Any Luck?!?!

mossback50cal said:
Very few people post on here now with success pics. Everyone tears them down when they do.
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My buddy is still in the Gila on his 16 early archery tag. Seeing some good bulls but in very nasty areas. Hoping he reports one down tonight or tomorrow.
 
JB1975 said:
My buddy is still in the Gila on his 16 early archery tag. Seeing some good bulls but in very nasty areas. Hoping he reports one down tonight or tomorrow.
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I know a few people out on hunts right now. Hoping to hear good news from them also. I’m so ready for next week.
 
IMG_7977.jpeg
IMG_8011.jpeg


Got my first bull yesterday late morning. Was in the middle of three bulls bugling late morning, snuck in on this one raking a tree. Shot him at 26 yards. Truely grateful for this bull.

IMG_7981.jpeg
 
Slick8 said:
I'm new hear but truly hate to hear that. I for one never rain on someones happiness or success. I love seeing the trophy pics and people in the field of animals big and small.

BTW, GREAT bull Perez.
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Ya this website used to be full of them. I’ve been a member for almost two decades. And people get on their high horse and put others down. I miss the glory days where it would be full of success pics already. And yes Perez, great Bull!!
 
Jarhead said:
That looks like the one I told you about same whale tales ?
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It could be but I doubt it. I was about 15-20 miles away from the area you were talking about and I had this bull on camera in late July early august. But I’m sure bulls travel great distances for the rut, but I never did go to the place you recommended. Best of luck on your wife’s hunt, weather is looking good, moon is looking good I’m sure they will be cranking for her hunt. Hope y’all have fun
 
PerezA said:
Very impressive. I wasn’t impressed with my blood trail from the iron will broadheads, complete pass through but blood wasn’t good.
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I've shot a fair amount of whitetails with 2 blade single bevel, double bevel and almost every combination of the above with bleeder blades from recurves, longbows and compounds. They do have excellent penetration, but the blood trails are sparse.

Congrats on the stud bull! There is nothing better when it finally happens.
 
Buxndiverdux said:
I've shot a fair amount of whitetails with 2 blade single bevel, double bevel and almost every combination of the above with bleeder blades from recurves, longbows and compounds. They do have excellent penetration, but the blood trails are sparse.

Congrats on the stud bull! There is nothing better when it finally happens.
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Ya I definitely think I’ll make a switch for deer and if I get lucky with another elk tag in the future. Was even looking at the hybrid broadheads but we shall see.

Thanks man, like you said no better feeling in the world. Congrats again on your great bull. Complete stud, I’m not much on score but what do you think yours scores? 340+?? I’m terrible at judging score
 
PerezA said:
Ya I definitely think I’ll make a switch for deer and if I get lucky with another elk tag in the future. Was even looking at the hybrid broadheads but we shall see.

Thanks man, like you said no better feeling in the world. Congrats again on your great bull. Complete stud, I’m not much on score but what do you think yours scores? 340+?? I’m terrible at judging score
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I've been busy with meat prep. I haven't had a chance to confirm the number they came up with in camp, but I'll get around to it. It's quite a bit more than 340. I can comfortably assure that much. LOL..

I do like the hybrid heads. I've shot the Muzzy HB, Grim Reapers, Grave Digger, Rage Extreme, etc.
 
Buxndiverdux said:
I've been busy with meat prep. I haven't had a chance to confirm the number they came up with in camp, but I'll get around to it. It's quite a bit more than 340. I can comfortably assure that much. LOL..

I do like the hybrid heads. I've shot the Muzzy HB, Grim Reapers, Grave Digger, Rage Extreme, etc.
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Good deal man. Congrats again!! Beautiful bull
 
Just got back from helping a guy last weekend on his opener for 2nd archery on the Valles Caldera. Had an opportunity at a decent 6X Sunday morning and another at a 360-ish Monday morning.

