and I couldn’t believe I finally got my pig. Papa, Uncle Jim, PW, Cody and Dad were so excited for me and Travis and I was too. It was awesomeI am thankful that my papa taut my dad and uncle how to hunt so they could teach me how to hunt. I would like to thank dad, mom, papa, my uncles, PW, Travis, and Cody for being with me on my first hunt. Thanks mostly to God for every thing I have in my life.

Tyler Matthew Mullins

Mullins Teams Up With Sonoran Trophy Hunts!

2010-03-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys and gals, we did team up with our friend Scott Muzzy of Sonoran Trophy Hunts and will be conducting hunts in Mexico again!

I had the privilege to hunt and guide this past January on some new ranches that have never been hunted before! My brother Matt and close friend Wayne also came down to archery hunt for a couple days and they made the most of it! I spent 3 weeks scouting, hunting and meeting new folks down there and can honestly say that we have an incredible opportunity for anyone interested in hunting Mexico! I saw 3 bucks over 130", my client killed 1 of those, I missed another, and the 3rd was just lucky that I had already killed my buck! Matt and Wayne both harvested 100" class bucks with their bows and shot them out of the same blind, using the same bow, and only 10 seconds apart!!! We also had another client who was hunting for muleys come over for a day and he took his first coues ever, an awesome 100" class buck as well!

For more details and full story of the hunt check it out on CouesWhitetail.com!

Here's the link: http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17463

If anyone is interested in hunting with us in Mexico this next season please call me at 602-882-1182 and I'll answer any questions you may have. If booked early we can be flexible on dates and logistics. This next season is going to be one for the books!!! Thanks, JIM>

Jakob's First Archery Javalina!

2010-01-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a story that I just had to share with everyone. This story is about a close friend of mine's son Jakob and his first archery kill! I've known Jakob his whole life and remember the day he came into this world his father Bret and I had talked about how excited we were for the day he would take his first big game animal. That day has already come and gone and several javalina and deer have fallen to Jakob's well placed shots, but this is his first archery animal and as you'll read, it took alot of skill and talent to get it done! Be watching for many more stories and photos of Jakob, he's already well on his way to becoming a very successful hunter!

Here's the story as told by Jakob's father Bret.........

Jakob got his 1st archery javelina this past weekend, on his 1st archery hunt, At 12 years old! It happened Sunday morning around 9:00 on 1-3-10. 4 shots & he hit him all 4 times!

I bought Jakob & I these tags over the counter for unit 18b. Jakob is 2 for 2 with a rifle so we decided to try it with a bow this time. I decided not to carry my bow until he got one.

Jakob practiced until he could pull back 40 lbs. & shoot consistent out to 20 yards. He'd say" You get me within 20 yards dad & I'll hit em".....I'll try.....

Friday & Saturday we hunted hard but only came up with lots of hunters,some deer, & a few distant pigs that we couldn't re-locate.

Sunday morning we hiked to our favorite glassing spot. After about an hour we glassed up 3 pigs!!! They were about 3/4 of a mile away & the stalk was on!!! After about 30 minutes we were on the ridge we last saw them. We would stop & glass as we went but couldn't find them until Jakob says "is that a pig by that cactus?".... sure enough! 65 yards away stood a lone pig... "good job buddy let's go!" We started to close the distance on a tree that should put us 20 yards form them. We were almost to the tree when I tell Jakob to "knock an arrow,put your release on, & get ready". A few more steps & we spot a pig walking out to the right from behind that tree at about 15 yards! He's behind a bush looking in our direction & woofing....I tell Jakob "when he steps out take him behind the shoulder". The pig starts walking out to the right, Jakob comes to full draw & as the pig is walking....wack! he hits him a little far back but he's hit!...."re-load"( lol! ) 2nd shot closer to 20 yards now as the pig steps through a small opening in the brush & stands...wack!...mid body but low! We Track him down into a wash & under some boulders where he laid with his back to us. 3rd shot 10 yards..."right between the shoulders where the collar is o.k.?"....wack! " good shot buddy! let's just wait him out". After about 10 minutes we decide to try & get him to stand, so Jakob could get a broadside shot & finish him....this is one tough pig! I took a stick & got him to stand/crouch in the back of the cave...now he's quartering to us. 4th shot (last arrow) 5 yards...."hold tight to the shoulder right behind the collar"...wack!... "that's the one!...lung shot!" The pig walks out of the rocks & dies in the wash! WOOHOOOOOO!!!!Jakob's 1st archery pig is down!!!!!

