Alpinebullwinkle

SEAZSC also has a BBC that pays for winners in both antler growth and weight classes. You can get tickets at Gila Outdoor, Alpine Tackle Shop or from SEAZSC board members. Your ticket is also good for a chance on winning a side by side ATV among other significant prizes!

I've got an '89 Ford with a very squeaky driver side door. Have to wait for the right timing but when the rut starts my Ford door can call a bull in much better than those goofy Hoochie mamas or any other commercial call for that matter!!

Just wondering what all the elk hunters that have scouted this year are thinking the horn quality is compared to past years. For me it seemed that last year was the best elk and deer horn quality I had viewed in about 40 years. This year appears to be an "average year" based on what I have seen so far..... IMHO. What do others think of this years horn quality?

Even during the dry times we have accessible water the animals can travel to without too much effort in our area. Therefore I'm guessing the moisture content in the grasses and browse is more of a determinant in horn quality.

Sneaker I was referring to the shorter main beams and the tops perhaps not filled out as much as last year's record year IMO. Around Alpine we had a dryer than normal spring, but the monsoon since July 4 has been good with +10" of rainfall. That rainfall might have come slightly too late to repeat a second record year of horn growth is what I am asking for others endorsement or difference of opinion.

Can you share what unit the bull came out of?

Good point Snapshot. Reinforces the predator impact story. The Coues have just been better than the mulies staying out of trouble with the predators due to their natural habitat in some rough places for predators to take them down........unlike the mulies

Snapshot you probably already recognize this but the mule deer population began its decline in the mid 1980's from a combination of too many hunting permits issued, accompanied by the predator population explosion. First it was the significant increase of the lion population as there became less lion hunters with dogs and then the trapping ban. That was followed by the explosion of the coyote population. Then to top it off AGFD allowed the reintroduction of the wolves. I gave up hunting mule deer in unit #27 some time in the 1990's because I would feel guilty killing one as they neared extinction in many areas of the unit (particularly on top of the rim). I remain a Coues deer hunter only, aside from my primary passion of elk hunting, until we see a "recovery" in the unit 27 mulies. Hopefully in a few more years that will be one of the positive outcomes of the devastating Wallow Fire. Having said all that I do know where there currently are some record quality mulies in 27............but not as many as we enjoyed in the 1960's to early 1980's!

I second that statement on the fine credibility of Duwane Adams

Second verse......same as the first.........mule deer horn

My kids and I had some mechanical failures early on in our archery experiences so we gave up on mechanical broad heads almost 20 years ago. One issue I have not seen comments on is "how forgiving" are mechanicals if you do not make the perfect shot (for many reasons including posture for the shot) and therefore less penetration with any broad head. Also, if you hit a twig on the shot are you toast with a mechanical? I have friends that strongly recommend mechanicals but I remain unconvinced based on my former experiences?

Can you please provide a picture of your typical tape job on your camera?

I have had a few encounters of arriving at a brush blind I created with someone already comfortably situated in it. Each case we have debated (amicably I might add) which one of us would leave. I always prefer to go to my plan B. There are just too many other good opportunities to get hung up in our underwear over who was first or whom built the blind. Besides....... it ruins the fun to have a heated confrontation. My favorite confrontation was at one of my tree stands during a September elk hunt. Another hunter beat me to my tree stand by about a minute or two and was contemplating whether to utilize the stand. I gave him my best bull bugle and watched him frantically climb the tree to get in position for the bull he thought he heard. He almost tore all his clothes off scrambling up that tree!!! My brother and I were laughing so hard we didn't have the guts to go introduce ourselves to the gent. As I recall.......... our plan B worked much better than our abandoned plan A.

MC I seem to be having the same draw luck as you, drawing often on the drought years. My last year also was 2011 archery bull unit #27. I viewed the same poor horn quality as you but ended up shooting the second biggest bull I saw during a total 14 day hunt. My last day bull scored 347 and I was very pleased to get him. Not complaining though...as I have been drawn for 19 bull tags in 42 years of applications.

