Anyone elk hunting in 5BN(pics added)?

[Switchback]

sounds like a tough hunt congrats

[ultramag]

I was in 5a last weekend and it poured, it completely filled up all the tanks in the area, this coming week will be the best to hunt the rut is late.

nice bull congrats.

[BML]

Those that were successful, a big congrats to you!!

 

 

I got back yesterday from another 4 day trip helping my brother out. It's getting a little better, but not much. The wind has really been tough. In all the hunts that I have been on, I have never seen a year like this one. The bulls aren't bugling at all in the mornings. They seem to be getting fired up right after the sun goes down past the horizon up until about 30 minutes after dark and that's about it. We have several different areas that we are hunting. All these areas are 2 to 2.5 mile hikes to get to. We got hammered with the rain as well. Unfortunately for us, we were already in 2.5 miles to our spot when the rain started getting heavy. Needless to say, we walked back to the truck very wet and dejected!! Oh well. It's gonna happen every now and then.

 

He has still had some great opportunities. Friday night, I called in a nice 6x6. We saw him at 65 yards before I started calling. I normally don't call once I see them, but he wouldn't commit and we were running out of daylight fast! Got him into roughly 30 yards. I watched as my brother drew his bow and I though "Finally! It's going to happen" Then I saw my brother let down and I immediately knew that we had run out of light. He couldn't see his pins! Sunday night a very big 360 class bull came into a tank but held up. The wind was swirling, yet again, and he stopped at 72 yards. He wouldn't come in any further. He teased for a while and eventually left the area.

 

All and all, it's been a decent hunt still. We have been in elk every day. My brother is still out there sticking it out for the duration. If he doesn't kill, it will not be from lack of effort. I really think the upcoming full moon will really get the bulls going. It's going to be a stellar year for those with early rifle tags!!

[azryan]

Those that were successful, a big congrats to you!!

 

 

I got back yesterday from another 4 day trip helping my brother out. It's getting a little better, but not much. The wind has really been tough. In all the hunts that I have been on, I have never seen a year like this one. The bulls aren't bugling at all in the mornings. They seem to be getting fired up right after the sun goes down past the horizon up until about 30 minutes after dark and that's about it. We have several different areas that we are hunting. All these areas are 2 to 2.5 mile hikes to get to. We got hammered with the rain as well. Unfortunately for us, we were already in 2.5 miles to our spot when the rain started getting heavy. Needless to say, we walked back to the truck very wet and dejected!! Oh well. It's gonna happen every now and then.

 

He has still had some great opportunities. Friday night, I called in a nice 6x6. We saw him at 65 yards before I started calling. I normally don't call once I see them, but he wouldn't commit and we were running out of daylight fast! Got him into roughly 30 yards. I watched as my brother drew his bow and I though "Finally! It's going to happen" Then I saw my brother let down and I immediately knew that we had run out of light. He couldn't see his pins! Sunday night a very big 360 class bull came into a tank but held up. The wind was swirling, yet again, and he stopped at 72 yards. He wouldn't come in any further. He teased for a while and eventually left the area.

 

All and all, it's been a decent hunt still. We have been in elk every day. My brother is still out there sticking it out for the duration. If he doesn't kill, it will not be from lack of effort. I really think the upcoming full moon will really get the bulls going. It's going to be a stellar year for those with early rifle tag

 

 

thanks for the update...way to keep with it....lack of effort is def not an issue....good luck the remaining of the hunt

[firstcoueswas80]

here he is...

[ultramag]

good bull congrats

[Vbraley]

Hey AZryan, Take off your shoes and throw on some double socks and chase/loop the bulls, it doesn't matter what they sound like! Your quad excuse is lame. If Quads are spoiling your hunt, you are hunting too close to my road. This is the reality of hunting in Az these days. "If your hunt is spoiled by the sound of motor vehicles", YOU are hunting too close to the road!

