AzNative63

We used to love going down there from Phoenix. There never seemed to be a shortage of whitetails or Javelina down there. I'm getting old and I shouldn't be worried about it but things sure have changed. Although looking back, my experience could have happened anywhere. The last year I hunted whitetail down there with my wife we were fortunate enough to shoot a nice buck early opening day. After the shot, there were a few hunters "filtering down" from the mountains curious to see what was happening. Two hunters offered to "watch my deer" while we went back for the truck. I said that's okay, we got it. After we gutted it out and carried and dragged it a quarter mile or so to the first shady place that was accessible , we went for the truck and got it loaded. That evening about 8:30, which to me is late for strangers to be popping in to our camp that was well off the beaten path, a truck pulled up and put their headlights on my deer that was hanging. The same two hunters that had offered to watch my deer, now pretty drunk , were spinning my deer, skinned and in a cheese cloth bag, around and examining it see how many bullet holes were in it. My wife was staying put in our tent as I put my 1911 45 auto on under my coat and walked out. They told me they had shot the deer first, and I had taken it from them. There was just one hole in it. They tried to bluff me and I had already made up my mind the deer was not worth getting killed over but the grips on my 45 sorta glistened in the headlights as it peaked out from my coat as we talked and they thought twice about it all and left. We took off at first light. Sure makes for a sh***y end to a hunt.

I drove out today "scouting" (God, I can't believe I spent $20 in gas to do it 😝) North of Phx in the desert. Just wanted to find a spot 2 of my brothers and I could go out for a couple hours and shoot a few birds and BS with each other. We have another brother who isn't doing too well with Leukemia and we're realizing we better enjoy why we can. Talk about hunting dove in the 70's , we would go to "the stockyards" at 40th st. South of Washington. Fun memories

Last year I had a couple Eurasian dove messing with some young quail at the backyard feeder. It was only a few minutes later they were in the pan. I was really curious how they would taste. I'm no gourmet chef but I can usually make our native dove taste decent. Maybe it was me, maybe they'd been eating some bad lately, but DANG, they weren't good at all. Anybody ate those things yet?

Yeah, I usually don't let a missed opportunity bother me but last year was the best "glad I didn't shoot" happening. My son-in-law and I had deer hunted opening day in 6A and were slowly making our way back to camp before dark . When we were just a few hundred yards from camp on a scrub oak covered mesa my son-in-law yelled "buck"! Not 50 yards away we had spooked a really nice 4X4 buck that was bedded down among 3-4 foot high scrub oak. As the buck took off, I shouldered my rifle and looked over my scope to initially line up my shot and then dropped my view down into the scope as I started to squeeze the trigger. There was an instant mental/physical block that kept me from shooting and it took a second to realize what was happening. I stopped and realized that deer was exactly in line of our camp not a quarter mile away where my girlfriend was preparing dinner in our pop up trailer. Maybe my shot, if I missed, would have ended up hundreds of feet away from camp. Maybe the deer, if I hit it, would have stopped the bullet. Maybe if I missed, a tree would have stopped the bullet. I'm just glad it didn't come down to that. I ended up getting a not so big fork horn and that was okay with me

7:36 am got a hit on my cc for deer. I put in for Crane down South for a kicker and thought I'd get a Crane tag WAY before getting drawn for deer for 3 years in a row! No news on the Crane hunt. I have fond memories of following the cranes with my uncle (no longer with us) in the morning to where they were feeding and then setting dekes up. Either hunt makes me smile

That sucks. Two years ago I was in a meeting with a bunch of suit types and a text message came at 7:30 a.m. day after dead line to update CC's and I glanced at it and it said by CC was hit for $135. I couldn't contain myself and started jumping up and down...yeah, I sorta made an butt of myself...oh well. Then last year got a tag as well...I guess I used up all my luck cause nothing yet....

About 15 years ago was my first muzzy elk hunt. I had a cow tag and not too far out of camp on opening day my buddy and I found one just standing in a small meadow. We got within 100 yards and I put a round right behind her shoulder. She just stood there. Then, she slowly swapped sides and I put a round in her other shoulder. Again, she just acted like nothing was happening. My buddy kept whispering "you are missing her". I was using a Thompson Center Hawken with a peep sight and neither one of us realized with the load I was shooting it was more of an "arrow impact" than a rifle bullet impact. The elk finally layed down. After almost an hour she was still bedded down with her head erect and chewing her cud. I wanted to get the job done so I got within 50 yards when she got up and I shot her again. She finally dropped. The first two shots were in the lungs, the last one found her heart. Yeah, they are tuff.

