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Opening Day Afternoon After the morning hunt we headed back in to grab a quick bite. After lunch, we went back out around 1 to do some spot and stalk hunting in the pines in an area that we have seen elk before. The afternoon was slow, as expected, for it being a warmer day. The wind was in our favor so I felt confident that we wouldn’t blow anything out before we saw something but for about 3 hours we didn’t see or hear a thing. About 2 1/2 miles in right when we were thinking of starting our loop back to the truck, I thought I heard a cow call. I told everyone to stop so we could stand there and listen. Then I heard the sound again. Bird. Darn it, I could have sworn it was a cow call. A couple minutes went by and heard the sound again. And again. Bingo, cow calls. Now that I was sure there were elk around I was starting to get excited. Sure, just some cows but with some cow groups come the bulls. And then I got even more excited. A bull ripped a bugle a couple hundred yards to the NE of us. I sent my brother in law and father in law ahead so they could be a bit more quiet just the two of them. Then we heard even more cow calls and a different bugle. Definitely unusual to be hearing that this time of year, but I’m just thinking some cows didn’t get bred and were coming back into season. Whatever the case, it was cool to be hearing all these elk in the woods. One bugle sounded so pure I would have thought it was some hunter had it not been for all the other noise we were hearing. Over the course of the next hour, we were playing cat and mouse through the trees. There were two good bulls moving between the lines but the they had several cows with them. The elk would be visible but the bulls would either be obscured by the trees or covered by a cow, so there was never a clear opportunity for my brother in law to take a shot. We kept pushing further and further in with the elk taking us further in by almost a mile. While my father and brother in law trecked ahead of us, my nephew, brother and I heard another group of elk making noise in the meadow off in the distance. And there was another elk bugling over there. Not knowing if my brother in law could hear this other group, I let them know we could hear more elk to the south of us. And since it was starting to get close to sunset and the initial group was driving us further in, I was wanting my brother in law to turn back to where we were so we could pursue this other group that were on our loop back to the car. After a few minutes went by and they seemed to have lost track of the elk, my brother in law and father in law turned back to meet up with us to find the new group. As if on cue, right after they picked up everything and started walking back to us the larger bull ripped a bugle from the meadow over. I saw them double back and they signaled they would make one last play on the group we’d been following for an hour. I figured while they did that, my nephew, brother, and I could try and locate this other bull bugling to the South. If he couldn’t get a shot off, at least we could check out this other bull and see how big he was and if there would be an opportunity on him before sunset. As we cut through the trees preparing to head to the new group, we heard the shot go off. BOOM! After a minute and no follow up shot, we hoofed it over to them to check out what happened. My brother in law had caught up to the small herd and the elk were out in another meadow. The 5x5 ripped our another bugle and walked out of the trees to feed across the meadow with some cows and smaller bulls. My brother in law was still hidden in the trees and made a 300 yard shot across the meadow once the bull was out in the open. Tag punched! Definitely excited for him to seal the deal after pursuing this group for so long. We hiked over the bull and he was a really nice one. For my brother in law’s first bull, he was very happy! We were all happy! Now the real work was beginning. He took the shot 4 minutes before the end of legal shooting light so we had to break out the flashlights and get to work. Luckily, we found another road about 1 1/4 miles from this meadow, so that would be a much nicer pack out than the 3 miles we went in. My brother in laws friends were able to bring a truck to that spot and help with the pack out. We got out of there around 9:15 in 26 degree weather but we were glad to have a heavy pack with celebratory drinks waiting for us after all was said and done. We spent the day today deboning and processing while reliving a great day of hunting. Good luck to all of you still out there. Already looking forward to next time!

