I am recently back from my AZ elk hunt.. It was a blast to be up in the cool mountains and chasing bulls. The hunting was a tough cookie on this hunt!! It wasn't from a lack of bulls, it was that the rut (while I was there and where I was) was completely nocturnal.. The bulls would scream ALL night, but then shut off before daylight. It was frustrating, to say the least! I got up there a full week before my season was to start and I set up camp..



The scenery around camp was picture perfect.. The changing aspens just made it that much more enjoyable..



During this week, I saw almost everything that the unit has to offer! Big bulls, coues deer, mule deer, Rocky Mtn Bighorns, bear, javalinas.. The only game animal I didnt see was a lion..

Here is a pic of 10 RM rams I glassed up.. 2 were brutes and there were 8 young straggler rams in the group.. Always cool to see sheep!


A nearby neighbor left his calling card very near camp.. I finally got eyes on him the day before the opener and he quickly vacated the countryside when he saw me as well!



Once the crew came in (a couple of them all the way from TX), we had a great time in camp every evening with great food, cold drinks and lots of BS'in around a warm campfire during the hunt.. That part of the hunt was just as important, if not more so, than the actual hunting itself. You guys all made the hunt a blast, and I couldn't have done it without all of you! You guys can count on me to be there when you guys draw that elk tag, whether it be in AZ, NM or elsewhere!

Once the hunt got rolling, we had to ajust our hunting tactics because of the steadily warming weather and the nocturnal rutting activities of the bulls.. We decided to hunt them bowhunter style and stake out known wallows.. We saw ALOT of bulls this way, and passed many up and comers (some bigger than the bull I shot!) waiting for that AZ monster to come out..

He is a youngster feeling his oats at a wallow.. He was fun to watch get into the mud and thrash the muck with his rack..


Fast forward to the 5th day and we found ourselves once again hitting the road by 3:45 to get out there in position to try and intersept the bulls coming out of the meadows before they made to the dark timber for the day.. I decided to try a different tactic on this morning.. No packs, no coats, nada.. I went in light and quiet.. There was 2 bulls screaming their heads off still in the meadow and it was still pitch dark by the time we got into the area.. Had a good breeze this morning to get in close to the meadow without being heard or smelled.. I snuck in and was in the black timber just to the south of 1 of the bulls who was headed my way.. He was screaming his head off and already headed for the safety of the timber to lay up and wait out the heat for the remaider of the day.. I glanced at my watch and it was 5:32AM.. The bull was still coming my way and I had to do SOMETHING fast!! I found a clear lane and quickly set up and waited for him.. Thank goodness I remembered to crank my scope all the way down.. The bull was CLOSE now and I was ready.. He was screaming and grugling and chuckling.. He stepped into the clearing I had set up on and blasted a bulge at me at a whopping range of 10FT.. I threw up the muzz and lined it up on him.. I could clearly make out the line where his cream colored body met up with his chestnut colored rutting neck.. He stopped and it was now or never.. I let fly with the 250 grain Barnes and the rest they say, is history.. He made a made dash back out into the meadow and piled up.. He was SMOKED through both lungs..So much for all that practice I did all spring and summer at the range, shooting out to 250!!
While he's not the legendary AZ monster we all hope for when we draw these rare, coveted rut tags, I couldn't ask for a better hunt.. I had some great buds there, a great time around the camp every evening, and a formidable advisary to chase every single day on this hunt.. I wouldn't change a thing.. If I had a chance, I do it all over again.. He was my 1st bull, and it was everything I could have asked for in a hunt!!

This guy gave me a rush like no other!! He blew my hair back when he let me have that last bugle in my face at 10FT away!





The packout.. Luckily, he expired near a FS road, so it was an easy packout to the truck..



It was a great hunt and I hope that the next time I am lucky enough to draw another AZ elk tag, that it will be as fun and enjoyable as this one..

Scotty,
Great story and congratulations.

Jon

Good job, Scottie!!! Nice bull.

Awesome hunt! Which area did you hunt? Did you see lots of other hunters? I have 5 points for AZ and am tired of waiting to get enough for a rifle hunt. Muzzleloading in the rut sounds like alot of fun. Would the bulls respond to any calling?

Nice bull and sounds like an enjoyable hunt. I agree sometimes the time spent in camp is all that one needs!

Congrats,

Congratulations it sounds like a great hunt and the scenari and bull are terrific.

Great photos, great story! Weidmannsheil on a successful hunt!

- mike

Nice job, beauty of a bull! I love these AZ bulls with the dark antlers.

Nice Bull!!!

What a beaut! Sounds like the perfect hunt.
Matt

Congratulations on a great hunt. Those Arizona muzzleloader elk hunts are just the best, aren't they? My son drew when he was 16, and it was one of the best hunts we've ever enjoyed.

You saw sheep, so I'm guessing you were in unit 27. Is that correct?

My apologies about the tardy response, guys... been out in the mountains the last week or so..

Thanks.. It was a great hunt. I would have love to have hung that tag on a few of the monsters I saw, but it just never came about.. Not upset at all about it. It was a great hunt and I still got my bull!

Cali, we were in 27.. Saw sheep up there everytime I was up there scouting, hunting, etc.. Lots of good rams in that rough cob country!