Training Day Lion

Cash and Steel were out working the dogs when a fresh track was struck. A couple hours later the AZ Ground Pounders had treed a big female.

Matthews Phillips' Lion

Cash and Steel recently took Matthew Phillips on a Lion Hunt. This is what Matthew had to say about the AZ Ground Pounders Outfitters.
"These guys are the real deal. They are self made. They have 26 of the best dogs you will ever see. They are trailing a lion or looking for one to trail right now. They go lion hunting 6 days a week no matter if they have a client or not. From the second I met them I knew I had to try to get a lion with them. Over the last two years I have spent 12 days on horse back and walking all over with a great Houndsman we just couldn't get it done. The guy has great dogs just having a long streak of bad luck. So elk hunting this year I hunted with Cash and Steel and knew from the first day of hunting not only would I kill my lion with them but I would have two new friends to hunt with when ever I wanted. I signed up for my lion experience and I had to wait for two months because of work. While I was working for those two months it seemed like I would get a picture of another huge Tom with a guy holding it and Cash standing next to him about once a week or a video of them letting a female go, Torture. Then I packed up and prepared for a long 4 day adventure. It turned out 10 minutes after leaving the truck the dogs struck a track and we were in snow (which they hate hunting in snow but knew how bad I wanted a lion) the dogs were gone and they found the track and said it was a nice cat not the biggest but nice and they said we can pull the dogs and wait for a big Tom you have a lot of time and of course after previous adventures I just wanted to see one in a tree. So I said let them tree it and then we will see. 20 minutes later they had it treed. The cat jumped the tree as soon as it saw a human. They had it treed again in 200 yards and Cash and I snuck up to take a look and he looked at it and said its a pretty good cat but its a female, a big female, I asked him you don't shoot females right. He said not usually but we are in sheep country now and you like sheep a lot don't you and thats all he had to say, He started to say something and boom. I had my first beautiful lion. About a 100 yards away we found a coues deer doe she had killed the night before which I didn't like to see but there wouldn't be anymore like that from that lion or from kittens she would have had in the future and their Kittens. Turned out to be a beautiful cat and an awesome 1/2 day adventure (it doesn't happen that way very often no matter who you hunt with). That was a month and a half ago and I still talk to them 4 or 5 times a week about all the lions they are chasing and treeing and videoing with no client on some of them. If you want a great lion hunt with great people and unbelievable dogs, these guys are who you want to hunt with."
Thanks Matthew for everything and we look forward to your Dad's Hunt.

Levi posts top 10 finish in FLW Tourney

Levi had a great weekend fishing at the FLW Everstart Tournament at Roosevelt Lake. After the first day of fishing Levi was in first place with a 2 pound lead. The second day Levi was fished to a third place finish. The final day found Levi in the top ten cut. He fished hard and missed a couple fish but finished in 9th place.

AZ Ground Pounders Three Lion Week

The AZ Ground Pounders got real aggressive on three lions during Mid December.  The first Lion caught was a Tom for Buck Brush Outfitter's Matt Smalley. Matt came out to hunt with the AZ Ground Pounders and connected on his Tom the second day of his hunt. Matt made a great shot with his .45-70 and put the big Tom down.

 

The second Lion was caught by Steel and Hunter Haynes. Steel and Hunter got some great video of the Lion. Steel pulled the dogs off and the Lion made its getaway.

The third Lion of the week was caught on the seventh day. Jay Scott and Darr Colburn of Colburn and Scott Outfitters glassed a good Tom and called the AZ Ground Pounders to get him caught. Hunter Cody Goff decided it was time to kill his first lion. He made good on his shot and finished off a great week of lion hunting for the AZ Ground Pounders.  More of the story and video of the lion can be found at jayscottoutdoors.com

Jimbo Armstrong aka The Original AZ Ground Pounder's Late Bull

Jimbo Armstrong was drawn for the Late 23 Bull tag. He knew he would be able to kill a good bull with the help of the AZ Ground Pounders. Levi and Waylon began glassing every chance they got for a good bull. Levi glassed a good six by six bull from around 2 miles. They made a move on the bull to get some good video of the bull. After showing the video to Jimbo it was decided that on opening morning he was the bull to hunt.

