Elk Hunting

"The elk hunter practiced many hours each year getting ready to elk hunt, but he had never taken a more important shot in his life."

This elk hunt actually started nine years before this elk hunter ever set foot in Arizona with an elk tag in his pocket. That is when this elk hunter started applying for the elk tag. He had 10 bonus points going into the 2005 draw and his good friend from New Mexico, had nine. They put in together hoping that this year would be their year for an archery elk hunting adventure. With all the controversy in Arizona surrounding the nonresident elk tag allotment and the higher number of nonresident tags in the quota, they knew that their chances for drawing one of the very best units in the state - Unit 3A/3C - would never be better.

When the day of the draw arrived, this elk hunter remembers going to the computer on pins and needles to check the results. He screamed when he saw his name among the successful. His wife and two daughters thought that he had lost his mind, and maybe he had. This was the best public land tag in all the country and he had one. Then he couldn't wait to call his and give him the good news - they were going to Arizona in September to archery elk hunt.

They call this hunt a once in a lifetime chance because Unit 3A/3C is very hard to draw and it was very unlikely that they would ever be lucky enough to draw it again - though they would sure keep trying. They generally elk hunt without a guide and have 14 years of elk hunting experience. During that time, this elk hunter has taken some nice bulls, but this trip was different. He wasn't going to take any chances. He wanted help from someone with plenty of local knowledge.

The next two months went by very slowly. This elk hunters eagerness for September 16 grew more intense each day. His friend was also getting itchy. He was going to elk hunt without a guide, and being close enough to drive to the unit, he made a few scouting trips during the summer. The bulls he saw only made us both more impatient to get started.

Finally, on September 15, the elk hunter arrived in Show Low from his home in Kentucky. He met his elk hunting guide and they began mapping out their archery elk hunt for opening day. The elk hunting guide knew many spots where he and his friends have elk hunted, so they had plenty of options. The first day, they decided to elk hunt close to the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The elk hunting gudie learned that a few big bulls were living in the flats, so that is where his hunt of a lifetime would begin.

Day One

The first morning was slow. There was not a lot of cover out on the flats. If the bulls are there, you know quickly. They didn't see anything and there was very little bugling.

That afternoon they moved to a new area and got into a bull that would score close to 360 inches. They were just easing through the pines and junipers when they heard a bull up ahead. One of them made a cow call and the bull instantly bugled. They could tell he was heading their way fast. The elk hunting guide turned and moved away, trying to put as much distance between them as possible before the bull showed up. That way he would be able to call the bull past the elk hunter. Unfortunately, the bull got to them too quickly and the elk hunting guide wasn't able to get far enough away. The bull hung up at 80 yards looking for the cow and wouldn't come any closer. If the elk hunting guide could have gotten farther away from him, they think they could have gotten him.

Now the elk hunter was pumped. He was a great bull and he was thinking that life was good. Everything was looking very promising for the next day. Spirits were high in camp that night.

Day Two

It was another slow morning. They hunted near the Reservation again and apparently everything was on the other side of the fence. They didn't hear much. It was disheartening really. They thought the elk hunter was going to be on bulls from dawn. His friend didn't have a good day either. It is kind of devastating when you draw what you think is a once in a lifetime tag and the elk hunt gives every indication of being tough.

That evening after the elk hunt, one of the elk hunting guide's friends came over. He had killed a bull at a certain spot that morning and he said there were plenty of others there. He told them that no one else was elk hunting that area and that they should try it. It was a very generous offer and one that they truly appreciated.

Day Three

They had already made a plan to elk hunt somewhere else so they didn't go where the elk hunting guide's friend had killed; they were going to look it over in the afternoon. It was another slow morning. The temperature was warm and things weren't cranking. They were starting to worry.

That afternoon the candy store opened. The hotspot was an unlikely walk-in area right next to a major road. A short ways into the timber the elk hunter said, "There must be cattle here." the elk hunting guide said, "Buddy, those aren't cattle trails." A big smile broke out across his face. Then they heard bugles everywhere. There were four bulls bugling around them. Finally, the kind of action an elk hunter had dreamed about. They saw 10 different bulls that afternoon and they passed up shots at three of them. Ah, now this was more like it.

Before darkness closed the show, they physically checked out nine or ten bulls to see how big they were. One bull stood out. They heard him bugle and he snuck close to see how big he was. He had a bunch of cows with him. They finally got a look at him and the third points looked to them like they were just a few inches long.

He had three brow tines on one side, a fact that instantly earned him the name "Brow Tine". He was the last bull they saw that afternoon. They did not get a good look at Brow Tine but he told the elk hunting guide that he thought he was more than big enough to shoot but had short third points on both sides. They figured he was probably a 360 to 370-inch bull.

Day four

Obviously, they went back to the same place again. You couldn't have made them leave that place. That day they checked 10 to 12 different bulls. They didn't really see what they were looking for, but there was a whole lot of bugling. It was an exciting and wild day with adrenaline-packed action from daylight until dark. They were being really careful not to run anything. They never pushed them because they wanted them to keep using that area.

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