Arizona Late Elk
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
And today, the elk win.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Tomorrow is a new day.
A-con
New member
Every day hunting is a good day.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
Nice bull and good luck on the rest of the hunt!
This is a fun area to hunt, but also frustrating. You see tons of elk sign, though in many places you cannot seed through the thick stuff. To gain glassing vistas, it is usually across a canyon. Steep, steep, canyons.
Tomorrow we are going in where I know some bulls are hanging out. Question being, will they make an appearance and offer a shot. We have seen nine bulls while hunting/scouting. Lee's bull was the biggest of them all. Hope to find another nice one and hang my tag on him.
Hope to post good news tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are going in where I know some bulls are hanging out. Question being, will they make an appearance and offer a shot. We have seen nine bulls while hunting/scouting. Lee's bull was the biggest of them all. Hope to find another nice one and hang my tag on him.
Hope to post good news tomorrow.
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
I got faith in you putting the hurt on one in the next day or two --- hopefully you can find another one wearing his whole head gear ...
SagebrushSlayer
Active member
Good luck!
MNHunter
Well-known member
Frustrating morning....
3 bulls spotted this morning and Randy was in hot pursuit. I'll let him do the play by play.
3 bulls spotted this morning and Randy was in hot pursuit. I'll let him do the play by play.
lbirch
Member
How about posting picture(s) of packing the bull out?
Sorry for the delay, but it was a long day, trying to recoup from the bad luck of this morning. Glassed all afternoon, seeing not a single animal. Here is a long version of the events of this morning.
We were without the good luck charms of Jerry, Wade, and Larry, as they all had to leave this morning, with Wade leaving yesterday. Was great fun to spend a couple days with them, even if the long hunting hours did not allow for much visiting. Given we lacked extra eyes, I decided we would go back into the same spot where Lee shot his bull two mornings prior.
That drainage is a huge nasty set of canyons that come together. We walk out on a long sloping ridge that allows us to glass the canyons coming in from the northeast, the southeast, and the south, and where those three canyons form one bigger canyon that runs northwest. Great glassing to be had; possibly too much for just two guys to glass.
We walked in way before daylight, using the full moon as our headlamp, finishing the mile and a half hike in about an hour. Once there, we could see some other headlamps of people who slept in and were walking the rim of one of the canyons. It was good to know we were way out on this point, hoping they would push elk down into our drainage.
Before the sun came up, I told Lee I would man the north side of this long skinny ridge and he should man the south side, sitting right where he had shot his bull. With that, we should have the entire drainage covered. Brad went with Lee, and Mason with me. We would be about a half mile apart.
I glassed as the sun was coming up, enjoying the great vista, absolutely sure a bull was coming my direction at any minute. Little did I know that three bulls were bedded right under where Lee and Brad would be setting up. I had hardly set up, when Brad was frantically telling me that there were bulls spotted. They had come out 50 yards below them then walked down into a canyon and up the other side.
Mason and I packed up our junk and we started across this mesa, running over a field of football-type rocks. We got there within ten minutes. Lee had the bulls standing on the bench across the canyon at 340 yards. I looked and could see one of them and he was a shooter.
It was a scramble. I was in the prone position and noticed a big dead tree right in front of the vitals of this broadside bull. Mason was off to my left about twenty feet and was telling me to shoot. Brad was filming me as I was struggling to find a good angle. Lee was keeping an eye on the bull and probably wondering how the hell we kill anything on film with a goat rodeo like this going on.
Mason told me he had a clear shot of the bull. That caused me to decide I would move to his position and take advantage of the shooting lane. I picked up and hopped the rocks of this canyon rim to his position. I got down and readied the rifle. Yup, he had an open shot of a bull. It was a much smaller bull with a broken beam. The bull I wanted was almost completely obstructed from this angle. I grabbed my rifle and hopped back to the original position right beside Lee.
The bull was still obscured by the dead tree. I was telling Mason where the bull was and to be ready if the bull moved. This tree was the only obstruction in a twenty yard wide opening in which he had stopped. Dang the luck.
I could not make out the third bull, as he was behind some junipers. Didn't really matter, given this light antlered bull was more than big enough for me. All I needed was for him to take one step. I was tempted to try thread a bullet right next to the tree and take out the front shoulder. But, it just did not seem right and the last thing I wanted was a mess that could result.
