mcelkhunter

Every generation thinks that the next generation has it easier than they did. My gandpa walked to school ten miles in snow, uphill both ways. Yours probably did too!! I think that kids have it tougher today than I did growing up. There are many more pressures on them. As far as hunting goes, our numbers are declining so to keep our sport alive we have to recruit. Youth hunts are great for that, kids get drawn, see lots of game, fill their tags and are hooked. Hunting also give them something to keep them away from all those other pressures. The double edge sword of that is that as the hunter numbers increase it makes it tougher to get drawn for some of those good hunts. I have four kids, two have benfitted from the youth hunts and the other two never really had the chance. Both who were lucky enough to go on the youth hunts are still hunting and the other two are not. Can't say for sure if the youth hunts are the reason but I do think it made a difference in their interest for the sport. With that said, I have enjoyed the youth hunting experience with my kids and other kids much more than I enjoy my own hunts and am always looking to recruit some young hunters to offer to take me along with them. I have one youth hunter left and than have to wait for the grandkids and my friends kids. Keep those youth hunts coming if you ask me!!

We have been loving the youth hunts for quite a few years. My 15 year old son James has been very lucky on the draw and successful on the hunts as well. He has 3 cow elk, 3 whitetail, 2 archery javelina, a turkey, a coyote and many many dove to his credit and the credit of the many family and friends who have helped teach him to shoot, glass, stalk, etc... Here are few pictures.

That was awesome!! Can't wait for Sept!!!

I saw this topic kind of start on another thread and found it very interesting as this is a discussion that my dad, uncle and I had last year either during a hunt they had or during my son's JR hunt. But anyway the idea is for the G&F to have a Senior hunt (during a prime season) similar to the JR hunt. I would be very much in support of a hunt like this, however, some of the things we talked about is that if they were to do something like this they should include stipulations like must be a resident, must have purchased and/or applied for Elk/Antelope during the last several years, say 5 or 10, etc...

Be a resident and have other stipulations as well. Like purchased and/or applied for Elk/Anteplope during the last several years, say 5 or 10. I think if you had a hunt like this you would have a lot of seniors whose kids hunt all of sudden want to put in for a hunt like that. I am all for that, in fact my dad, uncle and I talked about this very thing last year during their hunt (which very could be their last) My dad is 70 and they have applied for many years being drawn twice in the last 15 years or so for the November bull hunt which is usually their second choice as they often try for the early bull hunt.

James draws his first bull tag. Unit 1 Archery!! I also drew the same tag as did his life long friend. Two youth hunters on their first bull hunt!! I cannot wait. It will be a long 6 months!!

Unit 1 Bull for me. I waited ten years for this tag!!

I had 11 BP going into the draw and finally draw my Archery Bull tag. I finally got through yesterday evening to find out that I drew. I was expecting it after looking at all the draw info from last year, at least I knew my odds were much better this year. I keep trying to get through for my son and daughter but can't before I go to bed. My son wakes me up at about 1:00 a.m. and says that he and his 14 year old buddy both were drawn (I assume for the JR hunt--their second choice since there is no way they get the same tag I had been waiting ten years for) I find out in the morning that his buddy was drawn for the same archery bull tag that I waited ten years for. I ask my son what he drew and he says he doesn't know because after he heard "you were drawn" he got excited and didn't listen for the hunt number so we start calling again. Finally get through but I check on my daughter and she has drawn her second choice unit 27 cow hunt in Oct. My son gets through a little later and comes out hootin and hollering about getting the unit 1 archery bull hunt (same hunt I have been applying for, for ten years). So we have 3 archery bull tags in unit one, three different applications. Me with 11 BP and them with 2. What are the odds. Those two kids have been giving me crap since we put in that they were getting drawn and I was going to be blanked again. I am sure glad they were wrong about that!!!! at least the part about me getting blanked!! That's five tags in six years for my son. His first bull hunt (all the rest were JR hunts). With the three of us, my daughter in Oct. and another JR hunter in unit one and still waiting to hear on a couple of others it is going to be one awesome fall!!! I absolutely can not wait!!

Finally, my ten year drought is over!!!!!!!!!!!! Unit 1 Archery Bull Baby!!!!!!

Well, the SUns lost but the AZGF did change the recording so we are getting close. Got me all worked up last night when I called and got the enter your hunt number, dob, etc... and then "No results available".... I think today is the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's a darn fine buck. Congratulations!! We once arrowed a javelina in your honey hole!!

Awesome job Luke!! Congratulations.

That is a great buck. Congrats. My hat is off to you for your diligence. There are not many that would have persisted with looking for that long. I spent two days looking for a deer my son wounded on a JR hunt and now am thinking if I would have stuck with it, would we have found him??? Good job!! Congratulations.

Super job. Congrats!!

That is a whopper of a buck!! Congrats.

That is good!! I think I had lunch at that tank some years ago on a JR hunt!!

Nice buck Jodi!! Keep those babies coming. You know how we love those Jr hunts and we are running out of kids.

That's why the fawn bleat works on muleys with does. The does come and the buck follows. Sometimes the does bust you before a shot opportunity presents itself, sometimes the does are in the way of a good shot but if the does come the buck almost always follows.

Try a fawn distress call. The does will come and the buck is likely to follow. It is usually best to have a caller though since the does sometimes hang up out of bow range looking and sniffing the wind. I would recommend the caller be 50 yards or so upwind of the shooter. Other times they come a running. The buck is usually at the end of the line. The does normally circle the wind and go uphill of the caller if they are able. This past weekend we called in a decent 4x4 with about 8 does. The buck stayed back with two fawns but eventually came to the does. We unfortuneatly had the wrong set up and the closest the buck came was 92 yards. Had he come with the does initially it probably would have been about a 50 yard shot and if we had the shooter in the right spot (downwind and uphill) it would likely have been a 20-30 yard shot. Haven't really tried this with whitetails but it works well with mule deer.

Well I know what I will be doing when I go to the range. I've got everything talked about except the claw and now I have some excellent options for getting a steadier shot and will be trying them all out. Still considering the claw as well and will be purchasing a new (and steadier) tripod in the near future as well. Thanks for all the info!!

Thanks for all the information!! It is appreciated. You weren't kidding about the price !!

Awesome story!! I was commenting to a hunting friend of mine that I am definately buying a lion tag next year. I used to buy one every year and never saw one or even seen anyone with one so quit buying the tag when they went up in price. In the past year three people I hunt with killed lions. One killed in 33, one in 30b and one in 35a. We also saw one last January in 30b during the archery hunt but no one had a rilfe. tried calling it but it didn't work. He was chasin deer that we glassed up and were going to put a stalk on.

Nice bucks. Congrats to both of you.

Here's a picture of my son on his JR elk hunt in 2007.

That is an awesome bull!! Congratulations