Bulls are vocal in the morning and late afternoon with the occasional sound off mid-morning through mid-day. Some bulls trailing hot cows.

They really weren't "cranked" up yet last weekend.
 
Mike0426 said:
They are barely starting to heat up in my part of the Gila!
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Idk where you’re at buddy but where we’ve been it’s looking like they’re taking a break .
Bulls were screaming and fighting from the 29th of August until the 16th and kinda quieted down.
First archery was a slug fest
IMG_4224.jpeg
this little dude ????????tried like hell to run the show, broke off his whale tale on August 30th.????????
Watched him break the entire left beam off on the 1st.

IMG_4243.jpeg


IMG_4242.jpeg
 
Nice bulls !!!!
Around here it seems like every bull has 30 cows with him now. I watched a big bull on private yesterday from the forest with 24 cows for several hours. Threw everything I had at him to get him to cross into the forest but he had so many cows he wasn’t going anywhere.
 
NM high country said:
Nice bulls !!!!
Around here it seems like every bull has 30 cows with him now. I watched a big bull on private yesterday from the forest with 24 cows for several hours. Threw everything I had at him to get him to cross into the forest but he had so many cows he wasn’t going anywhere.
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Coming out of the Caldera one evening...

 
BUGLEnmIN said:
Idk where you’re at buddy but where we’ve been it’s looking like they’re taking a break .
Bulls were screaming and fighting from the 29th of August until the 16th and kinda quieted down.
First archery was a slug fest View attachment 120308this little dude ????????tried like hell to run the show, broke off his whale tale on August 30th.????????
Watched him break the entire left beam off on the 1st.

View attachment 120309

View attachment 120310
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Geeze, I wish it was like that here. I'm hermosa North A not B
 
It's been dry up at our place up North. Monsoons have bee spotty and one of our dirt tanks is completely dry. My friend is giving it heck through Sunday
??
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
Idk where you’re at buddy but where we’ve been it’s looking like they’re taking a break .
Bulls were screaming and fighting from the 29th of August until the 16th and kinda quieted down.
First archery was a slug fest View attachment 120308this little dude ????????tried like hell to run the show, broke off his whale tale on August 30th.????????
Watched him break the entire left beam off on the 1st.

View attachment 120309

View attachment 120310
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You aren’t lying it’s been quiet. One day they were bugling good out of the whole hunt. I thought I hit the jackpot drawing this tag, but it’s been nothing but miles and miles and few opportunities.
 
Took my 9 year old out on his first hunt. He got to hear a bull bugle and answer his cow calls…..he was about as excited as I’ve ever seen him.

He got to go for 3 days, then back to school. Unfortunately, it was the 4th day I got one to commit. He still got to participate in most of the hunt experience and caught the addiction. Hunter safety coming up!

IMG_9580.jpeg
 
The Valle Vidal was definitely quieter than my expectations based on convos with individuals who had the tag in recent years. Pretty spotty and intermittent bugling activity. Everyone I ran into on the unit, from the fish cop to other hunters and guides, seemed to echo the sentiment that things were slower than usual for the 2nd season.
 
The guy I was with is saying they are really vocal on the Caldera. Tough to call one in though, mostly because of swirling wind.
 
I'm down south this weekend scouting for a November deer hunt. Perhaps I'll run into some of you guys out trying to stick a big one.

Best of luck to those on the hunt.
 
I saw numerous elk this weekend while scouting for deer and they were mostly quiet.

A few would go off right at dark.

I bet they go full steam for muzzy season.
 
The guy I went with hit a bull toward the end of his hunt. Hit it a little high and bled like a stuck hog until no more blood. Spent the rest of his hunt looking for it and didn't find it.

Came home empty handed. Shot was at 10 yds, probably the reason for the higher hit.
 
mossback50cal said:
I came back late Saturday. Had to get ready for work today. Had quite a few opportunities. Passed some smaller bulls, chased a monster for a few days. Messed up on a good 6x6 at 12 yards. Overall fun hunt, but they were extremely quiet. Most only chuckled when they responded.
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That mirrors the other reports I got from the 2nd hunt also. A strangely quiet September.
 
