quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
The wait.
Then the disappointment.

quote:

Originally posted by leftcoast:
An antelope tag in Arizona is almost as hard to draw as a sheep tag. Don’t say never on the sheep tap - I drew a Cabeza Prieta desert tag last year with 26 points.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
I have 14 for Pronghorn, put in a bunch before bonus points. Not really enough but hopefull.

11 Elk. I don’t hunt because I’m hungry so I only put in for the early Unit 10 trophy hunt.

Got drawn for elk many years in 80’s. We had no clue of how to hunt. Wandered in woods with guns.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
I have 14 for Pronghorn, put in a bunch before bonus points. Not really enough but hopefull.

11 Elk. I don’t hunt because I’m hungry so I only put in for the early Unit 10 trophy hunt.

Got drawn for elk many years in 80’s. We had no clue of how to hunt. Wandered in woods with guns.

Have you done the "Ethically Hunting Arizona" course? its good for a permanent BP. Some pretty good deer units can be had with 3-4 BP's. If you have 2 permanent BP's (one loyalty and on ethically hunting course) you can go almost every year and hunt pretty good units. Or you're already 2 BP into waiting for a prime unit like 12's and 13's

Draw results are out. I drew 44A for Mule Deer. its a desert Mule Deer hunt with some exceptional deer. Not terribly difficult to find bucks. Hope for heat in early November.

6A for Antelope. Have a pretty good fall lining up. Also have two trips to the Amazon this fall. I had 30 BP.

Unit 10 is worth waiting for (as is 9) I usually will only put in for archery Elk hunts, which doubles your odds or halves the wait.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
I have 14 for Pronghorn, put in a bunch before bonus points. Not really enough but hopefull.

11 Elk. I don’t hunt because I’m hungry so I only put in for the early Unit 10 trophy hunt.

Got drawn for elk many years in 80’s. We had no clue of how to hunt. Wandered in woods with guns.

Have you done the "Ethically Hunting Arizona" course? its good for a permanent BP. Some pretty good deer units can be had with 3-4 BP's. If you have 2 permanent BP's (one loyalty and on ethically hunting course) you can go almost every year and hunt pretty good units. Or you're already 2 BP into waiting for a prime unit like 12's and 13's

Draw results are out. I drew 44A for Mule Deer. its a desert Mule Deer hunt with some exceptional deer. Not terribly difficult to find bucks. Hope for heat in early November.

6A for Antelope. Have a pretty good fall lining up. Also have two trips to the Amazon this fall. I had 30 BP.

Unit 10 is worth waiting for (as is 9) I usually will only put in for archery Elk hunts, which doubles your odds or halves the wait.

Steve, I’m waiting on 9 archery with 26 non-res points. Just did a BP this year since Sept doesn’t work for me this year. Son & I each sitting on 27 sheep points.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
I have 14 for Pronghorn, put in a bunch before bonus points. Not really enough but hopefull.

11 Elk. I don’t hunt because I’m hungry so I only put in for the early Unit 10 trophy hunt.

Got drawn for elk many years in 80’s. We had no clue of how to hunt. Wandered in woods with guns.

Have you done the "Ethically Hunting Arizona" course? its good for a permanent BP. Some pretty good deer units can be had with 3-4 BP's. If you have 2 permanent BP's (one loyalty and on ethically hunting course) you can go almost every year and hunt pretty good units. Or you're already 2 BP into waiting for a prime unit like 12's and 13's

Draw results are out. I drew 44A for Mule Deer. its a desert Mule Deer hunt with some exceptional deer. Not terribly difficult to find bucks. Hope for heat in early November.

6A for Antelope. Have a pretty good fall lining up. Also have two trips to the Amazon this fall. I had 30 BP.

Unit 10 is worth waiting for (as is 9) I usually will only put in for archery Elk hunts, which doubles your odds or halves the wait.

Steve, I’m waiting on 9 archery with 26 non-res points. Just did a BP this year since Sept doesn’t work for me this year. Son & I each sitting on 27 sheep points.

26 NR BP's for unit 9 seems excessive. I drew unit 10 8-9 years ago with 10 BP. I realize you're drawing NR but it still seems like you should have drawn at mid-high teens?

