azelkhunter69

Probably still running around. Been there, done that....unfortunately. Followed mine for 2 miles as the crow flies. Bled so bad I could have run down the blood trail for a mile or so. Last time I saw him, he dried up and was running. Never saw anything like it. Toughest animals I have ever run across. Never believed something could bleed that much and not die.

I can honestly say that I have never been presented a "follow up shot" on an animal I was shooting at with a bow, they all took off after being hit. But, without a doubt, if I think the shot was not good or the follow up is an easy shot, go ahead and stick him with another. Better to be safe than sorry.

Where is the "Dislike" button? Figured you might be yanking everyone's chain since you were the one asking what seasons started next month.

It's also on the Draw page on the website. https://az.gov/azgfd/draw/home.xhtml Well, they obviously didn't start the day after the deadline, so hopefully they will start tomorrow. This site will light up like a Christmas tree when they start. LOL

I'm relatively new to this site and I love the fact that there is much less negativity here because of the way the site is run. But, I also believe 99% of us are adults and can handle a little bit of cussing and implied swear words, if not used to offend another member. Especially in a joke. I thought this was pretty funny. I showed it to my wife and she had actually already seen it on FB or something and also thought it was funny. Not sure how you used your's so I can't comment on that. But hey, I don't run the site and I'm not sure that this site is a democracy. Can't complain though, I love this site compared to some others. Just my 2 cents.

It's also on the Draw page on the website. https://az.gov/azgfd/draw/home.xhtml

The deadline to update CC info is midnight Thursday so cards should start getting hit Friday and go through next week. Put my son, wife and I all on different CC's so I will know what, where and when as soon as they get hit. I wouldn't use last year as a benchmark. It was a fiasco with all the delays due to the website crashing, CC problems due to data breaches, etc. Let's hope the one day delay in the app. deadline is the only problem there is this time. Good luck boys and girls. Christmas morning is almost here!! LOL

Cameras came today. Messed around with them in the backyard a little. Both have good speed, but the Browning is definitely faster. Real nice features on both...time lapse, multiple photos, video, etc. I am looking forward to see how the perform in the field and at night.

The Partition has been getting the job done for over 60 years, that would be my choice.

I have to say that I don't think a lot of the comments were "anti-guide", just pro "do it yourself". I take great pleasure in scouting, figuring out the patterns of the elk myself, etc. It is part of the challenge/reward for ME. Growing up in NY, I read and dreamed of hunting elk, without ever thinking I would really do it. Luckily, my dream has come true. Waiting to get 17 pts, contemplating getting a guide, I get it. That is a lot of time invested for a really good hunt. If you have the money and you think hiring a guide gives you the best chance at harvesting the trophy you are hoping for, then I say hire a guide. I am sure you will enjoy yourself, or at least I hope so. I hunted with a guide once in Cali. for pigs and it was a fun hunt. I have no complaints. Do I enjoy figuring out elk on my own? Yes I do. But that is me, and I think that is what some of the other guys are trying to say. I may be wrong, but I don't think anybody would hold it against you if you hired a guide. You do what is best for you and your family and to heck with anybody that doesn't agree. Good luck in the draw and good luck on your hunt, no matter what you decide.

Well, you guys convinced me to take a look at the Brownings. They get great reviews. I just ordered a Browning Range Ops XR 8mp and also ordered the Primos Truth Cam 48 HD Ultra 7MP. Couldn't pass up the Primos, $149, on sale for $89 and then has a $30 rebate. $59? What the heck. I'll give them a shot and see how I like them compared to the ones I already have. They both run on AA's. I'll let you know how I like them in a couple weeks.

Sorry for the offense. I thought maybe you didn't understand how it worked. Just trying to be helpful.

