bigbuckclub

I could probably build a model to do it in excel after a minor refresher. Lol

I didn't get hit for my elk tag until the Wednesday after cards started getting hit on Tuesday morning. It's possible.

I also have a rhino labs blind. Very pleased.

Back to back early archery tags. Last year unit 27, this year unit 9. My hunting group hates me. Lol Killed my first bull last year scored just shy of 340. Going for bigger this year.

Thanks! Appreciate it!

Well... I got lucky and drew a 13A tag this year. I'm getting pretty excited. I am curious to people's thoughts on how the camera ban will play out for strip hunts. I know there are guides that are there anyway and will just spend more time behind the glass instead. I've heard from a few people that the archery hunts were pretty tough because of all the rain. Anyone else hear similar? I'm doing it DIY and have been in the unit before - but for a sheep hunt. Due to work and an archery elk tag I haven't been up there this year. My plan is to just get up there 5-6 days before the opener to look for deer and then get after it. I'm also open to general advice from anyone who has had the tag before... or pics of success to get the juices flowing! Lol

It's a dang shame that you'd even have to think about something like that happening. FFS. Frankly, that issue never really crossed my mind. But, I also don't draw good tags... until this year at least. Lol

I hear what you are saying on the fatigue, but a hunt like this one I think I'll be just fine being focused. It's just too good of a tag to not really get after it, especially because I feel a little guilty for not making a scouting trip up there. I thought about heading up Tuesday, but figured a couple extra days wouldn't hurt. I've got work squared away (famous last words for a small biz owner) and luckily the wife is understanding of this tag and how lucky I am to have it.

Are you saying to put cams at camp because people will stop by to take things that are not theirs? I've never had to do that before. I'll keep stuff locked up in the truck for sure... I'm taking my side by side to get me around the unit.

Love the light colored coat. Oh and the trash up top is kinda cool too I guess. 😁

I had some good luck on the early archery tag. Killed this bull opening morning at around 11am. He was the main bull we heard bugling and that turned out to be his downfall. My cousin - who also had a tag - was able to get a good chunk of time off work so he was out scouting 4 days before the hunt started. He saw this bull every single day prior to the hunt. I made it up late Wednesday and scouted with him on Thursday... and again, saw this bull and his cows in the morning and in the evening. Bugling as well. We saw another 10 bulls or so in this same drainage so we figured we'd start there opening day and give them heck. We hiked into the area in the morning and we were able to chase some bugles, but they weren't as vocal as they had been the couple of days prior. We ran into a good group of elk, but they spooked and we thought we might have boogered everything up too bad for the afternoon. My dad and uncle were on a ridge glassing above us and could hear elk below them bugling every so often - even after the bigger group spooked. For some reason - even though we were pretty close - we couldn't hear the bugles. The ridge we needed to climb was pretty steep and thick with overgrowth so I wasn't thrilled about the hike to get up it, but we sucked it up and made the short, but steep, hike. We finally got up to the same elevation as the elk and spotted them about 250 yards away. I saw a group of cows and had a feeling we were on the same bull we had seen all week prior. Sure enough it was him. We watched from a distance as he ran off a couple of raghorns that were nearby. He was one of the few bulls that seemed to be ready to rut. We continued working in closer, but didn't feel like we would have the shooting lanes available if we kept stalking straight at them. We were in some thick cover. At this point, the elk had been milling around in the same small area for more than an hour. We backed out and looped around to get on top of them. For the most part, the wind cooperated. It started to swirl a bit as we got close to the elk. They were in a thick stand of aspens and the cows knew something was up. They weren't quite sure where we were though, because the vegetation was so thick. They first trotted one way and then back another way. We could see them in the aspens less than 20 yards from us. The bull let's out a bugle to corral his cows and get everyone going the same direction. At that point my cousin gave a quick cow call and the elk stopped. I side stepped to an opening to my left and could see the cows going one by one up a trail into a small shooting window. Naturally, the bull was last. My cousin ranged the cows at 65 yards and I drew back. Right when the bull stepped out and showed his vitals, I shoot. Downhill, quartering away. I hit the spine and into his cavity. He was paralyzed. I quickly moved in closer and finished him off from 20 yards. (I would love to say that my first and only shot was the arrow shown in the picture - I'll be honest with you guys, but probably not my drinking buddies ) Needless to say, I am thrilled with this bull. Good mass, lots of character. It's also pretty cool that we were able to watch him for a few days in a row and put a plan together that got it done. This early archery elk stuff is awesome. Can't wait to do it again...... in twelve years.

Thanks for sharing. At least you were in the mix every day. That's all you can really ask for. I had a buddy tell me to never ever leave your pack anywhere. It's almost always a giant inconvenience to go back and get it. I practiced with mine on and I was really comfortable. I killed my bull this year with my pack on my back. Didn't even notice it.

I love big coues! Congrats!

Absolute stud. Congrats.

I picked up my 2022 Polaris General 1000 XP 4 seater in February and I am loving it. The ride is so smooth. Just started getting into some accessories after breaking it in. Just an amazing machine.

Man! You have some speed on those stalks. Lol, awesome bull!

13A Rifle. LFG!

Strip tag baby! LFG!

But did she get a strip tag?

You have 14 points for deer... You can literally draw any deer hunt you want - guaranteed - besides 3A/3C late rifle, 12AE late rifle, 12AW late rifle, 12B/12BW late rifle, 13A and 13B. These are all of the premier mule deer rut hunts in the state. You could even argue these are many of the best mule deer hunts in the world. You made this decision. There are 7 hunts TOTAL that you are not in the bonus pass. You can have ANY coues deer tag you want next year and go hunting. You have decided that you don't want to. That's on you. You can also archery hunt every year and put in for 12AW late rifle every year until you draw. You decided not to do that. If you really think you only have a 3% chance to draw with the points you have and that there are no guaranteed tags, next year put 12AW late rifle first choice and any of the hunts not listed above as your second choice and you will draw a tag... guaranteed. The truth is... you ARE putting in for a trophy hunt. 12AW late IS a trophy hunt.

That's kind of splitting hairs. Does that problem really exist for deer? You can also get drawn in the bonus pass if you have less than max points. For example, 20 tags go in max, only 5 people with 20 points put in for it and the remaining 15 go to guys with 19. Those are one off cases IMO. The statement that nobody is guaranteed a tag is wrong. Particularly for most deer hunts. It's not perfect though, which is why point creep exists. The broader point is the guy in this thread doesn't understand how the draw works. That much is clear.

Now I know you are trolling. Those are bonus points. I was asking about the bonus pass. I provided the link you need: https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/draw/process/

Late kaibab or strip!

Now do the bonus pass.

heck yeah! 7-7-7 ... good luck!