Blog Entries for Jason Amaro

Jason - My Lion Hunt!!!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

�A lion�s work hours are only when he�s hungry; once he�s satisfied, the predator and prey live peacefully together.�

This lion hunt started with a coyote hunt in 2008.� I had setup in a� brush pile and started calling to see if I could get a dog to come in.� I had been calling for about 3o minutes and was starting to think that the stand was a bust.� I was about to give up when I noticed something moving in a little bush about 10 yards in front of me.� At first I thought it was a bird but after I looked at it a little more I was able to figure out that it was the black spot on the tip on the tail of a Mountain Lion.� To this day I have NO IDEA how he got so close without me spotting him.� How did that animal get so close without me seeing him?� The more I thought about it the more it freaked me out.� If that cat wanted me there is no doubt that he could have been on me in one jump.� I was amazed and impressed by this animals stealthiness.� When I got home that night I knew that I needed to learn more about lions and I knew that I needed to match wits with one.

Setting the Ground Work!

So I started searching the web and calling around to see what the big cats were all about. After talking to a ton of people it became obvious that lions are either killed by people that just happen to see one while hunting something else or they are hunted with dogs.� At first I wasn�t real sure about hunt hunting behind dogs it is just something that I was familiar with or had done. Everyone I had talked to said that while the shot itself would be easy, staying with the dogs was the tough part.� Unlike deer hunting where you can hunt at your pace, I would need to hunt at the dogs pace because if the lion trees and decides to fight, he can easily kill several dogs.� Okay, so lets be honest, I will forever be fighting genetics.� I am not a runner and I never will be.� My body style is more like that of a Hobbit than a Track Athlete.� So if I was going to try and keep up the the dogs and the dog handlers I was going to need to put in a lot of miles at the gym and in the mountains.� My plan was to drop some weight and work myself up to running/walking 5 miles + in an hour, 3-5 times a week.� For many of you that might not be anything special but for me it was a realistic goal.� Also, I needed to be smart during the actual chase.� One of the toughest parts of chasing cats is some chases last a quarter of a mile and some last 10 miles, I needed to get to the cat at my pace and not burn myself out too soon.� For me the bottom line was that I couldn�t put the dogs in jeopardy.

So now I had a plan, all I needed now was to see if I could find someone with dogs that would be willing to work with me.� Luckily, in Silver City the hunting community is pretty close.� I made a few calls and I was able to connect and make a deal with Wayne Billing and Brandon Jones of WB Guide Service.� Wayne is one of those guys that just loves to hunt lions with dogs.� Even though he is young he is very knowledgeable and most importantly he is a solid outdoorsman.�� Brandon is just one of those guys that loves to hunt and is one heck of a dog handler.� Typically, the guys hunt over dry ground and are very successful but if we had snow we were doing to take advantage of it.� So it looks like I had a pack of dogs to follow and I had someone to show me the ropes to make sure I did things the right way.

Hunting as a Team!!!

Working as a team, the plan was to cover as much country as possible.� Brandon, Wayne and I would all be in different areas looking for tracks in the snow.� Once a track was �cut� we would try to contact each other, come up with a plan, release the dogs,chase the dogs that are chasing the cat, find the cat that is in the tree, figure out if it is a shooter, shoot the cat, drag it to the truck, skin it and then eat it.� Pretty easy, right?

I must admit I have never prayed for snow so hard in my life.� In mid-December we got a decent little snow storm and Wayne called to see if I could go out.� I said, �Sure�.� So I was asked to cover a little section close to town.� Well, I went out looking for tracks and I quickly realized I had NO CLUE what I was doing.� So I just drove around looking for tracks.� Well, I didn�t see anything but I learned that just because it is snowing you don�t necessarily have good tracking conditions.� The problem was that the snow came early in the morning and it was still falling.� It was covering the tracks before I could figure out what they were�.

Below is a picture of the first day out�.

It was a pretty day but I might as well be sight seeing.

Around 10 am Wayne texted me and said that the conditions weren�t quite right and that we were probably wasting our time.� So my first day of lion hunting was over.� I guess I had never really paid real close attention to tracks in the snow.� For me tracks were either deer tracks or something else.� I just never took the time to figure it all out.� When I got home I needed to do some research on what I was really looking for.� I remembered that I was once told that the CO Dept of Game and Fish had a pretty good PDF on identifying lion tracks and determining sexes, so I downloaded the file and tried to soak everything in.� You can CLICK HERE to go to that PDF.� If you have time it is a pretty interesting read.

After reading up on Lion identification I felt like I was ready to roll, the only problem was that the snow had melted.�� I would need to wait until the conditions got better� or in this case worse.