My hunt was 1978 bull at Houserock Valley. I was one of the first ones out and was told a big bull was at a tank a couple miles away. Yeah, an agfd officer had to go out with you back then. "We" got within 150 yards and I got lucky and put a bullet a couple inches below his horn. It was like he was standing on a rug and somebody pulled the rug out. He did a backflip and was done. My brother in law went out the next day and was tickled a photographer wanted to ride and take pics. Bad part was the photographer didn't say he was part of PETA and was documenting the "horrors" of hunting

Hello, It's probably going to be another good year! On the way back from elk hunting last year I was listening to the radio and one of the gentlemen that guides "wounded warriors" said in his opinion it was the best the elk herds looked in 20 years. I'm sure you'll hear about Clint's Well and Happy Jack. I don't think I am divulging precious intel, everyone probably has hunted elk and deer near there at one time or the other. That certainly is no secret. Actually the elk I got last year was only a few miles from there. Game and fish has some good info in their unit description about where to start scouting and they were right on last year. Last year I got a real thrill when a herd of 10-12 elk crossed only 10 yards in front of me at a dead run when another hunter spooked them. Anyway, my group has 6A muzzy bull from 9/16 to 9/22 this year. Last year I figured was going to be the last elk tag for me, but I lucked out again!

Got my B of A alert on my card for $135 at 7:09 this morning. I was in a meeting and I started waving my arms like a nut. Yeah, just a bit embarrasing, I guess. Only had one loyalty point this year cause I got a tag (and elk ) last year. After 5 years of no elk tag got two in a row. My best bud and his sons got drawn too so hopefully we got the same unit. Just not sure if it is with muzzle loader or cartridge yet. Congrats to all the successful hunters !

Yup, got hit at 7:20! Two years in a row, no bonus points this year and still got it .

Believe me I am not bragging on me, just on my rifle pictured above. This is a hundred yard target. Yeah, I know, it's just two shots...LOL..I am old, bad eyes and overweight so I quit with this two shot group cause I knew the next shot might be a foot away. The rifle was sighted in for 200 so 2" high at 100 was about right.

Good luck! I had a really good cow hunt in 6A. I had two small herds (12-15) that were spooked come running full tilt at me the first day, but no way to single out a cow with some bulls mixed in. Second day, same thing but they were running right through a dispersed campground near Pine Grove Quiet area. The last place I would have thought they would be. LOL. Third day I finally got off a shot at a cow that was grazing and it was the first time in awhile that I saw an animal collapse through my scope. It was the first chance I got to use a 1950's Remington bolt action 300 H&H Magnum that was a steal on an internet auction.

I'll chime in with my 2 cents. I drew a cow tag in 6A (10/20-10/26). I tagged out opening day and ran the elk into Flagstaff as quick as I could. Saturday someone that was helping wounded warriors go hunting was saying on the radio that this is the best shape the Arizona elk herds have been in 20 years. I believe it . On another note on a subject that has been talked about in the forum a bunch is getting your elk "cooled down" asap. This is preaching to the choir, but I was working hard as I could to gut and skin and get the animal to a meat locker, and to me, I was concerned it was taking too much time , but it all turned out okay. My brother called me and said he was behind a pickup with an elk in back with the skin on coming into Phoenix at mid day. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be doing that. Anyway, good luck on your hunt!

I have been hunting in Arizona for over 50 years and yes, sometimes it just seems like there's no game around. I have a friend that has a 23000 acre ranch where I used to help gather cattle now and then. Those big ol red and white and black things you would think would stick out like a diamond in a goat's butt, especially when you are on horseback with a great view. One time I figured if someone took a big iron and ironed out all the peaks, canyons and draws and creeks in those 23000 acres you'd have about 46000 acres to search. Thank God for the cow dogs that would find them in the canyons and let us know where the action was. Sure, we would see some, trail some and just flat run into some. Near Wickenburg my buddies and I had a running joke that you'd swear some years all the deer in the county were where we were hunting and in some years, like last year for me, just spikes,does and fawns. At 65, I don't make it up the hills and down the canyons like I used to when I was younger, but going to give it my all next week on my elk hunt . And for all those with a tag for an upcoming hunt, GOOD LUCK!!

