 Arizona's Unit 10 In 2008 we had listed the 5 best units in Arizona as:
In 2009 that changed slightly by removing 19AN from the list and adding a few other options though never really committing to any of them for one reason or another. However, several of the units we added as options did end up producing giant bucks. For 2010 we'll start this series with the first unit that comes to mind when Arizona residents think of trophy antelope.   This was the very first Arizona auction tag my Dad was involved with. Art Dubs purchased the tag and heard through the grapevine that my Dad was a pretty good antelope hunter, though not really a guide at the time. Art decided to give him a chance and hired him. My Dad scoured the Plateau that year and found the buck you see above! The buck officially scored 90 7/8 SCI and 88 4/8 BC and won Arizona's award for the biggest buck taken in the state in 1990. Also, notice the white t-shirt my Dad is wearing. Even back then, long before he knew where this antelope road was going to take him, he wore a white t-shirt.
The buck measured 18 1/8 inches long on both horns and had a 6 1/8 inch left prong and a 6 2/8 inch right prong. The bases were both 7 1/8 inches. According to the AAF's tag fund revenue list their were two tags auctioned in 1990 - the total revenue for both was $11,000. However, their sheet (and mine) don't list who the other tag buyer was or what kind of buck he took. If I find out, or if anyone reading this knows, I'll post an updated version of this post with the new information.  Note that this isn't Rifle and Reel's logo - it's just a reel There's a new hunting forum called Rifle and Reel. I just became a member and posted an antelope photo in their Big Game section. Go on over and take a look!
 The above photo is the 3rd page of the flyer for the Arizona Antelope Foundations first ever hunter clinic. I found the entire flyer on their website HERE. What's cool was the list of experts scheduled to speak - my Dad is the third one down and, of course, in line to talk about trophy judging.
 Pat Feldt of Arizona Guided Hunts made a great DIY hunt out of a coveted Unit 10 tag that took him 25 years to draw. I ran into Pat several times on The Coconino Plateau during the days preceding the hunt and he was, like all the hunters I met, discouraged with the lack of antelope. Even with very few good bucks to choose from Pat made it happen early opening morning. A tag that took him 13,148,719 minutes to obtain took him only 30 minutes to use, but to good effect! His buck scored 86 SCI. Congratulations Pat!
For the out of state readers the map below is kind of a general location for where the Coconino Plateau is located.  Oregon Game & Fish has posted there regulation booklet for 2010. I've also loaded their regulations as a scribd readable document on our Proclamations 2010 page.
 Come and see us at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, NV! The show runs from January 20th-23rd. We'll have several World's Records hanging in our booth so be sure to stop by when you're there!
 If you'd like to figure out your draw odds without much hassle click on this link to Hunter Trailhead. I've seen basically the same thing on a few different sites now, but this is the one I have saved in my favorites so I'm posting it. If anyone knows of a different or better version of this draw odds "calculator" please post it in the comments section below.
 This is a re-post from our old blog, Mark's buck was taken in 2008
We hooked Mark up with Dave Brown and, quite different to how we normally do things, Mark and Dave scouted many times together. This isn't a bad thing, it's maybe even a good thing, just not how hunts normally happen because usually hunters are coming in from out of state. Since Mark lives in Arizona and he knew he may never draw this tag again he thought he'd make the most of it by spending as much time in the field as possible. Together they scoured most of the unit and decided to chase a particular buck up on the Plateau on opening morning..... |