Jakob's pig was a big ol' boar that of course....he wants lifesized. He gets to sew up all the holes though....lol.

He was using his Browning Micro Adrenelin,100 grain 3 blade Muzzy's.

I wasn't sure what to expect for his 1st bow hunt...but Jakob held it together & got it done once again. Proud of ya' buddy!

Jakob's famous quote that day...."I love the smell of pig in the morning" hahaha! me too buddy....

> Thanks, Bret

An Awesome Early Season Bull..."The Joker"!

2009-12-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a special bull that was taken earlier this year by Brandon Liester with the help of Gino Wulkotte. Sounds like it was without a doubt a dream hunt!!!

Here's the story as told by Brandon.......

The rut was very slow to start this year but we had a great time and made the most of it. I arrived in my unit 2 days early and hunted 6 of the 7 days. Every day we had at least 3 groups of glassers out looking for "the bull". Lots and lots of good bulls, but no "WOW" bulls. On my drive home, I did an honest inventory of the bulls I personally saw and came up with 71 bulls in 7 days. I had every opportunity to shoot a solid 365" + plus bull opening morning but decided to keep hunting, and I am glad I did.
I had tons of help and we covered a lot of country. I had 3 great back-up bulls located in a remote area where there had been no hunting pressure. I could have shot several 340-350" type bulls but kept passing in hopes of finding a bigger bull. The rut was getting stronger by the day and new, bigger bulls kept showing up daily.
On day 6, we had a herd of elk in the timber below us at about 400 yards. Gino called 2 of the bulls up to within 30 yards, and a few of the bulls worked up a canyon away from us. That left 4 distinct bugles in the trees with the cows. We decided to get aggressive and snuck in the trees and into the middle of the elk. We spent over 2 hrs trying to locate each of the 4 bulls in the thick junipers and pines. We had elk within 50 yards of us the entire time. We had eliminated 3 of the 4 bulls but could never get a look at the herd bull. Gino nicknamed him "The Joker" because of his distinct laugh-like bugle. The cows had finally had enough of our cow-calling and left the bedding area. The Joker bull initially went with them and then suddenly stopped bugling. We were bummed to have not gotten a better look at him but headed back to the truck. We walked a few hundred yards back the direction we came from when I caught motion to my right moving through the timber. It was the Joker bull trying to sneak out the back door. As he crossed a clearing at less than 60 yards and Gino muttering, "No." "No." " No."... and then… "BUST him!" I busted him and he crashed 50 yards away. It happened very fast.
As we approached the bull he just kept getting bigger. He is a 7 x 8 with a non typical right side. He has 21"+ 4ths, 41.5" of width, and 52" main beams. His right side has a split 4th and a kicker off his main. I am thrilled with the bull and had a blast hunting with new and old friends.

No Tag Left Unused On The Late Rifle Bull Hunts!!!

2009-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Well our last bull hunt of the season has come and gone and again we went 100% on filling all our tags! We had 7 clients in 3 different units and took some great bulls that our hunters were very excited about! As most people know, the late bull hunts here in AZ can be one of the toughest hunts of all, especially if you're after big bulls! We all hunted very hard and with determination, hard work and tons of scouting we were able to enjoy nothing but success! Like always, we made new friends, reunited with old friends and spent quality time with family on these late bull hunts and the memories are priceless!

