Arizona Bison Hunt

[RoamingBison]

Congrats on the tag. This is not a slam dunk hunt. This year they killed 2 buff out of the 25 or so tags issued for the first bull hunt. It can be really, really tough. Hopefully since the season is a bit longer in the month of June 2020 you will have better luck. I would call Russ Jacoby with Mossback AZ. I met him up on the Kiabab the other day while doing a junior deer hunt. I saw a truck with a buffalo in the back of it and figured I would follow it and let me kids look at one. Well it didn't take long and I got to meet Russ. He is a really nice guy and knows the buffalo up there really, really well. They have a COOP system going and I think you might find it interesting. You have a very interesting tag. If you try and get up there in Jan-Mar it will be a huge challenge most years due to the snow. It gets a bit deep and a truck won't get you within 20 miles of where you need to be. If you wait til the last few weeks of the season then you will get to meet most of the other hunters.

I probably talked to Russ for the better part of 1.5 hours and learned an absolute ton about the animal. I'm more of a DIY guy but you might want to consider a guide for this hunt. If for one reason only. What are you going to do when you put a 2000# animal on the ground? Do you have enough friends (that is plural not just one friend) to help you manage an animal once it hits the ground? Are they willing to be up there for 7,10,14 days to help you on your hunt? I've cleaned a buffalo before and it is a beast for sure. Choose wisely. Jay scott has a podcast or two that would be worth listening to on this topic. Jennifer griego (journeys with Jennifer Griego) has a podcast that is really recent that would give you an idea of what is going on up in the Kiabab.

FYI - 95% of the shots on the Kiabab are under 100 yards. Most are well under 50 yards. Those are the facts. Know how to tell the sex of the animal. When I was up there they had a hunter shoot a bull instead of a cow because they couldn't tell the difference. Happens more than you think and is easier to do that you might think too.

If you would be open to PM'ing or visiting that would be great. I drew the June bull hunt next year. I waiting to get out of PM jail otherwise I would have Pm'd you.