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story goes..... brother in law has a buddy (JEFF) that wants to go hunt elk on an otc tag. I had picked up a tag earlier in the year in hopes to get out with 6a nut. my brother in law invites me to go along with them to a spot his buddy has been checking out the past couple years. I have been looking at maps and doing alot of studying this past year. we weren't able to leave until friday around 5:30 pm so off we went. on the way when we were right about to the hwy 188 turn off for rosey this small BULL ELK ran out in front of us on the highway! if it wasn't for Jeff's quick break action we would have been smoked by an elk! jacked we were on our way! I really didn't hold high hopes for this hunt but was anxious to see what it was all about. We get to our spot and pitch camp and set a plan for the morning! Jeff is an awesome dude and super cool to be around! stereo typical cowboy! He's killed just about everything Az has to offer including numerous bulls with his bow. His style of hunting is to load up his horses and get deep into an area to have all to himself. So the rooster crows and up with anticipation of what the day will bring! Off we start on foot to a spot we had picked. Jeff gives a couple screams with his mouth reed and about 30 seconds later we hear a bull scream back. I thought at first it sounded like another hunter ( I think the word I used was it sounded too tubey LOL) we cover the ground and get as close as we can and we do a couple cow calls and this bull just rips off a bugle maybe 50 - 60 yds away in the thick trees! I still wasn't convinced it wasn't another hunter.. things were just going too perfect! Jeff grabs a stick and starts raking this tree and that bull starts shredding the trees too! we could hear him,I could see bushes shaking maybe 30yds away! then the bull screams again and jeff disappeared into the brush. we circle around in hopes if he spook we would get a chance at it. Jeff comes out about 10 min later without a shot. He wasn't sure if the he was winded or seen, but glimpsed some nice looking white tips! so we were off to find another bugle! jeff goes into the brush and we circle around to see if wee could catch something coming out the back! about 30 minutes and we were walking along..... we hear BOOM, BOOM.............BOOM! I get a call and those awesome words " 6x6 DOWN!" we haul butt over to him and hi fives all around! Jeff goes to get the truck as close as possible and we started trying to do the gutless method. I called 6anut and told him the awesome news and first thing he said was "Can I come help?!" I said heck yeah and please! LOL! he was there in 20 minutes and him and Jeff finished up like the experts they are and we hauled that elk out of the thickest nastiest stuff I have ever been in. It ended up this was a different elk and he bugled and Jeff moved closer to him and gave him some cow love and he came in hot ! pause before stepping out from behind the bush and he shot 2 initial shots with his 44 mag short barreled brush gun and the elk tried gettin back up and he put another 1 in him and he was down for the count... 30yds! big thanks to 6A nut! you are the man!!! sorry for the long read... even though I didn't fill my tag is was awesome to be a part of this hunt! I will never forget it! not huge but definitely a trophy OTC! James