jmwarren65

My dad was very excited when I told him I had a 4A late season rifle tag. He had been out of town for a while so I was looking forward to talking to him today. He surprised me when he said that he got an elk tag too. He applied for hunt 3117 archery bull tag in unit 1, 2b, and 2c. Problem is that he entered hunt number 3112 december muzzleloader anterless elk in 3b. He entered the wrong number on the hunt app. He then mentioned that he wasn't going to do that hunt because of the holiday season. I reminded him that he could transfer the tag to his grandson. If he isn't going to use it, don't let it go to waste. Now I need to learn about unit 3B. Time to call game and fish and any advice or tips on 3B is greatly appreciated.

Hunted Saturday night and Sunday morning. Did get fill the tag, but we had fun with 3 toms for 40 minutes Sunday morning. Ultimately, they became aware of us and shut up. Never saw them.

Took my son up to 4A for the youth hunt this weekend. Due to school and work schedule, we could not go up until Saturday afternoon. One afternoon and one morning was all the time we would get to chase turkeys; To make it even more challenging, I haven't hunted turkeys in 4A since 1983. I hoped we would get lucky, but was prepared to see nothing and hear nothing. Saturday afternoon we came across a hen who led us to the general roost area. My son and I walked the entire area and noticed lots of tracks...old and new. We got a couple of gobbles just before sunset, but not enough to know exactly where they roosted. We returned to the same spot this morning (Sunday). We got there a little later than I had planned. It was already legal shooting light. Within 5 minutes of leaving the truck, we had toms gobbling. We moved in their direction and them picked a spot behind a fallen tree to set up our camo netting. We spent the next 30 minutes talking back and forth with the toms. There were at least 3 toms and they were very receptive to my calls. They pretty much stayed put, then moved to our left. Then they moved in close...within 75 yards but we couldn't see them. Then they went silent. I think they heard or saw us somehow. We tried to move in front of them and set up our decoys. They answered a couple of times but had no intentions on coming our way. We moved one more time. We sat down and waited. After 20 minutes had passed, a lone gobble came out of the blue. He answered twice but then shut up. As we drove out, we came across another hen feeding on the new grass. My son was thrilled with the gobbling. He had a blast. But I can't tell if the toms are done with the rut or just beginning.

Shrek: Your idea is worth listening to. Don't know if it will achieve the results you desire. In 2007, my son (10 years old) and my step-daughter (12 years old) were drawn for the youth hunt. Both tagged out from the exact same spot (both with my dad at the time...hmm...what does that say about my hunting abilities???). My son filled his tag opening night and my step-daughter got hers the next morning. Fast forward to 2012. My son draws his second elk tag, a limited opportunity any elk tag in 2A/2B. This time, he gets a one-antler bull with me. Yep...only had one 6 point antler. The other was a stub. From 2008 through 2011...4 years...4 draws...nothing. He did not get drawn for a youth elk hunt in that time period. In 2012, I put him in for the limited opportunity any elk tag as I figured any time in the field with a high school sophomore is better than no time in the field. If I am going to instill the hunting spirit in him, I need to get him hunting every year...or at least every other year. Small game is fine, but he needs the challenge big game offers. This year I put him in for a bonus point for elk as I plan on taking him to Wyoming for antelope. Turns out he will get to go elk hunting after all. His grandfather made a mistake on his application and entered the wrong hunt number for elk...and proceeded to get drawn. He can't do the hunt, so he will be donating his tag to his grandson. It wasn't planned this way, but I will take advantage of the opportunity to get my son out in the field again. I am appreciative of the effort to give kids a chance to hunt without pressure and with parental guidance. I am not sold on this process....nor am I sold on the overall bonus point process in general. However, I do not know of a better alternative. If someone comes up with one, I will listen.

...and that reason is why I did not fill my muzzle loader tag in 15A/A5B. Opening morning I blew my stalk on a decent buck. At 250 yards out, the does spotted me and took off. I watched this group all day Friday but couldn't get closer than half a mile before they would move. On Saturday, I was staring at a much larger buck at 80 yards. Problem...he was standing 80 yards in the wrong unit. We had a staring contest for 5 minutes when I realized I should get a picture. By the time I got my cell phone camera up, he was moving away. I am attaching the one decent photo I have of this buck. It is grainy. The next day I found him in the same spot, still on the wrong side of the road. On Sunday, I watched another decent buck within my unit, but in the middle of a large tract of land clearly posted no trespassing and no hunting. That buck knew he was safe and had no intention of leaving his shade. One thing I learned on this hunt, look under the trees for the antelope. They seemed to like to hang out in the shade. Very seldom did I find them out in the open. On Saturday, I met the holder of tag #1. He headed home that afternoon empty handed. I had planned on hunting 5 days, but had to cancel the last two to return to work on Monday. That was more disappointing than not filling my tag. Still glad I had the tag and believe if I could have stayed the full 5 planned days, I would have been successful. If I don't get drawn next year, I think a trip to Wyoming is in order.

I stopped hunting for 12 years for college and family. Now I wish i had kept hunting during that time. These are my elk tags: 1978 cow tag 6a 1983 late rifle bull tag 3b 1996 cow tag reservation AZ 1997 late rifle bull tag 4a 2007 late rifle bull tag 4a 2012 late rifle bull tag 4a 2013 late rifle bull tag 4a I tagged along on these hunts with my dad and kids: 1999 late rifle bull tag 4a (my dad's tag) 2007 jr cow tag 4a (son and step-daughter's tags) 2012 lmt opp bull tag 2a/2b (my son's tag)

Back to unit 4A late season rifle bull for the second year in a row. Getta chance to redo my hunt from last year (left all my ammo at home; 15 minutes into opening morning a jeep drives through my field, parks behind a tree and shoots; day 2 of hunt I missed a 5x5 at 250 yds). Time for a mulligan.

