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OYOA Goes to Utah - Archery elk

I wish we were packing out a bull. Sorry for not posting yesterday. It was a long day. Left camp at 5:15 am and returned at 10:15 pm. Tired, hungry, and very, very thirsty. Just didn't have the time or energy to write anything.

We went into a step canyon area and found a bunch of bulls. Three of them were in the 350 range. We spent the entire day in there, trying to find a way to get on one of those bulls. It is so rocky and steep, it is impossible to get anywhere close to them, when you have a hunter, a helper, and two camera guys.

This spot and stalk hunting for big bulls, is very difficult.

Went back in this morning, and the bulls are gone. Not sure if they just move off to a different area of the canyon, but any day, I expect them to start moving off, in search of cows. Then, we will be relocating them all over again.

The OYOA cameras can only stay until Monday. After that, we need to head home, re-charge batteries (really), and get ready for AZ elk. You ready Buschy?

Glassing and filming, glassing and filming.
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Big enough for me, even at 1,200 yards. Two more in the canyon in this range. One a little bigger and one a little smaller.
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Nice bull. Thanks for the post. Here's hoping you guys find them and put an arrow through the lungs of that bad boy.
 
Big Fin,

I believe we are ready. I make no guarantees other than we will have a great time. I am chomping at the bit to get started!

Last weekend's scouting trip to AZ went well. :D Jim and I have narrowed it down to two main hunting areas. We saw bulls in both spots that were certainly big enough to make me happy! Jim and I will be in the unit four days prior to opening day to do some additional scouting and try to pattern a couple of the bigger bulls we found.

Thanks for posting the pic. That is an awesome bull. My only request is that you put the bigger bull in that canyon on the ground and airlift the one in the pic to AZ for me. Good luck out there. We are pulling for you and the MR guys.
 
Wow, what a difference a day makes. Not an elk spotted today. Cannot believe where they might have went to. With the rut coming soon, I suspect the bulls may be wandering, starting to locate to their traditional rutting areas. Have no idea what tomorrow with hold in store.

But, regardless of the numbers of elk, we continue to film and capture what is happening. Already up to almost 15 hours of tape, for a 22 minute episode. As a few of you can attest, the filming does have a work component to it. Sometimes a good chunk of work. And, you have cameras filming your every move, which at times is kind of a pain.

If you want to complicate your hunting, start a TV show.

Hope the bulls reappear tomorrow. We only have a couple more days to film, so I am hoping they get the deal done before we leave. If today is any indication, the odds are stacked against us.


Was sure we would film a big bull in this canyon. Nope, not today.
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Even the most minute details get filmed.
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I know I am preaching to the choir.....but this is going to happen when you least expect it and when you are at your lowest....what a difference 10 or 15 minutes can make. Good feeling about this one. Good luck guys and stick with it!
 
Lots of changes today. Very little activity this morning, so we broke camp and moved to a different area. Some of the MR family members had been in camp, cooking, and providing support. They packed up and headed home at daylight. Sure will miss that great cooking. Hope the OYOA crew doesn't expect this kind of luxurious set up for the remainder of the season.

Thinking these bigger bulls are moving towards the cows, which seem to be in the more gentle country. Saw a nice 5X6 (320ish) by a road while driving back to camp. If it were my tag, I would still be on his trail.

It is interesting to watch a hunt, where the hunter has his mind set on a specific bull. I do not have the discipline to hold out and go for that one bull, forsaking all others. Just not my nature. For those who can do it, such as Andrew, they have my full respect. The number of 325 to 340 bulls here is amazing.

More reports of bugles from guys who are here deer hunting. I think that is a good sign. Not that it there will be aggressive rutting by these big bulls, but if they are exercising their vocal chords, it will make it a little easier to locate them.

Waiting for good filming light. If nothing else, using the time to capture one of those great scenic time lapse shots you see in all our shows.
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There was a nice 5X6 in this meadow, but you would never see him in this picture. He was coming to a water tank, but it was dry.
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One little spike down in this canyon, doing his best to sound like he "is somebody." Not going down there for anything other than a lunker.
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Awesome pictures Fin, sounds like Andrew has the right mentality for a hunt like this. Good Luck
 
Utah

So do you think the big boys stay up high in those steep and deep areas where they can smell the thermals and have protection? I'm thinking they hang out up in the top of those drainages with water and feed waiting to catch a whiff of an estrus cow. Then they head downhill to find her....game on! What do you think?
 
Well guys, due to some other filming and work commitments, I had to leave Utah two days earlier than the camera crew. I am now back home, but the camera crew stayed for two extra days.

Just got the update from the OYOA camera crew. Lots of bulls today, but nothing on the ground. They were on a good bull in the morning, but got busted by the wind. Imagine that. Anyone who hasn't had that happen, hasn't hunted elk.

One other good bull this afternoon, but they did not catch up to them. They are finding more elk than earlier in the hunt. The urges of the rut must be starting, causing some of the better bulls to start chasing around.

The camera crew will be with the MR guys through tomorrow, then leaving on Tuesday, so we can repair and replace, in time to head for Arizona and film an archery elk hunt there.

Whether or not a bull gets taken on camera, the footage and the show should be a great one. A lot of time was spent planning how we would film this hunt and what type of format we would use.

I had to agree to the requirement of no re-enactments. Editors hate not having re-enactments, so it will be interesting when the tape gets to the editing bay, how it will all come together. And, there were many people in camp helping with this hunt, so I am not sure how the editor brings that many people in and out of a story line with the allotted 22 minutes given to each episode.

To this point, Andrew is not waivering on his commitment to "go big or go home." The fact that they found two bulls today that would make the "shooter list" tells me they are getting close.

I wish we could have a crew with them for the entire 21 days of the hunt, but that is not feasible. And, we have so many other cool hunts to film in the next three months, nine days is all we can allocate to this hunt.

Wish I had pictures, but all I got was the phone call. If I get any pics, I will post them.
 
Just got a text message about an hour ago. They are glassing a really big 6X6 and trying to figure out a stalk on him.

Get'er done guys, the world wants to see this on film.

I won't get much done today, waiting on these reports.
 
Hopefully they got a change in the weather. We had some stuff move thru here late Saturday into Sunday.

This technology tracking of the hunt progress is pretty amazing.
 
Mr Big,

If they say it's really big it must be huge....

That being said, if your luck "runs" (that's for Oak) anything like mine, they'll shoot a new WR B&C bull the day after the cameraman leaves.

Kinda like hearing "you shoulda been here last week" everywhere you go hunting. I'm used to it by now.

: )
 
"Just got a text message about an hour ago. They are glassing a really big 6X6 and trying to figure out a stalk on him."

Well...now you have screwed up my day too!
 
yeah randy..now you know how the rest of us feel while you're hunting, and we're checking for updates.
another week of logging on every time I get a chance.
 

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