How did everyone do this year?

[broadhead]

I know technically January archery is the first hunt of the year but it always feels like the end of the season to me so I'm calling it that.

How did everyone end up this year? Successes? Lessons learned? New gear tested? Crazy stories? Close calls? Goals for fall?

I'll start. I'm still very new to western hunting. This was my second season out here after growing up mostly rifle and shotgun hunting in Wisconsin then not hunting for almost a decade due to military obligation. Got back into it the year before last and realized I knew absolutely nothing about western hunting so I definitely had my work cut out for me. Had a really fun first year learning how to glass and getting familiar with new gear available. One thing I realized after that first year was I needed camping gear and some optics upgrades So I saved up everything I could and got the best binoculars out there. What a difference. Deer jumped out at me and my ability to glass got much better too. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend nearly as much time out on the mountain as I hoped to this season. A nagging injury kept me out of the game almost all fall and with the wife nearing the point of giving birth I had to stick close to home for December and January.

Nonetheless I checked out a spot literally two miles as the crow flies from my front door so I spent as much time as I could scouting around looking for a place to set up for the late season. I ended up seeing more bucks than I ever thought I would in that spot but it was a season of so close but so far away. Rutting bucks were sneaking past just out of reach from where I was setting up in an ambush or I'd lose them in the flats when I was glassing. Finally after the rut I was sitting on a hill surrounded by hikers, pig hunters and even a bird hunter kicking around trying to flush some quail. I had mostly accepted the season was coming to a close with my tag very well in tact when I decided to sit up on a hill and glass a little since the weather was so nice. Within five minutes I spotted a bedded buck watching the same activity I was watching, including the three horseback riders that walked through the wash right below him. I put a stalk on him but without a spotter I ended up beneath him a little and I looked up in time to see him bound away. I have so much to learn.

This year I decided to put in for elk and I think when early archery comes back around I'm going to have to push up into the higher elevations to tree stand hunt the pines. Hope you all had success last season and are looking forward to the next year. I'd love to hear what you guys (and gals) had going for you!

[Bigfish86]

Man I'm in the same boat as you are except I am born and raised here in Az I didnt start big game hunting til I was 25. So I know I got a lot to learn still. I was fortunate enough to draw a archery antelope in unit 10 the first week of Sept  and a early archery bull elk tag in 11M the second hunt. My antelope hunt was alot tuffer than I thought it was going to be but still a load of fun and learning after 4 blown stocks I had to call it quits and get back home because of work. So I went 0-4 on antelope. Fast forward to 3 weeks later elk hunt rolls around and day before the hunt starts of corse had a nice 6x6 bull walk about 50 yards in front of me at a watering hole just my luck it was awesome to see one that close and just watch him Waller in the tank. Throughout the week I had 15 bulls come in and only one shot opportunity out of the whole hunt and unfortunately I missed. But I learned a whole bunch about those amazing creatures and it has me fully addicted and wanting to chase them again this year ( fingers crossed ). Met some really cool people up there as well hunting and seen alot of nice bulls and country. And now just waiting for our javelina hunt to start on the 22nd of this month and hoping to tag out on them. 

[broadhead]

55 minutes ago, Bigfish86 said:

Man I'm in the same boat as you are except I am born and raised here in Az I didnt start big game hunting til I was 25. So I know I got a lot to learn still. I was fortunate enough to draw a archery antelope in unit 10 the first week of Sept  and a early archery bull elk tag in 11M the second hunt. My antelope hunt was alot tuffer than I thought it was going to be but still a load of fun and learning after 4 blown stocks I had to call it quits and get back home because of work. So I went 0-4 on antelope. Fast forward to 3 weeks later elk hunt rolls around and day before the hunt starts of corse had a nice 6x6 bull walk about 50 yards in front of me at a watering hole just my luck it was awesome to see one that close and just watch him Waller in the tank. Throughout the week I had 15 bulls come in and only one shot opportunity out of the whole hunt and unfortunately I missed. But I learned a whole bunch about those amazing creatures and it has me fully addicted and wanting to chase them again this year ( fingers crossed ). Met some really cool people up there as well hunting and seen alot of nice bulls and country. And now just waiting for our javelina hunt to start on the 22nd of this month and hoping to tag out on them. 

That sounds like a pretty awesome season even if you didn't fill your tags. I went back and forth about applying for archery elk this year versus buying a point but decided to try to draw even if the odds are really low for bull tags. My 3 4 and 5 option went to cow applications just to try to get some experience and see some different units. I have never hunted elk and have no idea what I'm doing so I'm sure if I manage to draw a tag it will be a really fun train wreck of a hunt haha. And if I don't draw I'll just try again with another point next year.

 

[Bigfish86]

To be honest I pulled my elk tag with 4 points and my antelope tag with 3 points. I spoke to a gentleman by the name of Dennis Ward come to find out his son is Stephen Ward with ward outfitters and he said the area we were at the bulls wise up real fast to bugles and shut down during that second hunt and I totally seen it most the bulls we called in were with cow calls. He was a really awesome guy and gave me alot of tips with that being my first elk hunt also. And he also is the inventor of the vortex broadhead and ended up giving me a couple to try out. So gonna try them out this year if I get drawn again.

