Big Bull Elk....my absolute favorite big game animal in all of N.A. Growing up here in Colorado, they've captivated me as a hunter from a young age. There's nothing I'd rather each hunt for each fall than the American wapiti!

This past fall was exceptionally good to me as it pertains to elk....with obtaining a couple of great tags and one exceptionally good reservation hunt, it was pretty awesome!

I started in Colorado in mid September with a great archery elk tag. My buddy and I had tags in a special unit in western Colorado and took full advantage of it. Who says Colorado does't have good bulls. By the time I got there my friend had already hammered a giant (392") and just a few days later I too connected on a great bull as well (364")

Secondly I went to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona in late Sept, a place I'd wanted to hunt for some time. I've spent 25 years trying / hoping to take a 400" bull. Prior to this hunt I had killed a lot of big bulls - including 3 over 380", but couldn't find one bigger. Finally though, the Navajo was the place. On the first day I shot a 402" bull late in the evening, it was truly an incredible hunt!

Third, I got lucky and drew a really good tag in the Bear Paws of MT. I had to wait until late November to do the hunt, but the wait was worth it. I saw several hundred elk...but made a real rookie mistake and a mid 360's 7x7 got away from me. Regardless, a few days later I scored on a heavy 6x6 scoring 351".

Lastly, I went to the panhandle of Texas where a friend of mine has a 70,000 acre ranch on the Canadian river that borders up to NM. The ranch is huge, but does have a few big bulls on it. Problem is they are few / far between and not easy to find. I did see numerous bulls, but not the one I had pictures of and was looking for (see pic below). Its tough when you are by yourself looking for one particular animal on 70,000 acres that you are not completely familiar with! They did however shoot a 387" bull earlier in the year.....but I'll be back looking for him again soon!

If ever any of you are looking for a big bull shoot me an email....I know where a few of em are!

Here's the bull I took in Colorado with my bow, and my buddy's giant from the same area with his bow! Who says Colorado doesn't have big bulls?




The 402" bull I had been searching for all my life!!






Here's my Montana bull.....a really cool place to hunt!


This is the bull I was looking for in Texas.....maybe next time!

Congrats on a successful season.

Dandy bulls.
damned shame the way the pictures are taken to make 'em look even bigger!

George

I have shot a number of large bulls, my best is a 389 plus some, skull mount hanging hanging in my house, shot him in the Selway upriver from Shere..

The largest bulls Ive seen in my life are in the Owayhee desert right out of twin falls, and its next to the So. Hills unit out of twin falls, both have monster bulls, and a 400 or better is possible but not likely..Several have been spotted and I have personally seen two that Im sure were in the 390 to 400 class. If I was amind to kill one of those big bulls I would put in for the bull hunt in unit 54, and do a lot of pre scouting before season or I would contact Flying Spear outfitters, Steve Aslett, Three Creeks Idaho, 208-731-2010 and they have a web page I think...Its a private ranch that border UNit 54 and 46, and he has the bulls, many in the 350 plus and maybe a 400 or two, but don't expect a cake walk for a 400, you mostly need LUCK, skill only helps a little except on a high fenced hunt in wich case all you need is money.

Aaron,

Good stuff! Congrats.

Mark

Well done! The Bear Paws tag is a tough draw.

Ski+3

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Dandy bulls.
damned shame the way the pictures are taken to make 'em look even bigger!

George

George,
When you are taking pictures of a 400" Bull there is hardly a camera angle that makes it look small!

Awesome Bulls Aaron, awesome. You had a tremendous run in 2017!