A few more weeks went by and we had another snow storm.� Wayne decided that we should just go together on this hunt.� That was fine by me so we met at local grocery story and I jumped in his rig.� Off we went to see if we could cut some tracks.� That morning we covered about 50 miles and we didn�t see anything.� It looked like the snow storm that had hit town had completely missed the section of the Gila that we were hunting.�� This lion hunting was turning out to be real hit and miss.� As a side note, Chuck Adams needed several trips to fill his lion tag to complete his Grand Slam.� In order, for lion hunting to work all the stars need to be aligned, there is no room for error.

Day 4 was pretty event-less� More windshield time, more trackless roads.

After the 4th day of trying to get on one of these guys it was starting to look pretty dim.� Thank god we had the deer archery season to break-up the time.� Well, deer season came and went.

Then about a week after deer season send we got POUNDED by a great snow storm.� Off to the mountains we went, we went in different directions and would keep in contact via phone or texts.� The morning looked promising, we had nice fresh deep snow BUT we had to content with the winds.� It was almost impossible to figure out the age of any track.� The wind was filling everything in.� After about 4 hours of playing in the snow I texted Wayne to see if he was having any better luck.� He wasn�t, he was also having a hard time fighting the wind.� We called it a day.� On my way back to town I stopped at the Fort Bayard National Cemetery to visit my dads grave and brush the snow off of his headstone.

My dad never really liked the cold but I bet he would have loved the view, I also know that he would be cheering for me on this hunt and the way things were going I needed all the help that I could find.

The next day was Sunday, so I wasn�t able to go out because I wanted to go to church and because I wanted to watch the football games.

It all comes together!

Monday would be our next opportunity to get out.� Wayne called and we decided to split up again, this time Brandon was also going to be looking for tracks.� My morning was pretty slow as far as tacks go but I was seeing mule deer all over the place.� About 7 am Wayne texted me saying that I needed to meet him at some corrals because Brandon had cut a track of a Tom.� I think my Diesel also got the text because I just pointed that thing north and it got me off the mountain and on my way to the corrals in no time flat.� The race to the track was on.� Wayne and I got to the corrals about the same time.� We quickly loaded my gear into his Polaris Ranger and we went to find Brandon and the dogs.�� If you have ever hunted the Gila you know that it is big country and there is places that no whiteman has ever walked.� It was going to be tough to find Brandon and his dogs(loaded in his dog box), luckily we new the frequency of the dog collars.

Wayne quickly dialed in the numbers and at least we would have a general location of were to start looking for Brandon.

The cool thing about this picture is that we eventually treed the lion about 3/4 of the way up that mountain that Wayne is point towards with his antenna.

So we started working our way towards where we thought Brandon and his dogs were.� It took us probably about an hour before we were able to get to the general area.� The only problem is that we found two sets of tracks.� On one set you could clearly see that Brandon got out and looked that them and on the second set it looked like Brandon just drove right past them.� It also looked like two different lions.� The only thing we could do it try to locate Brandon and the dogs with the tracking device.� So Wayne and I crawled up a little hill to see if we could get a better signals from a highpoint.� The antenna still pointed to the peak.� So we needed to cut the distance somehow.� The plan was to head back to the Ranger load up and see if Brandon had found a fresher track.�� So down the little ridge we went, as we got closer to the rig we heard another Ranger coming down the road.� Fortunately, it was Brandon and his dogs.� Brandon had gone up the road to see if the he could cut a fresher track but he didn�t have any luck.� That only meant that the lion had was pretty much located in a 5 square mile area.

After talking to Brandon it looked like the freshest track was the one going straight up the mountain.� So we got the dogs out of the boxes and put them on the track.� Once they got a hold of the scent they were off� I mean OFF OFF� These dogs were bred for situations just like this. �� Right behind the dogs were Brandon and Wayne� and then a little further back I was tracking Brandon and Wayne in the snow that were tracking the dogs.

This was the part of the hunt that I was most concerned about, I just didn�t know what I was getting into.� At this point the only thing you can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other as fast as you can and hope that the dogs get to the cat quickly and that you can get there before any damage happens.� About 3/4 of� a mile from the truck and after about 500 vertical feet I caught my first glimpse of the younger dogs running on a ridge.� They seemed to be going back and forth on trying to workout the scent.� This was a good sign because that meant that the scent was heavy in the air and that the cat was close.� I have been trying to figure out how to express the sound of the dogs on the chase but you just really need to experience it to understand it.� These dogs were bred for one thing and that is to chase lions, nothing less and nothing more.

So I finally made it to the tree were the dogs were barking.� I will be honest in saying that even that cat was in the tree it was still hard to see.� Those animals just have an amazing ability to hide. Below is a picture of the cat in the tree.� I really wish I spent more time getting better pictures but there was just so much going on.

