quote:

Originally posted by Emory:
https://imgur.com/1llfzri

I got a very old and almost white elk last week in AZ. Last birthday was 77, so this was likely my last serious back country elk hunt. If so, it was certainly a good one to finish on. My first was 44 years ago in Montana. Since then there’s been a fairly long, but thin string of elk hunts in Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah and Alberta. Most of those were DIY and with results usually short of aspirations, but early on I remember someone at a check station telling me, “any elk is a good elk”. This year’s I consider great!

This was my first time hunting in AZ though I have been trying to draw deer or elk in one of their prime areas for many years. There hasn’t been a lot good about 2020, but getting a bull elk permit in in the Alpine vicinity just west of the New Mexico border certainly was a positive highlight! I did not actually get drawn this year, but was a very high alternate and suspect the late cancellation that I jumped on was caused by Covid concerns. When we started looking at hunt dates and driving schedules, my wife decided to come along and we would drive from Houston and “detour by” LA to have a surprise Thanksgiving visit with those grandkids, then back to AZ for my hunt. That would leave me starting hunting a couple days after the seven day season opened.

Van Hale has helped me with the draw process in both AZ and NM, and it was a distinct pleasure to finally meet him face to face and get to hunt with his Trophy Outfitters operation. Accommodations and meals were great. Not so important to me, but damn nice given that Johanna was back at the ranch reading books, etc. while I was out all day.

I had an excellent guide who obviously knew the area and had done a lot of focused scouting. I just reviewed, and think we saw 29 bulls and about 15 spikes in three days. Those were all within range. We also saw groups of wild horses daily. A lot of the elk had broken points because it was after the rut, plus shortage of water early in the year apparently contributes to weaker antlers. I passed on several nice bulls because of breaks including a wide 6x6 that, if intact, would have been better than a very good and symmetric 6x6 I have from many years ago. That was one of three we watched bed within 130 yards. Believe me, I was second guessing that decision as we snuck back out…

We spotted the one I decided to try for about noon the following day in a group of 8 bulls at about a thousand yards. They were scattered and it took about an hour to close the distance to under 400yards. That trek was mostly down a steep slope that was littered with fallen timber from the major fires in the area eleven years ago. My elk was mostly bedded down partly behind a tree, and it then took nearly two hours to get a clear shot. Meanwhile the others all seemed to take turns with broadside ‘Redfield poses’.

I was using a pre64 M70 in 300H&H with 180 grain Nosler partions loaded a bit above the book max and zeroed in at 300 yards. Lazed range to my elk was 364 yards. I held ~ 1/3rd down from top of shoulder. The bull dropped at the shot but soon struggled up and stood behind a tree. When he somewhat lunged forward I got a finishing shot. It took us over half an hour to get down the canyon and back up to where he was lodged against a fallen tree. Quartering, caping and securing meat took much longer than usual because of the steep icy slope. When we finished, we had a tough two hour mostly up hill walk to get back to the truck before dark.

I was planning on riding back in with Van and Tom to retrieve my elk, but the next morning Tom told me they had four horses loaded but hadn’t been able to get Red cornered. Plus because of the trailer they would not be able to get near where we had the truck. He suggested I sit the recovery out as they might need to get two elk that day anyway. They actually got back late afternoon with just my elk because that morning they waited three hours on another hunter/guide to make a stalk. Van said he thought my elk might have been 12 years old, and because of the unusual white color he was surprised he had not heard of someone spotting it over the years.

At a leisurely breakfast late that morning I explained to Johanna why I had missed the recovery. She noted that Red followed her up and down the fence line every time she left the cabin. Hummm…

Anyway, a week after getting back, we just finished some excellent elk backstrap steaks. A little tougher, but taste indistinguishable from prime beef.

Good hunting,

~Ann