Unit 9 is very tough without the rut. Very thick and almost nowhere to effectively glass. But if the rut is going, holy crap!! your chances at a high 300-low 400 bull are good.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
I have 14 for Pronghorn, put in a bunch before bonus points. Not really enough but hopefull.

11 Elk. I don’t hunt because I’m hungry so I only put in for the early Unit 10 trophy hunt.

Got drawn for elk many years in 80’s. We had no clue of how to hunt. Wandered in woods with guns.

Have you done the "Ethically Hunting Arizona" course? its good for a permanent BP. Some pretty good deer units can be had with 3-4 BP's. If you have 2 permanent BP's (one loyalty and on ethically hunting course) you can go almost every year and hunt pretty good units. Or you're already 2 BP into waiting for a prime unit like 12's and 13's

Draw results are out. I drew 44A for Mule Deer. its a desert Mule Deer hunt with some exceptional deer. Not terribly difficult to find bucks. Hope for heat in early November.

6A for Antelope. Have a pretty good fall lining up. Also have two trips to the Amazon this fall. I had 30 BP.

Unit 10 is worth waiting for (as is 9) I usually will only put in for archery Elk hunts, which doubles your odds or halves the wait.

Steve, I’m waiting on 9 archery with 26 non-res points. Just did a BP this year since Sept doesn’t work for me this year. Son & I each sitting on 27 sheep points.

26 NR BP's for unit 9 seems excessive. I drew unit 10 8-9 years ago with 10 BP. I realize you're drawing NR but it still seems like you should have drawn at mid-high teens?

Unit 9 is very tough without the rut. Very thick and almost nowhere to effectively glass. But if the rut is going, holy crap!! your chances at a high 300-low 400 bull are good.

Steve, I was holding out for early rifle or muzzleloader in 9, due to having a partially torn rotator cuff. But, I’ve spent a lot of time building strength and I believe the archery hunt is the best chance to kill a giant. I can shoot a bow up to about 60 pounds these days. I’ve hunted 9 several times in September and believe it’s one of the very finest big bull hunts in North America. Saw the absolute largest bull I’ve ever seen anywhere, a giant 7x7, on a bow hunt in 9 back around 1992. Didn’t get him killed but was certain he was comfortably over 400. Had him broadside at 35 yards but no shot opportunity.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Clark:
I have 14 for Pronghorn, put in a bunch before bonus points. Not really enough but hopefull.

11 Elk. I don’t hunt because I’m hungry so I only put in for the early Unit 10 trophy hunt.

Got drawn for elk many years in 80’s. We had no clue of how to hunt. Wandered in woods with guns.

Have you done the "Ethically Hunting Arizona" course? its good for a permanent BP. Some pretty good deer units can be had with 3-4 BP's. If you have 2 permanent BP's (one loyalty and on ethically hunting course) you can go almost every year and hunt pretty good units. Or you're already 2 BP into waiting for a prime unit like 12's and 13's

Draw results are out. I drew 44A for Mule Deer. its a desert Mule Deer hunt with some exceptional deer. Not terribly difficult to find bucks. Hope for heat in early November.

6A for Antelope. Have a pretty good fall lining up. Also have two trips to the Amazon this fall. I had 30 BP.

Unit 10 is worth waiting for (as is 9) I usually will only put in for archery Elk hunts, which doubles your odds or halves the wait.

Steve, I’m waiting on 9 archery with 26 non-res points. Just did a BP this year since Sept doesn’t work for me this year. Son & I each sitting on 27 sheep points.

26 NR BP's for unit 9 seems excessive. I drew unit 10 8-9 years ago with 10 BP. I realize you're drawing NR but it still seems like you should have drawn at mid-high teens?

Unit 9 is very tough without the rut. Very thick and almost nowhere to effectively glass. But if the rut is going, holy crap!! your chances at a high 300-low 400 bull are good.

Steve, I was holding out for early rifle or muzzleloader in 9, due to having a partially torn rotator cuff. But, I’ve spent a lot of time building strength and I believe the archery hunt is the best chance to kill a giant. I can shoot a bow up to about 60 pounds these days. I’ve hunted 9 several times in September and believe it’s one of the very finest big bull hunts in North America. Saw the absolute largest bull I’ve ever seen anywhere, a giant 7x7, on a bow hunt in 9 back around 1992. Didn’t get him killed but was certain he was comfortably over 400. Had him broadside at 35 yards but no shot opportunity.

