Maybe forget your wind checker or milkweed for the afternoon/evening stroll in the JP flats. Elk just love a good scenting event.
The Dog That Caught the Car - AKA Lazy Arizona Elk Hunt
- Thread starter Bullshot
- Start date
Bullshot
Well-known member
Believe me it wont be hard for them... it's been hot the past couple days and I havn't changed hunt clothes yet. I'll soon be able to kill an elk without firing a shot!
Sat water tonight, after a long, rough quad ride to get there. Watched cattle all evening, heard a few distant bugles than one closer with cows, near dark. No wildlife seen.
Congrats to the Yuma boys I met on the way back to camp. 6 pt down at (or I should say IN) a waterhole. They had dragged it out by the time I happenend upon the scene. Nice bull, guys!
Hearing bugles repeatedly from camp even as I write this. Arizona is trying to get me excited but I resist with powers previously unbeknownst even to me. The foot/heel pain I have been having the past two days is keeping me grounded, thank god I didn't shoot one of those bulls this morning. I am more than a little nervous of my capabilities right now so that's got me bummed to a degree. Shooting a dink by a trail is starting to look like an appealing goal for this hunt....
Redmt
Well-known member
Go big or go home! Don't be a wimp!
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 9,706
Dinks deserve love just like big bulls….
Bullshot
Well-known member
Sooooo that was exciting.
I decided to hunt the same slope I did yesterday morning, above a tank. Just as I was leaving camp, a truck got in ahead of me and parked where I wanted to go in. I rode up another 1/2 mile and went in from there. Immediatly hearing some bugles on the mountain. Most far but one within a 1/2 mile or less. I angled up to try to get above but kept falling behind. Then I heard bugling where I had them yesterday, so I changed course to try to get slightly above where I had them. 500 yards. 400 yards. All of a sudden a bugle about 100 yards in front of me. I stalked a few more steps and saw movement in the brush. Elk! I dropped and froze and watched cows filter up. Then they hooked left, right above me. A cow and calf milled about within 25-30 yards then reversed course, and fed through a gap no more than 20 yards away. Cow was broadside for an eternity.
(Ha ha...oh...bull just sounded off again as I am writing this.... pausing to try an approach. You wanted a live hunt, right?)
My peripheral vision caught another cow right above me. She passed by and never noticed me (more on her in a minute). The bull had been quiet for awhile and I figured they were going to bed so I backed out.
Which catches us up to that last bugle.
I tried again to make a play but as I inched around, that cow had apparently bedded immediatley after I saw her. I caught her just as she caught me and stood up. I backed out again. Dang.
So now I have another bull bugling and this one seems gettable. I loop under the other herd, and stalk in, occassionally cow chirping. He keeps bugling. I loop up and over with the wind in my favor, thinking I am getting close, when a lone bedded cow busts me and runs off. Then I hear the rest of the hooves. Dang again. I take a few more steps and a bull is all of a sudden above me and running. I am putting on an elk spooking clinic! There are still bugles ahead so I throw any remaining caution to the wind and run ahead. Along the way I found a whole MESS of elk sign. Clearly they are loving this spot and tearing it all up. I go a few hundred more yards and decide to sit in a little snipers perch until about noon. There seem to be so many elk in here I just need one bull to go stretch his legs!
I decided to hunt the same slope I did yesterday morning, above a tank. Just as I was leaving camp, a truck got in ahead of me and parked where I wanted to go in. I rode up another 1/2 mile and went in from there. Immediatly hearing some bugles on the mountain. Most far but one within a 1/2 mile or less. I angled up to try to get above but kept falling behind. Then I heard bugling where I had them yesterday, so I changed course to try to get slightly above where I had them. 500 yards. 400 yards. All of a sudden a bugle about 100 yards in front of me. I stalked a few more steps and saw movement in the brush. Elk! I dropped and froze and watched cows filter up. Then they hooked left, right above me. A cow and calf milled about within 25-30 yards then reversed course, and fed through a gap no more than 20 yards away. Cow was broadside for an eternity.