[azryan]

Hey AZryan, Take off your shoes and throw on some double socks and chase/loop the bulls, it doesn't matter what they sound like! Your quad excuse is lame. If Quads are spoiling your hunt, you are hunting too close to my road. This is the reality of hunting in Az these days. "If your hunt is spoiled by the sound of motor vehicles", YOU are hunting too close to the road!

 

 

was not my area I have never hunted it before....and we did walk quite a bit actually....we never stepped foot in a vehicle the whole time we were up there...we hunted straight out of camp...sadly most of the elk were near the roads...in the morning and evening

 

and plus quads did not spoil the hunt...we had lots of opportunities...we had tons of chances to harvest a bull...more then people driving their quads all day ha! losers...pm me if you want...

 

another thing most places up north around flag have tons of roads you can not escape them as much as you would like...there are not alot of wilderness places...roads are everywhere.....quads did not spoil the hunt at all

 

It was one of the best elk hunts I have ever been on.....and dont give me crap for being pissed when people ruin a few chances...im sure it has happened to you...it sucks and is a little frustrating....but it does not even come close to ruining a hunt...I just thought it was funny...everytime you heard a bugle..all of a sudden you hear the quads turn on....and after that not a peep...the elk were gone...but we were always right there to intercept the spooked elk...it was a blast...

[BML]

Well, it finally happened!

 

My brother called me today to tell me the good news. He finally tagged out on a bull last night. I met him this afternoon to take a look at it. It's an awesome bull stretching the tape to around 330". He hunted the same area we were in the night I called in the bull where he ran out of light. He says he got in between two bulls bugling like crazy. He started his calling and the bull without any cows came right in. 42 yard shot right before dark and the bull went down in 30 yards. Then the fun began! Remember, that area was over 2 miles from the road. He said he didn't get back to camp until after midnight some time.

 

 

I have no pictures unfortunately. He was too busy worrying about how he was going to get this elk out in the dark by himself and he didn't take any.

 

I have to say that I am proud of my little bro. Just goes to show you that even if you are given the worst hunting conditions like he was, you can still be successful. He stuck it out through all the bad weather, close calls and non existent rut. He drew a unit 10 archery bull hunt a few years back and didn't kill. He hunted every single day of the hunt. A few of his buddies really gave him a hard time for that one. This year, he gets his revenge. All those same buddies had tags this year and all of them killed bulls. My brother's, however, was the biggest one!! Now it's his turn to dish out the ribbing!

[AZP&Y]

I have to say that I am proud of my little bro. Just goes to show you that even if you are given the worst hunting conditions like he was, you can still be successful

 

 

BML- Tell your brother Congrats- That's how I got my bull a few years back and that feels the best!

 

AzP&Y

[azryan]

congrats to your brother....thats awesome to hear.

[BML]

Here is my brother with his bull. He had to wait until he got to our dad's house before he took any pictures.

 

Just thought I would share.

 

 

 

 

Congrats again to all the other successful hunters!

[azryan]

thats a great looking bull....tell him congrats....

[fatfootdoc]

congrats to all you guys, sounds like you worked hard and it paid off.

There is nothing better than sitting a tank and having some elk action finally and then hearing some moron on a 4 wheeler come driving up the road and spook them off. Hey if you want to hunt from your 4 wheeler knock yourself out, but dont be a horses patoot and drive up to tanks in the evening or early morning. I almost got popped by a fat piece of crap on a 4 wheeler one year during the NM muzzleloader hunt, and he was not on the road, he was out cross countrying it and stopped near where I was glassing, so of course I got up to tell him what I thought of him and promptly tripped out from behind the tree I was glassing from and out in to his view and as I was trying to keep from munching it, I heard him cock his muzzleloader. Luckily he wasnt as stupid as I thought he was because he didn't cap me off , but it was close, I had to use a come along to get my underwear out of my butt crack. Hey if you want to road patrol knock yourself out but be cool about it. Awesome though, hunting from a 4 wheeler on a bow hunt, that should work great Has anyone heard if younghunter killed a bull, I think he had a tag for 7. ag