Arizona Archery

BBB

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-04-07 AT 01:42PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-04-07 AT 12:48?PM (MST)

I promised those of you that have shared stories and pics in the past on MM that I would try and return the favor. Here is one of my favorite hunts I have been able to participate in this season.
I quickly wrote the story after I returned so I wouldn't forget some of my favorite memories of the trip...I know the story is long.

The first time I ever stepped foot into this Arizona unit was for work. After the job was done in the late morning I had the rest of the day to hang-out until work the following morning. I went shed-hunting in my spare-time. One evening, a co-worker and I were out hiking miles of rolling hills of juniper with some fairly good luck finding elk sheds. I found a set that to this day is one of my favorite: heavy, with big, massive fourth-point swords. After talking with some guys that know the unit well, I was told that bulls with big swords were a somewhat unique gene in the unit. I wanted to kill a bull like that. The area quickly became one of my favorite shed-hunting spots and I began putting in there for the archery bull hunt September hunt.

I was elated to say the least when I found out I drew an archery tag. September approached at a snail's pace. If you asked my wife she would tell you I had my entire camp packed by the back door in March. I arrived in Arizona five days prior to the hunt starting to get a feel for if the elk were starting to rut and where the elk were hanging out this year. It is an abnormally big unit with elk occupying every square inch of the unit. It is mainly lower country mostly covered with lowland juniper, pinyon pines, and grass prairies. The elk depend on the tall grass for forage and the water-tanks (potholes) to contain water for survival. When you draw a tag in this unit, you hope for early spring rains to grow lush grass. The moisture and grass is crucial for these bulls to grow antlers to their full-potential. If the unit lacks feed, the little nutrients available are used up to keep the bull alive and the antler growth will suffer some. I checked the weather daily hoping some rain would fall, but it didn't. This year was one of the driest springs/early summers on record. I worried that even the water tanks would be drying and the elk would be stressed, but August monsoon rains were intense and relieved the scorched ground with plenty of moisture. I began hearing reports from friends that the bull?s antlers suffered some due to the extreme drought earlier in the year. Most of the top ends of the antlers (the fourth and fifth points) were stunted. I wasn?t going to let this information get me down from my high hopes to find a bull with great fourths I could dub ?Swords?.


I spent some time in the southern end of the unit and saw several nice bulls but also began seeing other hunters setting camp. There were quite a few bull tags and even more cow tags, the pressure could be heavy in the infamous spots with high elk densities. Although a recent personality test at work claimed I was an extrovert, I believe I am an introvert so I packed my stuff and headed for more remote country where maybe I could not have to see or talk to anybody. A hour and a half on blacktop and an hour on an old two-track later I was in an area with some potential. I grinned as I drove past the countless small juniper trees that were the unfortunate victims to a raging, testosterone-filled bull.

I spent four days up in my new remote location with just one other pickup driving through. As time went by this remote unfamiliar land soon became familiar and home to me. This is where I would kill my bull.

The morning before the hunt I got in the middle of a bugling frenzy. I had 8-12 bulls in a small area where there must have been a cow in estrus. I had bugling bulls all around me. The weather pattern was consistent day in day out: still and cool until 7:30 then southwest winds at 20 mph and in the 80?s and 90?s until 6:00 in the evening, when the wind and temperature would lessen. It didn't leave much time to actually hunt. Tim, a friend from Az. arrived in camp that afternoon. At that point I had probably looked over 40 different bulls, most of them in the 280-310? range with 5 or 6 in the 320-330? range and maybe 2 in the 340-360? category.

Opening morning took me to the same area I was in the morning before. There was not the same bugling frenzy and it seemed unusually warm for 5:30 am. We heard some occasional bugles and quickly closed the gap to take a peek at the bulls before they would bed. We glassed up some smaller bulls and then a smoker 6x6 with 20? thirds and nice fronts but short in the backs, a legit 330? bull. He would rear his head back and bugle in the early morning sun; it was a picture right out of a magazine. I told Tim, ?I would maybe have to kill that bull if it was in range? Tim replied ?we'll you better get up there cause he's pushin? those cows right towards us!? I ran to get behind the closest juniper root just in time to have a cow almost run me over. The bull was in close pursuit and stopped at 25 yards broadside. He was breathing heavily and he wasn?t going to leave this cow for nothing. I pulled back and placed my 30 yards pin right behind his shoulder?. I could have killed a very respectable bull by 6:30 opening morning. The wind quickly picked up and after chasing a few other ghostly bugles we headed back to camp.

In the afternoon, the wind let up a half hour before dark, just enough time to find a bull. We were slowly moving through an open park and we could hear bull raking a tree. We closed the distance and quickly found ourselves 60 yards from a bull. We could see bits and pieces just enough to tell he was a dandy bull. I used the brush to conceal me as I made the sneak. The bull kept quite and bedded under a pinyon quartering towards me. I felt my knees begin to tremble and my breathing became heavy and irregular?.bull fever was kickin? in. I got 40 yards from the bull and could see he was a good bull somewhere around 340+. I motioned to Tim, who stayed 20 yards behind, to give a cow mew to get the bull to stand-up broadside. Tim called and the bull stayed put. After another couple of persuasive calls the bull stood up and snuck straight away not wanting anything to do with the phony hot cow on this particular Friday night. I was never presented a good shot and we made it back to the truck after dark.