Below is a picture of some of the dogs. As you can see there was quite a bit of snow�

This is a picture of Rocky.� This dog acutally climbed the tree and was face to face with the cat.� We were really lucky that we were able to get Rocky out of the tree before it got too ugly.

How about a picture of the Cat�

And another one!!!

As I was getting ready for the shot the cat bailed from the tree.� The crazy part is that when cats bail from a tree they usually take off like a rocket.� This guy turned faced the dogs and was ready to rumble.� Fortunately, Rocky called his bluff and the cat took off down the mountain.� SOOOOO�. We were off again, me chasing Brandon and Wayne who were chasing the dogs, who were chasing the cat.� This time it was straight down the mountain.� The cat treed again and bailed again before we could get to him.� Again he was heading downhill and towards the road.

Fortunately, he treed a third time.� Below is a picture of him all balled up in and old oak.� As you can see hunting lions isn�t about the shot.� He was only 15 yards from us, it is about the dogs, the chase, the challenge of getting to the cat and just the adventure.

This is me with the cat.

Here is a picture of� Wayne and Brandon with the Tom.

All I can say is that hunting lions is like hunting no other animal in North America, in order to be consistently successful you need to have good dogs.� Wayne has some great dogs and he really knows the country.� If you are looking for a Mountain Lion hunt get a hold of Wayne and visit his website

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Jason - Days 5 and 6 - And so it Ends...

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

For me a successful hunt is if I could have killed something with a rifle. J-

Day 5

This morning I snuck into a little pinch point so I could check a camera and hunt a new spot.� This spot is/was about .5 miles from the road and has a nice little spring in the area.� This area is great for rattling because any deer that come in are funneled thru a bottle neck and then it opens up to a little meadow. Once they hit the meadow it would be easy to get a shot.

I got to the spot in the dark, pulled the SD from the camera and this is what I found�

and then these two jokers on New Years Eve�.

And then this� I need to reserve judgment because if you look real hard you can see an OLD road thru the area� But he spun my camera around so I didn�t get to many more pictures�� I just wish people would leave stuff alone but that is all part of hunting public land..

After looking at the pictures and waiting for the sun to come up I took a quick little walk around the area� There was NO deer sign but it was obvious that that cow had been in the area for the entire week and there was a mountain lion in the area.� I should have taken a picture of the track but I just forgot.� The thing about pinch points is that everything is funneled thru them� Just not deer.

So I stuck it out until 9:00 am then I decided to do a little still hunting and use this opportunity to do a little scouting� The plan was to cover .25 miles then sit, let the area settle just a little and then do some calling to see if I could get anything to come in.� Did it work?� Well I stayed warm and I found out that most of the rutting activity (i.e. scraping) was along a very particular ridge.� There must be a buck running in that area.� I setup a trail cam over a scrape line so hopefully I will get a picture of the deer that is king of that ridge.

Day 6

The last day of the season�� I decided that I needed to give the scrape line that I sat the first day one last try.� I got there at sun-up and I started the wait. As I walked into to my little spot it was obvious that there was still a buck working the area.� Most of the scrapes had been freshened in the last few days and nobody had been in the area.� I had high hopes that I would be able to finally get a chance at a buck that I wanted to take.� Well, needless to say it was a slow morning.� I did have two does come by but that was it.� I think that this little knob really has some potential, but I just need to learn how the deer move in the area.

Sooo with that my season end�.� Where does that leave me?� Well, more determined that ever�. I need some time to gather my thoughts� But I promise I will give them to you�. After I check my cameras�

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Jason - Day 3 and 4 Deer Everywhere!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

It has been said that the love of the chase is an inherent delight in man-a relic of an instinctive passion. - Charles Darwin

Wow what a great quote�� I pulled it from my Runners World.� Hunters love the Chase.

Day 3

WOW� Great Day, I must admit that I have always hunted hard but I haven�t always put myself in the best position to succeed because I haven�t been aggressive enough or I didn�t have confidence in a spot.� This year I am in a new unit and I have nothing to lose.� SOOOO� What happened?� Well, I hope I don�t regret it but I passed on a 75ish buck this afternoon.� I think that there are some real monsters in this little area and I just need to be patient.� I am hunting a scrape line that was an old wagon trail.� You can still see the ruts from the wheels. It is a pretty neat area.� What I have found is that the deer in this area use these old roads as travel corridors and really make alot of scrapes along them.

The morning started out COLD and slow�.� 20 degrees and nothing was moving.� If you have ever hunted Coues deer you probably know that these deer just don�t get moving until the sun gets up and the weather gets a little warmer.� So I was praying for a calm sunny day and that is just what happened.� About 10:00 am I had a group of does walk up the scrape line so things were looking good.� My only concern is that they were not dragging a buck behind them.� That usually means that the rut hasn�t really kicked off or the bucks are on LOCK-DOWN.�� So I decided just to stick it out.� Sooner a later a buck was either going to use this trail to scent check does or to check his scrape.

