M
massey_muley
Guest
My 2010 Arizona archery elk hunt is done. I spent 7 days hunting and it was a blast. The first 5 days were good and bad.While there wasn't much rutting behavior there was enough activity, with a little bugling, sparring, and tree raking to allow me to get into bulls every time out. By day 6 I had seen 20 different mature bulls and had some very close calls. With a week left I liked my chances....
On the evening of the sixth day I was a little beat from chasing elk so I tried to find a waterhole to sit. Nearly every waterhole had 1-2 guys in treestands so I found the most remote one I'd seen and set up. About 30 minutes later two older guys came driving up a 2 track, saw me, and then proceeded to get out and approach. "Here we go.." I thought. I headed over to them and to make a long story shorter we argued and I explained to them the AZGFD rule of "first come first served". They felt different and pointed out their tree stand and ground blind, saying that since they had been sitting the tank since opening day they owned it. I stood my ground and as they were about to leave I took the high road and told them it was all theirs. Something better would come of it I thought...
I took off on foot back to the area where I had been getting into elk every evening. Within 15 minutes I was smack in the middle of a herd of cows with a nice herd bull and one 5x5 satellite bull. I was pinned by a cow and calf bedded under a tree 40 yards away. They finally got up to feed and the herd bull promptly smelled their bed. Just then the wind swirled, betrayed my presence, and it was off to the races, dogging the herd. Right before dark I was in bow range again, picking my way closer to the herd bull, who was demolishing a tree, chuckling and grunting. At 15 yards I was right behind him, the tree swaying back and forth, I needed about 4 steps to my right and I would have a slam dunk shot, holy crap hes big...
As i was mentally wrapping my hands around his horns and enjoying the photo session he sensed my presence, looked over his shoulder,and bolted, 800 pounds hurdling a large downed log like a greyhound. I wanted to cry....nothing to do but push on.
The next morning, day 7 the rut was on...bulls screaming everywhere. The first bull I got on had a deep growl and I was getting close. Then I see his antlers bobbing over a ridge 50 yards away and he is coming right towards me. Arrow knocked, I stood shaking like a leaf waiting..30 yards,holy cow he dwarfs the one from last night...20 yards, he has kickers off his swords..too much brush for a shot..8 yards and broadside behind some oak brush,,,two more steps.... He catches my form out of the corner of his eye and like that hes gone. I wanted to cry harder.
I was in bow range of 2 more big bulls in the next hour, more failure. About 0930 i hear two bulls trying to kill each other 100 yards away...as i hustle towards them the loser turns tail and busts out, about a 300 class 6 point, but I wanna see who kicked his butt. I pursue the winner and find a drop of blood, which I thought was odd, maybe a battle wound. 20 more yards and there is a cow at my feet, arrow in the gut and very sick. I stood contemplating what to do, so I gps'd her and raced back to my 4runner.
I began going to camps, looking for the person who lost her. The third camp i hit gold, and wouldnt you know it was the son of one of the guys I argued with last night at the tank. He showed me his arrow and I said "thats your cow!" We raced back over, I led them right to her and helped gut and pack her out. I felt really happy to get lucky and salvage a bad situation.
As I drove to the same area that evening I was sick to my stomach with anticipation...I somehow knew I would kill this evening. The bugles started early and at 1700 I was in bow range of my first bull of the evening, and he was a good one, maybe 330. I used a lane and learning from my mistakes i stopped at 30 yards while he raked the tree, ranged the opening, and waited. Like clockwork he turned and headed into the opening, At full draw, he came out, i mewed with my mouth, and he never stopped. "GAHHHHH what the...." I pushed on, and heard another bull raking a tree in the distance.
About a hundred yards later I eased into an opening and saw another bull,with least 5 points per side burried in this poor tree. I leaned out and ranged him....41 yards. Creeping back out, I come to full draw, my pin slowly floating down his back until its a third from the bottom....and the arrow is gone. I see the arrow still screaming through the air behind the bull. Did I miss? No no i think i saw it disappear. I hear a death bellow about 10 seconds later just as i pick up my blood soaked arrow. YES! A decent blood trail and a hundred yards and there he is. My whoops and hollers are drowned out by all the other bugles around me. He is one of the smaller bulls I saw on the trip but I could not be happier, as he is my first elk with a bow.The pack out was made much easier by some new found friends who were happy to repay for the help earlier that day.Beer was exchanged both ways as well, which is pretty cheap labor I think. It was also awesome to have my grandparents along as well as a family friend who is very sick with cancer. If you made it this far...enjoy the pics.