The next morning we went back to the same area we left the night before. The bulls were rutting halfheartedly with occasional bugles here and there. We approached one bull that seemed to be a bit more vocal. Tim kept back under a juniper to call while I crept forward another hundred yards. The bull responded to the cow call with a guttural bugle but never did close the distance; instead he headed straight away. Just when Tim and I were both questioning his ability to sound like a sexy cow, a couple of cows and young bulls came in looking for the herd of cows walking right past me. I pulled back on the raghorns and placed my pins behind their shoulders? ?thwack!!? I whispered subconsciously. We let them leave undisturbed and we continued on our way.

The usual southwestern winds began to pick up and began to warm the morning sky. I wasn?t done hunting, I didn't want to go back to camp, so we found a good vantage point and sat in the shade and glassed. While sitting side by side, we cow called for a moment and went back to glassing. I pulled out my fresh cow urine in estrus gel (MmmmmMmm) from my pack and wiped a little on Tim?s belt (a practice I accomplished several times during the hunt). Tim would turn around with a smile taking a big whiff like he just got served some homemade berry pie? ?Ya smell that Mike? We?re close!? I nodded my head. Tim hit the side of my leg, ?I hear something coming.? Quickly a small 4-point bull ran right down wind 10 yards from us. The bull got a good whiff of the urine gel and his nose flared and his eyes got, ya know a lot like Tim?s facial appearance when he smelt it
Fortunately, it wasn?t a big bull since my bow was leaning against the backside of the juniper we were sitting against. Minutes later, with bow in hand another 4-point bull came in to the call. Could it be that bulls were beginning to respond to cow calls?

Two javelinas strolled by looking for a shady spot to call their afternoon lounge. We were ready to stand up and walk against the warm blustery weather back to the truck. I stood up and stretched ?Mike, I got elk?. A herd of cows was moving through some pinions hurriedly some 500-600 yards in front of us. A nice bull with great fronts and good backs brought up the rear. If the rut wasn?t supposed to be on, the other bulls had forgotten to tell this big boy. Through the muddled heat-waves in our binos, I could see a cow puncher couldn't have herded these cows any better. He was a legit 350? bull, which was my target on this hunt. We quickly got downwind from the herd as they found a nice heavy clump of trees to bed in. I decided I would slip as close as I could into the herd and wait for a broadside shot as the bull would circle to check his cows?even if it took all day; Tim would stay back and wait for events to unfold. I slipped on my wool booties to dampen the clatter of my clumsy steps and began the stalk. I got within 60 yards of some cows that were bedded facing my way, I dared not creep any closer. I nocked an arrow and waited. For an hour I watched the bull bugle strutting around his cows.

Suddenly another bugle from the right caught the attention of the entire herd. The intruding bull, which I never got to see, came in quickly and raided the herd taking with him several of the cows. The bull I had been watching was so upset he took his frustration out on a poor little juniper; branches were being thrown high into the air. The cows could sense his irritation and they stood up and began moving out with bull in-tow. I quickly jumped up from my ambush spot and ran directly at them. The bull was busy trying to regain order in the harem and had no idea I was in close pursuit. Several times I would get glimpses of the big boy through the trees at 30-50 yards without a shot. My wool booties allowed me to run along with the herd with little noise. We traveled approximately 2 miles before they finally settled down. The bull was 35 yards in front of me moving directly away so I pulled back my bow, cow-called in hopes to turn him broadside. He stopped and turned his head to look at me?no shot. He continued rounding cows. I ran up again and was within 25-30 yards from the bull. I dropped to my knees and pulled back. I was panting, sweating from running for the past couple of miles, but unusually still waiting for the bull to turn slightly for a good shot. Through all the excitement, I forgot about the all the other pairs of eyes looking for danger. A calf figured me out and bolted right through the herd taking the cows and my big bull with them. I chased the faintly bugling bull into the wind until all was quite. I was so close to killing that bull, but couldn't get it done. I was a little disappointed in myself but proud of my ability to stay with the herd for so long without being detected.