SOO the wait was on.� Sometimes I hate, hunting from the ground and today was one of those days.� For some reason I was just not liking the setup but around 1:00pm I heard a buck raking a bush so I got ready.� If the buck came up the trail it would be a easy 35 yard shot. Very doable.� Before I knew it the buck was crossing my shooting lanes, I saw that he was maybe pushing 75 inches so I decided that it wasn�t his day to take a dirt nap.� As he crossed my shooting lanes I grunt at him and drew on him for practice.� It could have been over but this buck at this time wasn�t right.� If I get the chance later in the week will I let an arrow fly at a similar or smaller buck?� I don�t know, but today this buck walked.

Day 4

Same spot as the day before, I have a good feeling about this little area.� It just seems to funnel deer. Before sunrise I packed and setup a ground blind.� Hopefully, it would be able to stay a little warmer and be a lot more comfortable.� Again it was cold as hell�. 16 degrees. brrrr� Oh well�� You are only cold until you go numb.

Again the wait was on.� Around 8:30 I started a calling sequence of buck grunts and doe bleats.�� A� little buck came running in like a love sick puppy dog.� I love to watch these little young guys during there first rut, they don�t really know what to do or how to act.� This guys acted like little dogs chasing a ball.� He came in jumping around looking for a hot doe but all he found was a lot of nothing.

How about a view from the blind???

So the good thing is that I am seeing deer, the bad thing is that I am not seeing the deer I want.� That is okay, as far as I am concerned it has been a successful hunt,� I know that I could have killed the 75 incher.

So what are my plans?� Well, I really need to go and check a trail camera and I want to take spend some time in another funnel.� I just don�t know if I am going to make it in there before the season ends.

We will see�.

PS� I have only been hunting the mornings because I need check in at home, but mom is doing a lot better.. Thanks for everybody�s support..

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Jason - Day 1 and 2... Rough Start!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

Perspective -

The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.

If you guys have been tracking some of the events that have been going on in my life over on Facebook you will have noticed that I haven�t really had a chance to hunt like I would like to, but in the in grand scheme of life it is no big deal.� I am just glad my mom is doing better and that she is going in the right direction.

Before my mom got sick, I was able to get out twice.� The plan was to sit a nice scrape line that I had found in some really thick cover.�� This spot was tight and the shots were going to be close and quick. � Below is a picture from my ground blind.� The blind itself isn�t anything special just a bunch of juniper and mountain mahogany branches cut and placed in a semi-circle.�� Some people like to build small fortresses when they make blinds but I like to let my camo work.� These deer really pick-up on when there habitat has been altered. When you hunt country like this you just need to really be on your game and alert� These little deer just show up� No warning, � If you are lucky you will catch the flicker of the ear or maybe a tip of an antler.

You can�t really see it in the picture but there are three scrapes under that little alligator spruces in the center of the picture.

So how did it go? Pretty well, I had 4 deer come thru, 2 bucks and 2 does.� The bucks were little forky�s, could I have killed them?� Yeah probably, but it just wasn�t there day to take a ride in the back of my truck.

Overall, it was a good hunt.� This is a little spot that I will return to.

DAY 2

I usually don�t like to hunt the same place two days in a row so I decided to sit a water tank that I had a nice deer coming into.�� A few days before the season I went in there to pull the card from my camera and I found that the tank was iced over� Brrrr� Poor animals couldn�t really get a good drink of water.� So I opened up the ice, DANG it was cold.

This spot isn�t too far off the road but it is really tricky to find.� So I like to get there just at sun-up so I don�t make too much noise.� Below is a neat little picture that my trail camera picked up of me breaking the ice.

I look like Harry Potter with a wand�

This is what my spot looked like once I got settled in.

So how did it go?� Well, I got a nice tan.. NOTHING came in.� Pretty rough but I am not ready to give up on this spot, bucks are going to need to water and this is a great little spot.� So, I might visit it later but it just wasn�t meant to be on this trip.

What are my plans now?� Well, I am going to be pressed for time but there is a another ridge line that I might hunt.� I just need to put in my time and get lucky.� The good thing is that I am not seeing a ton of mule deer and I think that the rut is a little late in my area.� I just need to put myself in the position to succeed� That means putting in my time.

