Let's tell old hunting stories

[Coach]

Another thread got me thinking about old stories, and since this is the campfire, what better place?

I'll start. I moved from Oklahoma to AZ when I was a freshman in HS back in the 80's. My dad worked in forestry and was working for the WMAT at the time. We went quail hunting in the fall and did a lot of ice fishing and just fishing in general. I had only hunted small game before moving here. A couple mornings in a tree stand for deer but hadn't even taken a shot. 

My first hunt in AZ was unplanned. A guy in one of my classes invited me to come along on a deer hunt. I didn't even have a gun, so I borrowed one from my dad. I don't remember all the circumstances but I found myself driving a ford escort to Alma NM, and following a hand-written map with scribbles and drawings in the middle of the night with a big ol' moon. 

Somehow I found their camp and settled in with a pop up tent and sleeping bag. We were just barely in AZ around Maple Peak. Being young and starting out I didn't have a backpack or even binoculars. So first morning we set out hiking, I had no idea where we were going. I had a pocket full of sunflower seeds and some water. We saw tons of deer but no bucks. Around lunchtime I spotted a white rump sticking out of a mahogony bush. I said "hey I've got a big buck here" and my buddy says "don't shoot until you see it's horns". I replied "it's nuts are hanging to it's knees! It's gotta be a buck!" and he replied again - "don't shoot it until you see it's horns". Right about then, it raises its head - it's a bighorn ram, and a big one. All I could think about then was a giant fine if I had shot it before identifying it. Again, young and just learning to hunt in the desert. 

Later that evening just as the sun was going down, we were hiking back to camp a little dehydrated and hungry. I looked across the canyon and right where it was a stark line between the shadowed part of the ridge and the brightly lit portion stood a big 4x4 muley. I was shaking with buck fever, and he was a good distance away. This was way before range finders and my borrowed gun was zeroed at 100 yards. I steadied on a tree limb, aimed way over his shoulder thinking he was 400 yards away and fired. 

Nothing. I didn't see where I hit so I just kept trying - and missing. Eventually, the buck just walked off and I was out of ammo. 

We went back to camp empty-handed.

And so went my first ever Arizona hunt. Eventually I learned the ropes and started out small with javelina, an old pawn shop PSE bow and cheap binos. It was several seasons before I actually learned how to glass and hunt out west.

Hope you enjoyed, and let's keep the old campfire stories going.

 

 

 

 

 

[Coach]

c'mon guys and gals. I know all of you have a story to tell. 

[Bill@roofer]

One time in Bandcamp.???

[SunDevil]

Did you see the size of that chicken?

[Ernesto C]

One time here in AZ. in unit 27. I lost a big bull elk thanks to Forrest Service and their "Control burn". They almost burned our camp! They almost burned my brothers truck, we had to drive trough flames to get out of there! Once we got out of the fire my brother confronted the fire chief! Their eyes (F. S.) where wide open and their faces where in shock! Like if they couldn't believe we were coming out of the fire/flames!

They never inspected to see if someone was there. They never posted signs that a control burn was going to happend. When we told them were our camp was located they all hauled butt to our camp and they saved by a hair! Out camp was surrounded by fire! When I told them that I needed to go back in there and retrieve my elk they didn't let me.

I told the Az. Game and Fish what happened and ask them if I could get my  tag back or get my bonus points reinstated. Az. Game and Fish told me they couldn't do anything about it, so I lost my elk too on that "control or controled burn"!

[idgaf]

Ultimate group buck fever. 

A million years ago now. Hunting muleys in 36c. My dad, me, two brothers(all had tags) with my 4 year old nephew at the time.  Driving back to camp in the evening just before dusk, I spot the largest desert muley I've ever seen 60 yards off the road.

I get out and try to pull my rifle through the door of the truck without angling it. 

My dad tries to shoot from the bed of the truck leaving the safety on. 

My brother also inthe back of truck dives out and starts running after it likes he's flash. 

My other brother leaves (driving) the truck in gear grabs his gun and goes for an angle.  Missing twice. 

My 4 year old nephew left alone in the moving truck now with me next to him trying to pull my gun through the truck frame Is smart enough to get his short leg onto the brake pedal. 

Buck got away. 