Finally, after about three minutes, the bulls tired of the movement on our ridge and started to slowly move through the junipers, heading straight south away from us. Some shots were offered during their exit, but I did not feel good with a quartereing shot at that distance. I knew the bulls would probably feed to the head of that next canyon and bed down for the day, given the cover it provided.
After some very choice words regarding how luck had just not been in our favor, I told Mason to follow me. We were dropping down into this deep canyon, over to the far west edge and would parallel the bulls as they headed south. It would take us some serious effort to get up and down this canyon. Brad and Lee would stay here in case the bulls circled back and filming us scrambling out of this canyon.
We were without the good luck charms of Jerry, Wade, and Larry, as they all had to leave this morning, with Wade leaving yesterday. Was great fun to spend a couple days with them, even if the long hunting hours did not allow for much visiting. Given we lacked extra eyes, I decided we would go back into the same spot where Lee shot his bull two mornings prior.
That drainage is a huge nasty set of canyons that come together. We walk out on a long sloping ridge that allows us to glass the canyons coming in from the northeast, the southeast, and the south, and where those three canyons form one bigger canyon that runs northwest. Great glassing to be had; possibly too much for just two guys to glass.
We walked in way before daylight, using the full moon as our headlamp, finishing the mile and a half hike in about an hour. Once there, we could see some other headlamps of people who slept in and were walking the rim of one of the canyons. It was good to know we were way out on this point, hoping they would push elk down into our drainage.
Before the sun came up, I told Lee I would man the north side of this long skinny ridge and he should man the south side, sitting right where he had shot his bull. With that, we should have the entire drainage covered. Brad went with Lee, and Mason with me. We would be about a half mile apart.
I glassed as the sun was coming up, enjoying the great vista, absolutely sure a bull was coming my direction at any minute. Little did I know that three bulls were bedded right under where Lee and Brad would be setting up. I had hardly set up, when Brad was frantically telling me that there were bulls spotted. They had come out 50 yards below them then walked down into a canyon and up the other side.
Mason and I packed up our junk and we started across this mesa, running over a field of football-type rocks. We got there within ten minutes. Lee had the bulls standing on the bench across the canyon at 340 yards. I looked and could see one of them and he was a shooter.
It was a scramble. I was in the prone position and noticed a big dead tree right in front of the vitals of this broadside bull. Mason was off to my left about twenty feet and was telling me to shoot. Brad was filming me as I was struggling to find a good angle. Lee was keeping an eye on the bull and probably wondering how the hell we kill anything on film with a goat rodeo like this going on.
Mason told me he had a clear shot of the bull. That caused me to decide I would move to his position and take advantage of the shooting lane. I picked up and hopped the rocks of this canyon rim to his position. I got down and readied the rifle. Yup, he had an open shot of a bull. It was a much smaller bull with a broken beam. The bull I wanted was almost completely obstructed from this angle. I grabbed my rifle and hopped back to the original position right beside Lee.
The bull was still obscured by the dead tree. I was telling Mason where the bull was and to be ready if the bull moved. This tree was the only obstruction in a twenty yard wide opening in which he had stopped. Dang the luck.
I could not make out the third bull, as he was behind some junipers. Didn't really matter, given this light antlered bull was more than big enough for me. All I needed was for him to take one step. I was tempted to try thread a bullet right next to the tree and take out the front shoulder. But, it just did not seem right and the last thing I wanted was a mess that could result.
Finally, after about three minutes, the bulls tired of the movement on our ridge and started to slowly move through the junipers, heading straight south away from us. Some shots were offered during their exit, but I did not feel good with a quartereing shot at that distance. I knew the bulls would probably feed to the head of that next canyon and bed down for the day, given the cover it provided.
After some very choice words regarding how luck had just not been in our favor, I told Mason to follow me. We were dropping down into this deep canyon, over to the far west edge and would parallel the bulls as they headed south. It would take us some serious effort to get up and down this canyon. Brad and Lee would stay here in case the bulls circled back and filming us scrambling out of this canyon.
With no further words, Mason and I bailed off the canyon lip, into the nasty rocks, manzanita, and cactus, slipping and falling the entire way. Once we got to the bottom, this canyon seemed a lot deeper than it had looked from the rim. Oh well, no time to stop.
Not sure how long it took to climb out the other side, but it sure took a lot of energy. Terrible oak brush was pulling at us and slowing what was already difficult progress. When we reached the top, we were both sweating profusely. Knowing these bulls were moving up this canyon, we really didn't have much time to waste. Foward and onward.