STAY TUNED�

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Jason - And so it begins!!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

If you guys have been tracking my blog will have probably noticed that for me the best part of Coues deer hunting isn�t the killing of the deer but the� process of trying to get close to North America�s toughest animal to kill with a bow.� This year I spent over 60 days running around the mountains and my GPS tells me that I have covered over 300 miles on foot.� If you want to be a successful Coues deer hunter those miles are all part of the process.� I have often said that bow hunting has saved my life, it has given me a reason to be able to get off the couch, on my feet and out the door.� I know and old man that we call, �The White Rat�, that has probably killed more Elk in Northern New Mexico than anybody else.� I once asked him how he was always able to find animals, he would always laugh and say that the �They are where they are�.� As a young fly fishing guide I never really knew what he meant but as a get older it all starts to make since.� What he was trying to say is that when we scour maps, we spend hours climbing mountains and try to find the best habitat but when it comes right down to it animals don�t really care about that stuff.� As along as their needs are met they have no need to move.� If you want to be a successful hunter you need to figure out where the animals are during the season.� Last year I made� mistake by scouting like a mad man during the summer and the fall but once the �whitetail lull� and the rut kicked in I lost all of the big deer that I was tracking.� It was a real eye-opener, I was two steps behind the deer.� The last day of the hunt I picked up, headed into the high-country and I found deer.� I passed on 3 smaller deer.

This year I spent a lot of time learning new country but I knew that it was just fun and games because the real scouting would start a week before the hunt.�� So what happened?� Well, I found a spot early in the summer that I was really looking forward to hunting but there is way too much snow back there, to get in there safely.� I might take the 4 wheeler in one of these days during the hunt just to see what is going on.� Who knows it just might be worth it.� To get to the area it is about a 45 min drive from the house, then a 45 4 wheeler drive and then a 30 min hike.� It is a lot of work to get in there but I am sure that there are a pocket of deer in there that die of old age.� So before the season a good buddy suggested that I look at a spot that he had seen deer before and that he felt might have a good pocket of deer.� Given the chance to learn a new spot I was all over it�� Like usual, I downloaded every map I could find and I started downloading waypoints to my GPS. The race was on.

I like to start by looking for water sources then I look for likely travel routes from the water sources to bedding areas.� So I hung a few cameras to see what I would pick up.� If you scroll down thru some of my previous posts you will see some of the deer that I have picked up, but this is the buck that I would really like to kill.

He probably goes low-90�s.

What you can�t see in this picture is that he is with a doe.

If I dont� get a chance at that buck I might see if I can stick this buck that is coming to water.� I cropped the picture alot because this spot has some real potential and I don�t want a million hunters in the area.

The above buck is a little busted on the right side but that is okay�. I like his frame�

Sooo� What am I going to do the first morning?� Well, I am going to hit that spot that has a ton of scrapes� I just want to see what is happening in that area�

So cross your fingers and stay tuned�

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Jason - More Intel!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:00:00 +0100

As I type this we are gettign with a ton of snow�. They think we are going to get another 6 inches in the lower country.� To be honest, as long as I can get to my hunting spots I really don�t mind the snow�.� I really try to refine my clothing selection so I can stay warm and dry during the hunt.� This year I wearing some stuff from Buckwear and StormKloth.� So far so good, for me the the key is not getting too hot while walking into the stand.� Some of my spots are pretty far in and you can really work up a sweat so I need to make sure that I don�t start the hike with too much clothing.� If case you are wondering Max-1 is the camo I usually wear�. I trust it.

So what have I been seeing out there???� Well, there is alot of snow and all the water sources are frozen.� The deer are also starting to scrape pretty heavily.� I found what looks like an old mining road that has about 8 scrapes in about a 200 yard line.� I think that is going to be my Number 1 spot.� It is on the top of a little knob�.

The Road and a Glove�

A Scrape

Scrapes in a bedding area

I also found a pretty cool little Corral in a different area that has a little spring next to it�. I put a camera in this spot� Hopefully something shows up�.

The Corral

The Spring

How about a mule deer that I picked up on camera???

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Jason - Things are picking up!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Things are starting to pick-up!!!� I wanted to see if I could find some Coues Deer in some lower country so I strapped on my boots and went for a little hike� My GPS said I covered 4.2 miles but it was in pretty flat country so it wasn�t too bad.

The picture below is from a little area that gets very little sun, it is in a deep canyon.� I have seen deer in here before but for some reason there was very little sign.� Maybe a Mountain Lion moved in, I am not sure but those deer are GONE � GONE, not just gone..

SOOOO� I bailed out of that area and decided to hit a spot in the Black Range.� Let me first say that there are spots in the Black Range that has never seen a human footprint.� It is rough BIG Country and no matter were you start walk everything is STRAIGHT up or STRAIGHT down.� I personally think that there are deer in there that die of OLD AGE.� It is great country but it is just very tough to hunt.� I have seen deer but I can�t figure out where or if they scrape.� I think it would be a nice area for a rifle hunter.� Anyway, below are a few pictures.