(Ha ha...oh...bull just sounded off again as I am writing this.... pausing to try an approach. You wanted a live hunt, right?)
My peripheral vision caught another cow right above me. She passed by and never noticed me (more on her in a minute). The bull had been quiet for awhile and I figured they were going to bed so I backed out.
Which catches us up to that last bugle.
I tried again to make a play but as I inched around, that cow had apparently bedded immediatley after I saw her. I caught her just as she caught me and stood up. I backed out again. Dang.
So now I have another bull bugling and this one seems gettable. I loop under the other herd, and stalk in, occassionally cow chirping. He keeps bugling. I loop up and over with the wind in my favor, thinking I am getting close, when a lone bedded cow busts me and runs off. Then I hear the rest of the hooves. Dang again. I take a few more steps and a bull is all of a sudden above me and running. I am putting on an elk spooking clinic! There are still bugles ahead so I throw any remaining caution to the wind and run ahead. Along the way I found a whole MESS of elk sign. Clearly they are loving this spot and tearing it all up. I go a few hundred more yards and decide to sit in a little snipers perch until about noon. There seem to be so many elk in here I just need one bull to go stretch his legs!
Bullshot
Well-known member
I blame you! I apparently lost my wind checker on my ride out last night!
Bullshot
Well-known member
After leaving my post to head back to camp, I was admiring the scenery and counting in my head how many elk I had seen today... 3...4....5... plus heard others. Then I say to self... is that an elk? Apparently right when she said to herself "is that a human?". Then another bedded cow I had managed to accidentally sneak in on to about 20 yards, jumped up.
Along with about 25 of her kin, including the herd bull. I had walked right into their core. Well.. all hell broke lose again. Elk everywhere. Running all directions, then backtracking and running all together. It was something. I am sure I didn't bump EVERY elk in AZ today, but I think that about does it for that spot for a couple days.
For the afternoon I decided to pinstripe the hell out of my truck, beat up the suspension, and bash the skidplate some. Took all kinds of rough roads and barely truck-worthy trails that probably don't see many solo east-coasters. Nevermind the truck has to make it 2300 miles back home... that's future Bullshot's problem.
I investigated a few out of the way water sources and decided to sit one from about 3 until dark. I brushed up an existing blind and settled in to 3 and a half hours of bovine madness. So many cattle. Mooing, splashing, braying, pissing and crapping as cows do. And ornery bulls jostling and kicking dust like crazy. It is NOT in my comfort zone to be at eye level and about 2 feet away from said pissed off bull's swinging nuts as they snorted, drooled, and huffed at each other all around my blind. I just laid low and avoided eye contact.
Extra annoying was some dude in a Tacoma who pulled in to the tank with his girlfriend to take pictures of the ruckus. The guy even stuck his head out the window and yelled and moo'ed at the cows while I tried to wave and get his attention, but never did. Ugh. I was getting the water hole blues - not my style.
Finally everything calmed down after sunset, a few distant bugles popped off. Then I thought I heard the faintest foot steps. I peered through the blind and brush and yep! Here comes an elk!
A cow slinks out toward the pond, passing 5 yards to my side (im avoiding eye contact!!!) and then cautiously drinks then enters the pond about 10 yards from me, looking over her shoulder. You know what I was thinking when I saw a 2nd elk approaching. But it was only her calf. Both now in the water for a few minutes, then left as silently as they came. It was amazing, wish I had pictures or video but I just soaked it in. If that had been a bull, it would have been game over!
So not a bad day... probably over 30 elk seen, including 2 bulls, many cows in bow range. Cow tags would have had opportunity to be filled several times over, many bugles heard, two bulls seen. Long day. Goodnight!
Along with about 25 of her kin, including the herd bull. I had walked right into their core. Well.. all hell broke lose again. Elk everywhere. Running all directions, then backtracking and running all together. It was something. I am sure I didn't bump EVERY elk in AZ today, but I think that about does it for that spot for a couple days.
