Ram down!

I just got back from the Arizona Desert hunting desert Bighorn sheep.  Here are a couple pics to start with until I can get everything in order and get the rest of the pics up and get the video edited.   We shot this ram at 504 yards.  It was an awesome hunt with some great people.

I know me on a horse is a little scary.

Huge Desert Sheep with a bow!

Kevin Slone completed his goal of taking a huge Desert Sheep with his bow and arrow.  After beating the odds and finally drawing the tag of a life time the quest had begun.  Here are some of the pictures his brother Rick was texting me as they found the sheep.  After discussing the probable score of the ram the stalk was on, an hour later the ram finally presented Kevin with the shot he was looking for.  With the steep angle the compensating range finder said 47 yards and the arrow hit its mark.  Congrats Kevin on a awesome sheep with your bow, your the man!!

This awesome Ram green scored 175 Gross and 172 4/8 net.  After the 60 day drying period this ram will be high in the record book.

Sheep update Part 1-No kill yet!!

We are back for a couple days to get some work caught up, before heading back down.  The weather was a little challenging to say the least.  We had found three awesome rams prior to season and none of these rams we found during our latest trip to sheep country.  We put over 80 miles on the horses and saw a fair amount of sheep with the largest being in the 160 range.  Here are a couple pictures of some of the rams we encountered these last days since the hunt started.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the hunt.  This unit is very tough with very little access and lots of huge cut up country with out a lot of sheep.

8 for 8...2011 Early Season Deer Success!

Here is a short recap of the early season success we have had to date.  I will post video and additional pictures soon.  This is just a short recap of the 2011 early season for deer.  It is sheep time soon and we have been scouting.  Check back for additional info on the deer and sheep!!!  The hunt started with Koury Guide Service going 4 for 4 in the Junior hunt.  I do not have a picture of the buck Garrett Linn killed on this computer, I will update as soon as I get to my other computer.

Then we moved into the early season general hunt!

Dinah Esparza killed one of the bucks we had watched for a couple of years as it grew into a awesome buck.

Look at the mass on this great deer, along with a little dropper. Did I mention 4 inch eye guards that split?

Then not to be out done the rest of the Esparza Family had to step up.  Four days later and a lot of hours behind the binoculars these two fine bucks walked over the hill at 1:30 in the afternoon.

Then Sandi got her turn at the trigger.  After alot of pressure on the deer we were hunting we moved to a very remote spot in the unit.  After glassing up a buck we thought would go in the high 190's the stalk was on.  Here is the buck from the video we took before starting the stalk.

Unfortunately this buck was shot just as we were sitting up for the shot.  Congrats to the hunter! The buck was reported to score 206, these pictures due this buck no justice he is huge.

The last day of her hunt found us stalking a large 4x4 in the mid 180's.  After moving on the buck he escaped out the bottom of the draw.  While looking for him we glassed up the buck Sandi killed at 279 yards. The kill shot is awesome on this buck.

Then last but not least Lavell hunted a buck we have named HUGO!  We have also watched this buck for a couple years.

Check out the picture of Hugo and Skyler's buck together in velvet, what a sight!

Here is a picture of Hugo from last year!

And a couple from this year in velvet!

Congrats to all the hunters and a big thanks for making our 2011 early deer season a huge success!

Koury Brothers Drop GIANTS!

After applying for this Junior hunt for over 4 years both boys drew it on the same year.  We are talking with numerous hunting magazines that want to have the rights to the pictures and stories, so we are not going to give much details of the hunt.  You will have to wait and see it in the magazine.  I can tell you both hunts are on film with some excellent kill shot footage on both deer along with some awesome footage of the deer leading up to the shot.
Here is a picture of there deer together.  A big thanks to Jed L. for putting both deer together in one pictures for us.  We call this picture double trouble!!

Here is a pictures of Steffen by himself along with a pictures from the video right before he shoots!

Here is Skyler with his buck and a picture from the video before his shot!

Congrats to both boys on killing great Trophy deer.  Check back to see the video of there hunts and more pictures as soon as we can release it. 

Ty's Junior deer hunt sucess!

Both my boys were done in the first two days of there Junior deer hunt (I will post there pictures and video soon. We are waiting to get the ok from one of the large hunting magazines to post.  Both there bucks are huge velvet bucks).  So It was Monday mid day when the text from my oldest son came to my phone.  It said "Can we  help Ty kill a deer, he is struggling a little finding a deer".  My response was we cant but I can since you have school.  The next morning me and Ty were looking at a 170 plus buck with velvet hanging off his rack.  After a short stalk we were in position to slowly look over the ridge to get the shot when a bunch of kids that were on the ridge behind us started yelling and scared the deer over the hill.  We quickly changed locations in hopes of glassing a different deer before they started laying down for the day.  With in minutes I had glassed up a nice 4x4 only minutes before he laid down.  A short stalk and a great shot with my 30-378 Weatherby by Ty and we were walking to retrieve Ty's deer that had went into some thick oaks after he was shot.  After being with in 5 feet of the deer and seeing him dead I went down the hill to video Ty walking up to his deer.  You have to watch the video to see what happened next.  You hear about all the time but you never see it on video.  Enjoy!! Congrats Ty on your great deer and awesome shooting young man.

Check out the picture from the video of what happened on retrieval.

Here is the video of Ty's awesome deer hunt.  Enjoy!!

The taking of "Flare" the giant Antelope.

After a month and half of watching the Antelope we named "Flare" is finally over.  Opening morning of the Antelope hunt found myself and Brian W. sneaking to where Flare was last seen that morning at daylight.  After passing the buck some where in the cedar trees we found there tracks and the walk was on.  We had additional help in glassing of Brian D., Buck B. and Todd L.  So while Brian W. and I were walking over 6.5 miles on nothing but tracks and starting to get a little tired, the crew kept moving in front of us glassing to hope to find flare before someone else did.  After a great spot by Todd L. the hunt was back on.  With other hunters also finding the buck we had to hurry and make a great stalk to finish the quest.  The rest of the story is in the pictures.  Just one last thing, my hunter Brian W. was in great shape and had a great attitude about walking for hours.  Without him being in shape we probably would of not killed. We probably walked over 7-8 miles before noon. Great job Brian.

Here are a couple pictures of Brian and  "Flare".

I almost forgot to tell you that "flare" green scored 88 7/8.  This is most likely the largest antelope ever killed in unit 3A.  The unit is not know to produce this quality of antelope.

Check out the video of the hunt of "flare" along with the kill shot.

First Bugle of the Year!

Today was a great day, I got to hear my first bugle of the 2011 year.  There is nothing better to hear in the early morning dawn than a elk bugling with the sounds echoing through the canyons for miles.  Scouting this morning only brings back memories of whats to come in the next 45 days.  BRING IT ON...
Here are a couple pictures of some of the cow elk I saw today.  It was like I was in Alaska glassing the Caribou migration.  I saw over 150 cow elk in one little area, bring on the rut and lets see what type of Bull Elk move in to take over a share of this huge group.  Stay tuned and I will keep you posted on the scouting efforts.  I hope you do realize if and when I find a real monster you wont see anything on it until we kill it or the hunt ends, SORRY..

Here is the video of the morning.  Turn up the volume after I talk and listen to these elk cow calling and a couple bugles even.