Okay so enough of that stuff!!!! How about some deer info???� Well, deer are starting to make rub lines, if you have never seen a rub line below is a picture of what they look like.� Pretty small, aren�t they?

NOW have about some scrapes�� The particular scrape below wasn�t hit in the last day or so it probably isn�t a primary scrape but it is along a nice trail.� In two trips into that area I have found a total of 5 scrapes and they are all in the same general area.� So there definitely a buck working in the area.�

While hiking around I also found this nice skull.� I took some pictures, then wrapped in a plastic bag so I could pick it up legally after the season.� It probably goes around a 100 inches�� NICE�

There is another area that I scouted all summer that I am still thinking about hunting but the only problem is that there is alot of snow up there and we are expecting a foot of snow tonight�� I still might try to make it up there but it is a huge commitment to get in there�45 Minute Drive, 1 hour on the 4 Wheeler and then 30 Minutes hiking�.

J-

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Jason - Two More Weeks....

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Almost Show Time!!! [Edit]

As many of you know I drew a late season Coues Deer tag in Unit 24.� It isn�t my favorite Unit but I will need to make due.� Some say that there are Coues Deer all over the Unit and to some extent that is very true, the hard part is finding nice pockets of deer so you can do a little shopping before you decide to let the arrow fly.� I won�t lie and I will say that I have had a hard time finding good pockets of deer. I have found a few deer here and there but nothing like I have seen in AZ or in other Units.� We have also had some pretty good storms that have left a lot snow in the high-country. One of my spots is under a foot of snow right now, I am not sure if the deer are going to move out or if I can even get to the country that I want to hunt.� Time will tell, I plan on heading out this weekend to do some serious scouting.

In the meantime how about a few pics?

I scattered a little Buck Urine to see if I could gets some bucks to cross this little saddle�� Well, it worked, Kind of.� These are two TINY Coues deer�.� This picture was taken on the 15th and you can see that there Tarsal Glands are clean as can be�� GRRRR�..

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Jason - How about some more Trail Cam Pics

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Hey Everybody�

Well it is about a month until the archery season starts so things are going to start heating up�� Last year I scouted to early and I think I blew some of the deer out of the country.� This year I am going lay back a little longer and really hit the hills about a week before the season.�� That being said, I have a few animals on camera that I thought you guys might be interested in seeing�

[...]

Jason - A little Trail Cam Action

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Hey everybody....

�� Many of you are heading out this weekend for the start of your seasons... I still need to wait until January, I drew a late season Coues Deer Tag.� Last year I found that I my camera recon was a little off because I was tracking deer all year but once the rut started all bets were off.� While I am going to still hang cameras all year I am going to focus more and funnels and saddles instead of water or mineral sources.� I drew a tag in a unit that I usually don't so I really need to hit the hills and let my cameras do some scouting for me... SOOOO How about some pictures???

�Look at this little bear... WOW he seems shaggy and HOT!!! �

How about a Mulie??? I think this is the same deer... FYI these two cameras are 1 mile apart.

�

THIS IS WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR.... He is definately a shooter...

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Jason - My Z-28 Bow Review

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Well Everybody

It is that time of the year again. Time to unveil my choice in bows.� This year was different because I got a chance to shoot all the bows side-by-side at ATA.� I was able to shoot everything from Hoyts to Bears.� Personally, it was a great experience.� As many of you know I am always saying, "it is the Indian not the Arrow.".� I really believe that.� If you picked the top ten bows they are more accurate and consistent than any human can be.� If there is a difference it will be in quality control and ease of tuning.� Last year I shot and reviewed a single cam bow.� It was a nice little bow but I had some issues with the cams "biting" into the serving and the limbsaver kept flying off the limbs.� I know that is pretty rare to ever read anything negative about a bow but I have no� problem calling it like I see it.� So stay tuned for an honest review.

SOOOOO..... What is my bow of choice?� This year I did something different, I didn't look at the specs I just went with what felt comfortable for me.� I personally� think there is way too much emphasis put on "the numbers".� I think Travis Turner nailed it when he "A slow hit is better than a fast miss".

My requirements were as follows:

Had to work as a system (more on this later) Had to be a hunting bowHad to be quiteHad to be easy to drawHad to have a comfortable gripand most importantly, it just had to feel right��

By now it is no sceret that we are all shooting Elites this year.� So how did we get to this point?� Well, the last night of ATA the Bowcast crew had a pow-wow at Hooters and we wanted to come up with a hit list of bows that we felt, shot well and that the general public would be interested in hearing about.� We went thru the regular big three and we didn't think there would be any value to the listeners of the show in giving them more info about bows that have been marketed to death.� We talked about speed, brace height, ATA, camo; basically all the stuff that is often talked about when deciding on a bow but we kept coming back to the GT-500 and the Z-28.� Not because of some crazy speed or brace height but because it just "felt right".� It had that something that we couldn't explain.� The draw felt right but is was more than just the cams, it also had to do with the limbs and the grip.

