Unit 5BN Arizona Archery

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Elkhuntinfool

Guest
We hunted unit 5bn this year for archery bull. We saw alot of elk and some big bulls. It seemed that the rut was really slow. Did any of you hunt this unit? And what experience did you have? There were lots of hunters in the unit also. I saw 3 guys on 4 wheelers driving through the meadows and even into the woods. I also saw a sign posted at a meadow that said "treestands at end or meadow area reserved use hunter ethics". What do you think of this.
 
I use quads and it's people like the ones you mentioned that give ATV's a bad name. There is nothing worse to come upon a pristine meadow and see tracks across it. You should have reported them, if that was possible, to the Game and Fish. With regard to the sign posting, I personally don't have a problem with it if indeed the stands are being used (during the actual hunt), it's when you run across the signs and a hunter is nowhere to be found or the signs are put up before hunting season, that causes a problem. I believe in Arizona it is illegal to put up signs like this.
ArizonaGriz.
 
First weekend I was in 6a north. Rut activity seemed very good went up the following weekend it appeared to have died down some. I did talk to people that said they were still hearing alot of bugling but I did not.
About the quads, these idiots sure can screw things up for alot of people. I did hear that riding quads in meadows con result in hefty fines. I heard it was somewhere in the range of 1000 dollars per foot that is damaged. If these idiots would stay on roads and not ride around like they were at the sand dunes I would have no problem with them.
As far as the signs go. They are just that signs these people can put signs up all they want but that does not give them any more rights.
Jason
 
These people rode quads into McDermitt lake in the unit each night. It is dried up and like 1/2 mile long. We talked to a guide and he knows tthe game warden and he was going to contact him. They would ride the quads right up to their blinds and tresstands so close the would almost step of the quad right into the blind. We arrived at a water hole several hours before anyone and these yoyo's showed up and proceded to tell me that this was their water hole and they would not leave. I left and went to another place. What would you have done?
 
What's the right thing to do or what would I want to do are two different questions. I hate hearing about people that think they own the woods. You probably did the right thing by leaving.

What I would want to do, is drop my trousers right in front of his stand and have my daily morning conference call. Then move on........

If I didn't get shot in the back, the look on the guys face would be priceless. Would I ever do this.........NO! There is plenty of forest out there with animals to chase.
 
I agree with the rut being slow.As for the hunters driving through meadows and into the woods,they were'nt riding into the woods, the road continues on. And the road is always being used.And how would you know. You must've been back there too.I saw the signs too and I didn't like it either. But those guys were in there the whole time everynight.So do not start writing about your experiences when you were out doing the absolute same.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-30-03 AT 10:01PM (MST)[p]Hey bowhntr31 I too hunted the 5BN Arizona Archery hunt and think you better be careful what you say to others before knowing if they had quads or not, because I was in that area too hunting and saw the sign and saw many quad tracks not on any roads, and even saw people riding their quads across big nice meadows, and through the trees etc. I have quads, and choose not to ride them all over the state of AZ to disturb the rut and the elk. The rut was slow because of the excess of bull and cow tags in there with a myriad of quads riding all over. I walked to that sign for well over a mile, and that wasn't even where I was going. On opening day I walked over ten miles following bulls. Why don't people realize the quads shut up the elk! They can see and hear them for miles, and smell the oil and exhaust for miles also.

Proper etiquette I believe is first come first serve. If you beat someone to the waterhole then it is yours. If you want to sit a waterhole you better get there early.

I was sitting a waterhole at about 2:00 and sat until 4:20 when three other guys roll up on their quads, and walk fifty yards to their blinds and sat the waterhole. They saw I was there and didn't care. I was livid. I had seen many bulls and cows out feeding earlier in the hunt a little after 3:00. This is poor etiquette. Now do you think any elk would come in with four people and three quads surrounding the water hole? I had seen big bulls there in the previous days! I left because nothing is going to come in with four people sitting one water hole.

On top of this those people weren't sitting there every night. I sat there for several nights also and nobody was there! The sign is a joke. It is public land. What do you do reserve a spot? No, you beat others to the waterhole. Did they rent that land from someone like a hotel for the hunt, uuhh, no. They don't have any right reserving a spot.

Hey BigBullfool did you ride quads into there? I bet that was bowhntr31's sign up by that waterhole or else he wouldn't have been so defensive. By the way it is two spaces between sentences. Hope everyone's hunt was a success. Mine was. By the way good call BEANER!
 
If you read the regulations it states first one on the water hole has dibs on it. No matter if there is a stand or blind on it. It pisses me off when a guy puts up stands in three or four water holes six months in advance and thinks he owns all four holes the whole season. If your not on it first go hit another one.
 

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