[Couzer]

I know some of you probably already heard this story, but here it is again. 
A while back I decided to try to go do some calling for bears up in unit 1. I really couldn’t find anyone to go with me so I ended up going by myself, I really dislike going by myself. I ended up making 3-4 stands calling for around 45-60 minutes starting from Escudilla to Mt Baldy. I drove my quad around and hiked a lot of miles that day. I headed back to the house around 3pm to grab a bite to eat after all the unsuccessful attempts and getting discouraged.

I decided to give it one last go, so I remember a aspen grove up on top that was close enough to a road that headed down a thick canyon. I arrived at this spot around 4:30-5pm hike over to the boulders that over looked a small Meadow of about 2 feet of grass with aspens around it. 

I sat on the ground having a boulder to my back I felt pretty safe nothing could jump out from behind me without me seeing it first. I got my favorite reed call out and started calling for about 10-15 minutes noticing my left leg was going numb from the lack of blood flow. Getting a little nervous I paused the calling and attempted to move my left leg around to get some blood circulation into it. As I tried to move my leg something came in and latched on to the end of my boot. I screamed like a little girl feeling helpless. I couldn’t figure out what the H#%L it was. I took my right boot and kicked as hard as I could and it finally let go and backed off making a terrible noise. It started coming back towards me so I pulled my S&W 357 from my shoulder holster and fired once at it. It was gone, not knowing where it went I started to make sure I didn’t shoot my leg. Luckily my legs were intact as I missed them.
I stood up trying to realize what just happened and getting the feeling back into leg I couldn’t figure out what it was. I had phone service so i called the wife and told her I just got attacked by something and that I was ok. Chatting with the wife I came to the realization it was a badger after she was trying to guess what it was. Wife asked if I shot it and I told her I didn’t know. After getting off the phone with her I walked down about 5-10 yards where I found a big ol stinky male badger piled up next to a bush. One hole from the 357 entering its neck and bullet lodged in its back leg, at point blank range it incredibly did not pass through. It’s nut sack was bigger than a baseball, and had a bald spot on them from dragging them around, it WAS the king of the mountain. 
 

[Edge]

Took a Marine on leave from Iraq, varmit calling years ago. We were west of Eagle Eye Rd in the Harquahailas about 2am. 

Set the speaker up in a clearing and after about 15-20 minutes I hear something shuffling through the brush towards us. I hit the varmit with a red led light and illuminated his eyes like pancakes. It was an old hippie wearing sandals and tie-dye. Despite the fog his brain was in, he realized his mistake and just kept shuffling south towards the highway.

Took awhile for us to process what we just witnessed, kind of unsettling. Can't believe anyone would be wearing sandals out there in the dark. Must have seen a half dozen rattlesnakes on the road that night.

[bigorange]

2 hours ago, Vowell said:

It’s nut sack was bigger than a baseball, and had a bald spot on them from dragging them around, it WAS the king of the mountain. 

😂😂😂

[firstcoueswas80]

When I was a kid, I had a youth cow tag in unit 1. I had killed my first animal, a spike bull the year before in the same area. 

Opening morning we are driving in and there is a cow 50 yards off the road.

"Dad, there is an elk!"

"Yep."

"Dad, I have an elk tag and a gun."

"Yep"

And we kept driving. 

Couple days later after a few close calls, my mom decides to go out with us and we are sitting about 150 yards from a water tank, maybe less. Mom was set up under a big rub, but dad didnt tell her that until later. 

Out comes 5 elk, all cows and calves. I pick out the dry cow, and let her have it. Since I was only like 12, it took me a few shots. Got her down, shaking like a leaf. 

That was the first/last/only time I ever had my mom out on a hunt. It was pretty cool.

Dad and I joked the cows were coming to see the Avon lady as my mom was putting lotion on right before we left my grandparents cabin. 

[PRDATR]

Having done hundreds of stands I'll tell you to get a small fold up stool or camp chair to sit on and your feet won't go to sleep.

 

[CatfishKev]

7 hours ago, Ernesto C said:

 

 

4 hours ago, Vowell said:

I know some of you probably already heard this story, but here it is again. 
A while back I decided to try to go do some calling for bears up in unit 1. I really couldn’t find anyone to go with me so I ended up going by myself, I really dislike going by myself. I ended up making 3-4 stands calling for around 45-60 minutes starting from Escudilla to Mt Baldy. I drove my quad around and hiked a lot of miles that day. I headed back to the house around 3pm to grab a bite to eat after all the unsuccessful attempts and getting discouraged.

