mc68

I saw one taken out of unit 1 about 10 years ago. It was taken during the early muzzy hunt. The thing is a beast! I really think that was all he was ever gonna be, genetically he was.just a 5 point. I personally have always thought a great big 5 point is an awesome looking animal. I was hunting with the guys brother and his brother shot a nice 6 point, can't remember the score, but the 5X was so much more impressive looking. Oh ya, the guy that shot the bull was using my muzzy so in a way I kinda, sorta,took that bull

Congrats Bob, great looking bull. Do you have more pics we can see? I would really love to see some more if possible. Sounds like you had a tough but memorable hunt and made it happen. Good job.

So I have a question that I can't figure out and would really appreciate you guys feedback and thoughts on it. As people post pics and stories, a majority of the time they don't post the unit. Then, someone asks the question of what unit, and they get laughed off the site. I for the life of me cannot figure out what the heck people are so paranoid about to not even state what unit?! Do people actually think that they have "secret" units?? I mean believe it or not pretty much every unit in the state, people already know about! Big bulls are found in units 1,3C,8,9,10,23,27 and just about every other unit, but don't tell anyone. Real big mulies are on the Strip and Kiabab but hopefully noone else knows that. What is the big deal what unit you got your animal from? I don't think most folks are expecting you to state the exact coordinates of the kill. Its actually interesting to me to hear where a nice animal comes from. That's it. Not trolling for your spots, no offense but a huge majority of us are not nearly as good as we think we are. Just please don't bash on people who might actually just be curious where you took a nice animal. I would almost guarantee you they don't have a spy ring active and trying to find out exactly where that animal you got was, and which by the way is not running the hills anymore. There's a lot of country in a unit so maybe don't be so secretive and easily offended. Remember, we come to this site to enjoy each others adventures and share information to learn and pass our passion along. Good hunting all.

I agree with Lark, let's just keep Palmer healthy and I think we are a very dangerous team. Its so freakin cool to feel every week like we have a real chance to win. Hasn't been the easiest band wagon to stay on over the years but am enjoying these good times. Go Cards let's get back to the Super Bowl!!!

Again guys, thank you for your input. It has been interesting to me. I must admit I used to be extremely secretive about all of my hunting endeavors. I too felt like everyone was trying to find my spots. For me, I have learned that im just not that important in the grand scheme of things. I have my favorite spots and when I get the chance, which isn't very often, I hunt them. I have no desire to troll around on this or any other site trying to figure out someone else's spots. I feel very confident in my abilities and have come to the point in my hunting career that the hunt and memories far outweigh the size of horns. I still look for the big boys but am not crushed if its not in the cards for me that season. I really have grown to appreciate the outfitters that so openly advertise before, during, and after the hunt the unit they hunt. Even with soooo many people knowing that Shane Koury hunts 3C, he continues to put big critters on the ground. I like the philosophy that it doesn't matter if people know what unit I'm in, I just do what I know and it seems to work out. It reminds me of sports, you know Tom Brady is gonna throw the ball 40+ times a game but he just does his thing and does it very very well. I admire that.I'm not gonna change hunting somewhere I love, I will just adapt. Thank you all and I hope you have a great hunting year and that no one sees where you are hunting.

Flatlander the reason I say its a trust issue is because I honestly do not believe many people are using this site to try and find out what unit people are hunting. I think we are far more important in our own minds than we actually are. Most folks have their favorite areas and that's where they hunt, not because Joe Blow shot a nice buck somewhere so they are gonna chase pics and stories around. Thanks for replying, this is just my thoughts.

Just wanted some feedback on how it was for you guys this year. I had unit 1 last year on this early archery hunt. I have been in that unit almost every year since about 1987 either hunting myself or helping out someone. For me, last year was by far the worst year of rut activity I had ever seen there. Did have a couple mornings with some bugling but only a couple. Evenings were a bust overall and I talked to a lot of others in the unit that had the same deal. This year, I was up there again helping someone and it was better than last year but nowhere near what I would call an average year for the unit. Of course there are pockets here and there that are a little better some days but it was just never the intense rut fest that it uses to be each and every year. I'm not sure what is contributing to it. I know that we used to have freezing temps a lot of the nights during the hunt and the aspens were always changing colors. This year it never froze once and the leaves hadn't even began to change. My thought is that with the late summer type weather, the elk just simply are not as deep into the rut. I know they will rut regardless but maybe the temps drastically reduce the intensity and vocalization during the rut? Please give your opinions and your experience with whatever unit you had. Thanks.

Wow, great looking bull. Congrars

Very cool indeed! Nothing quite like hunting with you kids and passing that torch. I bet the only person happier than your son is his Dad. Very happy for all of you involved. Great looking bull

Well I want to thank those who have replied to this thread. The answers I got are basically what I expwcted. I just will have to go on thinking that one day we can put more trust in each other. Best of luck to all those with upcoming hunts. Please post pics and stories and maybe even the unit!!

