Early Archery Unit 1 AZ

jvgunner

jvgunner

Active Member
Messages
159
Heading to Arizona In Early Sept for Bull hunt. Just wondering if any MM members got lucky and are hunting That unit? If so let me know, we can share scouting etc. Thanks.
 
I had the late rifle tag , I wanted that archery tag but with only 15 points I don’t I would ever draw that tag. The hunt was great and saw a ton of elk
 
I was through waiting. With the way things are going its going to take 30 + in 23/9/10/3a. I understand things are not like the used to be. I am reminded of that daily. Hunt is what you make of it. Guided for 10 days with 4 extra to fall back on. I will get about 10 days of scouting in before the hunt. Gonna Get a BEAST!
 
jvgunner said:
I was through waiting. With the way things are going its going to take 30 + in 23/9/10/3a. I understand things are not like the used to be. I am reminded of that daily. Hunt is what you make of it. Guided for 10 days with 4 extra to fall back on. I will get about 10 days of scouting in before the hunt. Gonna Get a BEAST!
Click to expand...
Who are you hunting with?
 
Flatlander said:
You kill one?
Click to expand...

FF9ACD66-E6CF-49EA-9C8C-1B308BD7B8C6.jpeg
 
I have a couple of questions. If you're going guided with one of the most well known outfitters in the country shouldn't they be doing the scouting for your hunt? If you find a monster during your scouting efforts and are able to harvest that bull are you gonna get a price break on the guided hunt?
 
PCPython said:
I have a couple of questions. If you're going guided with one of the most well known outfitters in the country shouldn't they be doing the scouting for your hunt? If you find a monster during your scouting efforts and are able to harvest that bull are you gonna get a price break on the guided hunt?
Click to expand...
Because who in their right mind would want to spend as much time as they can in one of the top 5 elk units in Az in September!
REALLY?
 
@Skidmore did you submit a tooth from your bull for aging? Just checked and my brother’s bull was 10 yo. That was tied for oldest on the late hunt.

Some real dinosaurs on the archery hunts though, saw a couple that were 13.
 
The Rut is typically pretty good in Unit 1 , with the later dates it should be really good . Very fun hunt in beautiful scenery. 1st choice every year for me because of the consistency of the rut action . Last tag was 2019 and it was average herd bull 310-330 but got a little better as the hunt went later . Some 340-360 were the exception . We used to see at least a few over 370 during the archery hunt . Wasn’t in the unit last year but heard the quality was definitely up , which should be really good news for you this year . Good luck
 
Flatlander said:
Do you know who your guide is?
Click to expand...

PCPython said:
I have a couple of questions. If you're going guided with one of the most well known outfitters in the country shouldn't they be doing the scouting for your hunt? If you find a monster during your scouting efforts and are able to harvest that bull are you gonna get a price break on the guided hunt?
Click to expand...
I am confident I could have done fine on my own but It was my choice to get a Guide. My guide lives & works in the unit & is constantly scouting the area. I will be trying to find that beast during scouting efforts. Not 380 bulls around every corner so I want to give it my all to help the efforts & if I turn one up, so be it. I will not ask for a price break.
 
Beerdrinker said:
The Rut is typically pretty good in Unit 1 , with the later dates it should be really good . Very fun hunt in beautiful scenery. 1st choice every year for me because of the consistency of the rut action . Last tag was 2019 and it was average herd bull 310-330 but got a little better as the hunt went later . Some 340-360 were the exception . We used to see at least a few over 370 during the archery hunt . Wasn’t in the unit last year but heard the quality was definitely up , which should be really good news for you this year . Good luck
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
jvgunner said:
I am confident I could have done fine on my own but It was my choice to get a Guide. My guide lives & works in the unit & is constantly scouting the area. I will be trying to find that beast during scouting efforts. Not 380 bulls around every corner so I want to give it my all to help the efforts & if I turn one up, so be it. I will not ask for a price break.
Click to expand...

No doubt you're in for a great hunt, I'm jealous. I had the tag in 2017 and my dad had the tag in 2019. I went guided and he went unguided. Neither of us filled our tags but it darn sure wasn't because we didn't have opportunities.

The unit is not what it once was but it's still on my application every year. You're in good hands with A3 and I hope you kill a great bull. It's my understanding they have a couple of guides who know the unit extremely well. Please report back with a hunt recap and pictures.
 
PCPython said:
No doubt you're in for a great hunt, I'm jealous. I had the tag in 2017 and my dad had the tag in 2019. I went guided and he went unguided. Neither of us filled our tags but it darn sure wasn't because we didn't have opportunities.