For the afternoon I decided to pinstripe the hell out of my truck, beat up the suspension, and bash the skidplate some. Took all kinds of rough roads and barely truck-worthy trails that probably don't see many solo east-coasters. Nevermind the truck has to make it 2300 miles back home... that's future Bullshot's problem.
I investigated a few out of the way water sources and decided to sit one from about 3 until dark. I brushed up an existing blind and settled in to 3 and a half hours of bovine madness. So many cattle. Mooing, splashing, braying, pissing and crapping as cows do. And ornery bulls jostling and kicking dust like crazy. It is NOT in my comfort zone to be at eye level and about 2 feet away from said pissed off bull's swinging nuts as they snorted, drooled, and huffed at each other all around my blind. I just laid low and avoided eye contact.
Extra annoying was some dude in a Tacoma who pulled in to the tank with his girlfriend to take pictures of the ruckus. The guy even stuck his head out the window and yelled and moo'ed at the cows while I tried to wave and get his attention, but never did. Ugh. I was getting the water hole blues - not my style.
Finally everything calmed down after sunset, a few distant bugles popped off. Then I thought I heard the faintest foot steps. I peered through the blind and brush and yep! Here comes an elk!
A cow slinks out toward the pond, passing 5 yards to my side (im avoiding eye contact!!!) and then cautiously drinks then enters the pond about 10 yards from me, looking over her shoulder. You know what I was thinking when I saw a 2nd elk approaching. But it was only her calf. Both now in the water for a few minutes, then left as silently as they came. It was amazing, wish I had pictures or video but I just soaked it in. If that had been a bull, it would have been game over!
So not a bad day... probably over 30 elk seen, including 2 bulls, many cows in bow range. Cow tags would have had opportunity to be filled several times over, many bugles heard, two bulls seen. Long day. Goodnight!
Bullshot
Well-known member
Hit repeat on my morning results. I left my original slope alone this morning to rest, lest I drive all the elk to an adjacent unit. I hunted from camp but in a different direction. I wanted to get on top of a little mesa and look about, but figured the elk might be hanging out on the north-ish slopes. I was right. There is elk sign everywhere from about 1/2 way up to on top. Just tracks and trails, some rubs, and poop everywhere you go. I hear a bugle off to my west, and decide to chase. Using the more open mesa to cover ground quickly I close the distance by about 1/2 mile. Now I can hear him bugling better but he's headed away. And as everyone knows, its hard to catch moving elk. But I am above him, with good wind and thermals, and I have easier ground to make distance. I keep probing over the edge, now I hear his cows chirping, getting close. I do one more run on the mesa to get even and then pitch down at an angle to intercept. His bugling was getting quieter, I know they are going to bed soon. Then all just dies out. Silence for a while. I make a few chirps just to see if I get a response. Nothing. I wait a little while but know the morning is over. Sun is bright and its already warming. I pick a path down to reach a road and know it's a crapshoot given that there are elk within a couple hundred yards in some direction or another. Well I am the divining rod of elk beds because all of s sudden the wind shifts and I smell elk. Uh oh. I just know I've done it again. It doesn't take long before I hear antlers crashing as a bull runs off from about 40 yards. I quickly blow a cow call as I don't know what else is around or hasnt seen smelled me. I take a few steps and then a confused cow comes running downhill (from where I don't know) right past me at 5 yards.
The junipers and thermals are confusing even to the elk, the view is always shifting and it can hide things or reveal things with one step here or there, its like a 3D IMAX movie of vegetation and perspective chaos. Anyway, having directly busted only 2 elk today, I call that improvement, and with that, headed back to camp to plan for the afternoon. Its frustrating that there is no midday action right now, early season AZ is not the same as I hear about later season. If one has to choose... choose the latter half!
The junipers and thermals are confusing even to the elk, the view is always shifting and it can hide things or reveal things with one step here or there, its like a 3D IMAX movie of vegetation and perspective chaos. Anyway, having directly busted only 2 elk today, I call that improvement, and with that, headed back to camp to plan for the afternoon. Its frustrating that there is no midday action right now, early season AZ is not the same as I hear about later season. If one has to choose... choose the latter half!
npaden
Well-known member
Good luck! Enjoying the updates, hope you find a mediocre one to put your tag on!
