BIGOLMULEY
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LAST EDITED ON Nov-26-13 AT 09:06PM (MST)[p]So a few of you may remember that I drew this tag on accident, as I put in the wrong hunt code. AZ with their sweet rule of not allowing anyone to turn a tag back in gave me this interesting opportunity for a hunt.
I had zero time to go scout this place so I bought a few maps, talked with a bunch of folks and went for broke.
I decided to pull my trailer down as I heard the roads are not to bad and the weather looked decent. Took 2 days to drive down and got there the night before opener. Went to a knob an awesome guy told me about. He had the early archery the year before and his son had the late rifle last year. Pretty flat, tons of junipers and windy. I did happen to glass up 10 cows a spike and a rag 4-point.
There is tons of private ranches, but you can access them by signing into most. This is where I went the first day. I saw zero elk. Glassing, hiking all day. Lots of sign, but no elk. I called a friend and he recommended going to the other side of the unit. So I packed up camp and drove 90 miles. Got there in time to glass off the knob he told me about. Again zero elk. Morning foggy, but could glass. Zero elk again. Met another tag holder from Mesa. They had seen zero elk as well since being there. Getting discouraged. Went on a big hike, again sign, but no live animals. Spent 2 days there and nothing.
Talked with a guide I know and he sent me to a spot they had recently been in. Said there were elk there last week. So I packed up camp, again, and drove 4 hours to the new spot. This is what I see when I get there:
Not a tree anywhere. He says they are there hiding in the breaks. Well, I find where they had been, but again no sightings. 2 days and I am mentally shot. I decide to pack up and move camp one last time. Back to the original spot. At least I had seen an elk there 6 days ago. Got there in time to glass from knob I had seen them from. Nothing that night. I decide I glass the next morning from the highest knob around and if nothing I blow this hunt up and go home. So in the AM I climb this guy,
It took a while. 2 hours later I am about to leave pack up and go home and I pick out a bull bedded just over a mile out in a small clearing. No way to stalk, but decided I would try anyway. Had nothing to lose. Well very long story short I blew him out at 40 yards. It all looked so different when I got there. But I saw tons of sign in this juniper patch so decided on one more evening of Glassing that patch.
Climbed hill again, 20 minutes in got tired of looking at same patch. Got out scope and started Glassing 2-3 miles out and I find 2 4-points on a far off hill probably 2 miles out, then another big bull walks out. Big. Not broke at all as far as I could tell. I look at the time and I have 90 min. Til dark. I run down off the hill to my truck, fly to the nearest road/ridge I could get to and sprint up the hill. I glass quick over to where they are and see 4 new bulls. Don't see the giant bull, but don't care there are elk! About a half mile out. I run towards them. At about 300 yards out I drop my pack. Got to 150 I spot them. Got to 84 yards of 2 6-points and a 5x6. They are all broke to some degree. I decide On the 6 with just 8" or so of main beam broke. Can't see the big bull, but decide this is my chance. Got to 54 yards and just waiting to walk into a clear opening. The more broke bulls both gave me shots but I pass knowing the one I want will follow. Just as he does I see to my right another bull walk out. I see big back end and think the giant just came out! Range at 46. I draw aim and shoot in quick order. I drilled him! He ran 10 yards and stopped. Walked 5 more and fell over. 10 minutes or so later he gets up walks a few steps and falls over. He coughs a bunch then nothing. All the other bulls are still feeding.
I walk over to where he was when I shot and see this:
Then this:
Then this:
I was pumped!
I realize pretty quick he is not the big one I had glassed up, but didn't care. Had not seen this one. He had broke his left G2, but other than that a stud. After all I had been through not seeing jack, I was pretty excited.
Here he is:
Overall it ended well but I would never recommend this hunt to anyone. Talked with a few other people and they had hardly seen an elk. If you are ok with not seeing elk and seeing lots of juniper trees, then this hunt is for you. I just got plain lucky. Though I feel my huge sprint and stalk I added some skill there.