Now for the hunts! We had a group of 4 friends that drove to AZ all the way from Michigan just to hunt our trophy bulls...who could blame them! These were great guys to share a hunt with and we all had a blast spending a week with them! We had a great camp set up with full time cooks and camp trailers to keep everyone warm. The unit we were hunting in requires a lot of hiking in rough terrain but everyone was up to the task and the bulls started hittin' the ground! First to tag out was Pat. Pat's hunt only lasted 2 hours as his bull gave us the shot on opening morning! The shot was a small window in thick cedars but he made a great shot and then an even better follow up shot to put the bull down for good! We were all smiles when we walked up to his gorgeous bull, but then reality set in when we remembered it would be a 2 1/2 mile pack out to the truck! Luckily for us we had helpers coming to help pack it all out and we did it in 1 trip!

Next hunter was Tom. Tom is a great guy and willing to do whatever it took to get the bull of his dreams. On the 3rd day it snowed a little and made for a beautiful morning. We were still hunting a ridge when the bull walked out at 250 yards. I stopped the bull just as Tom got his rifle on the shooting sticks and BOOM! The bull ran about 200 yards and piled up. Tom didn't realize what size his bull was, I just told him it was a shooter, so you can imagine our excitement watching Tom's expression when he walked up and picked up his bull's rack! We'll never forget his sincere emotional reaction to seeing his bull up close for the first time. Gorgeous bull for sure and definitely one to be proud of on these late hunts!

Third up was Ron A., Ron was the shooter of the group, he has taken quite a few animals at long distance and was confident with his gun. With this in mind we went to an area I had scouted which held some nice bulls but long shots are the norm. This hunt on this day would be no different! We located a nice bull at over 700 yards and he was way down in a canyon! Ron, Shorty and I took off and cut the distance down to 451 yards straight across from the feeding bull. All of Ron's friends were sitting on the rim above us watching the show as it unfolded! Ron settled in and made a perfect double lung shot, then followed it up with a perfect heart shot putting the bull down in a fraction of a second! The only problem now was that Shorty and I had to spend most of the night and next day butchering and packing the bull out of that canyon! It was all worth it though, Ron deserved the bull after working so hard with us and we were all excited for his success!

Lastly we have Ron B., Ron was the lucky guy that got to hunt the whole hunt, he got the full experience and wasn't shorted anything as he still put the hammer down on his last day out! It was on this day that anything goes, if it had antlers lead was gonna fly! Shorty, Mel and I set out with a game plan of trying to push bulls out of the thick country hopefully presenting a shot for Ron. Mel and Ron sat on a point while Shorty and I walked through some thick bedding country and not long after the plan was in motion we heard the shot! As we got to Mel and Ron we could see Ron's huge smile, he had a bull down! We had pushed some bulls out and they ran by Ron at 125 yards and Ron sent one perfect bullet into this broken up 6 point bull putting him down in his tracks! Ron was excited even though it wasn't the bull of his dreams, he said he had a great hunt and a great time spent with friends...that's what matters most!

Now for our other hunters in the other units. First we have Gary Bald who was from Wisconsin and hunting with Jeff. The unit they were hunting in can be one of the hardest units to hunt in the state! There is very little glassing and miles upon miles of flat cedar country that most of the bulls call home this time of year. This hunt will test your stamina and determination to the limits, but if you can stick it out, your success will be that much sweeter! Jeff and Gary stuck it out day in and day out and their persistence was rewarded with this "over the hill" bull! This bull had teeth worn down to the gums and flattened ivory due to being a very old and regressing bull. Even though he's only a 5 point, his mass, frame and overall character made him a great trophy not to be passed up! Great job to those guys, Gary and Jeff definitely deserved the success!

Next, in the same unit was Lee Thompson and Manny. Now these boys hunted hard! Going days without seeing anything worth while, they knew that if they just kept at it they would eventually find what they were after. Lee was determined to hold out for a real trophy and was willing to go home empty handed, which is the mark of a true trophy hunter and exactly what it takes to get the big ones! After many days, miles and hours the bull that Lee had dreamed about finally appeared and Lee put him down for keeps! Lee wouldn't be going home empty handed on this hunt, instead he went home with the bull he had dreamed about! Outstanding job by Manny and Lee, congrats on a great bull!

