Leaderboard

I had a great first day of my season in between storms with @trphyhntr. We were the only crappie guys on the lake. I'd read here from Dan that SC stocked crappies. I believed them a couple minutes in and would bet the boat they were blacknose. All but 3 on the table were bn and they are looking great for the spawn. Thank you to them for the stocking and I hope they sell some licenses for the ROI. I'll be back.

Must be somethin' in the water. I had crappie tonight too. @trphyhntr had the kind of energy that made them crappies jump right in boat.

Dude, I hate you!!!🤤🤤🤤

Someone buy this. It's not often a quality AR pops up on here.

Crappie and tartar sauce lunch

It will be your last 23 archery almost certainly, so think of it that way instead of your first archery elk tag. If you get hooked and want to go shoot rag horns you can do that every year for the rest of your life in other places. I’d hold out for a big one.

Hey Elk hunters, my names Charlie and I drew an awesome tag with 8 points. Didn't think I would draw my first choice but luck had other plans. This is my first Archery elk tag in AZ. I've been saving my points up because I have been in an Electrical apprenticeship and wasn't confident I would be able to take the time off for 2 weeks of hunting. I've been hunting Coues since I was a young teenager. Elk hunting is still fairly new to me. Have been on 4 elk hunts helping family members and friends. I'm going to be running solo most of the time with some help from buddies here and there through out the hunt. I can't justify hiring a guide. any advice for this unit would be greatly appreciated. I plan on making a few scouting trips before the hunt. The projected precipitation and current drought situation has me a little worried about rut action but that could just be my inexperience. Any input on that would be helpful. Thanks for reading my post. I'm super pumped about this Tag.

Sold

I really thought last year was my one chance and hunting the big bulls of unit 9 and had a blast doing so. I WAS WRONG! Passed a couple of bulls I should not have but have the chance to go back and see their growth. I should have played the lottery also! (I did feel the freezer with an OTC bull in stead of taking a smaller one from 9)

Share some photos!

TTT price drop $17400 obo

Yes.

If you’ve never shot an elk before, I would shoot every animal you possibly can before that hunt. Coyotes,deer, bear… Just so you can get used to shooting things in the wild. This will probably be the last tag you ever get in that unit, like the other guy said. So make it a great hunt. I would start scouting cow herds this spring and keep tabs on where they are and where the water is. The bulls will show up, during the rut. Even if you had to take out a loan, it might be worth it to get a Guide, like Ground And Pounders or something.

Take up AZbowhntr on his offer as he knows the unit well. 23 is a special place during the rut. Archery hunts are no gimme with thermals moving and eyes everywhere, elk bust out. It's way different than an early rifle hunt. In addition to your workouts, train your lungs for higher altitudes. This is tougher to do in Tucson, but there are ways to deplete your body of oxygen while training.

I'm beyond pumped. Definitely holding out for a great bull but will be hard not to shoot a 350-360 bull if I have a great shot opportunity. On your rifle hunt did you end up shooting something bigger than 370?

Good eye. Yeah it’s the yellow package Louisiana brand beer batter. Delicious and really easy, not as messy as flour and egg. I was with @CouesPursuit and we caught about 40 but he kicked my butt. just made a huge batch for my parents, the homemade tarter sauce was very popular.

Congrats on a primo tag. We've done that youth hunt several times and they are still vocal going into october so they should be talking for you. I would go up on weekends when you can and just drive all the roads and mark food glassing spots before the hunt. I'd start exercising too, it will pay off.

RL 16 has given me low ES, .3 groups and its an excellent alternative to H 4350. It works well in the 6.5 CM and 3006 SPR. Good luck with your sale!

And girls where still girls

Joined a buddy on his bull elk hunt in late November. Cooked up some of the loin/backstrap that he shared, this weekend. (Got distracted and left it on the grill about 2 minutes longer than intended.... )

I built a new rifle just for this hunt. A double square bridge mauser chambered in 9.3x62. Bullet of choice was 286 grain partitions and 200 grain Federal hard cast polymer coated 10mms. Here's the one 10mm bullet I fired

It’s gonna be awesome either way. This moisture pattern won’t bust a drought but it can green things up enough to pack some antler on. Even if it dries back out you’re still in for the hunt of a lifetime.

Congrats on a great hunt. I drew the late rifle tag in the same unit. I was up there last year during your hunt and heard bugles every night and morning and saw some incredible bulls. I met a guy with the tag and helped one evening when all of his help had to come back to the valley. I will be up there most of the weekends during the rut and up to my hunt scouting. Let me know where you are camping and I would be glad to give a hand or point you in a direction if I have seen anything. Obviously the hunts are a long ways away right now but it will sneak up on us. Good luck

*otc elk army

Unit 1 army