It was. Even when they bugled it wasn’t loud. Could barely hear them in the same canyon some times. I’ve never seen it like that. I only saw one bill with cows. The rest were solo or with other bulls. Extremely strange.
 
1st season n the 1st two days of second season were good to us with bulls bugling.
Dumbass people…. Well that’s another story ?
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
1st season n the 1st two days of second season were good to us with bulls bugling.
Dumbass people…. Well that’s another story ?
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Exactly. Had an evening and a morning of pretty good bugling for me. That was it. Found a spot that was holding elk, people saw us going in there everyday and it turned into a circus. Camped off the road from reserve to snow lake, like a highway all day the whole time we were up there. Tried drawing that tag for decades, don’t know if I’ll ever put in for it again honestly.
 
mossback50cal said:
Exactly. Had an evening and a morning of pretty good bugling for me. That was it. Found a spot that was holding elk, people saw us going in there everyday and it turned into a circus. Camped off the road from reserve to snow lake, like a highway all day the whole time we were up there. Tried drawing that tag for decades, don’t know if I’ll ever put in for it again honestly.
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I wont apply for the unit anylonger. Buddy had second season , rut was behing minimal bugling , groups of cows without bulls , bulls still together . Not to mention the weather sucked ass too windy all day everyday .
 
bobby said:
I wont apply for the unit anylonger. Buddy had second season , rut was behing minimal bugling , groups of cows without bulls , bulls still together . Not to mention the weather sucked ass too windy all day everyday .
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I don’t know if it was behind or ahead of schedule. I saw bulls alone, bulls grouped together and cows without bulls also. I did see quite a few elk, so I can’t complain. I had chances. Had to put in a lot of work for them. But, that’s what it takes. I’m still kind of processing it all to be honest. I know one thing, I do wish I was still up there. ?
 
mossback50cal said:
I don’t know if it was behind or ahead of schedule. I saw bulls alone, bulls grouped together and cows without bulls also. I did see quite a few elk, so I can’t complain. I had chances. Had to put in a lot of work for them. But, that’s what it takes. I’m still kind of processing it all to be honest. I know one thing, I do wish I was still up there. ?
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My hunt basically went the same, except for about 1-2 minutes of kill mode. It was a grind. Averaged 11 miles per day on foot between 8-9,000 feet. That's a challenge when home is 32'. :)

I also wish I was still there with another tag in my pocket or even a friend with a tag. I'd do it again.

One interesting thought. My hunt had 250 tags, and your hunt had 150 tags. I don't think there were any cow tag hunters in the unit during those 2 hunts. I saw lots of hunters, camps, etc on the roads and did see one hunter sitting water. We didn't run into another hunter while we were on foot and hunting. I did see a group glassing one day, but they were probably 2 miles off and couldn't see the elk we were on in a bowl. Did you have a problem with other hunters?
 
Buxndiverdux said:
My hunt basically went the same, except for about 1-2 minutes of kill mode. It was a grind. Averaged 11 miles per day on foot between 8-9,000 feet. That's a challenge when home is 32'. :)

I also wish I was still there with another tag in my pocket or even a friend with a tag. I'd do it again.