And last but not least we've got Duane Brown who hunted with Gino. Duane is a 63 year old man who had never had a late trophy bull tag in his pocket. His Goal: a good bull on the first day. Opening morning Gino took Duane to a spot that he had seen a really good 5x6 and hoped to find him again… at first light the bull was spotted, the stalk was made and the distance closed to 350 yds. The bull was cleanly put down by Duane with 3 well placed shots and the happy hunter was thrilled with his opening morning bull. The big 5x6 scores 320 SCI! Gorgeous bull and congrats to Duane and Gino on the opening day success!

100% Success On Late Archery Bull Hunts!

2009-12-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

Yep, we went 100% on all our late archery tags this year! 2009 has been a banner year for us here at Mullins Outfitters and our success continued on through the late elk hunts. The cool part for us on these late archery hunts was that all the tags belonged to family or close friends of ours so the memories and experiences we shared were a little more special! The hunt was tough as expected but patience and determination was the key and it paid off for everyone. With all the details and experiences behind each bull I don't have the time or space to illustrate it all, so instead you're gonna get the pics, which is the best part anyways! Thanks and take care.

Finally Updated Pic's of the Monster "CB" Bull!

2009-12-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here you go, i finally got the field pics of Will Garrison's monster early rifle bull! This bull was just recently officially scored at 417" and will rank high in the record books! Will spent many years applying for this tag and it took his max bonus points to finally draw, you can see those points went to good use! This bull was named after Will's dog "Colt" and will forever be known as "Colt's Bull" or "CB" because Colt was a big part of the hunt! Thanks to Will for allowing us to share in your once in a lifetime experience, definitely memories and a bull that will never be forgotten!

11 year old Bobby takes his first muzzy bull!

2009-10-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here's another great bull and even greater experience we shared with Bobby MacMillan! Bobby showed incredible patience and skill during this hunt, you would have never believed he was only 11 years old! Bobby was guided by our good friend Mel Kincaid and those boys were in bulls every day! Bobby passed up a bunch of bulls during his 7 day hunt and several were 350-360" class bulls! We had the pleasure to hunt with most of the MacMillan family on this hunt as I was guiding Bobby's cousin, Ian, at the same time. They were all great folks and made our time in the woods that much more enjoyable. Bobby held out until the last hour of his hunt and with his dad, Bob, sitting right next to him he made a great shot on this 330"class bull at around 80 yards! Congrats again Bobby and thanks for allowing us to share in your awesome experience!

Another Monster Hits The Ground!

2009-10-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, we pulled another giant off the mountain! This hunt was with a friend of ours that enlisted our help with his early rifle bull tag that he'd waited many years for! Tommy along with Manny and Brian made up the team and against all odds they helped Will tag a bull that will tape out well over the 400" mark! They ran a conservative tape in camp and came up with over 420" on the 7x7 bull! The hunt in this unit this year was not as expected, it was hot and the rut was almost non existent at times! The boys did a great job of finding this bull and Will did an even better job of puttin' em' on the ground! Great job guys on a bull of a lifetime!!!

In-Feild photos will be posted soon so please check back with us to see them!

"Squiggy" is now Don's Trophy Archery Bull!!

2009-10-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a great bull taken by Don on this past archery hunt! Damion and Don helped us out a ton this past summer and once the archery hunt started it was Don' s turn to take the bull of his dreams! They scouted this bull and named him "Squiggy" and after many days and countless hours Don finally had the shot he wanted on this hog of a bull. Squiggy didn't go far and it was all over except for the photoshoot! Great job guys and congratulations to Don on his 380" class hog of a bull!!!

Ian's 2nd 370" class bull in 2 years!

2009-10-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all, i'm back with yet a few more bulls to share with ya!