Gutted him that night and packed him out the next day. Wasn't to bad.
Spent over $800 in fuel. That was a killer. 1892 miles total and moved camp 3 times.
Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
I had zero time to go scout this place so I bought a few maps, talked with a bunch of folks and went for broke.
I decided to pull my trailer down as I heard the roads are not to bad and the weather looked decent. Took 2 days to drive down and got there the night before opener. Went to a knob an awesome guy told me about. He had the early archery the year before and his son had the late rifle last year. Pretty flat, tons of junipers and windy. I did happen to glass up 10 cows a spike and a rag 4-point.
There is tons of private ranches, but you can access them by signing into most. This is where I went the first day. I saw zero elk. Glassing, hiking all day. Lots of sign, but no elk. I called a friend and he recommended going to the other side of the unit. So I packed up camp and drove 90 miles. Got there in time to glass off the knob he told me about. Again zero elk. Morning foggy, but could glass. Zero elk again. Met another tag holder from Mesa. They had seen zero elk as well since being there. Getting discouraged. Went on a big hike, again sign, but no live animals. Spent 2 days there and nothing.
Talked with a guide I know and he sent me to a spot they had recently been in. Said there were elk there last week. So I packed up camp, again, and drove 4 hours to the new spot. This is what I see when I get there:
Not a tree anywhere. He says they are there hiding in the breaks. Well, I find where they had been, but again no sightings. 2 days and I am mentally shot. I decide to pack up and move camp one last time. Back to the original spot. At least I had seen an elk there 6 days ago. Got there in time to glass from knob I had seen them from. Nothing that night. I decide I glass the next morning from the highest knob around and if nothing I blow this hunt up and go home. So in the AM I climb this guy,
It took a while. 2 hours later I am about to leave pack up and go home and I pick out a bull bedded just over a mile out in a small clearing. No way to stalk, but decided I would try anyway. Had nothing to lose. Well very long story short I blew him out at 40 yards. It all looked so different when I got there. But I saw tons of sign in this juniper patch so decided on one more evening of Glassing that patch.
Climbed hill again, 20 minutes in got tired of looking at same patch. Got out scope and started Glassing 2-3 miles out and I find 2 4-points on a far off hill probably 2 miles out, then another big bull walks out. Big. Not broke at all as far as I could tell. I look at the time and I have 90 min. Til dark. I run down off the hill to my truck, fly to the nearest road/ridge I could get to and sprint up the hill. I glass quick over to where they are and see 4 new bulls. Don't see the giant bull, but don't care there are elk! About a half mile out. I run towards them. At about 300 yards out I drop my pack. Got to 150 I spot them. Got to 84 yards of 2 6-points and a 5x6. They are all broke to some degree. I decide On the 6 with just 8" or so of main beam broke. Can't see the big bull, but decide this is my chance. Got to 54 yards and just waiting to walk into a clear opening. The more broke bulls both gave me shots but I pass knowing the one I want will follow. Just as he does I see to my right another bull walk out. I see big back end and think the giant just came out! Range at 46. I draw aim and shoot in quick order. I drilled him! He ran 10 yards and stopped. Walked 5 more and fell over. 10 minutes or so later he gets up walks a few steps and falls over. He coughs a bunch then nothing. All the other bulls are still feeding.
I walk over to where he was when I shot and see this:
Then this:
Then this:
I was pumped!
I realize pretty quick he is not the big one I had glassed up, but didn't care. Had not seen this one. He had broke his left G2, but other than that a stud. After all I had been through not seeing jack, I was pretty excited.
Here he is:
Overall it ended well but I would never recommend this hunt to anyone. Talked with a few other people and they had hardly seen an elk. If you are ok with not seeing elk and seeing lots of juniper trees, then this hunt is for you. I just got plain lucky. Though I feel my huge sprint and stalk I added some skill there.
Gutted him that night and packed him out the next day. Wasn't to bad.
Spent over $800 in fuel. That was a killer. 1892 miles total and moved camp 3 times.
Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
