“desert”

This latest Member's Hunt comes from Douglas Lindemann of Sussex, Wis.

Do you need a guide for javelina, or are the desert dwellers suited for a do-it-yourself hunt?

In the rugged mountains of West Texas—home to desert bighorns and introduced aoudad—sheep hunters can strike it big.

A hunter’s first elk and a bogged-down stalk on a desert mule deer highlight hunts with new versions of Ruger’s M77 Hawkeye bolt actions.

From alpine slopes to desert floors to the whitetail woods, Covert Optics 8X42mms and 10X42mms are made to help hunters dissect the details of wild landscapes to uncover a prospective target animal, or accurately size up a cruising buck in the distance.

A possible new archery world record desert bighorn sheep was taken recently in—of all places—southern California. On December 20, 2011, Brett Scott arrowed a ram that green scores 180 7/8 inches on the Pope and Young measurement system. The horns measure 35 1/2 and 37 inches in length with 16 1/2-inch bases. If, after the 60-day mandatory drying period, the horn shrinkage is less than an inch, Scott’s ram will be a new world record for archery desert bighorn.

Mule deer and whitetails share a way with words. If you need to persuade a mule deer to show itself in timber or pry it from a desert crevice, consider deer calls.

In the open Sonoran Desert, where mule deer can be spotted at the edge of your range, it pays to prepare for long shots. A decent short game doesn’t hurt either.

From its desert tan color to its slick, short-throw bolt, and incredible accuracy, this is a perfect coyote hunting rifle that will easily handle rodent work, too.