One interesting thought. My hunt had 250 tags, and your hunt had 150 tags. I don't think there were any cow tag hunters in the unit during those 2 hunts. I saw lots of hunters, camps, etc on the roads and did see one hunter sitting water. We didn't run into another hunter while we were on foot and hunting. I did see a group glassing one day, but they were probably 2 miles off and couldn't see the elk we were on in a bowl. Did you have a problem with other hunters?
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I know your question wasn’t directed at me but YES!
Both big bulls my son was going to take the set up got blown up by other hunters. One group parked 200 yards from my side by side skirted the ridge on top of us and right at the exact moment I leave my position to confront the group
( they followed us for 2 days) my son pulls out as well and there come at least 70-80 cows with the herd bull 7x7 350/360 type and pin us at 80 yards until one of the guys buckles n there goes the herd.
2nd time we have a really big bull 2 miles from any parking raking the locust bushes screaming his head off, we’re not even call because there are elk talking all around. We slide into position, son ranges , 42 yards, he just needs to step out maybe 15’ and he’s done.
I hear the sorriest version of a cow call
( sounded like ducks) walking straight in at him , wind up their ass and every elk in the country push over the next ridge. ??‍♂️
My son and best friend were able to kill 2 bulls but OMG what a **** show!
Idk if we’ll be applying here again. I do know the rut action was unreal considering it was 1st season since we showed up .
 
Dang. I had the same tag in 2001 and did run into other hunters every other day. Did experience some of what you did, but back then, there were cow tag hunters in the unit at the same time. So many elk there, they didn't care if they blew the elk out. Always another herd a short walk away for the cow tag guys.
 
saw lots of hunters, camps, etc on the roads and did see one hunter sitting water. We didn't run into another hunter while we were on foot and hunting.
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Welcome to NM elk hunting! But the ones you do see in the woods are often annoying. See BUGLEnmIN's experience.
 
Buxndiverdux said:
My hunt basically went the same, except for about 1-2 minutes of kill mode. It was a grind. Averaged 11 miles per day on foot between 8-9,000 feet. That's a challenge when home is 32'. :)

I also wish I was still there with another tag in my pocket or even a friend with a tag. I'd do it again.

One interesting thought. My hunt had 250 tags, and your hunt had 150 tags. I don't think there were any cow tag hunters in the unit during those 2 hunts. I saw lots of hunters, camps, etc on the roads and did see one hunter sitting water. We didn't run into another hunter while we were on foot and hunting. I did see a group glassing one day, but they were probably 2 miles off and couldn't see the elk we were on in a bowl. Did you have a problem with other hunters?
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Other hunters were an issue. We had an area that we found several bulls in, and were making plays on them, just things weren’t perfect, so didn’t want to push them out. Knew I had days left on the hunt so wasn’t too aggressive. If wind wasn’t good, or any other reason, would back off. The problem with that was, as soon as people (seemed like there was a lot more than 150 people in the unit) saw us going into the area multiple days in a row, they started following us. Except they all came in from the bottom, without a care for wind, and horrible calling. We would hike up and circle in from the backside to get the wind advantage. So that area was ruined pretty quick. Another area we tried, we were a few miles in, and ran into a group of young hunters who bugled about every ten steps. So, ya, other hunters were an issue. For sure.
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
What a mess man, I figured I’d be married to the gila for life! Now I’m thinking we need a legal separation while I explore other avenues ?
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I am not lucky enough to draw. May never draw a tag the rest of my life. ? only took me almost 30 years to draw this one.
 
Dang, I hate to hear this and assumed bow hunters were a little different. Not so!

I was scouting for deer the past weekend and drove to more of an elk spot then deer but really wanted to enjoy the sunset from up high and see the fresh burn. There was 6 trucks parked there and hunters everywhere. The elk were about a mile away on private, about 40 head and 5 bulls. And of course a few in the bottom of the canyon which was 400-500 feet straight down or a long hike from the bottom/trailhead.

Last year on my deer hunt I started in an addimitly popular area as it was my first year for deer in the unit. The first morning I heard 24 shots in the immediate area at what I guess was 6 different deer. Scratched that place off the list.

By day 3 we saw very few people and none to speak of on days 4 and 5 with me killing on the 5th morning.
 
Congrats on the harvest to you lucky few!

I heard similar feedback about the quiet elk show in the Gila from a few guys we know that were in there mid September.

If any of you Gila elk hunters stumbled into some of the sparse Muley's while you were on the elk pursuit, and would be willing to share some Intel....drop me a message. I'll hook you up with some Wisconsin cheese curds or something. ?