[ThomC]

You are on your way boys.  AZ is arguably the best state for big game hunting.  😤

[brent]

I caught a fish

 

[Bigfish86]

Thanks ThomC got to start somewhere right? 

Brent what kind how big? I do alot of fishing as well and always looking for someone to go with me when i go i usually hit saguaro or Bartlett or roosevelt I am a avid bass fisherman but this last summer I started to do more flathead fishing and am on the hunt for one of those AZ Monsters.

[WHALE]

First time in 13 years I have not hunted January. I spent a lot of December looking at coues though, with my first December rifle tag in my pocket and it was an awesome hunt. 

The more you are out chasing deer the more you will learn. It took me five years to arrow my first buck. After that they started dropping pretty regularly.

Good luck and keep at it

[broadhead]

8 minutes ago, WHALE said:

First time in 13 years I have not hunted January. I spent a lot of December looking at coues though, with my first December rifle tag in my pocket and it was an awesome hunt. 

The more you are out chasing deer the more you will learn. It took me five years to arrow my first buck. After that they started dropping pretty regularly.

Good luck and keep at it

Did you fill your December tag? That can be a tough draw but what a great rifle hunt.

[CatfishKev]

Keep at it. It took me at least a few years before I finally arrowed a buck. And probably ten years before my first big one. It's been six years since I killed the big buck and I finally killed another nice buck this January.  It feels like a dream when you work so hard and it finally happens for you,  good luck dudes!

[wildwoody]

It was a dandy

[oz31p]

3 hours ago, WHALE said:

First time in 13 years I have not hunted January. I spent a lot of December looking at coues though, with my first December rifle tag in my pocket and it was an awesome hunt. 

The more you are out chasing deer the more you will learn. It took me five years to arrow my first buck. After that they started dropping pretty regularly.

Good luck and keep at it

I describe it as “the log jam” cause after the first one .....

[WHALE]

16 hours ago, broadhead said:

Did you fill your December tag? That can be a tough draw but what a great rifle hunt.

Yeah with a pretty good buck. We seen 3-5 bucks a day and shot this guy on second to last day. One of the best hunt I have been on.

[Pistolpete]

Sounds like we had similar experiences...

I didn't hunt January except for a couple days out for quail but my December season was something else. First time going after muleys with a bow, new to this area since I moved in October. Splurged for some 15xs and a tripod, was able to glass up 10 deer feeding on a hill a little over a mile from my back porch a week before season. Started seeing bucks chasing leading up to opening day. Spotted the mature buck I was after on day 1 and within a minute he bedded down with a doe, got within 80 yards but couldn't spot him before he and his doe spotted me and he walked out of the wash up the hill and hung out for about an hour before disappearing. Chased after another small group of deer that evening, got inside of 50 on a one horned spike but didn't take him. Next day was waiting to ambush some  deer in a wash that were coming down canyon,  low and behold the mature buck is coming up canyon at about 75  I couldn't  help but look around the bush and he spotted me but didn't  scent me  we played peek a boo for 10 minutes  before he circled around  and went up the hill behind me, stopping to smell the scrape I peed in on the way down and taking his time cresting over the  ridge.story of my season, bucks just walking away from me haha After striking out stalking canyons I set up on a mud puddle with tracks. Sure enough, had 3 deer within 15 yards at 8 am but the forky never came out of the brush. No blind, just me In a chair staring at two does 30 feet away for 5 minutes, coolest encounter I've had. Hunted 18b for a few days over Christmas with my boss and saw lots of deer but never got an arrow off. Came back to Kingman and set up over that mud puddle (it's actually a spring, one that someone loves to drive through on their utv) with a ground blind and had 3 does come in again with no idea I was there but no bucks. Had a great time, saw a lot of deer, only one day without any, got a few stalks in, learned some important lessons, made new friends and have good spots to look forward to next year.

Now time to get me a couple pigs with the bang sticks!

[bojangles]

I had a bittersweet archery hunt.  In december i hunted muleys, but the bucks didn't show themselves until 26th.  I put on a couple of good stalks, but without a spotter, it was a shot in the dark.  Every time i dropped off the edge on a buck, i was in the wrong spot and got busted.  I stalked a decent 4x4, but got bested.  I had a forked horn at 30 yards, then 10 yards on a couple different occasions, but i was reluctant to draw.  

So January rolled around, and i headed high for whitetail.  First week or so was slow, then i found i had a coyote problem. After they moved on, the deer started showing themselves.  I ranged a large buck, near 100' at 78 yards, behind me.  The doe he was dogging came in to 60 yards.  If he had followed her, i'd be buying another bonus point.  Instead he started to walk away from me.  I held for 80, and missed a smidge low.  It was along poke, but it felt good when i let it fly.  I've practiced extensively at 80, and shoot pretty well.  Unfortunately, the buck was closer to 86-88 yards.  Frustrating.  

I was able to get out for a few hours, a week later, and a smaller buck came in.  He was probably a 3 1/2 year old.  but i was cold, and hungry, and he wouldn't sit still.  I drew, but every time he stopped, i didn't have a shot.  I held as long as i could, but i was shaking like crazy when he finally stepped out at 45 and gave me a shot.   I couldn't get the pin locked on his vitals, so i just let down.  I was hoping he would present another shot, but he played cat and mouse with me for another 15-20 minutes and never presented another shot.  

That was it for me.