My (very late) Elk

[BASS]

Well I just got my Elk back from the tax. It was taken in 5B north/ south border. I litterally lost it, then got it back. You see it was Saturday, and about 11 o'clock in the morning, and a fine mist rain was falling. I looked up while walking, and saw this beast looking right at me. He was alone, and didn't spook at all. I quickly got behind a tree, and gave a quick chuckle on my diaphram. He responded with a grunt. He walked to about fifteen yards from my tree, and gave a very loud bugle that gave me the chills, and made me very uneasy about the tree that was between me and him. I more or less wattled a couple steps from the tree, and leaned back a little bit to see where he was. I knocked an arrow, and made a very slow draw on my bow. I leaned back again and let her fly. When I hit the release's lever I thought about a blind charge in my direction, so I leaped back to my pine tree in hopes I would be safe. He ran. Oh yes he ran, right across the road into the next unit! I put my pack down from where I shot, and left another arrow there, marked it on the GPS, waited about an hour, and started my track as the rain began to fall harder. When I got to him I discovered that the GFD was checking tags in our unit. Of course I had a 5b NORTH tag, and the Elk was laying about 300 yards in 5B SOUTH. The officer, was really nice about it, and never once said that I was in the wrong unit. Of course I was jabbering about how he ran and how my pack was the star on my GPS still in 5B N. He waited until I finnished my feild dressing, when he told me that the elk was no longer mine! It was officially the state of Arizona's until I proved that I had in fact shot it in the right unit. So once again I marked my Elk, and started walking back to the back pack. He told me that I had to follow the blood trail back. We did, but the blood was begining to be washed away. I don't know if he got tired of me talking jibberish about my star on the GPS, or if he was tired of being wet but he told me to head for my pack. When we got there, there was still blood in the area. That conviced him enough to give me my Elk back. Once again we was nice enough to go back to our camp for help getting it out to the road. And even stayed around and carried the heart, and liver out for us. I was in such a hurry that I never once asked him to take my picture with my prize, so I have no feild pictures. But I do have a pic of him after the taxidermist got done with him! Sorry for the crappy picture, but I no longer have a real digi cam, so I had to use my phone.

 

[hunterdude]

Nice elk. I'm glad to see that he was willing to walk with you to see that you were being honest with him, it's to bad the weather was so bad. Congrats!

[111]

Congrats on your bull!

[More D]

Great bull! Great job with the Elk & the WM!

 

 

 

[firstcoueswas80]

the same thing happened to one of my buddies. he shot his elk in the correct unit, and it traveled into the next and the AZGFD was there. but, instead of having to prove that he had legally killed it in the correct unit, they didnt ask him any questions, made him gut it, load it in THEIR truck, and appear in court to try his case. i believe he won and was awarded the head. i felt bad for the guy, this was his 2nd year in a row of killing is first archery elk and had not a elk to show for it. the year before he had shot a i think a spike on the 3rd or 4th day of the hunt and could not find it until like a week later, by then the whole thing was gone accept the antles. and he thought that if he coudnt have the whole animal, he didnt want just the head. dont know if that was a good thing to do or not, but thats what he did.

[az4life]

Interesting story about the AZGFD being in the area when 2 of these similar situations occured. Most of the officers I have met are decent and will listen to what you have to say. I think it is always wiser to deal with the public the way you would want to be treated, an dthe officers I dealt with have seemed to be the same way.

[ultramag]

very nice bull. congrats,good thing that g.w was living in this world when he found you. sometimes they can be touchy

[awoltoday]

Congratulations, nice bull! How long did it take you to pry the heart & liver from the WM's hands?

[BASS]

Congratulations, nice bull!  How long did it take you to pry the heart & liver from the WM's hands? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

We found out the he was in a GFD camp down the road, and offered him the chance to come back to our camp later that night for fresh elk stakes, but he said he had plans in another camp.

 

firstcoueswas80, that is a horrible story! I had the feeling that at anytime he was going to make me do the same thing. I think that is why I was babling about the star on my GPS being the spot I shot it at, and that most of my gear was there too. You see I wear a backpack (water system) that has my food, water, Rino GPS/radio, a couple game bags, and a couple knives with a whet stone. Then I carry a fanny pack that has all the calls, extra string wax, peep site rubbers, GPS, spare feild points/broadheads, knives, and another game bag. I think the only thing that saved me was the fact that I had my pack left in 5B north, along with another arrow. I was a complete wreck walking back to my pack in the rain. It seemed like every fifty yards or so my GPS would read "position lost" I would then stand there, as if I was trying to stall. He also had a GPS (a geko I think, it was little and green) but forgot the batteries in his truck.