2022 was an interesting year and heavy on the elk.
The year started in February for my daughter and I with a AZ javalina hunt. I have never hunted the little buggers before and for three days we hiked and glassed. We concluded we sucked at hunting javalina, but rocked at having a good time. We will be roaming the AZ desert again shortly, as the weather and scenery were amazing!
Spring and summer brought a LOT of fishing in CO, NM, ND, WY, and AK. The grandkids are fishing nuts. It never gets old and I find myself looking forward to our annual AK fishing trip as much as elk hunting in the fall!
My daughter beat unbelievable odds and pulled an AZ Unit 9, Early Rifle elk tag in the random draw. Her goal was to shoot a “big” bull that she would be proud of and made it clear she did not need the biggest one in the unit. Her tag and her hunt, I had my marching orders. The end of September we were scouting before the hunt and ready for opening day. The number of elk and bugling bulls in Unit 9 was nothing short of incredible. We chased a bunch of bulls opening morning, passed a few, and that evening called a true monster into 100 yards. I have seen some great elk and taken a few good ones over the years but have never been close to bruiser like this. The excitement got to my daughter and two shots later, the bull trotted out of our lives no worse for wear. Disappointing, but the next morning made up for it!
As the sun was coming up, the bulls were talking…a lot. We picked the closest bugle and headed after it. In short order I had her set up at 125 yards on a good bull. She could not find the bull in the timber, and he gave us the slip. Within a minute we caught up to him crossing an opening. He stopped again at 200 yards and again she could not get a shot off. Were so focused on the bull, we completely missed his 15+ cows. They didn’t miss us and the whole herd took off!
Thankfully they didn’t go as far as I thought they might, and the bull insisted on bugling his fool head off. This time we took a different approach and over the next 30 minutes, snuck to within 75 yards of the herd in more thick timber. I quietly got my daughter set up behind her rifle, pointed out two openings, and then ripped off three of the loudest bugles I could muster. The bull lost his mind, bugled/glunked his displeasure, and stormed right at us. At 35 yards he passed the first opening and my daughter didn’t shoot. He kept on coming. At 10 yards he hit the next opening and stopped, staring right at me sitting on the ground. Well it’s hard to miss a critter like that at 10 yards with a rifle and my daughter got her “big” bull. A lot of celebrating and hugs followed. It was an awesome experience I am sure she will never forget!
The week after getting back from AZ, I made a quick trip to a new area I had located in CO. Low, low elk densities, but they are around. Within an hour I stumbled into a herd of cows with a small, rutty bull. He stopped at 175 yards surveying his ladies. It was a mistake, and he made a trip home with me.
My dad was up next. He is 76 years old, has never killed an elk and finally drew a good unit in WY. A fellow HuntTalker allowed us to hunt his family's private land or use it to access landlocked public behind it. There was no shortage of elk. Scouting a couple of days before the opener allowed us to figure out a group of five bull's bedding and feeding areas. We watched the group of bulls again on the public land opening morning, put them to bed, and started moving in on them. An hour later, dad was set up behind the rifle within 200 yards of the sleepy bachelor group. As we looked over the bulls, one stood out. He was a beautiful, unbroken 6x7 that had everything. We watched them nap and stretch out in the sun for over an hour.
My dad was excited and wanted the big one to stand up first. He didn’t of course, a couple of 5x5s got up and started to feed. I knew my dad was getting impatient and did not want to lose this opportunity. He leaned over and said, “Should I shoot one of the standing bulls”? I said, “Shoot whatever makes you happy.” He did just that! One shot and a 5x5 was laying on the ground and the big bull just stood up and looked at his buddy. At this point dad leaned over again and said, “I guess I should have waited for the big one”? I just smiled and told him he had a beautiful elk.
Three weeks later 2nd season was starting in CO. My wife and I had OTC bull tags, and I also had a mulie buck tag, with nine days to hunt. The first two days of season were fairly slow. Opening morning was messed up by a slob hunter blowing out a herd of elk with two nice bulls I was trying to get my wife on and day two I managed to start getting sick. My wife left to work from home for a few days and I felt worse every day that passed.
I finally had two bulls come out on the evening of day five and killed a nice 5x5. The next day I packed out the bull and went back to camp to crash. I had located another group of bulls and was waiting for my wife to return so we could get her an opportunity at them. She showed up to camp, looked at me, and said “Why are you still hunting and what the hell is wrong with you? You look like crap and should be at home.” I said something along the lines of “There are only so many days I get to hunt elk during the fall, and I can be sick anytime”. She didn’t think it was funny or that I was very smart! We headed home without going after a bull for her or hunting for my mulie. I was sicker than I thought, and it took a while to kick whatever I had.
Thanksgiving was also sausage making time this year. It is a family affair and everyone has a job…even Spiderman!
The last hunt of the year was with some friends from UT and their hounds trying to find a lion. The first two days of the hunt were not ideal for snow conditions. We had the dogs on decent tracks each day, but they could not catch up with the lions. When we returned to town the evening of day two, I had a message from work and had to cut out the last three days of hunting I had scheduled off. Of course, two days later I get a picture of a great tom they put up a tree with the comment “You should have stayed.” Work blows and I look forward to the day I can retire! Oh well, I will be back next winter to try again.
It was another incredibly fun year, and the freezers are full of salmon, halibut, and elk meat. I am reminded I am not getting any younger, tags are getting harder to come by, and to enjoy every minute I am blessed to spend outdoors.
I hope you draw some good tags this fall and may God bless each of you and your families!