Wow!! That is an awesome bull!! Seems like 9 always produces some giants! I would be grinning like that too if I had that luck.

Fantastic bull and great dedication!

Its a very difficult thing to go through. Quite painful indeed. Its happened to me before and I hated it. I remember one year after the hunt where I lost a bull, I got quite sick. It was also very painful. As I was going through it I thought of that bull I hit a couple months earlier. I knew how lousy I was feeling and I thought of what he must have gone through. I was hurting bad but had hot baths, medicine and nice bed to lie in. That bull had to have had it rough. It really changed the way I viewed wounding an animal and I do everything in my power to not repeat that situation. I try desperately to make quick kills. One of the other things I do now is to try to not let the animal see me at all after he has been shot. I know many may not agree with me on this, but I want him to be able to look around his environment and that be his last memory. I don't like the thought of stressing him out more by him seeing me standing over him as his last site. I guess I'm getting softer in my old age, but I have so much respect for the animal and appreciate that who h he has given me. Its not that I question hunting at all, its just my respect for them has grown tremendously over the years.

Nothing wrong with that bull right there! You stuck with it even though it was a very tough year and got it done. I think that's awesome. Great job!

Thanks for the replies on the topic so far. It seems the general thought is that noone trusts anyone nowadays. Its laughable to me that someone would somehow think that because a nice critter was taken in a certain unit that everyone is then going to put in for that area. Funny thing is, that nice critter is dead. Noone else is gonna kill him! I have had it happen to me before but only because I actually took a group of people along with me on a scouting trip and actually showed them my actual "honey hole". As someone pointed out, so many guys beg for a guy to give them their draw odds on where they put in for, and everyone on this site can see that, but then take an animal and want to try and say its nobody's business what unit its from. Sorry but that's a little bit hypocritical. I for one do not have any plans on putting in for an area because a nice animal was taken out of that unit. I really believe most people feel the same way. I just think its cool to see how so many different units produce good quality animals in our state. Its not hard to get the information on what tag hunters have, any outfitters send out fliers to every tag holder that draws in their favorite unit and if you enter something in record books you have to state the county. I just feel maybe we should relax a little more and quit being so paranoid. You guys are awesome for your responses so far. Thanks and keep em coming. Best of luck in upcoming hunts and please share your stories

It looks to me like you had an absolutely fantastic elk hunting experience! Got to wait till the last day to kill out, enjoyed a great looking camp, was able to spend time in the saddle and topped it off with some Aberts!!!! I can't imagine how you could top that entire experience but I hope this year treats you just as well! Thank you for sharing with us. Loved it.

Nice looking bull. Congrats to the hunter!

In reading some of the posts it seems as though "secret" is the main thing. I guess I'm confused by what is secret about saying what unit you hunted? I mean take a couple of the outfitters on this site, they are very open about what area they hunt, no big deal. I can definitely understand someone's favorite spot in a unit but just don't get why the unit itself is such a big deal? I must apologize, my little pea brain just can't figure this out...hope to see some pics of great bulls taken on the early hunts starting tomorrow. Who knows, I might even have the audacity to ask what unit if its not stated!!! No hope for me huh?!

Guys, any unit in the state is capable of producing a great big bull. I have hunted this state for almost 40 years and I guarantee you not many folks have logged the miles I have so please don't throw that out there. One thing that I have learned over the years, there really aren't any "secret spots". I just am baffled by the logic of not even stating a unit you hunt in. But that's why I started the thread so thank you for the posts so far. My name is Mason and I hunt units 1,27,28,31,32,29,3C,10. I shot a 132" coues buck in 31. Several nice bulls in 1,27,3C. Nice mulies in 28,31,29&27.

I love that bull! What a freak, and I mean that in the best way possible. That bull is so unique man. What a cool bull. Huge congrats

Wow, the top end of that bull is impressive!! Great job.

That is an incredible bull!!!! I have been waiting to see some giants come out of the Gila's after the fire. It's the same thing that happened in 3C and 1,&27 after those fires. After they seed it with the great feed it translates to great horn growth for a few years. I'm sure that those units in NM where that big fire was will continue to produce some studs for a couple more years. What a bull though!!!!!

This is without a doubt one of the hardest things about hunting. Its a terrible feeling. Do all you can to recover him. If you have done that and feel its impossible then its your choice alone on what to do next. If you feel that you did your best and want to continue your hunt, do it. If you are too bothered by it and feel like that is your bull for the year then stop. It is a very personal thing when it comes to this situation and do whatever it is that you can feel at peace with. Whatever you decide, don't listen to haters on either view point, cause everyone has their opinion. I wish you the best of luck and am sorry you have to go through this.

Great job! Good lookin bull bud!

Good job bud! Nice looking bull. Looks like you are happy, that's awesome.