First Bow Hunt

[azcouesandelk]

So far I have logged in 7 full days of hunting in 36a and 36b. I left home on the 26th of December to help Jim on some hunts. On the afternoon of the 31st I went to a spot in 36a and was able to get a good half day of glassing in trying to locate some bucks and pigs for the next day. I was able to locate several decent muley bucks but nothing very spectacular.

 

January 1st

Woke up a little late today (about 7:15). Made my 30 minute drive to my parking spot and started glassing. Was able to locate some small muley bucks but nothing that was itching my needs. I continue to glass and at 9 or so I locate a herd of 8 pigs. Today was the only day my dad would be with me for another 4 or so days so I decided to take the 1 1/2 mile jog to the pigs. While on my way to the pigs my dad said another hunter busted them but he saw 2 go down into a small draw. I get to the draw and locate the 2 pigs. I start my stalk now from 130 yards and worked my way to 42 yards. I decided this would be good enough. As I am calming myself down I hear something coming up behind and it was the same hunter who busted the pigs and he yells PIGS!!! Now the pigs take off and I try to follow them for the next mile or so before I decide to hike back up to my dad and try to find some more or a good buck. After glassing another 2 hours we have to head back to camp and my dad has to head home. So I go to a the area where my dad and I killed our bucks this year to see if I can get on a buck or some more pigs. I glass for 10 minutes and locate 4 does and 2 small bucks. I decided that I would try for these guys. One was a small fork and the other a decent 3x2 with eyeguards. I worked my way up and around the top of the hill and see the bucks bedded down under a mesquite only 60 yards away and they had no idea I was there. I continue to stalk closer but got busted by the 4 does that I thought bedded below the bucks but were actually 30 yards above them. So day 1 was done but got me hooked.

 

January 2nd

Woke up even later today (about 8:00). Made the same 30 minute drive to my parking spot and started to glass. Within 15 minutes I had a 4x4 muley glassed up. I start my stalk. After cutting the distance in half I start to glass and try to relocate the buck and find a 5x6 muley. Now I am really excited and I wait til he beds down. I then take the next 2 hours to work in on him and come up over the last hill roll in the hill and see him standing up. I range him at 30 yards and draw back and let the arrow fly, the arrow missed about 4 inches or so under and he bounced up 10 yards further up the hill. I then ranged him again right at 50 yards. I knock another arrow and let it fly but he jumped the string and was gone. I then work my way back up to my perch upset but very thankful for the opprotunity at an animal of that caliber. I start to glass when I reach my perch and glass up a herd of does with a good fork in it but 4 of the does kept running up the ridge at something. That something turned out to be a nice young lion. I take a nap up on the hill and decide to start glassing again after a good 2 hour nap. I glass for about an hour and it was about 4:00 when I spotted a nice 3x3 muley so the chase was on. I was able to get to 60 or so yards then all the does busted me. Day 2 is now done and I am beat but very happy.

 

January 3rd

Woke up at 8:00 again (need to get louder alarm). Get up on the same perch and locate herd of does with big fork. Was thinking about going after them but then noticed they started to trot. Same young lion was trying to stalk them. So I enjoy the show and take it easy. I continue to glass til midday only finding small muley bucks. Around 4 I glass up the same big fork but he is with a decent 4x4 now. I decide to make the stalk. I get on the ridge which is abut 1 1/2 miles out and see the 2 bucks and 5 does bedded in 2 palo verdes about 75 yards away. I work my way to 60 yards when I here a deer bust. It is a nice whitetail buck that busted out of a mesquite no more than 20 yards away. The muleys have me pinned now and they are gone. Day 3 was just as good as day 1 and 2.

 

January 4th

My buddy comes down for a couple days of hunting. I get on my perch and start glassing and Jim rolls up just as planned. I then locate a buck and then Jim located it before I could even get my spotting scope up and on him. He is a great buck and the first whitetail buck my buddy has ever seen. I let him make his stalk on it but it busted him when he was about 100 to 125 yards away. Jim then located a herd of pigs and made it look easy getting his. I continue glassing and locate another nice buck and attempt my stalk. I am trying to call my buddy on the radio but not getting any response from him. So I keep working my way. I drop my pack when I thought I was within 100 yards. I work 10 yards further up the hill slowly and stop and here the deer bust. I start to draw back hoping the buck would stop but when about 3/4 of the way drawn i bumped the trigger having the arrow fly 10 feet below the deer ricochet (spelling?) off a rock and sail 10 feet over his back. Now I am thinking man I am the luckiest guy in the world being able to have all these stalks.

 

Here is a picture of the buck my buddy stalked and remember this is the first whitetail buck he has ever seen.

 

Here is a picture of the buck I stalked.

 

January 5th

Go to the perch I have been seeing all the mule deer from and glass all morning only finding does. It was very windy and made it difficult to find deer. Flassed all afternoon only finding a small fork muley at last light. Go back to camp and my dad has arrived to help glassing.

