After 13 years of sending my money to AZ. I finally drew a tag for Unit 9 early archery hunt. Headed out Monday afternoon. Got all my eggs in one basket this year! May not have a job when I get back but the way I figure, this is my "once in a lifetime tag". Oh, by the way, I drew tag #7, wonder if that means anything?

Tag number 7 means that you are going to be posting a pic of your Elk very soon.

For God's sake get a guide !!!! Don't waste that valuable tag. If you need one, I can point you in the right direction. The guide I used in 2005 was great, also a bowhunter and he really knows those units up there north of Flagg.

Guys, got back last Sat. evening. Took me seven days but I finally got a 360 gross bull. I had videoed the bull 4 days earlier and passed because I thought he was weak on top but grossly misjudged him. He was an old bull with great mass. Boke off about 10 inches of his G-3 from the time I videod him till I shot him. A double lung shot at 30 yards and he took app. 5 seconds to fall over dead.
A big dissapointment of the trip was a shattered NAP Razorcap broadhead that blew up on the shoulder of a 380+ bull on the third day. I'm sending what's left of the shaft to NAP for their assesment.
I was also surprised by guys "coyote hunting" during an archery only hunt and basically scaring elk away from tanks and hotspots. Another hunter from Prescott told me they were all USO guides trying to scare off the bulls so they could be hunted during the rifle hunt. don't know if any truth to it but they should be taboo during an archery only hunt.
Once again, it was the best bowhunt in the best area I have ever had. I'll be to old to ever draw and hunt this area again but it was worth the wait. My hats off the the people of Arizona that I met, nicest bunch of guys I ever met.