Late Bull Hunt

[CATERPILLAR]

On a late rifle hunt how small would a bull have to be for you to shoot. Just curios to what standards people are looking for on a late hunt in any unit. I personally would shoot 300" bull without a question. Would you hold out or take the first bull you could.

[4Falls]

I have a late archery hunt this year and can say without hesitation that any elk whose even thought about growing antlers will be on my hit list. As for a late rifle hunt well... for myself it would be difficult to pass up any branch antlered bull.

[CATERPILLAR]

where is your late archery hunt

[CRAZYBUCK]

I also have a late archery tag in 23 and first bull with horns gets it unless I have a good bull on lock down yhe late hunts are.tought to scout due to end of the rut and winter moving inn sending tjose bull deep into canyons maybe you could hold oit the first couple days then it turns into a meat hunt

[6ANut]

I have always been drawn for the late bull hunt. Rule of thumb for me has always been to wait till the 3rd day of the hunt, that's when the big boys show up.

[AZBob]

You're probably not going to find a great bull on the late hunt, so for me, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a 300 bull on the first day. If you haven't taken a bull of that size, I'd think strongly of taking any 5-point or 6-point bull that gives you the opportunity. There are still great bulls out there in November like those we've been seeing posted from the archery hunt, but they are a different animal after the rut, so don't set your expectations too high.

[6ANut]

When I get to my uncles house in Bakersfield I will send pics of his 367 bull and his 345 bull shot on the late hunt, to go along with my dads 332. I have seen bachelor herds where the smallest bull was 300 inches so I guess to each their own. You won't see me pull the trigger until day 5 on something small.

[sniper]

23 Archery late hunt. I am hoping to at least have a shot at any bull. The first one I have a shot at, I will take it. This is my first elk tag, so I hope to fill it!

[trophyhnter]

Expectations and trophies are in the eye of the beholder! I have hunted the late 22 archery hunts and have to say that I have seen a few 350ish bulls and a lot of smaller bulls but they are difficult to get to and even harder to shot with bow and arrow! One area has a series of canyons that one year held 20 something bulls throughout the hunt! Some years when it has very dry, waterholes and trials leading to them were the best possibility to see and arrow one up close! When it was a wet year, just getting close the canyons were they was extremely hard. I will say that seeing a good bull was not hard.........getting close was due to the terrain and vegetation was! Expectations......well as difficult as my late archery hunts have been, I would arrow the first bull that I liked. One year I shot at and missed a 2x1 bull on the day before thanksgiving (buck fever galore)....tough hunt to say the least! I taken my family members in the same areas for the December rifle hunts and the expectations are a lot different as shooting them at greater distances is easier! In others words, if you think your chances are slim to get a bull because of terrain, weather, scouting etc...then just shoot! If your hunting conditions are good then hold out!

[CATERPILLAR]

Depending on what is turned up during scouting, a 300 bull will be getting shot at on opening day. I have a rifle tag so I do not have to close the distance as much as the late archry hunters. It would be nice to find some small bulls and leave them be for a back up at the end of the hunt, then I can hunt hard for a bigger bull.

[HuntKaibab]

Ok I might get flamed for this, but why even put in for a bull tag if you shoot the first thing with antlers? A few years back my dad had a 6A late cow hunt and we were up scouting during the rifle Bull hunt opening weekend, Spikes and rag horns hanging everywhere on opening day! Just chucked knowing it probably took the majority of those hunters several years to get that tag. If you all you gunning for is meat in the freezer put in for cow hunts? Tags are way easier to come by for cows, I've never had a bull tag but when I finally get one no way I'm dropping a rag horn unless maybe the last day ...just a thought.

[ready2hunt]

Ok I might get flamed for this, but why even put in for a bull tag if you shoot the first thing with antlers? A few years back my dad had a 6A late cow hunt and we were up scouting during the rifle Bull hunt opening weekend, Spikes and rag horns hanging everywhere on opening day! Just chucked knowing it probably took the majority of those hunters several years to get that tag. If you all you gunning for is meat in the freezer put in for cow hunts? Tags are way easier to come by for cows, I've never had a bull tag but when I finally get one no way I'm dropping a rag horn unless maybe the last day ...just a thought.

 

 

I actually agree with you. Why not get the best of both worlds, great meat and great antlers haha.

 

I saw a guy in a parking lot last year with an archery target and asked him if he was going archery elk (it was that time of year) he said ya 6A. I replied cool, they got some great bulls. He immediately got high and mighty and said he hunts for meat not for sport as if I should feel ashamed.

 

I just said good luck

[CATERPILLAR]

I believe hunting is a sport, correct me if I am wrong. Hunting for meat can be just as difficult as hunting for meat with horns on it. So if you are cow hunting and want to shoot a small tender yearling vs. a big old cow, is that still meat hunting or sport hunting. I bet if a 6x6 bull was 250 yards away and a 4x4 bull was 100yrds away he would take the shot at the 6x6 first.

[rossislider]

I have always been drawn for the late bull hunt. Rule of thumb for me has always been to wait till the 3rd day of the hunt, that's when the big boys show up.

 

I agree with this. I have found that the opening weekend of the late hunts are packed with hunters. Come Monday the numbers of hunters in the field drops substantially. I personally would be hesitant to shoot anything much lower than 300ish until later in the hunt.

 

I shot this guy below on Saturday of the opening weekend, last year during unit 1's late rifle hunt (same bull as in my profile picture). He is probably right around that 300 range. There are plenty of good bulls out there in the late hunts if you will work for them. Remember, the 400's shot next year had to be around somehere during the previous year's late hunts.

[CATERPILLAR]

That is a nice bull. I will hold out for as long as I can, but if the opportunity on a bull like that presents itself it would be difficult not to shoot, for me anyways