Some of the other guys on the team decided to shoot the GT-500 but I figured I would be the oddball (again) and shoot the Z-28.� So I ordered a 70lb-80lb, 27 inch Ninja Black Z-28.... Okay, what I am about to say is the truth.� When I got the bow I really thought that I got a 60lb-70lb bow because it was so easy to draw.� I finally went to the bow shop to use there scale and sure enough it was the 70lb-80lb version. �

I always get a kick with new bows because they all have that little sticker that says who the bow was tuned by, more often than not it is a way of fingering a guility party.� After talking with Elite they made it pretty obvious that because of the manufacturing process that ALL bows have a little variance in the ATA and Brace Height.� They said that the key to a tuned bow is the timing of the cams.� So, I was going to put the tuner of my bow to the test.� I built a draw board and I checked the timing. Well, tuner #452 you nailed it...

Look at the pictures.

�

After I figured that I couldn't time the bow any better, I bolted on my Spot-Hogg Whammy and my new Boss Hogg(more on them later).

So what happened after I got the bow hitting the target at 40 yards?� Well I'll let my pictures do the talking.�

The picture below is my first serious 4 shot group at 40. �

SWEET JESUS!!!!� I LOVE THIS BOW!!!!

Jason - Kemp Youth Club 3-D

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Hey Everybody....�� Below are the results of a really cool shoot that is held in southern NM.� If you ever have a chance to make the shoot you should try to get out there...� This is what archery is all about.. Getting the Kids outdoors... Thanks Paul C. for sending me the story.....

Take Care
J
��-

Well another Turkey season has come and gone, and that only means one thing, the Kemp Youth hunt Club has had their annual shoot.� And like in years past the wind played a role in the scores of the shooters, but the good news was that it only blew on Saturday and not strong until the afternoon� As always the course was an easy walk and the targets were set nice with just enough challenge.� The adult volunteers of the hunt club do a lot of work at this shoot every year with ground blinds being dug and holes being dug for some targets to get a different shot angle on, they really make it fun and exciting to find out "what is the challenge of the next target".� This is how the format of the shoot is layed out, there are 2 courses of 15 targets.� One is of African animals and one is of North American animals.� The targets are double staked to make it 60 shots for the shoot, and makes it worth the entry fee.� There were several stakes that had multiple targets�giving a little more realistic feel to it.��As anybody that likes shooting 3Ds knows that it is not real fun unless the course has some challenge to it, this course had some, but seemed a little less this year than in�previous years.� The first target You walked up to in the African course was a little Impala looking animal that was 45 yards, and in my mind I was like "It is going to be a long arrow�searching day" But that was one of�the farthest shots of the course,(there was a buffalo and an Elk that were 40+ but they are�HUGE)�unless you want to discuss the bonus, a 85+ yard antelope.� The only thing that is missing in this shoot is that they cant get to radical with the�ups and down angles, and that is always� good practice.� And to get the SUPER SPEED shooters to break their 11 streaks the club puts a Beaver at about 8 yards with an eleven ring the size of a dime, (HA take that you 350+ fps shooters).�

All in all it was a great�shoot with the weather on Sunday being the ultimate get together weather and perfect for the trophy presentation.� And there is another place were the Hunt club did an excellent job, In the MSR class there was a three way tie, so they took the three to do their shoot off and Roger Di Camilla entertained the participants until the shoot off was complete.� That is when every PeeWee was called up and given a Trophy, now most of those kids are hooked for life. which is very important for the future of the sport.

The trophies that were given away to the "bigger kids"�were of the metal art variety that were beautiful and I think were made by Powderhorn Metal Art, (at least I saw their truck at the shoot so if I am wrong they get undo publicity).�

I am going to post the results as they are on the web page at kempyouthhuntclub.com where you can go to see more pics of the shoot and the clubs hunts and other activities.� Now for those people that like shooting 3Ds or if there are you guys that want to try some 3Ds this shoot will held again next year probably during turkey season, for some unknown reason, come on out and shoot one of the best hosted shoots in the area, just bring a few arrows some might just get wet. This year there were 205 shooters and the crowds were not too bad at any of the targets.� So come on out and lets make next years even bigger, all the money raised goes directly to helping kids hunt.� Check out the web site and you will see the glee�on �all the kids faces in the pics.� And that is what this is all about putting more smiles on kids faces.� As the saying goes :hunt with your kids so you don't have to hunt for them"�.� I would like to thank Chase Kemp, the Wagners Scott and HB, Roger Di Camilla and any of the hunt clubs full time volunteers and the parents of the kids that help with the shoot every year.

[...]

