SirRoyal

I was sleep deprived when I posted the first time . So after a few days of work and normal sleep patterns I arrived back into the realm of reality and was able to express in a pleasurable way what all hunters want to experience !

Well , I thought about making posts thru out scouting and into and thru archery season until the early rifle hunt . But decide not to jinx myself!. I talked to every hunter I met and went out of my way to track folks down who had hunted. This helped me to keep a great vibe on the area. Phillip is the young man who killed this real nice bull. It all started 2 years ago when we were setting on a mtn glasssing some good bulls . I told him to put in for a premium elk unit and I would take him hunting. Well was I shocked when he called me claiming he had a awesome early bull rifle tag. Bummer now I was obligated . This unit saw a 50% increase in tags this year and I knew it would be tougher than normal. Started scouting July14th. See I'm killing 2 birds with 1 stone my buddy Jay and I have late archery bull tags also ! Phillip came up scouted with me on the 3 rd scouting trip! and we found this bull # 1 Photo.. We glassed 125 cows all herded together .We knew if you find them , the bulls would come. The next weekend Jay and I went up scouting for antelope for a buddys son who drew another tag! We realized this was a tough year for big antelope . Following weekend we go back scouting antelope again. STOP! thats what I should of done ! But no the drive to be successful was pushing me and my buddies hard. Alas all the rain had set up a mud bogging race. Just seeing if we could get thru to higher ground. what a joke it was all mud!!!! Any way got stuck for 4 hours no shovel no rocks just old fence posts laying on the ground. Jay busts them against each other and makes kinling and lays them cross ways in 1 ft deep ruts I had made . I gun the motor and we make 20 ft per try.We blew a $350 tire on the way out of the bog thanks to a sharp piece of wood. Oh well needed some tires anyway! The next time out Jay and I go help the boys hunt antelope . Here is the results #2. On the way home from a successful hunt we go scouting for elk. I decide not to glass but listen in the nite for the bulls talking . We over heard several conversations . We climbed a knoll to see who or what was talking . We found a huge bull escorting his harem to his bedroom! And lots of wishful dinkers ! Archery bull started the following weekend . I was also helping 2 firefighter buddies from Tucson that had archery elk tags. They got 1 bull with many chances at big bulls ! The whole time I am scouting helping watching elk . Oh, I forgot bummer I had to come back and pay the mortgage once or twice! That kept momma happy FINALLY sept 28th is here ! YES! Boom on a toad first light we're pass'n up his sattilites. Never have a shot ,to thick. Lots of broken bull running around looking for thier antlers I had told Phillip before the hunt you practice shooting, I'll do the scouting. Next 3 days all broken up bulls . This unit has way to many bulls. They need to cull them a bit or its going to be San Francisco all over ! OH I forgot we did one awesome marine sniper like setup . We ran with a monster bull in the night for 5 hours. Now understand its a full moon and has been the whole hunt and the elk are in the thick junk by daylight! Tough hunt ! It was killing us! Any way we stayed in the flats with this toad using shadows of lone trees and belly crawling and using washes to stay with this huge bull till daylight. Oh I promise you there are gonna be baby elk running around from that bull in the spring. That monster might of blushed at what we saw happening in the moonlight that nite! But alas we had him at 150 Yards at 5 minutes before daylight and some Yahoo comes in on the farside with the wind and there went all our work! Fast forward to Tuesday Oct 2nd we get out of the thick its just not fun hearing and not seeing them. This morning by privy of a very nice outfitter we find out we are on the bull of all bulls. We pull back so they can go kill it, They can' t make it happen now its our turn . We work the area all day and setup a plan . Phillips in the field near bedding area and his Dad's on a nice knoll glassing and I am on a opposite knoll. By the way Jay was there the whole time but he had to go back and work to cover for me! Thanks Jay you were apart of the whole hunt because of you I got to keep hunting . Back to the grand finally! John (the dad) glasses a bull coming right out where we saw all the cows this summer! I cant see it yet wrong angle . Phillips on the run tryn to find the Bull! Oh I see him Its a great bull , I warn Phillip its 5 th is broke, he dont care he's ready to kill. Wow I know he's pumped . I get to watch the killing shot at 487yards thru the heart . Boom He's down. Boy Im glad he stayed home and practiced! A few minutes later a Game Warden walks out behind me on the knoll all excited about the kill! He said " Lets go see it hurry ! Thats awesome, I love it when I get to see a big bull go down." Needless to say Everbodies real happy ' although they think its a 320 bull , the warden says 340 . I say no way with at least a 60" main beam and great width its a 360+. It almost touched 370 when scored it. NICE suprise no ground shrinkage here! And you know what Jay and I get to hunt the big bull of all bulls in 6 weeks. I hope Jay kills him!!!!!!

