Northen AZ...I love This State!!

[huntingfool]

Didn't know exactly where to post this so I posted it here.

 

I lived in the Tucson desert for the last 4 years for more education, but I was lucky enough to be able to move back to northern Arizona. One thing I missed a lot over those 4 years was squirrel season. I hadn't been squirrel hunting in 3 years I think so when the season opened up the 30th I had requested time off and was going camping/hunting. My wife and kids were supposed to come, and invited a bunch of people but everybody bailed on me except a guy I met down in Tucson who I've introduced to hunting. So Friday afternoon I was packed and set up camp (in the rain) and waited for my buddy Mike to join me. We were both excited because since it was just us, we could concentrate more on hunting than family camping, especially because the elk are rutting hard right now and it's a great time to be out and about.

 

When Mike got to camp Friday night we had 3 different bulls near camp bugling at each other and they continued through the night. Can't beat sleeping in a tent listening to the rain drizzle on the tent, bull elk screaming and coyotes yapping! Here's a picture of camp:

 

We woke up before dawn Saturday morning to hunt coyotes and chase bulls. We headed out and saw a few cow elk feeding in a clearing without a bull, which is strange this time of year. We decided to try and call some coyotes while the morning was still fresh, so we parked and hiked thru some cattle in the thick cedars until we came to a place to call. There were two clearings separated mostly by a big cedar tree, so he sat the bigger one with my new 22 hornet and I sat the smaller one with my 45-70. About 8 minutes into the stand I was switching to a different hand call and look over towards the middle of us and there's a coyotes standing there looking for the meal. I raised up and plugged her. I know there is much debate on caliber choice around here, but let me assure you that a 45-70 at 50 yards on 30lb coyote is...adequate:evil: I'd been wanting to draw blood with the 45-70 but I wanted my buddy to shot a coyote mostly. I've shot plenty, he's shot only 2. We took pics on his camera so I'll post them when I get them. Crappy cell phone pic:

 

On the next stand we were busted coming in. I could here a coyote doing his warning bark when I sat down but we called anyway. Of course nothing cam in, I shouldn't have even called, but there were 3 different elk bugling around us so we picked the one that was upwind and decided to go find him. It was thick junipers and he busted us before we saw him. Must have been a satellite bull or had cows but either way we didn't see him. It was getting hot and the elk were starting to shut up so we decided to head back to squirrel country and round up some lunch.

 

Didn't take too awful long before Mike got to tree his first squirrel. Of course it fount the tallest tree in the forest to hide in (seriously), but 14 shots later he hit the ground. A mile down the road we found another. He climbed up into a much better tree but still Mike couldn't hit him. So I tried a few shots and I missed to. Finally, after a trip back to the truck for more shells, Mike had him on the ground. We decided to head back to camp and make lunch and see if the rifle was still on. It wasn't. It is shooting minute of squirrel head once again though. Here's our catch:

 

Butchered:

.

 

Battered:

 

Ready to eat (with elk sausages):

 

After lunch we headed back out to elk country. We popped over a hill in the truck and there was a herd of ~35 cows and this nice bull:

 

With his harem:

 

This is him at like 80 yards, we snuck up on him later. He had a nasty bugle, there were elk everywhere and we snuck between him and another bull so he was screaming right at us at ~100 yards. There's just nothing in this world like screaming bull elk.

 

He's not a monster, proly 330-350" but I'd have shot him:)

 

We counted 65 elk that evening (but saw more), 9 bulls, the smallest was a 5 point, the biggest was the one in the pictures. We did a coyote stand before dusk and again I had one roll up at like 40 yards. centered the 45-70 and...CLICK! ***? Eject a shell and holler at it and try again...click. Friggin crossbolt safety (which I generally ignore because it's worthless) had been switched ON somehow. I was always of the "just ignore them " crowd but now I see the annoyance. Anyway heck of a good day, I know this is a long story for not that much happening but I keep these as kind of a diary.

 

FYI: the pics are way better full size. The website shrinks them, hindering detail. I don't know how to make them bigger, but if somebody wants to show me, be my guest.

[shylopolito]

Awesome pictures! Nothing could beat northern arizona to me!

[tjhunt2]

That squirrel sure looks good. Thankks for sharing. That beats staying in town any day.

 

TJ

[Coach]

That's pretty darn cool! Great story and pictures.