Hey hazcon, yeah it is a funny thing to predict here, mid january is normally right but with the weather we have had the last 2 seasons and the weather we are expecting here next week the rut happens at night mainly, you see a few deer here and there but as wee all know the big one really do not like 65degtree weather.
Its a hard one, and a very frustrating one

I've just returned from an unsuccessful desert mule deer hunt in Arizona (only in the sense that I did not harvest a deer). I had a gas! Hunting this wiley critter is more challenging than I ever imagined! The deer are few and far in between. Moreover, they are difficult to spot in this desert landscape. I hunted my hinny off! I saw a total of 40 deer (10 bucks, 30 does) in a week's time. The bucks were all small spikes and fork horns...I saw one shooter but never had a chance at him. The rut, which was supposed to be in its prime, was running late. All in all, this trip opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about desert deer. They should not be taken for granted!

The icing on the cake came in the form of a perfect pressure flaked arrow head (maybe from an Apache). I found it while checking for tracks at a waterhole. The point gave me a sense of comfort knowing that a past archer had been to this very same location. It made me wonder if he had missed, or perhaps, he had a clean pass through.....?

Enjoy the photos!

http://hunting.sendphotos.com/Home.aspx?I6W6SS

Awesome pictures!!! You have talent!

Well fellas, Illinois archery season ends today at sundown and I'm not going to get off of work in time to give it one last try. Actually I hunted so hard pre-rut and rut that I was finding it hard lately to get motivated enough to brave the cold and wind.
So I'm going to have to eat my archery tags this season.
I had a lot of good deer around me I just got too picky about which ones to take.
Luckily for me though I shot a decent buck 1st season shotgun so I have meat in the freezer.

Good luck to the rest of you, especially you southern boys. Sorry I couldn't help the team out.

unlucky hazcon, unlucky. It looks like i will not get anything as well with my bow this year. Thankfully i don't have to buy any tags here

Well men, the season has come and gone, though unlucky i can't complain, saw come great sights, meet some new people and made it home safe and sound each time..