Jason - More Trail Cam Pictures

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Hey Everybody...

� How about some trail cam pictures???� This is that little spot I found where a rancher tossed a salt block for his cattle.� He pulled the cattle out of the area but my deer are still around.� I suspect that the deer are going to really start hitting the area once our summer rains start.� This spot is on the edge feeding and bedding area.� It is about a 1/3 of a mile for a pretty significant water source so I think the deer are going to stay in the area.� The only issue I have is that I KNOW that there are much bigger deer in the general area but I can't figure out where they are bedding or where they are watering.� During the rut this area was TORE up with scrapes but I didn't get a chance to hunt it.� The crummy part is that I might not even get to hunt this unit because it is a tough draw.� So this weekend I planing on scouting my 2nd draw choice.

�One think you might notice is that� my Coues Deer are holding onto there antlers well into April.� For deer in the Southwest that is pretty common.�

�Again I am using Covert Trail Cams that I picked up from Amanda at www.coueswhitetail.com

How about this Buck?� He has nice mass and a great frame but he need longer and more points...

�

[...]

Jason - Tonight ONLY Bowcast Team Live

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:00:00 +0100

�

We would like to invite you to listen to live Backwoods Radio tonight at 7pm EST at www.BackwoodsRadio.com

Tonight we will have Aneal Roney and Anthony Dixon from Bowcast.com on our show.� These are a couple of great guys that love to cut up and have fun just like us.� Not to mention all the great knowledge they have of archery and long range shooting.

Tune it tonight!

www.BackwoodsRadio.com
www.BackwoodsLife.com

[...]

Jason - Rush Limbaugh Supports the HSUS????

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:00:00 +0100

This is just amazing to me....� I have never really been a fan but doesn't he know who his base is???� I wonder if people are going to go after him like they have gone after Carrie Underwood...�

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/rush_limbaugh_records_audio_041409.html

Jason - Coues Deer Sheds

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Hey Guys..

�I hope everybody is still scouting hard... This is the time of year where we see what animals made it thru the hunts...� In NM, the deer started dropping their antlers about two weeks ago...� BUT alot of them are still packing, last week I saw several 1/2 rack mulies.�

BUT I did find some older sheds.��

�Cisco and I found this skull at the same time.� It is about a 95 inch Coues Deer.�

�

After about a 5 mile hike I found this one about 300 yards from my truck.� It is a nice Coues Deer whose mainbeem really wraps around...

[...]

Jason - Monsen Mountain Mashers...

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Hey Guys...

�� Here is a quick little reciepe that� I got from Shawn Monsen's wife Melissa... � They are a great little pick me up when you need one on the mountain. They don't require any special storage.� It doesn't matter if they get mashed.� The are not that bad for you and best of all they taste great and are less filling... �

But it is approximately:

3 cups powdered milk1/2 cup ground flax seed1/2 cup ground wheat germ1 cup old fashioned oats1-1 1/2 cups peanut butter1-1 1/2 cups honey

I just kinda add more peanut butter and honey if it is too dry and to your liking. You just want it it be moist enough that you can roll it into balls. Just put into an airtight container and store and enjoy!

Here is a picture of the MMM.� I guess I don't have a future in Food Photography....

�

[...]

Jason - Trail Cam Pictures - Deer and Javis

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Hey Guys...

� If you have been reading my blog long you might remember that I found a place that doesn't get hunted very hard but that I always find scrapes in the area.� So once our season finished I hung a Covert Camera in the area to see if I could pick up any deer in the area.� The good news is that I found a ton of deer.� The bad news is that most of them are Mulies.� I also found a nice herd of Javelina's. �

I am using the Covert Cameras which are the same as the ScoutGuard Cameras... I have tried them all and these little cameras are by far the best I have tried.� You can order them at Coues Whitetail.

For a past blog entry on these camera's click HERE .

�Here are some pictures.

�How about some stink pigs?

�

�How about a nice Mulie? He is hiding in the back.

How about a Coues Deer Buck?

[...]

Jason - Archery Resource

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Hey Guys....

�� The other day someone was asking me if I knew of any resources to help the traveling archer.� They were basically looking for� a list of archery shops, clubs, 3-D Ranges, etc... �� Well there is, it is called..

www.archerysearch.com

I hope you guys find it usefull.

�J

Jason - My Cousin Rocks - Part II

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:00:00 +0100

As many of you know my cousin Carla killed a great Elk this year.� It was her first season hunting and she did great.� If you don't remeber you can see her bowkill by clicking HERE .

She did it again.� This year she killed a nice Mulie buck.� It was a Spot and Stalk hunt and she made a great 30 yard shot after stalking the buck for 3 hours.��

Look at this Sweet Buck...

GREAT JOB!!!!!

�

[...]