The sun was now up over the horizon, yet low enough to provide great shadows to hide us as were trotted along this canyon rim. I stopped to look for the bulls in the openings across from us. Nothing.
We were now getting close. If they were going to follow my expected plan, they would be bedded or feeding another three hundred yards ahead. I told Mason to get everything ready, knowing this thick cover at the head of this canyon would make for some quick action. As soon as we came around the corner of these rocks in front, I expected to see elk.
No more had Mason nodded that he was ready, than gun shots errupted right in front of us. These shots were very close in front of us Then more shots. Then some follow up shots. The shots were right where I expected the bulls to bed.
We moved forward another 150 yards, when a guy in the trees below us shouted to tell us of his position. He had just shot one of the bulls. It was laying across the narrow channel at the head of this canyon. Some more shots rang. His buddy had hit a bull and was finishing it off.
Mason and I could just stand there shaking our heads. As bad as our luck was to have the bulls come out under Lee and Brad, rather than us, this seemed to top that. Less than two hundred yards from our position, guys had dumped two of the three bulls.
The third bull made it out the end of the canyon, four hundred yards ahead. We could only watch his rear disappear into the thick stuff onto a big bench. Little did we know how many people were up there. I lost count of the shots, but enough to make me think it would be impossible for that bull to have made it. But, some sounded like those long bombing desperation shots, making me wonder if excitement overtook a group of hunters, causing them to start laying down fire in hopes to be the first to make a hit and in the process, forgetting to aim.
With calm now settling into the canyon, I asked the hunter how it had transpired. Seems he and two buddies were set up at the head of this canyon when three bulls came through at nice shooting range,. He dropped his, then followed by his buddy dropping another.
He apologized for ruining out hunt. I laughed and told him he owed me no apology. That is how it goes on public land. These guys had followed the new travel rules on this forest, hiked in before dark like we had, set up in a good ambush location, and filled their tags. That is about as good as it gets.
We asked if we could film them and their bulls. They agreed. They were excited. Being long-time Arizona natives, they were super pleased to have shot their first elk. I was very happy for them. As frustrating as this conclusion was, it would not have happened to nicer guys. Seeing their excitement was enough to quickly eliminate any frustrations on my part.
It was cool to see that these guys had worked hard and were rewarded.. Exactly as I had hoped I would be rewarded. Sometimes hard work and effort is not enough to overcome some bad luck. Today was one of those days.
It was a long walk back to the truck, but one that put a smile on my face, knowing two hunters had just had their best hunting days ever. Having accidentally and unknowingly been a part of their good fortune was enough to make it a good day for me.
You guys are going to laugh when you see the events of this morning. What we captured, we captured a lot of it live, so it might not be the best quality footage, though will probably be highly entertaining. The bleeper button is going to get a work out.
One of the hunters asked me what I said when I heard the gun shots. Suffice to say, it is not language that would be used in mixed company. In spite of all that, it was a great day in the elk hills.
Some pictures of the hunt to this point.
One of the bulls that the hunters got.
The other bull they got.
Mason capturing the humor and irony of the day.
A pic of Lee's bull. He shot from the canyon rims you see behind him.
Wouldn't be an elk hunt without a posse pic, would it? Couldn't find any other people to include in the pic, so our posse is only four. Probably wouldn't suffice in some states, but it will have to do as our best imitation.
In the cedar jungle under the barrel of the rifle was bedded the four bulls from yesterday. One got up and moved around noon, then quickly re-bedded. None of them got out of their beds before darkness fell.
I have a good feeling about tomorrow morning. Let's hope it come to fruition.
Not sure how long it took to climb out the other side, but it sure took a lot of energy. Terrible oak brush was pulling at us and slowing what was already difficult progress. When we reached the top, we were both sweating profusely. Knowing these bulls were moving up this canyon, we really didn't have much time to waste. Foward and onward.
The sun was now up over the horizon, yet low enough to provide great shadows to hide us as were trotted along this canyon rim. I stopped to look for the bulls in the openings across from us. Nothing.
We were now getting close. If they were going to follow my expected plan, they would be bedded or feeding another three hundred yards ahead. I told Mason to get everything ready, knowing this thick cover at the head of this canyon would make for some quick action. As soon as we came around the corner of these rocks in front, I expected to see elk.
