idgaf

BC, speaking from experience, if you are determined and do not give in eventually she will accept your passion. STAY STRONG!!

It was my experience that the elk were focused in on feeding more than anything. I witnessed some rutting activity, including a really cool fight between a couple of 360+ bulls with a couple of other bulls watching and a herd of cows just out of sight (I found out the hard way). There was always bugles, but they were not really responding to any calls, so it was more just "herd" talk. I hunted everyday of the season some days not seeing an elk and other days seeing a fifty elk herd the first second I put my binoculars to my face. They bulls and cows sometimes were together sometimes not, but they always seemed to be focused on feeding. I passed several bulls my hunting partners told me I was crazy to pass. I shot my bull on the last day in the middle of a large herd of cows, calves, and spikes at 18 yards causing a pretty cool stampede. Good Luck and remember that big elk do exist beyond September and the rut their just a little harder to find.

If you have the time and resources I would scout as often as possible. The bull in my avatar is from the late archery hunt in 2011 in 3c and I missed a much larger one. I have started scouting for my October hunt already remembering old terrain I have hunted in the past, learning new terrain that I have yet to hunt, and checking the validity of rumors of huge bulls crossing the road and feeding in my area. So I would scout knowing that everything is subject to change.

I have really enjoyed this thread and it got me thinking on the deeper meaning of hunting and what it means to me. My first thought was I am transitioning into a trophy hunter like some of the other threads stated, but I am really not. Than I thought well I only shoot mature animals, but why is that? The answer for me at least is I am not a trophy hunter in the standard sense I go after mature and larger animals not because I want recognition from peers, but because I want to better my hunting skill and I love the challenge of the hunt itself. I love the feeling of self accomplishment when I have done something that I have not done before and know few people have. Its my version of addiction, my drug of choice. But now its not just the animal that is the trophy, its the method. In a few short weeks I will be hunting again and I will increase the challenge not just by hunting larger animals but by doing it with more primitive weapons. I will put down my trusted modern bow (on loan again to my brother for his elk hunt) and go traditional and see if I can keep my streak alive of taking mature animals. There is nothing like the challenge of trophy hunting in whatever sense it means to you.

A few more from this evening. I still have a lot more scouting to do. Quite possible the ugliest elk I have ever seen, its like the crypt keeper cow elk.

Here are a few pics from earlier this evening

I gave it a try again, admittedly I am the worst turkey hunter in the world. I did see a few birds and had a few gobbling, but I am not very good at turkey hunting and blew it. The only turkeys I have taken were in self defense not including my first one, which was a two pound poult I shot at sixty five yards running with my bow in the neck. Here are a couple of pics. On my way in to my hunting spot The only bird I called into range My hunting buddy Typical, on my way back to the truck I got mad and did some high country catfishing.

Yeah, I would like to space it out evenly but this statistical anomaly will make for an elk season that will be very hard to match and be one for the ages or a total bomb.

Apparently because they all came to my relatives and me

Saw a couple hundred elk over the weekend including one bull with incredible growth. My brother and good friend have tags so I will be tagging along with some guys with incredibly high standards. Scouting between the unit 1 and 3b early bull tags so my scouting time will be segmented. This is going to be fun. Seems kinda easy to get early bull tags this year

There use to be some beaver ponds on the north east side of the highway right before you entered town that were absolutely loaded with fish. Its the perfect place to take your kids for non stop action, if they are still around its been many years since I have been there. Good Luck

+1, the crab legs are really good as well as the cedar plank salmon! +2 , you can't forget about their shrimp/crawfish etoufee or the lobster. Thinking about makes me want to take my wife to dinner.

Not a left over but, my step dad checked online typed in the wrong user ID and assumed he did not get drawn. He or my mom check there po box very rarely then he checked his credit card statement and found out he got drawn for early muzzleloader bull for 3b. That makes 4 early bull hunts I will be on this season. Two archery unit 1, my any elk limited opportunity in the 3b north and now this one. I sure wish we could space these out a little better. I wonder if my new overlords, um bosses, will be mad if I take off six weeks straight?

It snowed in show low yesterday. I can only imagine what it did up there.

For me I want to hunt and take all of the species/subspecies of animals in Arizona.

This is testament to this website and the quality of it. That I actually wrote something and did not forget my password or user name or lose interest for 100 post. Here are some random pics some I have posted others I have not. Enjoy and thank you Amanda for having a great web site. Elk bedding at 15 yards from me scent checking little bull Incoming monsoon Archery elk season Brothers opening day buck in 36a Other brothers second day buck in 36c (two bucks two days two units) Its never boring taking my daughters and their friends elk hunting And sometimes even successful After the fire My Nephew is a natural We have a crime scene here I go to the wrong places to turkey hunt Think he has enough jewerly (25 yards: dear G&F all I want for xmas is a sheep tag either rocky or desert I am not prejudice) spotted, snuck in, called and then shot poorly Playing tag with these guys was to say the least exhilarating. No Mr. Politician there is absolutely no reason to have an AR15, but I am sure glad we had one on this trip it was -12 degrees that morning The minataur Buddies last day of Archery deer season 2013