Good story and pix. Thanks for posting it all. Eddie

My son drew second choice this year, a unit we hunted two years ago. Opening day came and Christian, my pops, Colby and I got to glassing. It was a slower than usual morning, only 5 small bucks. We had an interesting find, saw a pack of 14 maybe 15 dogs cruising the mountains. No collars, all dogs were a different breed of pit, boxer, lab, German Shepard etc and looks like none of them were tracking scent, sure didn’t look like lion dogs. They covered some good country so we decided to hit a different spot for the afternoon. That afternoon we hit up a glassing spot we seen some nice bucks in with some lions in the past. I glassed this buck right at 3:20 getting up from his bed 1030 yards. The boy and I grabbed our gear and spent the next 30 minutes going uphill to get in range. After the shot, it was even more difficult getting to the buck and even worse packing him out. The cat claws were amazingly thick and we enjoyed every moment of it. We know that when we are back in school/work, we would rather be out in the field getting cut up by catclaw.

My daughter after a dozen years, decided to start hunting again. Her fiance passed last year and has moved back home at our request. Her sadness has been apparent. First time putting in, in that time and she gets the coveted 37a late season bull tag. Fortunately, for her, there are few people that know late season elk as well as me. 🤣 Scouting was difficult, my usual spot on had 10 broken bulls in it, so I decided to check other areas that I know. Wednesday, I find a spot with a herd of about 25 bulls, but a guy in a gray single cab Toyota pulled behind and these elk acted very skittish. I wasn't comfortable focusing on them. Yesterday, I decide to go to my original spot and 15 bulls are off in the distance. One weird one with a double main beam I wanted her to take. This was the final dress rehearsal. I had everything timed from house to shooting position, including pee stops and circle k shopping at two hours and two minutes. Everything, for once, goes perfectly. Then the unexpected happened. A newer Ford started following us down a two track with very limited access points. I speed up and he speeds up. This causes me to go way closer to our hunting spot than anticipated. My brother took off his jacket and asked to be let out too discuss hunter etiquette. We get to a spot where a tacoma is better than a full size ford and leave him behind but very close to the hunting spot. We get to our spot and I see a silhouette of a man a few hundred yards from us. I curse out loud(very loud) then glass the field and find 15 elk bodies to our left and 850 yards into the field. The silhouette was 90 degrees to our right. I go through options in my head and for a brief time my daughter was not my daughter she was a hunter. I tell her 'let's c'block the m'fer'. The terrain and visibility was in our favor with him having a slope in front of him. I tell her let's cut across the open field into the little valley keeping the hill between the hunter and us and getting closer in the progress. We set up 3 different times before I dare not get any closer in the wide open. I'm anxious and texted Flatlander this Pic. He knows this spot in 37a Then I started texting ranges when they get to 500ish yards a fog bank rolls in and my rangefinder reads 7 yards. Last night my daughter said in a stern voice "I am shooting the first bull i see. I am not a trophy hunter". As we are in front of 15 bull elk, she says I like the gray one and the one way in the back. I am going to shoot the last one. I tell her weirdo is in the middle, a 4x6 with a split main beam, and there is a giant in the way back in the herd to the right. The fog lifts a little and the ones up front are under 400. The first ones cross at 307. Some broken small bulls. She let's them pass. She's set up and ready. I am thinking she is going to shoot weirdo as i swing the binoculars to the front of the herd. Boom! I ask her which one did she shoot at. Then Grey falls, not taking a step. After a few seconds it trys getting up and she puts a second round into his neck. Then he'll breaks loose. The elk just next to Grey make it look like Grey ran off. We stand there in disbelief. Then we look where she shot and see antlers sticking off the ground. Elk are running in every direction with this batch looking at its leader just lying there as we get closer i see this. as she walks up to it. My brother comes and we pose for a pic. this fat old 7x7 was shot at 705 am and we got the last piece out at 230pm. She did the majority of the field dressing

I guess it’s just dogs and handlers zig zaging under my stand for hours and eventually running around yelling out for their lost dog. It seemed to affect elk movement

I’ll post the rundown tomorrow morning. A bit too tired for that right now. But in the meantime….

Now spill it.