I know some folks get shamed for asking for such precious Intel, especially as the new guy, but hey, it can't hurt to ask. I've been lurking around here for a few months and you guys seem to be a friendly bunch ?

I'll be on the pursuit with the Muzzy on the 28th.

Best of luck the rest of the season ?
 
AvgWIhunter said:
Congrats on the harvest to you lucky few!

I heard similar feedback about the quiet elk show in the Gila from a few guys we know that were in there mid September.

If any of you Gila elk hunters stumbled into some of the sparse Muley's while you were on the elk pursuit, and would be willing to share some Intel....drop me a message. I'll hook you up with some Wisconsin cheese curds or something. ?

I know some folks get shamed for asking for such precious Intel, especially as the new guy, but hey, it can't hurt to ask. I've been lurking around here for a few months and you guys seem to be a friendly bunch ?

I'll be on the pursuit with the Muzzy on the 28th.

Best of luck the rest of the season ?
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Which sub-unit in the Gila?
My son and I saw two velvet bucks that were mid 170's during his elk hunt.

We did good again in the Gila on his hunt. Scored a GORGEOUS 370 bull on opening morning. Located his bull a couple days before the season. Had to cover a TON of country though to find them. Between scouting for a week for his hunt and my two-week archery elk hunt in AZ unit 27, we covered about 280 miles in three weeks on foot according to our Garmin watches. I lost 18 pounds!!!
 
SDBugler said:
Which sub-unit in the Gila?
My son and I saw two velvet bucks that were mid 170's during his elk hunt.

We did good again in the Gila on his hunt. Scored a GORGEOUS 370 bull on opening morning. Located his bull a couple days before the season. Had to cover a TON of country though to find them. Between scouting for a week for his hunt and my two-week archery elk hunt in AZ unit 27, we covered about 280 miles in three weeks on foot according to our Garmin watches. I lost 18 pounds!!!
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Wow! You guys put in your time and effort! Congrats, that's a big bull! Picture?

Best weight loss plan around.

My tag is for unit 16 (A,B,C,D,E) FAD.
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
Idk where you’re at buddy but where we’ve been it’s looking like they’re taking a break .
Bulls were screaming and fighting from the 29th of August until the 16th and kinda quieted down.
First archery was a slug fest View attachment 120308this little dude ????????tried like hell to run the show, broke off his whale tale on August 30th.????????
Watched him break the entire left beam off on the 1st.

View attachment 120309

View attachment 120310
Click to expand...
BUGLEnmIN
We were driving home late Sunday night on hwy 12. Just west of Datil a huge bull walked across the hwy just in front of us. I slammed on the brakes and we watched him jump the fence with our jaws dropped. Then he turned and looked at us and he had his entire left side gone. Looked exactly like the bull in your pic. Same bull maybe??????
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
1st season n the 1st two days of second season were good to us with bulls bugling.
Dumbass people…. Well that’s another story ?
Click to expand...
I second the dumb ass people. First hunt I felt was slow we were in elk everyday but not rutty elk till about the 8th. Stuck mine in the 13th a 340 type bull. My old man had the second hunt and we had 3 big bulls found from my hunt and we were on a 370-380 type bull found we couldn’t make a play on because of wind and one old boy ran him from the top to the flats about 3-4 miles. When we crossed paths he said if he’s talkin I’m chasing….. we’ll he was a thorn in our side the entire hunt we had a couple opportunities on him and would make a game plan and come back to the elk being blown all over the place from them trying to hunt them from their beds and not know what the heck they were doin…. My old man missed a 340-350 type as someone bumped a herd and they almost ran right over us and he stuck a 350 type on the 22nd and we put on a ton of miles gridding and couldn’t ever turn him up so my old man punched his tag. Bummer he said it’s his last bow hunt.
 