The year started in February for my daughter and I with a AZ javalina hunt. I have never hunted the little buggers before and for three days we hiked and glassed. We concluded we sucked at hunting javalina, but rocked at having a good time. We will be roaming the AZ desert again shortly, as the weather and scenery were amazing!
Spring and summer brought a LOT of fishing in CO, NM, ND, WY, and AK. The grandkids are fishing nuts. It never gets old and I find myself looking forward to our annual AK fishing trip as much as elk hunting in the fall!
My daughter beat unbelievable odds and pulled an AZ Unit 9, Early Rifle elk tag in the random draw. Her goal was to shoot a “big” bull that she would be proud of and made it clear she did not need the biggest one in the unit. Her tag and her hunt, I had my marching orders. The end of September we were scouting before the hunt and ready for opening day. The number of elk and bugling bulls in Unit 9 was nothing short of incredible. We chased a bunch of bulls opening morning, passed a few, and that evening called a true monster into 100 yards. I have seen some great elk and taken a few good ones over the years but have never been close to bruiser like this. The excitement got to my daughter and two shots later, the bull trotted out of our lives no worse for wear. Disappointing, but the next morning made up for it!
As the sun was coming up, the bulls were talking…a lot. We picked the closest bugle and headed after it. In short order I had her set up at 125 yards on a good bull. She could not find the bull in the timber, and he gave us the slip. Within a minute we caught up to him crossing an opening. He stopped again at 200 yards and again she could not get a shot off. Were so focused on the bull, we completely missed his 15+ cows. They didn’t miss us and the whole herd took off!
Thankfully they didn’t go as far as I thought they might, and the bull insisted on bugling his fool head off. This time we took a different approach and over the next 30 minutes, snuck to within 75 yards of the herd in more thick timber. I quietly got my daughter set up behind her rifle, pointed out two openings, and then ripped off three of the loudest bugles I could muster. The bull lost his mind, bugled/glunked his displeasure, and stormed right at us. At 35 yards he passed the first opening and my daughter didn’t shoot. He kept on coming. At 10 yards he hit the next opening and stopped, staring right at me sitting on the ground. Well it’s hard to miss a critter like that at 10 yards with a rifle and my daughter got her “big” bull. A lot of celebrating and hugs followed. It was an awesome experience I am sure she will never forget!
The week after getting back from AZ, I made a quick trip to a new area I had located in CO. Low, low elk densities, but they are around. Within an hour I stumbled into a herd of cows with a small, rutty bull. He stopped at 175 yards surveying his ladies. It was a mistake, and he made a trip home with me.
My dad was up next. He is 76 years old, has never killed an elk and finally drew a good unit in WY. A fellow HuntTalker allowed us to hunt his family's private land or use it to access landlocked public behind it. There was no shortage of elk. Scouting a couple of days before the opener allowed us to figure out a group of five bull's bedding and feeding areas. We watched the group of bulls again on the public land opening morning, put them to bed, and started moving in on them. An hour later, dad was set up behind the rifle within 200 yards of the sleepy bachelor group. As we looked over the bulls, one stood out. He was a beautiful, unbroken 6x7 that had everything. We watched them nap and stretch out in the sun for over an hour.
My dad was excited and wanted the big one to stand up first. He didn’t of course, a couple of 5x5s got up and started to feed. I knew my dad was getting impatient and did not want to lose this opportunity. He leaned over and said, “Should I shoot one of the standing bulls”? I said, “Shoot whatever makes you happy.” He did just that! One shot and a 5x5 was laying on the ground and the big bull just stood up and looked at his buddy. At this point dad leaned over again and said, “I guess I should have waited for the big one”? I just smiled and told him he had a beautiful elk.
Three weeks later 2nd season was starting in CO. My wife and I had OTC bull tags, and I also had a mulie buck tag, with nine days to hunt. The first two days of season were fairly slow. Opening morning was messed up by a slob hunter blowing out a herd of elk with two nice bulls I was trying to get my wife on and day two I managed to start getting sick. My wife left to work from home for a few days and I felt worse every day that passed.
I finally had two bulls come out on the evening of day five and killed a nice 5x5. The next day I packed out the bull and went back to camp to crash. I had located another group of bulls and was waiting for my wife to return so we could get her an opportunity at them. She showed up to camp, looked at me, and said “Why are you still hunting and what the hell is wrong with you? You look like crap and should be at home.” I said something along the lines of “There are only so many days I get to hunt elk during the fall, and I can be sick anytime”. She didn’t think it was funny or that I was very smart! We headed home without going after a bull for her or hunting for my mulie. I was sicker than I thought, and it took a while to kick whatever I had.
Thanksgiving was also sausage making time this year. It is a family affair and everyone has a job…even Spiderman!
The last hunt of the year was with some friends from UT and their hounds trying to find a lion. The first two days of the hunt were not ideal for snow conditions. We had the dogs on decent tracks each day, but they could not catch up with the lions. When we returned to town the evening of day two, I had a message from work and had to cut out the last three days of hunting I had scheduled off. Of course, two days later I get a picture of a great tom they put up a tree with the comment “You should have stayed.” Work blows and I look forward to the day I can retire! Oh well, I will be back next winter to try again.
It was another incredibly fun year, and the freezers are full of salmon, halibut, and elk meat. I am reminded I am not getting any younger, tags are getting harder to come by, and to enjoy every minute I am blessed to spend outdoors.
I hope you draw some good tags this fall and may God bless each of you and your families!
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