Opening morning found Jimbo, Levi and Waylon glassing from the closest knob to where the big bull was found. Adam Munson was glassing from the top of the ridge to make sure the bulls didnt work theur way out of canyon.  Jimbo immediately found a couple 300 type bulls. About twenty minutes later Levi glassed bull in the bottom of the canyon. Waylon put the spotting scope on him and confirmed he was the big six. There was another bull with him that had short fronts but a twenty inch third on one side.

 Jimbo decided to kill the straight six. Levi ranged the bull at 525 yards and turned the custom turret on Levi's Custom .300 Win Mag.  Jimbo made a perfect shot on the bull and he only made it about 7 yards.  The pack out took all day but it was well worth it for an opening morning 340 plus bull. The bull was unique because he had a three foot scar down his back where either a lion or bear got to him at some point.

Waylon's 125 Late Coues Buck

Waylon waited 9 years between Coues tags. This year he drew one of the state's premier late tags in the AZ Ground Pounders favortite unit.
Levi, Cash, Steel and Waylon began scouting immediately. Some good bucks were found during the fall but it wasnt until two weeks before the hunt when Levi found the one. Levi and buddy Derek Daniels went to check spot when Levi glassed a deer's leg in the sun sticking out of a oak brush. When the buck stood up Levi quickly named the buck Sunny Governor because he was worthy of the annual governor's auction tag . Levi watched the buck for the next two weeks straight. The first morning of the hunt had Waylon and Levi sitting in the first major snow storm of the season with about 200 yards visibilty. The next two days were just as bad. Finally on the fourth morning of the hunt the clouds broke and the sun began to melt the snow. Governor stood up in the sun and pushed a smaller buck away, never giving Waylon a chance. The next day the buck stood up but again did not give a good shot opportunity.
Waylon finally got the chance to come back and hunt on the 7th Day of the hunt. The buck was not seen that afternoon. On the 8th Day of the hunt Levi and Waylon were in the spot glassing before day break. It was a cold overcast morning and they both had a good feeling about the day. At 8:30 the clouds broke and sun started to shine on the ridge. 15 Minutes later Levi glassed the buck coming out of a pinion tree 750 yards away. Waylon quickly jumped in the gun and had him in the scope. The buck was cruising just like the other encounters but this time the AZ Ground Pounders were ready. Levi ranged the buck at 698 yards and Waylon turned the custom turret to 7. Waylon told Levi "when the buck stops I'm gonna kill him." Waylon squeezed the trigger on Levi's custom .300 Win Mag. Levi said "He is hit hard. The buck ran up the hill but he was hurt." The giant buck bedded in the middle of an opening. Waylon was going to shoot him again but when Levi went to get out of his Swarovski 15s he bumped the tripod. When he relocated the opening, the buck was gone. Waylon told Levi that he had never squeezed off a shot better in his life. They waited for Cash, Steel Jimbo and Derek to get there from another glassing spot. After 4 hours of waiting Jimbo and Steel decided to walk from the back side of the ridge to make sure that the buck wasnt injured and running off. When Steel approached the spot where the buck was last seen he found some fresh tracks and smelled deer. Steel looked to the right and said in to the radio Waylon's new favorite phrase,"Got him." The shot was a perfect center punch through both shoulders.

Waylon would like to thank Levi for all of his help in the past 4 months, Cash, Steel and Jimbo for all of the early morning glassing trips. And also thank Derek for helping Levi during the two weeks of watching the giant buck. Sunny Governor scored 125 4/8ths and has 9 1/2 eye guard and a 4 inch kicker off of the other eye guard. It is the Coues Buck of a lifetime on the Coues Hunt of a Lifetime.

                   

AZ Ground Poundin Lion

Cash, Steel and Jimbo recently did some remote lion hunting on horseback.  A Big Tom track was found and it didn't take long for the AZ Ground Pounders to catch their Fourth Lion of the Fall.