I'm nervous...that was my first choice too....waiting to see if that is my hunt or if I have the late hunt in 4A or a hunt in unit 10 or even 4B. dang....i can sit in a stand for days at a time...but this waiting is driving me nuts.

It's fairly cheap to build an app that sends out a text/email notification: Successful: Elk Hunt #3001 Tag: #1. We would provide the email address or cell phone number as part of the application process.

Not soon enough

$114 charged to my credit card....2nd year in a row for elk. Can't find my notes on which hunt I put as 1st and 2nd choice. Dang.

Been too darn busy at work. Hope its not too late to get my app in. Want to take my son there, but have to work around his high school marching band schedule. basically I have the first week of october to get there, hunt, and return. Time to get my butt moving.

Awesome!

Call me crazy, but I would do it all over again....even with the same results. I love this hunt.

I should have realized how my hunt would go when I arrived in camp Thursday but my 30.06 and .50 caliber muzzleloader ammo were on my counter back home. A quick drive into town Thursday night fixed that problem. Second problem was a camp of 4 vehicles set up right next to some of the best elk grounds around. That eliminated my primary spot for opening morning. So opening morning I opt for my secondary spot. I am in position watching the sun rise when I hear a vehicle. Then I realize it is driving down the middle of the valley meadow I am watching. I'm stunned thinking to myself "Who in their right mind drives down a sheltered meadow at sunrise on opening morning?" Then the vehicle stops behind a tree in the meadow and turns the engine off. I figure that spot is not worth anything and turn to walk back to camp. Five minutes later...BOOOM...from the meadow I just left. I am now thinking of every curseword known to man. The next big shock opening morning was the sheer number of vehicles and quads and hunters that I saw. It seemed like most were road hunting, but a few got out on foot. My dad joined me for the first three days of the hunt. So we went over our maps and decided on a plan for the rest of the morning. Having killed 4 elk in this area over the past 15 years, we feel confident we know where they eat, where they water, and where they bed. Most importantly, we know their main trails between those points. So we headed for the area with the most used trails and found a lot of recent elk sign. We revised ours strategy one more time to take advantage of natural terrain and vegetation in the area. By the end of the day Friday, we felt like we had a solid hunting plan that would be helped by all the other hunters pushing the elk around. Saturday morning I woke up with a massive headache so we delayed our start til mid-morning. When we did reach the spot we wanted to hunt, my dad starts calling my name very quickly and quietly. I turn around to find an elk staring at us from 300 yards away. He is facing us head on in between 2 junipers with 5 yards of space between the trees. I can see he is a ragtop, but can't determine much more. As I raise my gun, he turns and runs. I fired a quick shot that went behind him. I tracked him for 1/2 mile and then lost his trail. I saw no blood or other signs of injury. Both of us then canvassed a quarter mile around the area in case I was on the wrong trail. Such is the peril of hunting in junipers....not much visibility or time to shoot. All I needed was another half a second to get ready for a shot. We stayed in that area for another 2 days before my dad left on Sunday. Sunday morning I had a chance to take a 200 yard shot at a spike standing still and broadside to me. I passed on it. Monday I returned alone to the same area where I had another chance to take a broadside shot at a motionless spike. I passed. I had decided before the hunt...no spikes. My son got his first bull in October and we have a freezer full of meat. I was willing to wait for a ragtop or larger. Even though I did not put my tag on an elk's antlers, I enjoyed the hunt with my dad. I saw 5 bulls in 6 days...shot at 1 and could have bagged either of the 2 spikes. Most importantly, we used our knowledge of the area and adapted our hunt strategy to adjust to all the hunting pressure...and it paid off. Even with the success my family has had in this area, on 3 prior hunts I saw 0 elk. So I understand how hard it is to even see elk. And just to end the hunt on that perfect note....I was driving home late last night through the unit when a ragtop bull ran out onto the road in front of me. I Just smiled and thought what a perfect way to end the hunt.

very nice! Congrats!

Congrats on succeeding in a tough hunt unit.

Departure time is noon on Thursday for me due to that four-letter word...WORK. Will get there with an hour or so of light left. Pops is heading up early Thursday morning. He doesn't have a tag...heck 4 weeks ago he was staying home...didn't want to go camp in the cold. Two weeks ago I could tell he wanted to go by the questions he was asking. At Thanksgiving dinner he told me he would go Thursday through Sunday. I knew all along he could not stay away from an elk hunt. It's in his blood. So glad he will be there with me. Good luck to the rest of you.

...and I am debating Christmas decorations or pack. Pack or Christmas decorations. Can I get both done by the end of Sunday?

Congrats on a nice bull and a good hunt.

Nice bull and congrats.

4A turkey...second part of the season.

I'm busy organizing and packing my gear for a week in the woods. My wife is looking at me real-funny as if I have some mental illness. Ah, if she only knew.... Christmas is guaranteed to come once a year, but a bull tag doesn't happen frequently enough in my opinion.

I was up in my unit today checking my trail cams. I finally got some decent pix on my trail cams. Here are a few interesting pix to get us ready for the hunt. Most of the ground was covered in snow when I checked the trail cams. Interesting observation...the bigger bulls only appeared after dark. So no clear pix of them. Good luck with your hunts. Mike

Hunting is a great antidote to the job blues. I've got the same hunt that you do and the anticipation keeps building each day closer to the hunt. Good luck with the job and elk hunt. Mike