Any elk processor any or would recommend between payson and the north valley

sold

Opening Day Morning Hello everyone! Been a little while since I’ve been active on the forum. While I wasn’t drawn for hunting this year, my brother in law was able to draw a late bull tag for 6A. So we are up here for the hunt! Got in Monday and put in a little bit of scouting. Saw some bulls in a few different areas and then yesterday morning (before stuffing our faces) we were able to turn up a nice bachelor group that got us excited for Opening Day. Wake up was early today, around 3:45, and after a couple beers with dinner last night & getting a year old older, it was a little tough haha. We hiked about 2 miles into where we saw the bachelor group yesterday morning and waited for the sun to come up. It was a little chilly, but we were hoping once the sun started rising we would get a chance to see some bulls on one of the ridges before us. In the lowest light of the dawn we were able to glass the ridges that held the bulls yesterday and nothing. Not getting discouraged we thought maybe they were just lower and would slowly feed up in the hour or so after sunrise. We didn’t have to wait that long. As it got lighter I was able to scan another ridge about 1000 yards away that I was unable to see before in the low light. I instantly spotted an elk. As it got even lighter we found 2 of his buddies and were able to see that all three were decent bulls. No monster, but definitely something to go after. My brother and I stayed put glassing and keeping an eye on em while my brother in law and father in law made a move to get closer. About 20 minutes later they were in a good shooting spot but they couldn’t find them on the ridge. One was broadside for a while but a tree was right in their way and based on their angle they couldn’t find a way to see into the clearing my brother and I were looking at. Two of the three looked to have bedded down while one was still up, so we told my brother in law to cross to another ridge so he’d have a straight shot. Right as we finished that plan, something spooked the elk up the canyon and all three bulls took off. We followed them in our glass but they didn’t slow down and soon they were long gone. Dang it! Well not quite the ending we were hoping for at the end of that sequence but hey, we get to keep hunting a little more. I’ll keep y’all updated as the hunt goes on. Good luck to everyone out there right now!

Why? elk don’t seem to be affected by dogs on a trail. I know the noise is unnerving, but they usually don’t blow out.

Can we just stop running dogs during archery elk hunts??

Just picked up my cat from them and it looks great.

They'll be back tomorrow..

Family, friends, God's grace, help from a stranger, the smile from a child, the beauty of nature...

Thanks Doug. I'm spending Thanksgiving day watching a bedded 7x8 and wishing it were tomorrow 😄

on my youth hunt in 37b this year we were trying to spot a 4x4 muley we had seen at dark the day before, it was the last day of the hunt so we stayed out all day but at last light my uncle glassed up this coues at 700 we got closer and i shot him at 550, a coues was not expected but i can’t complain it’s pretty good buck.

you write a lot of checks your butt cant cash. you should be more careful.

Brunos shooting supply

I didn’t get a tag and neither did my brother so we turned our attention to two of my nephews. I wasn’t able to be out opening day but my brother and his step son got to 150 yards of a heavier antlered 4x4 and he took one shot and dropped him. This was his step son’s first buck. On Sunday, we watched another 4x4 bed down and walked my brother in law and nephew into his bed and my nephew was able to make a great shot and filled his tag. Now, we have 5 adults with tags left to fill. 3 of them are able to hunt the whole time so hopefully they are successful this week. I can’t wait to get back out Friday afternoon and help out. I absolutely love the desert.

My 2024 Bull. I waited 13 years for this tag. I shot this bull solo a few days into the Hunt. I’m very thankful I had some luck come my way during the whole Hunt. I really hope I don’t have to wait another 13 years for a tag. Cheer and happy Hunting.

Sig Sauer Kilo 2400ABS. I love it, but the first one I got had an issue and had to send it back. Replaced within a week and works like a charm now.

My dad drove up from tucson right when he knew I knocked one down. I was in a wilderness area so foot access only. With some recent medical issues my dads been having it would’ve been too much on him and even more on me to try to pack out that bull alone. Fortunately for us a local outta blue Arizona brought in his horses and helped me pack him out.

The Sig Sauer range finders have worked pretty good for me.

When i post a successful hunt, I get 15 PMs from people that do not post anything, saying how I'm screwing up there odds and the unit.