I've hunted elk a few different states and the most talkative elk I've seen by far have been the ones in Arizona. Sat near a big group one afternoon and it actually almost got annoying how much they were talking. Especially the spike bulls, those things were obnoxious.
I've hunted elk a few different states and the most talkative elk I've seen by far have been the ones in Arizona. Sat near a big group one afternoon and it actually almost got annoying how much they were talking. Especially the spike bulls, those things were obnoxious.
Bullshot
Well-known member
For those sticking with this thread... you may be rewarded. For now, I'm a little too busy to update.
Bullshot
Well-known member
Making an ice run so I have service to post a teaser.....
Deez Nutz
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2024
- Messages
- 427
Meh
Bullshot
Well-known member
So on to the ending....
I marked a few out of the way potential water holes to check out for the afternoon hunt. By out of the way, I just mean further away from motorized dispersed camping sites and down a bit rougher trails to weed out other low-motivated types. I aspired to be the most motivated of that lot and turn that into my competitive advantage. I couldn't get to the WORST or farthest areas with my truck or quad, but lots of people were sitting water on easy roads. Maybe it doesn't matter. I thought it might.
The problem with out of the way tanks is that many are dry and it's a pain to check them all. I was finally down to one option before turning back to more crowded areas. I rode down a small canyon and my heart dropped as I saw another quad there. I prepared to leave but... then..... I thought... you know... its really early (1 ish?) and I had just seen two guy a UTV come up the trail which was an odd time as most guys rest in camp until later in the afternoon. So I called bluff and parked my quad and walked in.
The mapped waterhole was down a long trail in a forested ravine, and at the end of it, the tank was dry, but along the trail, there was a pit, or a puddle with about 10 x 6 feet of water. The quad decoyers had a popup set about 40 yards from it (by the way, most tanks have pop-up blinds set up on them, it's rather annoying). But nobody was home, just as I suspected! Don't bullshit a Bullshot! Street smarts for the win!
I hastily set to brushing in a blind in an island of trees, about 30 yards from the pit. It was hot, noisy work as I had to drag branches, bark, grass, and logs from all over to build it. I finished it about 2:55 and organized my gear inside for a minute than sat to look out.
When I looked out toward and beyond the water, I could not believe it but about 150 yards away I see an elk cross the ravine and disappear on the other side. I had literally JUST finished the blind. I sank down as low as I could get and tried to make out what exactly it was. HOLY CRAP IT'S A BULL... and it was coming my way. It appeared and disappeared in the brush until
popping out where mere minutes before I had been gathering brush. Clearly he smelled me but elk are so probably used to that around water holes so they use their other senses and just slink in carefully once they think the coast is clear!
He was nearing a big ponderosa pine that I knew would give me an opportunity to draw if only he would step forward. He obliged. I drew. He stepped into the water pit to drink, facing me straight on. I now realize how people sometimes shoot at antlers. I was at full draw while he drank but it was almost beyond control not to shoot. I know that sounds strange, I can't explain it, it was like it took deep mental control just to not fling an arrow wildly.
Adrenaline?
Still at full draw, he finally stopped drinking and raised his head. Still straight on. I considered it, but he was 30 yards away and I had him dead to rights if he would just turn. And he did, to the dreaded quartering to. Honestly at that point, with arm quivering and a near lethal dose of adrenaline coursing, and a sight pin floating on a seam... the arrow just flew. I can barely remember releasing it. And it flew perfectly! Between the brisket and any bone. He wheeled, with about 6 inches of arrow protruding, perfectly placed. I knew it was over instantly. I jumped up in joy!!!
He made it only about 20 yards from the hole before stumbling once and falling over. It was the fastest kill on an elk I ever had. I was over the moon as I approached... No tracking or waiting needed.
I marked a few out of the way potential water holes to check out for the afternoon hunt. By out of the way, I just mean further away from motorized dispersed camping sites and down a bit rougher trails to weed out other low-motivated types. I aspired to be the most motivated of that lot and turn that into my competitive advantage. I couldn't get to the WORST or farthest areas with my truck or quad, but lots of people were sitting water on easy roads. Maybe it doesn't matter. I thought it might.
