First browns and killer horns

[az.antlerenthusiast]

Took off this week with antlerhead for a couple days to antler hunt and we did a day trip with a G&F officer to check out an elk head that I found a week earlier. This was my second time in this area and the first time for Dustin. The gentleman from the Game and Fish dep. had been in this area several times and knew the area and names of the area very well. I learned alot just in the 4 hour hike in. This is one of those areas that you have to be 4/3 crazy or 3/4 mountain goat to antler hunt in, not sure which. None the less its some serious country.

 

This is the elk head I found. Everything checked out good with the head so my thanks goes out to the efforts of the people that made that possible.

He was an old bull with well aged teath and ivories. Not sure if he died of old age or had a predator induced death but be was an old resident to that perticular basin. With what I was told, the carcass and bones of the elk primarly looked like a bear was the main animal on the lunch line.

This 7 point brown was my first find of the day.

In the day that followed, Dustin and I both found older sheds from this same bull. Two from the palmated side and two from the typical side. At both finds the pairs were laying within feet of each other.

Here is one of the antlers from the typical side.

After a rather skunked out first day, Dustin more than made up for it on the second day.

He found this very nice 8x7 set of year old sheds. They were well sun bleached on the exposing sides but not cracked up. The antlers are missing part of the eye gaurd on the one side and a tine was also broken/chewed off near where Dustins left hand is. Dustin told me he would give me these antlers if he ever gets tired of them.

 

This is a rather strange old antler I found . It had a typical 5 point looking structure but had this strange kicker growing up the side. This kicker is almost 3 feet long.

This ended up being our finds. In all we found 3 browns , 1 head ,several 1 year old antlers , 1 mule deer set, and several older ones. 19 antlers I do believe. We seen lots of coues bucks but we never found any of their sheds(but hey, bluegill are not the only fish in the pond).

Dustin tying on his load.

I ended up packin out 92 lbs and Dustin packed 82 lbs. For the area that we were in that was plenty enough for me.

[cramerhunts]

Looks and sounds like an awesome trip! Man those are some heavy loads....you guys are some serious pack mules!

[Coues Sniper]

Wow You guys are studs, congrats on some sweet finds.

[Brian Payne]

Nice trip! Gives me the fever for sure!

[bonecollector]

You guys are good, looks like a good trip with a lot of good finds. Thanks for sharing!

[pwrguy]

That's a lot of load to haul. Good Job!!!

[Packer]

Looks like a great trip. Glad you were able to find some other sheds to go with that head. It also looks like that bull must have spent a fair amount of time in that spot to have left several other sets for you to find.

 

Aaron

[geiset]

Great finds guys. shed huting fever is coming on

[Jimmer Negamanee]

That's just awesome! Thanks for posting.

[hornhunter]

thats a heck of a haulcongrats on all the horns

 

[C.Shoemaker]

Just awesome! Incredible collection.

[AZ402]

Very nice!!

[hunterdude]

Dang good weekend for you! I just got back from up there but didin't do any shed hunting. I'm going back wednesday night so maybe I will be able to get out and do some!

[AZantlerhead]

"Notellumm Creek" was flooded, lots of snow run-off, crossed 5 times on the pack out. Allmost went swimming right here when my cane broke.

All worth it when you get umm in the truck. Took this pic for ya Amanda.

 

[GRONG]

SWEET MOTHER!!!!!!! I love it guys!!!!