I decided to give it one last go, so I remember a aspen grove up on top that was close enough to a road that headed down a thick canyon. I arrived at this spot around 4:30-5pm hike over to the boulders that over looked a small Meadow of about 2 feet of grass with aspens around it. 

I sat on the ground having a boulder to my back I felt pretty safe nothing could jump out from behind me without me seeing it first. I got my favorite reed call out and started calling for about 10-15 minutes noticing my left leg was going numb from the lack of blood flow. Getting a little nervous I paused the calling and attempted to move my left leg around to get some blood circulation into it. As I tried to move my leg something came in and latched on to the end of my boot. I screamed like a little girl feeling helpless. I couldn’t figure out what the H#%L it was. I took my right boot and kicked as hard as I could and it finally let go and backed off making a terrible noise. It started coming back towards me so I pulled my S&W 357 from my shoulder holster and fired once at it. It was gone, not knowing where it went I started to make sure I didn’t shoot my leg. Luckily my legs were intact as I missed them.
I stood up trying to realize what just happened and getting the feeling back into leg I couldn’t figure out what it was. I had phone service so i called the wife and told her I just got attacked by something and that I was ok. Chatting with the wife I came to the realization it was a badger after she was trying to guess what it was. Wife asked if I shot it and I told her I didn’t know. After getting off the phone with her I walked down about 5-10 yards where I found a big ol stinky male badger piled up next to a bush. One hole from the 357 entering its neck and bullet lodged in its back leg, at point blank range it incredibly did not pass through. It’s nut sack was bigger than a baseball, and had a bald spot on them from dragging them around, it WAS the king of the mountain. 
 

That is hands down the best story ever

[galiuro mountain man]

Foxes will do goofy things too, but at least they aren't as stinky.

 

[Couzer]

8 minutes ago, galiuro mountain man said:

Foxes will do goofy things too, but at least they aren't as stinky.

 

I agree, I have had a few almost jump into my lap when calling for bear. I leave them alone, they do a good job prancing around being live decoys. 

[CatfishKev]

My first big buck and elk...

Had a friend was hunting with and he poked a buck. We searched all over trying to find it eventually gave up. Him and a buddy went out the day before he was to check in to jail for a 30 day dui sentence. When they got back to the truck they bumped a stud right there!  He told me about in case I had a chance to get out, and I had been pondering this particular spot as it's somewhat of a pinch point.  Fast forward a few days and only 3 days left of the otc Jan. Archery season. Decided I'd go out. Now I was still kinda green, I knew real big bucks did exist but never seen one (didn't know about real glassing). I decided anything with horns would receive an arrow.  Ended up poking my biggest buck to date. I was in complete disbelief when I walked up on this deer.  Used a new to his biz taxi on this buck and had it back before he got out of jail. He called me up and I was like dude come over to the house. He walked in and saw the mount, "son of a bitch!" He was pissed!

Couple years later we set sights on elk. I didn't know at this point how the draw worked. I didn't put in for elk because I wanted to be "better" at hunting before drawing a tag. Dang, wish I knew then cuz I woulda had like 12 or more points. So we looked into otc tags. Of course I did all the homework and made calls to game cops in the areas I was looking at. Finally had some info to look at. After Google Earth homework I chose an area. Day one, we hike our asses off all morning. Dude is like "you got tp?" yeah here.... He wanders off clenching it in. Comes back and I'm like yo where's the tp? "I did something evil in the woods" like really man that was an entire fresh roll...wtf?

So the hours drag on humping hills and hand glassing (still before I really knew how to glass). We get to our last hill to climb and finally get on top and he says "dude I am fucking done" the swamp butt had finally caught up with him due to an apparent improper wipe. I'm thinking dam we drove together and he wants to give up.  Standing there pondering my situation I figure might as well glass the bottom of this draw. Wouldn't you know it? One lone solitary cow 100 yards away from her safe zone is standing down there feeding. Suddenly he's ready to hunt with his bow, I'm like are you fuckin nuts? This is a meat hunt and you wanna blow it with a bow? I agree to let him give chase. He makes a loud noisy decent as I watch the cow clime the ridge completely aware of his presence. I decide his turn was up. I took a standing shot with no rest at 180 yards and drill her. After the shot rings out I heard the loudest profanity my buddy let loose ever.  

In the end, my buddy had an itchy asshole and I got my first otc elk. I still look back and laugh how it all happened.