Thanks for all the props on the 100 post. Tj that's my favorite pic also. Quick story on that, I had shot that bull poorly, on Thanksgiving on the last day of the late archery season a couple of years ago. I jumped him out of his bed then I went home to get reinforcements. My brother asked my nephew if he wanted to help Fred go get the elk he just shot. My nephew went to his room grabbed his gun and put on his boots then went to my brothers truck and said "lets go" Trophyhuntr the next 100 will be interesting, the whole reason I started carrying a camera was because of the looks people would give me when I tried to explain what I saw or just experienced. (I have an October any elk tag and I am tagging along on a couple of unit 1 early archery bull tags, I will have some opportunities for a couple of pics) Here are few more to start post 101. Enjoy. Midget bull (I hope he is fully grown now I have this unit) Bear or Squatch?? Camp Raider!! He was still flexible Jinx breaker Not quite ready for prime time I wish my brother could shoot straight

I had this conversation with my wife: Her: "You do not have an office yet" Me: "nope not till May 1st" Her: "you can work from anywhere as long you have your phone and computer?" Me: "I guess so" Her: "Good you are taking me and the kids to San Diego and we are going fishing and the kids to the beach and Sea World. You have been an A__ H___ lately anyway" Me: "If you force me too I guess I will go." So we head off to San Diego hit a 3/4 day to fish the islands in search of the "right kind" (yellowtail) and some fish taco meat. We hit the landing at Point Loma with high hopes of heavy limits. Should have been here yesterday or tomorrow. We hit a mini cold front perfectly and decide to go out anyway. Hitting the bait dock and see the deck hands and sea lions go to work. This gentlemen's name is Karl, a rather burly coarse quick witted gentleman and what every deck hand should be. My wife was talking trash about how she was going to beat me and then Karl asked me. Why are divorces so expensive? Because there worth it!! We head out in the grey light of dawn when we pass a couple of ships headed into dock. Including this LPA. Had a retired Marine next to me that gave a brief summary of its armament. Normally they have only six harrier jump jets but this one had eight. There is something majestic about the American Fleet, something that words cannot describe and seeing in person puts you in a state of ahh. You can see the tradition of seaman past, their struggles, their victories and their tradition. It is an honor to say that they protect us and our freedoms. Back to fishing. We spend the next few hours chasing the right kind never quite catching up and not putting a line into the water until around 10:00 when there are some scattered sightings on the sonar mixed in with the mammals(porpoise). My wife has her own style which is really simple. She does not try iron or fly lining or anything that is not directly attached to the bottom. She gets a half pound weight drops to the bottom and waits. This simplistic method always, always gets her in the running for big fish. This day was no exception. She caught the first fish, one of the biggest and was one of the few with multiple fish. I caught one small sculpin. Her Ling Cod We try for a few more hours and nothing. The captain was not afraid to use gas and we stayed longer then scheduled. It was just an off day of fishing but a great day on the water. Southside of the islands. We were at a place called the rockpile for most of the day. The ride home the crew gets ready to fillet some fish and the gulls know it. I can not help but think of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" every time I see this. We saw whales and porpoise the fishing was just off that day.

TJ I could set something up. I am pretty good at that kind of stuff. I just need to know what kind of trip i.e. 3/4 day, overnite, 1 1/2, two day etc. When (sometime not during hunting season) and how many (the more we have the better the deal). Prdatr, the other deckhand actually runs his own charter most of the time and he said he caught 73 Albacore last year and 17 in one day. I do not think the fishing is as good as it use to be, but its not bad. My step-dad hit the bite a couple of times last year for BFT, making me very envious. I still have a couple of steaks in my freezer that need to be seared and eaten.

That was weird on one post it had the writing and the other it had the pics. Should work now.

DBL post

Did you call or check on the internet. My brother and friend called and it said "you are sucessfull for 3001" when they checked online they both had archery unit 1 tags. Kind of a cruel joke.

3b North early muzzleloader oct 4. to oct 17th. WOOOHHHOOOO!!!! Tag number #6

In WA state, a 3point or better rule was implemented for Eastern WA mule deer game units. People griped negatively something fierce, my group welcomed the new rule. now, 7 years later the quality and trophy level has markedly improved under less than ideal environment conditions for the mule deer herds. to the point where a late season draw only trophy buck tag is a sure thing.....but regular season a hunter has better chances at a good branch antlered mule deer buck than years ago. if you're going to have bigger bucks, the smaller ones need time to grow. I mean no disrespect about your guys opinions, But I could not disagree more. We do not need more regulations we need to practice self control. If you do not want to shoot spikes than don't. Mav I see in your avatar you have a pic of a spike bull and you look very happy with it, congrats, it did not take a giant bull for the smile on your face. With the regulations you want to see enacted you would not have that smile. I will pass on more mature bucks and bulls than most; to the point where my close friends are questioning my sanity. My Dad, one of my brothers and my brother-in-law will shoot the next thing with antlers that they have permits for their happiness equals yours in the spike picture. So by all means if you do not want to shoot immature animals than do not. I know I will not and many of the people I hunt with will not. It does not take regulation just self control. Back to the topic of this thread WOW you guys did a great job taking that many bucks in such a short time.

Bonecollector, absolutely you can have my excess tag. just clear it with g&f