This bull was taken by 17 yr. old Ian MacMillan and is his 2nd 370" class bull that he's taken with us! This hunt was a muzzleloader hunt and it was a fantastic experience for all of us! We called in and passed up some great bulls during the first few days of the hunt and it set the stage for the 4th morning! We were set up at first light to intercept the bulls in a meadow and the bugles lit up the morning just as the sun did. I was able to call 2 cows over to us and the deep growling bull followed shortly behind. I could tell right away it was a great bull and the shot was about to be perfect. Ian was on the shooting sticks and steady, the cows were about to get our wind and just then the bull walked into the shooting lane! I ranged him, Ian said he's got em', I said "take em'" and BOOM! As the smoke cleared we could see the bull was already going down for the count! The hunt, the experience and the bull were all exceptional and we all had a great time! Congrats Ian on yet another great bull!!

Crossover Has Crossed Over!

2009-09-21T14:51:00.001-07:00

Howdy again folks, I was able to run home for the day but am heading back up within the hour! The archery hunts have been tough but we've been fortunate to share some great experiences and made some new friends! We were able to have close encounters with several "named" bulls such as Bat Bull, GQ Jr., Switchblade, Balls, Clark Jr. and Crossover, and they all are bigger in person than they appear on trail cams! Crossover was the one that made the mistake of stopping at 17 yards in front of my hunter Bruce Caison. Bruce made a perfect shot and Crossover was tipped over in about 30 seconds! We were all in amazement at how much bigger his mass was and the length of the G3's! We conservatively taped him out later at 372" with 22" G3's! Congratulations to Bruce, thanks for the laughs and all the memories!

Muzzleloader and rifle hunts start this Friday, gonna be some great bulls hittin' the ground soon! Stay tuned! JIM>

Wilbur has left the building!

2009-09-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks, i'm typing this just as i run out the door for the archery elk hunts which start this Friday! It's been very hectic and exciting lately and i'm sure most of you have already heard that we indeed finally wrapped a tag around Wilbur's antler! We had the great pleasure of hunting with our friend Rod Rummel, who graciously donated a TON of money to the Arizona Elk Society for this opportunity of a lifetime. Wilbur is a bull that we've been watching for several years and this year he finally grew into something special. At first glance Rod decided that Wilbur was the bull he wanted and our focus was set. The hunt started Aug. 15 and it took until the evening of Aug. 24 before we finally got Wilbur on the ground! We saw Wilbur several times during the hunt but it was always too late or too far for a shot. The fact that we had to hunt hard for Wilbur just added to the memories and admiration we have for this bull and for the hunt itself. Thank you to Rod for allowing us to help and share in your once in a lifetime experience, you truly deserved a special bull such as Wilbur!

Wilbur was a very deceiving bull, he fooled everyone that tried to score him off of video or trailcam photos. His body size and shape of his rack throw a lot of deception into his appearance, it was only after i finally put my hands on him did i know that we seriously underscored him! It didn't matter though, it was all just a bonus to Rod because we knew that our minimum guess on score was big enough and Wilbur's character was what sealed the deal, not the score!

Wilbur was scored by an official SCI measurer at 445 3/8"! His beams were 60" and 57", his bottom end averaged 17", his 3rds and 4ths average 20", 15" 5th on left, 12" on right with 6" 6th on right also, around 30" of extras, 53" inside spread and 63" of mass! Definitely a bull of a lifetime and one that i'm very proud to have helped harvest!

The changes are happening!

2009-03-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new "Recent Hunts" page! As our new website comes to life within the next few weeks, we will be updating our new blogs and getting things rolling! We are excited to add these new features to our new website and hope that by keeping our site fresh and full of new pics and stories you won't be dissappointed and we hope you'll visit here often! This new blog will be updated regularly with stories, photos and videos of recent hunts as well as past hunts that are worth sharing again! Thank you for visiting us and please check back as new content will be added regularly! Thanks, JIM>