I found Tim under the same juniper I left him at. He watched me through his binoculars as I approached, I could see his thwarted body language once he counted the arrows in my bow quiver. I was drained but pleased with our morning hunt. We walked over and gave our condolences to the poor little juniper and headed towards the truck. Tim looked at me with his nose in the air and a goofy grin, ?Ya smell them?? I looked at his belt and nodded. We walked into an area that really looked elky: elk beds under every tree, fresh rubs, and fresh sign littering the ground. Could this be where the intruder bull brought his stolen cows? I whispered to Tim ?Let's try a call here and see if we can't get that bull to respond?. It was 12:30 and hot. We already stripped our warm camo clothing off and were walking in t-shirts. Tim called loudly to fight the wind. Unexpectedly, we could see black legs under the juniper branches approaching at 80 yards on a dead run! I pulled back my bow just in time to see a 6-point satellite bull run 30 yards from us kicking up dust. He ran right past us and kept running in search of that hot cow. Seconds later, a cow approached down wind. Upwind, a deep bugle echoed through the trees. We smiled ?He?s a comin?, get back there 50 yards and bring em in!? I whispered loudly. I reached in my pack to put my camo shirt back on and position my self for a shot. Another bugle sounded like the bull was only 200 yards away and getting closer. I pulled out my range finder and marked several trees in front of me. One more bugle rang through the trees; the bull was just out of sight. I saw black legs moving in into the opening in front of me. The bull stepped out quartering towards me at 45 yards. I took a quick look at his antlers and quickly noticed his swords! It was the first bull I had seen on the trip with great swords. His fronts were nice, his thirds looked great, his fifths were a bit short but his main beam s look nice and long. Should I shoot? It's only second day. That's a nice bull! The bull couldn't see any cows and decided he would turn back towards the trees. Tim blew his magic and the bull decided he would take another look. He walked behind a juniper that I ranged at 38 yards when I pulled back my bow. As he stepped out he immediately saw me and tensed his body as if he was going to whirl around and run. I placed the 40 yard pin behind his shoulder, took a deep breath, and released?The bull flinched and dropped his body as the arrow hit his body. What was looking like a great shot hit a bit higher than intended. Immediately blood appeared on his blonde body and before I knew it everything was quiet. Emotion set it and I knew I just hit my biggest bull I have ever hunted with my bow!!!

After some emotional high fives, I told Tim I would like to wait an hour and a half before taking to the track to make sure the bull expires. What a long hour and a half! My bloody arrow was lying atop a juniper branch right behind where I had shot the bull; a clean pass through. His tracks were fairly easy to identify with big deep scuffs and large dew claw indentations in every track Blood was spraying out from the side I hit him from but not from the exit side.

Tim and I took our sweet time stopping every ten yards to glass ahead for the bull. After 300-400 yards of tracking, I was little worried that there wasn?t more blood although we both knew I made a good lung shot. I knelt down looking to my right, that's when I saw the one thing every archer longs for?.a dead animal at the end of a blood trail. What an emotional high. As I held his antlers up and stroked his long brown mane, I was reminded being by an animal of this magnitude that this is the main reason I spend so much time, money, and effort all year in preparation for a hunt like this. This was definitely a bull I could call ?Swords?. What a beautiful bull.

During our last pack-out, both strapped down with loads of meat, we stopped and rested on a small bluff. It had been dark for some quite time, but we didn't need to see the valley below, we already knew how beautiful it is. The wind had died for the evening and the bulls were bugling all around us.

Above us, the Milky Way looked like a stroke of white paint across the black sky. I promised myself one day I would be back on that ridge, either with another tag of my own or with a friend?s tag. We arrived at camp exhausted; Tim crawled in his sleeping bag in the back of his truck. ?Mike, can you still smell elk?? I was already in good spirits looking up at the stars from my sleeping bag. Earlier I had smeared a little magic gel near his bed maybe to help give him good dreams, I chuckled a little ?Ya, I smell ?em..Good night Tim.? Thanks Tim for all your help on the hunt. Thanks Emily for all your patience and support!

The bull is my best yet.

Michael Burrell

If you are interested his measurements are:

Right Antler: G1:16 4/8 G2:18 G3: 14 6/8 G4: 22 G5: 7 4/8 Main Beam: 52 4/8 H1:10 H2: 6 4/8 H3 6 4/8 H4: 6
Left Antler: G1:15 G2:17 4/8 G3: 18 4/8 G4: 22 4/8 G5: 7 2/8 Main Beam 48 4/8 H1: 10 H2: 6 4/8 H3: 6 4/8 H4: 6 4/8
with a 41" inside spread

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-04-07 AT 01:52PM (MST)[p]Man, BBB, I got to confess... That is quite a story.

Congrats on a great bull and what must have been a great time...

Anyone who has made that slow approach to the end of the blood trail can feel the emotion in your story.

Smell that?

Love it!
 
he's got some real funky backs. and great mass on his 4ths. awesome bulls








beat this
 
Once again Mike congrats bro. Can't wait to see youin AZ on the Coues hunts.
Peace,
nk
 
PPPHHHEW! Congrats on the super bull! Thanks for the story and great pics, way ta go...NM
 
Enjoyed your Story and photos. I'm sure it will be fun to see that bull in the house mounted.

Midnight
 
Mike:

Congrats on your bull. You did well. I really like that sundown/ sunup shot you posted!

I was up there with AZ Buck Snort and boy did we have the adventures!

Unit 10 is always fun, and if you're lucky enough to get away from the crowds, you can sure have some real hunting experiences!

Again, congratulations on a job well done!

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
 

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