I agree its about freedoms! I chose not or I chose to!

You ask for it! Now you got it! I hope you can suffer thru it! :

Very Nice!!! Oh, how I miss those days. Nothing like Firsts with your kids!

Good stuff! Thank you for sharing!

Finally got the full story and lots of pics . I hope you like it!

That bull is a 370" class bull.

huntjunkie pm sent

Great Bull Jay! Ive been reading your posts ! You guys always get it done

Jim. I agree 100% on broadheads . A nose cutting broadhead is the only way to go!!!! I used to shoot Zwickey Black diamond swaged to keep wieght down on the aluminum thin walled shafts! This year I bought the part mechanical and part fixed bladed broadhead to try on my hunt. But have changed my mind. I know of numerous bulls wounded this year by mechanicals. Im done NO MAS. Mechanicals work in a prefect senario. Most of us are not Robin Hoods and Hunting is never a perfect senario! String jump or limp deflection or quartering to or away , and these are just a few . What about the most common issue Excitement , Bull Fever, Heart pumping a 1000 times a second . This doesnt happen at a 3d shoot or in the backyard. Very few shoots are perfect so Im going to stack the odds in my favor for my late elk hunt and get the best cut on contact broadhead I can find which is a proven fact that they give 30% better penetration! For deer or smaller ok for mechanical ! Elk no way! The money I spent on new mechanicals I will count as a loss and a lesson!

Great bull ! Gotta be 410"

Huge Congradulations!! Thats an awesome Bull! Thats gotta be a 420 nontypical or bigger!

Well Zach has done it again! This is his second Huge antelope! He had only 2 days to hunt . So his team went to work for him. His 2 brothers and my buddy Jay and I . This is the results!

Good job! Great Buck . Congrats

Me too! WooooooooooooooooooooW ! A Bull dreams are made of !!!!!!!

Congrats to your wife on a awesome great buck in a tough unit!!

Very nice buck! Stan . Good Pictures too!

Interesting read . I'm with TJ. Hard to get mad at an apologetic hunter! The good Guys always win one way or the other.

Wow ! Very Nice!

Very Nice ! Huge Congradulations on a great archery Antelope!

My hunting buddy really gets me when he opens his cooler at midday in 95°+ weather. and starts eating cold watermelon or peaches and other good snacks that just leave my mouth watering! He always shares with me but what I cant figure out is why I always forget that stuff when I run by the grocery store on the way to the scouting or hunting trip.

Way over reaction by Game and Fish! They are using Jack as an example because of who he is! Shame on them ! If they will do this to one of thier own. The rest of the hunting public will think they are the KGB and shutup about any infractions they know about. When does common sense prevail (its A Prairie Dog) for goodness sakes

Good post Outdoor Writer! You explained the process perfectly. I drew my Sheep Tag with 11 points! So Bravo stay positive , Believe it and your dream sheep hunt will happen . Start your interviews! Side note : Realists tend to be negative!

Yes Sir Huge Congrats to the guys. Doug and Eric that did all the hard work and got thier hunter this Monster , Starr Guide Service Bull!