The problem with out of the way tanks is that many are dry and it's a pain to check them all. I was finally down to one option before turning back to more crowded areas. I rode down a small canyon and my heart dropped as I saw another quad there. I prepared to leave but... then..... I thought... you know... its really early (1 ish?) and I had just seen two guy a UTV come up the trail which was an odd time as most guys rest in camp until later in the afternoon. So I called bluff and parked my quad and walked in.
The mapped waterhole was down a long trail in a forested ravine, and at the end of it, the tank was dry, but along the trail, there was a pit, or a puddle with about 10 x 6 feet of water. The quad decoyers had a popup set about 40 yards from it (by the way, most tanks have pop-up blinds set up on them, it's rather annoying). But nobody was home, just as I suspected! Don't bullshit a Bullshot! Street smarts for the win!
I hastily set to brushing in a blind in an island of trees, about 30 yards from the pit. It was hot, noisy work as I had to drag branches, bark, grass, and logs from all over to build it. I finished it about 2:55 and organized my gear inside for a minute than sat to look out.
When I looked out toward and beyond the water, I could not believe it but about 150 yards away I see an elk cross the ravine and disappear on the other side. I had literally JUST finished the blind. I sank down as low as I could get and tried to make out what exactly it was. HOLY CRAP IT'S A BULL... and it was coming my way. It appeared and disappeared in the brush until
popping out where mere minutes before I had been gathering brush. Clearly he smelled me but elk are so probably used to that around water holes so they use their other senses and just slink in carefully once they think the coast is clear!
He was nearing a big ponderosa pine that I knew would give me an opportunity to draw if only he would step forward. He obliged. I drew. He stepped into the water pit to drink, facing me straight on. I now realize how people sometimes shoot at antlers. I was at full draw while he drank but it was almost beyond control not to shoot. I know that sounds strange, I can't explain it, it was like it took deep mental control just to not fling an arrow wildly.
Adrenaline?
Still at full draw, he finally stopped drinking and raised his head. Still straight on. I considered it, but he was 30 yards away and I had him dead to rights if he would just turn. And he did, to the dreaded quartering to. Honestly at that point, with arm quivering and a near lethal dose of adrenaline coursing, and a sight pin floating on a seam... the arrow just flew. I can barely remember releasing it. And it flew perfectly! Between the brisket and any bone. He wheeled, with about 6 inches of arrow protruding, perfectly placed. I knew it was over instantly. I jumped up in joy!!!
He made it only about 20 yards from the hole before stumbling once and falling over. It was the fastest kill on an elk I ever had. I was over the moon as I approached... No tracking or waiting needed.
Bullshot
Well-known member
I took a picture of my phone screen. It said 3:04.
Happiness, joy, elation. I just soaked it in for a little while, tagged the bull. Took a few pictures and got to work. Having this much daylight for the job was a gift. Doing it at night, solo, is the absolute worst. This felt heavenly.
I did as clean and thorough a job as I could, laying out plastic sheeting as needed and getting the great
majority of meat. That said, with extra hands I could have done even better, and some other fine details got lost in the shuffle. This included getting the heart - I always did before - or retrieving my arrow, which he broke off inside when he fell. I am really upset that I didn't but it just happened that way. I know someone will find it once the coyotes clean up but I wish I had it. What little meat was not retrieved will reward those coyotes for their janitorial
services.
I finished processing the bull just before dark.. and the AZ gifts keep
giving. Being so close to the quad made loading way easier than the alternative. Getting this guy off the deep mountain would have taken a full day. Instead, I was packed up, though SEVERELY overloaded. I also only had 5 bungee straps to do the job and had forgotten to pack the usual paracord. Very poor planning. I had my full pack and a bowcase to deal with too. This was going to be a handful.