Good luck to all of you this season,
-Zac
On the evening of the sixth day I was a little beat from chasing elk so I tried to find a waterhole to sit. Nearly every waterhole had 1-2 guys in treestands so I found the most remote one I'd seen and set up. About 30 minutes later two older guys came driving up a 2 track, saw me, and then proceeded to get out and approach. "Here we go.." I thought. I headed over to them and to make a long story shorter we argued and I explained to them the AZGFD rule of "first come first served". They felt different and pointed out their tree stand and ground blind, saying that since they had been sitting the tank since opening day they owned it. I stood my ground and as they were about to leave I took the high road and told them it was all theirs. Something better would come of it I thought...
I took off on foot back to the area where I had been getting into elk every evening. Within 15 minutes I was smack in the middle of a herd of cows with a nice herd bull and one 5x5 satellite bull. I was pinned by a cow and calf bedded under a tree 40 yards away. They finally got up to feed and the herd bull promptly smelled their bed. Just then the wind swirled, betrayed my presence, and it was off to the races, dogging the herd. Right before dark I was in bow range again, picking my way closer to the herd bull, who was demolishing a tree, chuckling and grunting. At 15 yards I was right behind him, the tree swaying back and forth, I needed about 4 steps to my right and I would have a slam dunk shot, holy crap hes big...
As i was mentally wrapping my hands around his horns and enjoying the photo session he sensed my presence, looked over his shoulder,and bolted, 800 pounds hurdling a large downed log like a greyhound. I wanted to cry....nothing to do but push on.
The next morning, day 7 the rut was on...bulls screaming everywhere. The first bull I got on had a deep growl and I was getting close. Then I see his antlers bobbing over a ridge 50 yards away and he is coming right towards me. Arrow knocked, I stood shaking like a leaf waiting..30 yards,holy cow he dwarfs the one from last night...20 yards, he has kickers off his swords..too much brush for a shot..8 yards and broadside behind some oak brush,,,two more steps.... He catches my form out of the corner of his eye and like that hes gone. I wanted to cry harder.
I was in bow range of 2 more big bulls in the next hour, more failure. About 0930 i hear two bulls trying to kill each other 100 yards away...as i hustle towards them the loser turns tail and busts out, about a 300 class 6 point, but I wanna see who kicked his butt. I pursue the winner and find a drop of blood, which I thought was odd, maybe a battle wound. 20 more yards and there is a cow at my feet, arrow in the gut and very sick. I stood contemplating what to do, so I gps'd her and raced back to my 4runner.
I began going to camps, looking for the person who lost her. The third camp i hit gold, and wouldnt you know it was the son of one of the guys I argued with last night at the tank. He showed me his arrow and I said "thats your cow!" We raced back over, I led them right to her and helped gut and pack her out. I felt really happy to get lucky and salvage a bad situation.
As I drove to the same area that evening I was sick to my stomach with anticipation...I somehow knew I would kill this evening. The bugles started early and at 1700 I was in bow range of my first bull of the evening, and he was a good one, maybe 330. I used a lane and learning from my mistakes i stopped at 30 yards while he raked the tree, ranged the opening, and waited. Like clockwork he turned and headed into the opening, At full draw, he came out, i mewed with my mouth, and he never stopped. "GAHHHHH what the...." I pushed on, and heard another bull raking a tree in the distance.
About a hundred yards later I eased into an opening and saw another bull,with least 5 points per side burried in this poor tree. I leaned out and ranged him....41 yards. Creeping back out, I come to full draw, my pin slowly floating down his back until its a third from the bottom....and the arrow is gone. I see the arrow still screaming through the air behind the bull. Did I miss? No no i think i saw it disappear. I hear a death bellow about 10 seconds later just as i pick up my blood soaked arrow. YES! A decent blood trail and a hundred yards and there he is. My whoops and hollers are drowned out by all the other bugles around me. He is one of the smaller bulls I saw on the trip but I could not be happier, as he is my first elk with a bow.The pack out was made much easier by some new found friends who were happy to repay for the help earlier that day.Beer was exchanged both ways as well, which is pretty cheap labor I think. It was also awesome to have my grandparents along as well as a family friend who is very sick with cancer. If you made it this far...enjoy the pics.
Good luck to all of you this season,
-Zac