 

January 6th

We go back to where Jim had killed his pig and we had the stalks on the nice whitetails pictured above. Glass til about 9 and head back to the area where Richard (haywire) had killed his buck. Only glassed up does from there. So that afternoon we head to the muley perch again. I glass for 5 minutes and had a buck located and let my buddy get on him. He gets to 20 yards and waits and waits but the wind shifted and the buck busted out of his bed from under the palo verde never presenting the shot. I then locate a monster 3x3 on the ridge above him. By monster I mean about a 30 inch spread and he is very very tall. He bust the big 3x3 at about 80 yards so I go and make the mile run to spook the buck towards my buddy in hopes that he will have a shot at the big buck. I spook the deer towards him and they circle back after getting to 50 yards from my buddy. They then trot 80 yards from me and the big ol' 3x3 decided to have a stare down with me. We let them be and I head back to the perch to do some last minute power glassing and am able to locate a pig way way off in the distance but decide to head back to camp since there wasnt enough light.

 

January 7th

This is my friends last day to hunt. We go back to the muley perch and I glass up a decent 3x2 muley and my buddy is off on the stalk. He was able to get to 80 yards before the deer bust. He comes back up and is beat when I locate a nice little 3x3 and he lets me stalk him. I get to 60 yards and start to belly crawl in the cholla and only need to go 5 yards further to get a shot when they stand up and feed up over the ridge. I work my way back up to our perch and continue to glass and locate the same small lion tormenting a herd of does again. Now my buddy has to go home so we say our good byes and he is off. I glass for another 2 hours and find the monster 3x3. I now make the 2 mile jog in about 30 minutes and catch my breath when a whitetail buck bust from the tree about 40 yards from me. I start my real stalk on the big muley and get to 54 yards and he walks through an opening. I circle up above and if he continues on the trail he will walk out at about 35 yards. I am at full draw when the doe comes out but the buck decided to go after another doe lower on the hill. The doe sees me let down and they are gone.

 

January 8th

Today is a day of rest went and did a little exploring trying to find some new areas. Did some glassing and found some does and on our way back to camp we see a nice 3x3 muley walk infront of the road from public land onto private land and stop and stare at us. Go back to camp and pack up and head home for some much needed rest.

 

 

I will be going back down on Friday for a 3 day hunt and hopefully find some more pigs this time.

[Ron G.]

Sounds like a fun and exciting time! Thanks for the update. Looking forward to seeing pics of your pig and/or deer that you are sure to get.

[coues7]

Great Story and pics.......heck with the deer GO KILL THAT LION OR CALL ME AND I'LL GO KILL HIM!!! I so wish I had gone after the 4 lions I saw on my deer hunt!

[firstcoueswas80]

Better be takin that .280 back down with you so u can go get that lion!

 

i thought you were deadly at 30 (cant shoot there anymore cause of breakin arrows)?

[azcouesandelk]

Forgot to mention that when I took the "30 yard shot" at the buck that it was actually a 40 yard shot and I had ranged a small branch that was 10 yards closer to me so I blew it since I should have tried to range it again.

 

I would not mind getting that lion at all but he is small to say the least. I would say he would be lucky to break 75 pounds.

[firstcoueswas80]

yeah that using the 30 yard pin on the 40 yard shot will do that! dad did that with my bow in the alley and was lucky to BARELY hit the target!

 

a lion is a lion, but yeah thats a small one! even smaller than mine! as long as it doesnt have spots its legal!

[ndaniel]

Keep at 'em Christian, did you have a chance to talk to the guy that yelled out "PIGS"! ?

[azcouesandelk]

Keep at 'em Christian, did you have a chance to talk to the guy that yelled out "PIGS"! ?

 

No he went back over the hill and walked a ridge back to his truck and left. Not the end of the world though I will definately have more chances.

[stanley]

Nice story Christian! Are you going to be heading down again this month?

 

I'm thinking a friend of mine and I may be down there with our bows for the last weekend of the season, but it depends on whether I can swing some time away from the office or not.... I'm hoping to get down to try to chase that little 4x4 that you had spotted for Erik on his junior hunt.

 

Best wishes for the New Year!

 

S.

 

[azcouesandelk]

Nice story Christian! Are you going to be heading down again this month?

 

I'm thinking a friend of mine and I may be down there with our bows for the last weekend of the season, but it depends on whether I can swing some time away from the office or not.... I'm hoping to get down to try to chase that little 4x4 that you had spotted for Erik on his junior hunt.

 

Best wishes for the New Year!

 

S.

 

 

 

I am planning on going down on the 12th and staying through the 15th and if necassary I will go down the night of the 18th and stay til the 21st.

[Kilimanjaro]

keep at it !!! You know how many pigs are in those units!!

[AZP&Y]

Christian,

 

Nice to meet you down there last month. Boy you weren't kidding you were going to be spending some quality time down there. Way cool, nice that you have the opportunity and every day is a key learning experience.

 

Let me know as of this writing (Wednesday) night, if you can what the weather is the next few days (THursday - Sunday) if you can, I'd be curious with this powerful low, coming into ARizona how much rain and snow they get.

 

 

Good to meet you again and good luck - I might run into you again before the end of the month !

 

AzP&Y

Doug