Buxndiverdux said:
Sevr 1.5" First animal I ever shot with it. I was impressed with the entire wound channel.
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I used the Sevr 2" on my Wyoming deer, its a lethal broadhead. Never a fan of expandable but might be shifting my opinion on the technology of this one. Jury still out of id go that route on elk.
 
SDBugler said:
BUGLEnmIN
We were driving home late Sunday night on hwy 12. Just west of Datil a huge bull walked across the hwy just in front of us. I slammed on the brakes and we watched him jump the fence with our jaws dropped. Then he turned and looked at us and he had his entire left side gone. Looked exactly like the bull in your pic. Same bull maybe??????
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Hey buddy. No sir we were quite a ways off from here.
You guys scored big huh? That’s awesome to capitalize on that tag!
 
BUGLEnmIN said:
Hey buddy. No sir we were quite a ways off from here.
You guys scored big huh? That’s awesome to capitalize on that tag!
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Yes we did. Took us a few days and several miles to find a good one. We put on a lot of miles scouting, but it paid off. The fires really changed things from when I last hunted that unit back in 2003 and 2013!!!!


Here is the bull a couple days before the season. We got got so excited about the big whale tails that we didn't notice the extra junk on the tips of the main beams right away.
Spencers bull (scouting).jpg


Left main beam had a fork and an small point at the end and the right side had 3 small extra points. Definitely a bull with great character.

Spencer's NM Bull.jpg
 
SDBugler said:
Yes we did. Took us a few days and several miles to find a good one. We put on a lot of miles scouting, but it paid off. The fires really changed things from when I last hunted that unit back in 2003 and 2013!!!!


Here is the bull a couple days before the season. We got got so excited about the big whale tails that we didn't notice the extra junk on the tips of the main beams right away.
View attachment 123360

Left main beam had a fork and an small point at the end and the right side had 3 small extra points. Definitely a bull with great character.

View attachment 123361
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Bull of a lifetime. Congrats-What did he score ?
 
Wow that’s an amazing bull and with its big back end I thought it would have been in that 380 range. Either way amazing bull congratulations.
 
SDBugler said:
My son put a tape on him and came up with a fraction under 370 gross (he wasn't sure how to address the trash on the tips of the main beams and so didn't include those in the score)
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If it's a point over an inch you can count it.
 
DoeNob said:
If it's a point over an inch you can count it.
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We don’t get too worried about the score.

Gorgeous bull with great whale tails = +10”

Scouted bull and harvested within 2 hours opening morning = +10”

Three weeks chasing bulls and quality Time with my son = +10”

Lost 18 lbs and two notches off the belt = +5”

That’s a 400+ bull in my mind. LOL
 
SDBugler said:
Yes we did. Took us a few days and several miles to find a good one. We put on a lot of miles scouting, but it paid off. The fires really changed things from when I last hunted that unit back in 2003 and 2013!!!!


Here is the bull a couple days before the season. We got got so excited about the big whale tails that we didn't notice the extra junk on the tips of the main beams right away.
View attachment 123360

Left main beam had a fork and an small point at the end and the right side had 3 small extra points. Definitely a bull with great character.

View attachment 123361
Click to expand...
Standing ovation here buddy ??????
Great job! Really good to see a couple hard working guys do their tags justice after witnessing the crap show in the woods this year!
Congratulations to you and your boy on a job well done!
 
SDBugler said:
Yes we did. Took us a few days and several miles to find a good one. We put on a lot of miles scouting, but it paid off. The fires really changed things from when I last hunted that unit back in 2003 and 2013!!!!


Here is the bull a couple days before the season. We got got so excited about the big whale tails that we didn't notice the extra junk on the tips of the main beams right away.
View attachment 123360

Left main beam had a fork and an small point at the end and the right side had 3 small extra points. Definitely a bull with great character.

View attachment 123361
Click to expand...
What a super bull!!!!! Congrats to the two of you, that's awesome.
 

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