Folks the Southeastern Arizona Sportsmen's Club (SEAZSC) based out of Safford has a membership of slightly over 100 family memberships. For the last 10+ years we have been working with the unit AGFD officials to rebuild drinkers in the 4 closest units to our base. Often times we assist AES and other clubs on their ground projects. We are always pleased to be part of the solution instead of part of the problems that challenge our outdoor resources in Arizona. As a small group of outdoor enthusiasts, we are very proud of what we have accomplished the last 10+ years. Please feel free to visit our website to learn more about our club.

Jeff my brother drew an archery bull tag this year and was the only lucky one in our family or hunting group. Haven't made it to our ridge yet this year and was wondering with all the activity already seeing in the forest. Sorry to hear no luck on tags this year. I share your luck.

The diaphragm mouth call is the best tool for me (in addition to a personal locator bull call that is man made). Just one (cow) quack from the mouth call with a single bull locator call is all that is necessary to spell success. The older I get the less I call.......and better results for that matter!

Hey Jeff did you or any of your buddies draw any elk tags this year? I'm bumping into cameras and 50# salt blocks with frequency again this year

You will find that Safford is very similar to Afghanistan........which may be good or bad in your opinion. Unfortunately I spend the winters in Safford (after enjoying Alpine for 9 months of the year) !!!

I'm saving all of mine. Waiting for the day that I can sell them for about $30 per pound. That should happen about 5 years from now if the wolf advocates get their way and add another 1200-1500 (as currently proposed) wolves to the Mexican Grey Wolf Reintroduction Program.

Huntlines great buck and very nice looking mount. Is that buck gross 116 or net? I shot a similar buck 4 years ago with my bow that grossed 121 but will go into the book at 111 due to the velvet and other deductions. You can view it on the SEAZSC website.

The current bonus point system can be improved. I've used a "black belt" data specialist that used to work for me to analyze AGFD data. We demonstrated the benefits of squaring or even considering tripling the bonus points to have more impact and tighten up the bell curve. For some reason AGFD has not been interested in the enhancement, and when suggested formerly on this website, surprisingly most hunters preferred that we keep the same system (with more luck than math in the equation).

Interesting dialog on this one. I was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and all of my hunting experiences were there the first 10 years. Now had 43 fantastic years in Arizona (mostly unit #27) and have to say there is no comparison of both experiences. I am so lucky to have experienced what I have in Arizona. Still have a cousin that works his butt off all summer for the privilge of hunting about 100 acres of farm land with about 3 other groups. I really feel sorry for him but he makes the best of the situation. His only advantage he can hunt longer for deer and harvest 5 deer per season....but I am still not jealous! Up until the Wallow Fire I could hunt deer or elk in my favorite spots of unit #27 and hardly ever see another hunter. Since the Wallow Fire burned up about 50% of unit #27 I now have to dance "cheek to cheek" with other hunters the whole hunt. Seems that 90% of the hunters are now hunting 10% of the real estate since the fire. A very frustrating change for unit #27 and probably very much the same for unit #1. We lost some of our edge due to the failed forest management policies by the USFS the last 25 years or so. The positive is....... I am hearing some USFS admit their failed policies....... and willing to change going forward. Let's hope for the next generations benefit!!

Take the pictures when there is no air left in them! I've made the same mistake as you many times and regret every one of those pictures.

Chasing bugles to get you into the cows and excitement should not be much of a problem for you in September. The challenge will be getting to where the elk are wanting to go before they arrive so you are set up for a successful archery shot is the challenge. With some late August scouting you should be able to figure out a plan for success in multiple areas in case something goes wrong (which you can often count on with archery hunting). Now if you were cow hunting in late October/early November I would say good luck without a guide or great knowledge of the unit. Most late season cow hunters I have been communicating with over the last few years have been very disappointed in their hunt and have ended up skunked. Our elk herd is down about 50% from the peak of about 1999 and the fire has not yet resulted in an improved calf crop figuring survival rate into the equation.