The unit is not what it once was but it's still on my application every year. You're in good hands with A3 and I hope you kill a great bull. It's my understanding they have a couple of guides who know the unit extremely well. Please report back with a hunt recap and pictures.
Click to expand...
I will report when I get home from the hunt. Yes my guide lives & works in the forest. Thanks
 
jvgunner said:
I am confident I could have done fine on my own but It was my choice to get a Guide. My guide lives & works in the unit & is constantly scouting the area. I will be trying to find that beast during scouting efforts. Not 380 bulls around every corner so I want to give it my all to help the efforts & if I turn one up, so be it. I will not ask for a price break.
Click to expand...
Just to throw this in. I am 55. This will be my first guided hunt.
 
Congrats on the tag, good luck and report back! I am a little jealous you are able to be there for 10 days scouting before the hunt as I will be rolling into camp the night of the 14th to hunt in unit 27. Do you have the whole hunt off too?
I have high expectations with the hunt date about six days later than it has been in a while.
29 days and counting......
 
Good luck on your hunt. When I hunt 27 in 2014, couple unit 1 hunters at my hotel in Alpine. We compared notes each night and they were consistently in screaming bulls. One of the guys hit a 370 on the first day but never recovered. I scouted a week before my 27 hunt started. Got lucky and killed a 401 on day 9. Again good luck and look forward to seeing your success.
 
What are the early reports jvgunner? I didn't hear any bugling over the long holiday weekend while I was scouting. Hope you did!
Jeff
 
WillPower said:
Good luck on your hunt. When I hunt 27 in 2014, couple unit 1 hunters at my hotel in Alpine. We compared notes each night and they were consistently in screaming bulls. One of the guys hit a 370 on the first day but never recovered. I scouted a week before my 27 hunt started. Got lucky and killed a 401 on day 9. Again good luck and look forward to seeing your success.
Click to expand...
Did you find that monster during your scouting or just get lucky?
That's cool either way. Hopefully I can find one like that next week!
Jeff
 
My buddy hunted 23 NM all weekend up by Luna, very slow and quiet. He said evenings after the sun went down a couple bugles. Mornings were not good. Weather supposed to cool next week so should get better.
 
Last edited:
This was when we got into a small heard with 5 bulls, had eyes on a 360+ & 1 other in the group who is the eerie sounding bull you hear in the video. A heavy 5pt I would have liked He is the bull that gave there position away we heard from about a mile out. Then this guy came in and the video is cut short as he got right behind the fir tree on the right side of video, 2-3 yds

 
This bull was with the target bull along with a nice 7x6. These bulls where hard to get to as the herd was 300+ but the herd broke up thru the valley by the time the hunt started. We got within 70 yds. of the 7x6 (340+) bull on day 3 but he was with 4 satellite bulls who stopped us from getting closer.

376382738_1358409138443344_2207434123139698877_n.jpg
 
My guide said worst rut he has ever seen, weather tough lot of wind. I did great scouting & between my guide & I had a few target bulls to go after. Put eyes on three of them night before hunt. Opening day was on them only to have some jackhole come strolling down open fence line at 830am or so to run the heard off. That played out numerous times over the first 3 days. Guys chopping you off or going in calling the calls in the open. As soon as any elk heard call they shut down. Started getting into them hard on day 4 thru 11. Had two bulls @6-8 yds that I passed on & 7 others at 40yds or less all 340 or less. I was sticking to my monster bull rules. (Can't shoot the big ones if you shoot the little ones) Day 11 started like the first few days with people short cutting my stalks. In the evening I sat water & had two bulls come in but bigger one stayed about 65 yds & walked off. I then cow called like a hooker looking for a John (Ha Ha) and heard one ripping off some around the knob. I shut up & he came in hot to the tank. I pulled back but before I settled in to take that perfect shot He caught my movement so I let it rip only to gut shoot him (320+ 6pt) I then watched him go no further than 75-100yds from tank laying down 4 times & looking really sick. I watched him for a hour then backed out to return in A.M. (maybe should have got aggressive & went after him) 10 Miles of searching turned up nothing but a dead cow in a canyon, a live cow with tag & radio collar, small 6x with cows that I practiced on. Got into a nice 350 bull on day 13 but tried to wait them out as they where working down the mountain slowly (300 to 200yds in 5 hrs only to have a predator bust them out of there & they went up not down. Final day I went back into a area I found a nice 7x6 before the hunt & to my surprise he was in the same place two weeks later. I went in too hot without one knocked & jumped him at 40 yds. They just did not get into rutting hard during day. Not sure if it was pressure or just the breaks. I am hearing most of AZ was slow to really slow. So It was a Great hunt but disappointing.. My guide for the first 10 days from A-3 (Dur) was the best guide I could ask for we got after it hard for 10 days, many stalks, 120 miles on the feet. The other guides in camp were also great guys & hunters (one was the biologist from the area). Highly recommend A-3. So I packed up the day after the season & drove my rig to my buddy's place in CO & flew home. Head back on 10/26 for deer & elk 2nd season (redemption tour) (Hoping my guide finds my bull as he will be looking)
 
Scouting pics, I would have a lot more great video but I had new to me tactacam & thought the chip would have held more video but all the good stuff I though I had did not record due to operator error & chip being full.