No more had Mason nodded that he was ready, than gun shots errupted right in front of us. These shots were very close in front of us Then more shots. Then some follow up shots. The shots were right where I expected the bulls to bed.
We moved forward another 150 yards, when a guy in the trees below us shouted to tell us of his position. He had just shot one of the bulls. It was laying across the narrow channel at the head of this canyon. Some more shots rang. His buddy had hit a bull and was finishing it off.
Mason and I could just stand there shaking our heads. As bad as our luck was to have the bulls come out under Lee and Brad, rather than us, this seemed to top that. Less than two hundred yards from our position, guys had dumped two of the three bulls.
The third bull made it out the end of the canyon, four hundred yards ahead. We could only watch his rear disappear into the thick stuff onto a big bench. Little did we know how many people were up there. I lost count of the shots, but enough to make me think it would be impossible for that bull to have made it. But, some sounded like those long bombing desperation shots, making me wonder if excitement overtook a group of hunters, causing them to start laying down fire in hopes to be the first to make a hit and in the process, forgetting to aim.
With calm now settling into the canyon, I asked the hunter how it had transpired. Seems he and two buddies were set up at the head of this canyon when three bulls came through at nice shooting range,. He dropped his, then followed by his buddy dropping another.
He apologized for ruining out hunt. I laughed and told him he owed me no apology. That is how it goes on public land. These guys had followed the new travel rules on this forest, hiked in before dark like we had, set up in a good ambush location, and filled their tags. That is about as good as it gets.
We asked if we could film them and their bulls. They agreed. They were excited. Being long-time Arizona natives, they were super pleased to have shot their first elk. I was very happy for them. As frustrating as this conclusion was, it would not have happened to nicer guys. Seeing their excitement was enough to quickly eliminate any frustrations on my part.
It was cool to see that these guys had worked hard and were rewarded.. Exactly as I had hoped I would be rewarded. Sometimes hard work and effort is not enough to overcome some bad luck. Today was one of those days.
It was a long walk back to the truck, but one that put a smile on my face, knowing two hunters had just had their best hunting days ever. Having accidentally and unknowingly been a part of their good fortune was enough to make it a good day for me.
You guys are going to laugh when you see the events of this morning. What we captured, we captured a lot of it live, so it might not be the best quality footage, though will probably be highly entertaining. The bleeper button is going to get a work out.
One of the hunters asked me what I said when I heard the gun shots. Suffice to say, it is not language that would be used in mixed company. In spite of all that, it was a great day in the elk hills.
Some pictures of the hunt to this point.
One of the bulls that the hunters got.
The other bull they got.
Mason capturing the humor and irony of the day.
A pic of Lee's bull. He shot from the canyon rims you see behind him.
Wouldn't be an elk hunt without a posse pic, would it? Couldn't find any other people to include in the pic, so our posse is only four. Probably wouldn't suffice in some states, but it will have to do as our best imitation.
In the cedar jungle under the barrel of the rifle was bedded the four bulls from yesterday. One got up and moved around noon, then quickly re-bedded. None of them got out of their beds before darkness fell.
I have a good feeling about tomorrow morning. Let's hope it come to fruition.
lbirch
Member
Nice pictures. Sorry about the luck. It's only one day. Tomorrow will be a good day in the mtns. Congrats to the other hunters.
Brisco
New member
Good luck its just a matter of time.
Lawnboy
Well-known member
Love the posse picture but way too much smiling to be Utah quality and not near enough relatives in it either.
That bull of Lee's has an amazing cape color. Looks like highlights that my wife gets in her hair. What a beauty. Go get em tomorrow.
That bull of Lee's has an amazing cape color. Looks like highlights that my wife gets in her hair. What a beauty. Go get em tomorrow.
ashersdad
Well-known member
Great job so far! Keep it up and thanks for taking us along for the ride.
More of a pseudo-posse.
Kudos to you for being a gracious sportsman, those are great photos of some happy hunters with their bulls.
Amazing, after all that effort. On the flip side of this, IMO you have the makings of an excellent episode, including how it turned out. I hope you tag one, but there certainly is enough adventure here. This is definitely reality TV. Good luck.
Tough morning. Just hiked out of some canyon areas. Saw no elk. Gonna go try some other areas where we can glass better. Even if we see some we cannot get to before dark, it gives us a starting place come morning.
Off to a new spot.
Off to a new spot.
