BOHNTR
Long Time Member
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- 4,339
Well, I finally made it back from my Arizona archery elk hunt. What an awesome experience. I've forgotten how great this hunt really is. My hat's off to the AZG&F for proper management of this specie.
The hunt started out slow, with few bulls bugling and a full moon to contend with. Both hunting partners and I passed MANY decent bulls, hoping to arrow a few nice ones I had scouted in July. I was even able to take some photos of critters during this time. However, once the second week was upon us we all wondered if we'd ever get an opportunity at a trophy bull.
Fred came through and finally broke the ice on Sunday evening, arrowing a massive 7x8 bull (his first ever) just before dark. We decided to track him the next morning, as Fred didn't like his arrow placement. We found him piled up about 250 yards from where he was shot the next morning. The bull had expired sometime during the early morning hours. A good lesson for letting a bull alone if faced with a marginal hit. The bull will gross in the 340?s.
I hunted hard and put lots of miles on my Danners during the second week. I had many close encounters that usually ended in frustration caused mostly by swirling winds. However, I kept at it and eventually snuck up on a nice herd bull with several cows on Wednesday (day before closure). One arrow through the heart and the bull went 76 yards. He?s a massive 6x7 P&Y that gross scores in the mid 330?s.
With two P&Y bulls down, the pressure was on for my last memeber of the BOHNTR Crew (Wally) to connect and complete the Hat Trick. On the final morning of the season, Wally snuck up on a 300? P&Y satellite bull as he was bugling. After arrowing him high in the chest cavity (twice), we decided to wait about 3 hours to track him. We followed the skimpy blood trail and found him piled up about a ? mile away. He?s a very symmetrical 6x6 that will net score just over 300? P&Y.
What an awesome experience. With the Colorado deer I already arrowed earlier this month, and now this big bodied elk, I'm afraid my freezer will be full. And, I still have blacktails (hybrids) to bowhunt this month. I better start eating some meat!
Hope you enjoy the photos.
Fred's Massive 7x8:
My heavy 6x7:
Wally's nice last day 6x6:
Here's all three together:
Some wildlife photos:
BOHNTR )))---------->
The hunt started out slow, with few bulls bugling and a full moon to contend with. Both hunting partners and I passed MANY decent bulls, hoping to arrow a few nice ones I had scouted in July. I was even able to take some photos of critters during this time. However, once the second week was upon us we all wondered if we'd ever get an opportunity at a trophy bull.
Fred came through and finally broke the ice on Sunday evening, arrowing a massive 7x8 bull (his first ever) just before dark. We decided to track him the next morning, as Fred didn't like his arrow placement. We found him piled up about 250 yards from where he was shot the next morning. The bull had expired sometime during the early morning hours. A good lesson for letting a bull alone if faced with a marginal hit. The bull will gross in the 340?s.
I hunted hard and put lots of miles on my Danners during the second week. I had many close encounters that usually ended in frustration caused mostly by swirling winds. However, I kept at it and eventually snuck up on a nice herd bull with several cows on Wednesday (day before closure). One arrow through the heart and the bull went 76 yards. He?s a massive 6x7 P&Y that gross scores in the mid 330?s.
With two P&Y bulls down, the pressure was on for my last memeber of the BOHNTR Crew (Wally) to connect and complete the Hat Trick. On the final morning of the season, Wally snuck up on a 300? P&Y satellite bull as he was bugling. After arrowing him high in the chest cavity (twice), we decided to wait about 3 hours to track him. We followed the skimpy blood trail and found him piled up about a ? mile away. He?s a very symmetrical 6x6 that will net score just over 300? P&Y.
What an awesome experience. With the Colorado deer I already arrowed earlier this month, and now this big bodied elk, I'm afraid my freezer will be full. And, I still have blacktails (hybrids) to bowhunt this month. I better start eating some meat!
Hope you enjoy the photos.Fred's Massive 7x8:
My heavy 6x7:
Wally's nice last day 6x6:
Here's all three together:
Some wildlife photos:
BOHNTR )))---------->