IMG_20230910_071959888_HDR.jpg


IMG_20230911_173900680_HDR.jpg


IMG_20230911_174223338_HDR.jpg
 
Dang if thats bad rut action I'm not sure what a guy would do if it was good. Heck 'you'd be lucky not to get trampled!! thanks for sharing!
 
I had similar circumstances in 3c... was after a 350 bull and was close 4 days in a row. He had a 270 bull that I had at 3 yards constantly pestering him. 270 would bugle every 15 minutes or so, which would call in other hunters. 2 times I had 350's cows bedded in front of me 30 to 60 yards with the wind blowing steady in my face. While patiently waiting for a clear shot (he would only seem to stop pacing when something was blocking vitals) some jackholes would bail in with the wind at their backs and blow my perfect situation up.
The second time they did it to me I went and asked them wtf they were doing hunting with the wind at their backs, to which he replied "this is my first elk tag. I just want to get any bull. Did you see how big that one was!" ?
 
montezumarchery said:
I had similar circumstances in 3c... was after a 350 bull and was close 4 days in a row. He had a 270 bull that I had at 3 yards constantly pestering him. 270 would bugle every 15 minutes or so, which would call in other hunters. 2 times I had 350's cows bedded in front of me 30 to 60 yards with the wind blowing steady in my face. While patiently waiting for a clear shot (he would only seem to stop pacing when something was blocking vitals) some jackholes would bail in with the wind at their backs and blow my perfect situation up.
The second time they did it to me I went and asked them wtf they were doing hunting with the wind at their backs, to which he replied "this is my first elk tag. I just want to get any bull. Did you see how big that one was!" ?
Click to expand...
Seems like he just didn’t know any better. Frustrating but hard to fault the guy, there is only one way to learn.
 
He had all the gear that all the internet influencer crowd wears... just a couple idiots that didn't retain the most important rule of elk hunting. You can fool their eyes, you can fool their ears... but you will never fool their nose!
 
jvgunner said:
This bull was on the list, Picture taken 2 days before the hunt. The other hunter in camp was after him but after 1 miss & 1 I did not have his release on when he came out at 15 yds he still roams the forest.

View attachment 121828
Click to expand...
I’ve got videos and pics of this bull. About a week before the hunt one of his cows seemed to be ready. She kept messing with him and finally she mounted him! First time Ive seen that happen. Guess he wasn’t picking up her vibe.
 
mc68 said:
I’ve got videos and pics of this bull. About a week before the hunt one of his cows seemed to be ready. She kept messing with him and finally she mounted him! First time Ive seen that happen. Guess he wasn’t picking up her vibe.
Click to expand...
I bet. that was the theme of the season.
 

Similar threads

U
AZ. ELK UNIT 22 ARCHERY
Replies
9
Views
817
yotebuster17
yotebuster17
H
Archery 6a or 7e, or late Muzzle 6a
Replies
4
Views
854
huntin50
H
Duckhunter14
Late Rifle Elk Tag
Replies
20
Views
2k
Jerry
J

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

1704764860492.jpeg
C50C6759-3F88-4E8E-868F-1215AC2EA2CA.png
DF2847E4-D3EA-4A7B-9A1A-6CAC779425EE.jpeg
43586EB0-8BD2-4C7F-96DF-E08341451CE8.jpeg
2020.jpeg
D47B47A1-451D-4BA0-A491-E7B5EDD3B96A.jpeg
img_8887.jpg
DSCN3100.JPG
060AE1D0-0F4E-4BCC-A32C-1CD79EE202C1.jpeg
9B754224-D2C1-47B9-A130-6587F76F7515.jpeg
5D20BDC0-0AD4-4F93-B459-F9D241801E87.jpeg
58722F5F-A2CB-4C24-97F9-4656180A9A5B.jpeg

Arizona Hunting Guides & Outfitters

SilverGrand Outfitters

Offering mule deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, javelina, and turkey hunts in Nevada and Arizona.

Arizona Elk Outfitters

Offering the serious hunter a chance to hunt trophy animals in the great Southwest.

A3 Trophy Hunts

An Arizona Outfitter specializing in the harvest of World Class big game of all species.

Arizona Strip Guides

Highly experienced and highly dedicated team of hardworking professional Arizona Strip mule deer guides.

Urge 2 Hunt

THE premier hunts in Arizona for trophy elk, mule deer, couse deer and javelina.

Shadow Valley Outfitters

AZ Strip and Kaibab mule deer, big bulls during the rut, spot-n-stalk pronghorn and coues deer hunts.

Back
Top Bottom