The Hond Rancher 400 was not equipped to haul this much weight. I was not equipped to load this much weight. My two hands were not equipped to hold a bowcase
and pack while steering and navigating and negotiating very rough terrain, in the dark, 10 miles from camp, by myself, with a shifting load of meat, gear, and head.
Soooooo...... yep. The predictable happened.... I almost killed myself. I rolled the quad on an off-camber, miles
from help. I miraculously did not get hurt - all that motocross training and how to ditch came in handy I guess. But it happened FAST. With gear strewn about, the quad loaded with 300 lbs (or whatever) of elk, and fuel leaking all over, I quickly shut it down, turned key off, closed fuel, and swore a million curse words at full volume into the wilderness.
Happiness, joy, elation. I just soaked it in for a little while, tagged the bull. Took a few pictures and got to work. Having this much daylight for the job was a gift. Doing it at night, solo, is the absolute worst. This felt heavenly.
I did as clean and thorough a job as I could, laying out plastic sheeting as needed and getting the great
majority of meat. That said, with extra hands I could have done even better, and some other fine details got lost in the shuffle. This included getting the heart - I always did before - or retrieving my arrow, which he broke off inside when he fell. I am really upset that I didn't but it just happened that way. I know someone will find it once the coyotes clean up but I wish I had it. What little meat was not retrieved will reward those coyotes for their janitorial
services.
I finished processing the bull just before dark.. and the AZ gifts keep
giving. Being so close to the quad made loading way easier than the alternative. Getting this guy off the deep mountain would have taken a full day. Instead, I was packed up, though SEVERELY overloaded. I also only had 5 bungee straps to do the job and had forgotten to pack the usual paracord. Very poor planning. I had my full pack and a bowcase to deal with too. This was going to be a handful.
The Hond Rancher 400 was not equipped to haul this much weight. I was not equipped to load this much weight. My two hands were not equipped to hold a bowcase
and pack while steering and navigating and negotiating very rough terrain, in the dark, 10 miles from camp, by myself, with a shifting load of meat, gear, and head.
Soooooo...... yep. The predictable happened.... I almost killed myself. I rolled the quad on an off-camber, miles
from help. I miraculously did not get hurt - all that motocross training and how to ditch came in handy I guess. But it happened FAST. With gear strewn about, the quad loaded with 300 lbs (or whatever) of elk, and fuel leaking all over, I quickly shut it down, turned key off, closed fuel, and swore a million curse words at full volume into the wilderness.
Last edited:
Bullshot
Well-known member
I could not budge the loaded quad upright. I had to take everything off and redo it, now sans one snapped bungee (down to 4). I finally got everything righted after about a 1/2 hr. And carefully as I could made more progress. Now the head wanted to fall off every bump, I dropped my bowcase, nearly rolled several more times as trail worsened, and basically had full pucker and fatigue going simultaneously. I won't bore you with details but I had to use many unconventional riding tactics and even built tree and rock bridges over off camber gullies to make this work. I got closer to camp, I ditch the bow and case. That made steering easier. I pulled into camp with relief, all the meat, and still unbroken antlers.
Bullshot
Well-known member
Wrapping this up (I'll post pics when I have better service), I went back out and retrieved my bow after dropping off the elk. Got back to camp, laid out and further cooled the meat. Made an
ice run to civilization, came back to reorganize camp, and finally went to bed about 3 am. Solo elk hunting adventure successful and still lots and lots of work to do, but somehow, this idiot pulled it off. Now just have to get everything taken care of, by myself probably, try to euro the head or cap it if unsuccessful, and then drive 2300 miles home. It is not even 7 full days since I left.
So much for underachieving.
** Also - bulls are bugling on the mountain as I type this!
ice run to civilization, came back to reorganize camp, and finally went to bed about 3 am. Solo elk hunting adventure successful and still lots and lots of work to do, but somehow, this idiot pulled it off. Now just have to get everything taken care of, by myself probably, try to euro the head or cap it if unsuccessful, and then drive 2300 miles home. It is not even 7 full days since I left.
So much for underachieving.
** Also - bulls are bugling on the mountain as I type this!
Caseknife
Well-known member
Think I would have made two trips, but that would have been boring
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