When I had my unit 10 tag, I saw a bull like you are describing. Those two units ARE IN FACT, the best trophy Elk hunts in the entire world. I went home without a bull as well. I passed some smaller bulls in the 320-340 range, but those are not the kind of bulls we wait 10-20 years to draw a tag for.

Good Luck.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
Update. I was successful on Antelope. I killed on 9/13, Friday the 13th!!

I was everything that makes us all hunt. Doing it solo, in good country. The spot, the stalk and all the things that happen in-between.

He wasn't very big, but with two days left, I wasn't seeing any shootable bucks, just lots of does and small one and two year old bucks.

The rut wasn't on yet. But, great hunt very satisfying.

Now, desert Mule Deer in a month.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
I only put in for points and will have 28 elk points next year. I did apply my son for pronghorn. He didn’t draw and will have 30 points next year to go along with 12 elk points. He’s 37 and has drawn 2 September elk tags. Killed two nice bulls.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
I only put in for points and will have 28 elk points next year. I did apply my son for pronghorn. He didn’t draw and will have 30 points next year to go along with 12 elk points. He’s 37 and has drawn 2 September elk tags. Killed two nice bulls.

I thought about doing just points. I have very busy fall with multiple South America fishing trips. But....

You both are getting close on your Arizona draw. Where is your son putting in for Antelope? I learned a bunch about hunting them in the timber on my hunt. its certainly different than what folks think of.

And you're doing units 9 & 10 for early rifle, correct? Thats surely a tough draw but probably the best Elk hunt in the world. The chances of a 400 inch Bull are fantastic. The biggest problem with that hunt is that folks I speak to that have done it, tell me the rut is so brutal in those units, finding an intact bull is difficult. But, a problem I'd love to have.

The next draw deadline for Deer and Sheep is early June IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
I only put in for points and will have 28 elk points next year. I did apply my son for pronghorn. He didn’t draw and will have 30 points next year to go along with 12 elk points. He’s 37 and has drawn 2 September elk tags. Killed two nice bulls.

I thought about doing just points. I have very busy fall with multiple South America fishing trips. But....

You both are getting close on your Arizona draw. Where is your son putting in for Antelope? I learned a bunch about hunting them in the timber on my hunt. its certainly different than what folks think of.

And you're doing units 9 & 10 for early rifle, correct? Thats surely a tough draw but probably the best Elk hunt in the world. The chances of a 400 inch Bull are fantastic. The biggest problem with that hunt is that folks I speak to that have done it, tell me the rut is so brutal in those units, finding an intact bull is difficult. But, a problem I'd love to have.

The next draw deadline for Deer and Sheep is early June IIRC.

I usually apply only in 9, mostly early rifle or muzzleloader bull, as it alternates year to year. I’ve hunted unit 9 on 3 different occasions, twice on my own tag back in the 90’s and once about 15 years ago when I helped a friend who’d drawn. The first time I drew was an archery tag in 1992 and I was at full draw, 30 yards on the biggest bull I’ve ever seen. He was a GIANT 7x7 that I thought would score 415-420; but a ponderosa was covering his chest. The only clear shot would have been to send my broad head through his back legs, but I didn’t want to shoot him there. I waited for him to step forward but he bolted and I never loosed my arrow. 2nd time was late rifle, never saw the bull I wanted to shoot. Late rifle is a very tough hunt.

I’m waiting for a good wet year to draw as you know what a good monsoon followed by a wet winter does to antler growth. And I’m strongly considering drawing an archery tag again as more than a few people think that’s the best opportunity to kill a giant. I’d hunt the entire season, and probably spend at least a week before season scouting. Goal will be 390 or larger.

As to your question about my son, I apply him for 5B & 10 for antelope. I drew unit 10 about 9 years ago, shot a neat buck that went 82 6/8”. He’s drawn early muzzleloader bull in 5B South, and 5B North. Killed a 334 at 16 years old and a 361 ten years later. He’s also drawn 12A East late for deer and shot a 188” buck. That’s a tough tag.