Help for my Dad! unit 10 early archery elk

Falro · May 18, 2023

So my Dad decided to cash in his points this year and drew a unit 10 early archery elk tag. This will be a DIY hunt the whole season but with minimal scouting opportunity since we’re coming from Ohio. Planning on spending time on the Big Bo and nearby. If anyone has had this tag and is willing to share their experience or some Info It would be greatly appreciated, we want to do everything we can to make this an amazing experience for him. Also willing on sharing info on Colorado elk and Ohio public land whitetail in return. Thanks

huntazido · May 18, 2023

sent you a pm

105Coues · May 18, 2023

Pm sent

Wapitiwilly · May 18, 2023

Could look at a preseason scouting trip from one the local guys. My son did that a few back and it was money. No much investment and a days hanging with guide.
Worked well for us, good option for someone not going guided

drew57 · May 18, 2023

Won’t have trouble finding em, (especially on big Bo) great tag to have. The problem will only be the regret of not holding out for a bigger one. All I can say is don’t worry about others, if your dad is happy let it fly.

Bob92057 · May 24, 2023

Hunt water on the Bo early and late.

huntandfish · May 24, 2023

Bob92057 said:
Hunt water on the Bo early and late.

I wouldn’t recommend hunting water at any time on the big Bo they have their own set of rules, and they prohibit hunting within 100 yards of water. Rule 19

DonMartin · May 25, 2023

Maybe we should talk....

Falro · May 25, 2023

Wapitiwilly said:
Could look at a preseason scouting trip from one the local guys. My son did that a few back and it was money. No much investment and a days hanging with guide.
Worked well for us, good option for someone not going guided

We contacted a few people and guides and they all kinda told us that they would send us into the second hand areas since they would put their guided hunters and close friends on the big bulls they find. For what they were charging we figured we might as well just spend that money on gas to scout our selves. I wonder what the laws are on paying gas money to a local guy who’s not a guide to do some scouting.

sremim · May 25, 2023

I've hunted 10 for many years now, including the Boquillas. Before it became popular and you could get a tag every couple years. When you could camp for an entire archery elk season and have one vehicle drive by in a week.

There are plenty of great areas off the Boquillas. Of course everybody is going to tell you why limit yourself, it's only a few bucks. But I wouldn't pay to hunt it. Are there good areas, absolutely. Are there big bulls, hell ya. But there are enough areas off it to make it worth while and not something that is needed.

AZGuy · May 25, 2023

sremim said:
I've hunted 10 for many years now, including the Boquillas. Before it became popular and you could get a tag every couple years. When you could camp for an entire archery elk season and have one vehicle drive by in a week.

There are plenty of great areas off the Boquillas. Of course everybody is going to tell you why limit yourself, it's only a few bucks. But I wouldn't pay to hunt it. Are there good areas, absolutely. Are there big bulls, hell ya. But there are enough areas off it to make it worth while and not something that is needed.

And when you go off the Bo you rarely see anyone.

sagebrush · May 25, 2023

Illegal to compensate anyone other than a licensed guide in AZ. Meals, lodging, gas and cash are all considered compensation. I hope to be up there a lot in August scouting for a friend that drew a pronghorn tag. I'll shoot you a PM to let you know what I'm seeing.

Falro · May 25, 2023

sagebrush said:
Illegal to compensate anyone other than a licensed guide in AZ. Meals, lodging, gas and cash are all considered compensation. I hope to be up there a lot in August scouting for a friend that drew a pronghorn tag. I'll shoot you a PM to let you know what I'm seeing.

Good to know! Thanks I’d appreciate that.

Falro · Jul 18, 2024

Had an incredible hunt, first evening of scouting we glasses up a 412 bull that got shot later in the season 13 miles away!! We had multiple close encounters with big bulls ruined by some of the worse calling I’ve ever heard in my life from other groups lol. Over all we saw a ton of elk (and people) but the bugling got worse and worse as the season progressed and my dad decided to shoot this smaller bull towards the end of the hunt. Multiple other guides were saying it was the worse year of rutting they remember but coming from otc Colorado to this we thought we were hunting a high fence area

cmbbulldog · Jul 18, 2024

Good job, great memories!

Thill · Jul 18, 2024

Falro said:
Good to know! Thanks I’d appreciate that.

You can always send them a Christmas card with some gift certificates!!

Years ago in a different state, I packed out an elk for someone, because I liked them and had an empty pack horse in the string and they gave me a couple of cases of beer ------I almost had to hire a lawyer to clear myself of this good deed when the outfitter/CPW found out.