Great Bull!!! Congratulations. Your BL must be as happy as anyone could ever be. Seeing the pictures I had a flashback of years ago on opening afternoon while skirting a meadow in 5A Archery. A 6X6 just appeared in some jack pines about 50 yards from me and started to move broadside to me. I had my bow back at full draw waiting for the right moment and as I waited for the perfect shot, I glanced down at my camo shirt and my heart was pounding so hard my shirt was bouncing in and out. THAT was a feeling I don't get as much as I would like. Again, congratulations . Oh, I did get the bull and was able to drive up to him and winch him onto my truck bed. And that doesn't happen very often to me!

Not exactly what started this thread but years ago my wife and I were hunting in 36B whitetail. I heard shooting in the next canyon and watched a buck come over a crest and run down the mountain right toward us. I shot it and within a half hour there were 2 more hunters showing up, one of them saying they had shot it first. They "offered" to watch it while we went for the truck. I said "that's okay, it's only a 100 pound buck, we can handle it." I had a little trust issue and bad feelings about the whole scenario. We carried/dragged the deer back to a road and hid it when we were outa sight from the others and went for the truck. That night, about 9:00, here they come into my camp (we parked WAY off the road). We were inside the tent watching them spinning the hanging deer with their truck headlights on it. They wanted to see if there was another hole in it, AGAIN. I had my S&W 44 mag on but my coat concealed it and walked toward them. I finally had it with them and told them it's MY deer, I shot it and that's it. Didn't get much sleep that night and left early the next day.

When I moved to Camp Verde years ago, my new neighbors next door where elkaholics, I swear they had every elk named in the vicinity. I pulled out my vintage compound (no peep) and the neighbor's two sons couldn't figure out how I aimed it...lol...when I told them I anchor on the corner of my mouth they though I was nuts. Good luck to all with tags this year. I have rifle elk and deer tag in 6A. I jumped a monster buck on a mesa two years ago in 6A about 1/4 mile from camp during rifle deer season. I had about a second of opportunity to pull my rifle up and shoot but it was directly toward our camp where our wives were at so I passed up the shot. Maybe he's still around there? I sure hope so

what Delw said, I don't think what kind of call is too important, just my 2 cents...Years ago I was taking a walk on one of the rim roads with my 5 &7 year old daughters when we saw an elk herd up the road a few hundred yards. We hunkered down behind a downed pine and I "whistled a few notes just with my mouth just to see if I could get them to come closer. As we watched the elk, I heard a twig snap behind us and we turned to see a spike bull standing about 30 feet behind us. I was concerned cause he didn't seem wary at ALL and was staring at us. In fear he may do something crazy with my daughters there, I yelled at him and he just stood there. I finally picked up a pine cone and hit him with it. I almost think a kazoo WOULD have worked with a crazy rutting bull

I'm on my lunch break so I thought I would search for the 54 caliber pellets....I had no idea they were that hard to find. I know I am preaching to the choir, but I shoot a .50 caliber ML and with my preloaded little plastic tubes that have powder and bullet "ready to load" , in my humble opinion I don't think he would be losing more than a second or two at most if he had to resort to those little "speed loaders" with loose powder for a quick reload.

Oh well, it's going to be a busy fall/winter for me. Got drawn for cow elk in 6A 10/20-10/26 and now have a mule deer hunt HOPEFULLY from 11/3-11/9 in the same unit if I got my first choice deer. Good luck ALL !!!

what lancetkenyon said... my buddy was in 6A a few years back, first time elk hunting with black powder. He shot a cow elk at 100 yards or so...she ran off where there were lots of elk tracks and very little blood trail. It took 4 or so hours on a warm opening day to find her. All seemed okay so he field dressed her, got her back to camp and hung her in the shade. As he sat in camp he realized he made a BIG mistake by not getting her to a meat locker ASAP. the edge of the cut where he opened her up was started to turn green and that was the beginning of the end...He brought the elk to the mobile meat locker located near the unit and was told to go dispose of it....Sad, but a good lesson ...get it cool, quick!

Oh, I just noticed (yeah, I checked again) it DOES still show my draw tag number even though it says pending again...now back to work...

Yeah, that would be really messed up ....lol