BIGOLMULEY
Active Member
- Messages
- 525
So, after much advice and information from many, and lots of calling. I decided on a hunt that seemed the best for me with my limitations. As many of you know I am paralyzed on most of my right side.
I did end up going guided. I just can’t do an elk hunt alone anymore The outfitter did cut me a deal where I drove my little motorhome out and did all my own food. I don’t really care much about eating, so that helped. My big concern was about the winter prior. Did they have winter kill, or rough shape coming through? Well end of January you really don’t know. At the deadline to pull your app they said it was rough, but things should be ok. I drew of course. Was a place I did not need max.
I did end up going 5 days early. With being 50 % paralyzed you get an extended season. Nice to be the only one there. Hunt was incredible for seeing animals. 50-75 bulls a day. Elk everywhere. But guide says we were seeing 60% of normal. Can’t even imagine. In talks he said they were averaging a 350 bull if I could be patient. Saw tons 300-330ish, just not the next level. Day 3 did glass up a 350-360 bull and I got real excited. But he turned and was broke on his right side after his 3rd. ? He didn’t even look old. But his 55” beams and 16” 5th were incredible. Guide and I both think most of the older age class died. By the way, every deer was dead. He said usually seeing 2-300 deer a day. We were seeing 20-30. They did not take a single deer hunter.
I had some in-laws that drove out to take the meat home. (My wife had shot a moose earlier and I had an unexpected AZ elk tag in 2weeks) so we took them out with us the last afternoon. He was freaking out we were not shooting any of the bulls ? But we wanted one we didn’t have to work to hard. Did glass up a real pretty 330 bull, but was a 1000 yards out. We would have had to cut him up and pack.
Drove around to where we had glassed a bull from the morning and found him just inside the trees. Got my gun set up on the tripod and clamp. 225 yards and he went 12 steps. We had seen this bull 2 days earlier on a cliff with his cows. For some cool pictures of him.
Heavy bull and a fighter.
Overall a great hunt. Was exactly what I needed for a hunt physically. Just never could find that bigger class of bull.
This actually was my first bull with a rifle. Well, I killed a spike when I was 21. But 13 with my bow. So this bull was kind of cool.
I will be posting my AZ bull in that forum shortly. Pretty good year for me.
Thanks again for all the help.
Jason “The Big Ol’ Muley”
I did end up going guided. I just can’t do an elk hunt alone anymore The outfitter did cut me a deal where I drove my little motorhome out and did all my own food. I don’t really care much about eating, so that helped. My big concern was about the winter prior. Did they have winter kill, or rough shape coming through? Well end of January you really don’t know. At the deadline to pull your app they said it was rough, but things should be ok. I drew of course. Was a place I did not need max.
I did end up going 5 days early. With being 50 % paralyzed you get an extended season. Nice to be the only one there. Hunt was incredible for seeing animals. 50-75 bulls a day. Elk everywhere. But guide says we were seeing 60% of normal. Can’t even imagine. In talks he said they were averaging a 350 bull if I could be patient. Saw tons 300-330ish, just not the next level. Day 3 did glass up a 350-360 bull and I got real excited. But he turned and was broke on his right side after his 3rd. ? He didn’t even look old. But his 55” beams and 16” 5th were incredible. Guide and I both think most of the older age class died. By the way, every deer was dead. He said usually seeing 2-300 deer a day. We were seeing 20-30. They did not take a single deer hunter.
I had some in-laws that drove out to take the meat home. (My wife had shot a moose earlier and I had an unexpected AZ elk tag in 2weeks) so we took them out with us the last afternoon. He was freaking out we were not shooting any of the bulls ? But we wanted one we didn’t have to work to hard. Did glass up a real pretty 330 bull, but was a 1000 yards out. We would have had to cut him up and pack.
Drove around to where we had glassed a bull from the morning and found him just inside the trees. Got my gun set up on the tripod and clamp. 225 yards and he went 12 steps. We had seen this bull 2 days earlier on a cliff with his cows. For some cool pictures of him.
Heavy bull and a fighter.
Overall a great hunt. Was exactly what I needed for a hunt physically. Just never could find that bigger class of bull.
This actually was my first bull with a rifle. Well, I killed a spike when I was 21. But 13 with my bow. So this bull was kind of cool.
I will be posting my AZ bull in that forum shortly. Pretty good year for me.
Thanks again for all the help.
Jason “The Big Ol’ Muley”