You are putting the same hunt for choice 1 AND 2? Just so you know, that makes no sense. If there are no tags for your 1st choice they go to your 2nd choice. If your 2nd choice is the same as your 1st, there are still no tags left. The same applies for 3,4,5. If there are no tags left for your 3rd choice, there are no tags left in the 4th and 5th rounds either...if you put down the same hunt #. All the unit 8 late archery tags are gone in the 1,2 round so you won't have a chance in the 3rd round. You should be putting the early archery 1st choice and late archery 2nd choice or in your dad's case, rifle 1st and late archery 2nd.

if you are talking about the original post, it was 6:46pm yesterday

I will clarify a few things. I'm sure I speak for a lot of guys on here. We are NOT calling you a "last minute a$$hole" BUT, this happens every year and some people don't seem to learn. Instead, they complain about it. There is a reason why the AZGFD put in quite an effort this year with emails, web posts, etc about putting in early. Instead of complaining, do yourself a favor, learn from your experiences and put in early. I agree the G&F could do a better job of handling the volume but hey, we are dealing with the government and the internet. Same thing happened when they launched Obummercare. Also, some people claim they forgot and that strikes a nerve for some guys. Those of us that live to hunt, think about this all year long. There is NO WAY we will forget...ever. I know for me, I am like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. To answer your question about when to put in, I can't give you that answer but I put all of my family's apps in from Jan. 18th to the 23rd. I bought my licenses ahead of time and I had absolutely no problems. As a matter of fact, I have never had a problem. Good luck to everybody in the draw and here's to hoping people actually learn from this and put in early next year.

I will never understand why so many people wait until the last minute to apply. A month and a half isn't long enough? This probably means an extended deadline again like last year. I wish they would just say "Too bad, you are out of luck". But they won't, because they want the $$$.

Just not that important to some people and/or they don't know how to figure it out on their own. Just look at Flatlander's post about Draw Odds...14 pages and counting.

They are not saying all of the tags will go in the bonus pass. Only 20% go in that pass. Your first and second choice are lumped together in the Bonus Pass and in the 1-2 pass. If they check your first and there aren't any tags left, they go to your second choice. If there are tags for that choice, they give you tag. These guys are trying to say that it is a waste of time to apply for a hunt for your 1st choice that WILL NOT get drawn in the bonus pass IF you put a hunt for your second choice that WILL get drawn in the bonus pass. If you can't draw your 1st choice in the bonus pass but will draw your 2nd choice in the bonus pass, you never have a chance at drawing your 1st choice so why put it down? I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for the reply. Being a new hunter and having no hunters in my family and circle of friends, azgfd has been my only source of information. I'm not particularly interested in people giving up secret spots - I understand that issue; I was mainly hoping for some feedback on the area and possible past experiences in the area that someone has had. Given that I live in southern AZ and have a fairly busy schedule, I am not opposed to getting out and scouting the area, I just can't get out and do it on a whim. I'll try to remember that new hunters shouldn't ask for feedback on a unit as their first post.. Don't let one guy get you down. You did nothing wrong by asking for some basic info. As you have seen, this site is full of amazing people that are willing to help. Overall, this is by far the most positive, helpful site I have been on. A lot of the other sites are full of people bashing each other. I personally have given info on a "honey hole" and have had that favor returned. Some people are overly secretive about every single spot they know of. If you no longer hunt an area, or hunt it very seldom, why not pass along a little info? Especially when it comes to the animals you only get to hunt once in your life or once every 20 years...ie. sheep and antelope. Good luck.

Looks like a great spot for a late archery bull tag.

Just my thoughts on the deer surviving or not.... It sounds to me like you hit the shoulder blade and the broadhead is lodged in it. If that is the case, then I would think the deer will live. I know there are plenty of guys out there that say they have put a broadhead through a shoulder blade (I am NOT calling you liars) but I personally have never seen it. But, if the broadhead did actually get through the shoulder and into one lung, I would bet good money on him being dead. I have never seen a deer survive after being hit through one lung but I guess it is possible. If there is one thing I have learned about deer and elk is that they can take a lot more than I ever thought they could. Tough animals. Anyway, I got curious about them surviving with one lung and found this article I thought was interesting. It is down toward the end. http://www.bowhuntingmag.com/tactics/tactics_bh_whitetail_0409/ Good luck, I hope you find him. Losing an animal is a horrible feeling.

Great video, better thoughts. I wish all "trophy hunters" felt like you/we do. A few years back I saw a guy from Colorado kill a nice bull elk that had an odd point over a foot long that came down and ran parallel to the main beam. He was disappointed because "it will only score about 320". He also had film of the bull from a scouting trip. The bull "had a story". I would have helped him gut it and pack it out but after that comment, I wished him well and walked away. Keep the videos and stories coming. I always enjoy them.

Thanks for the comments. I will put my hands on both before I decide but am leaning toward the Vortex, especially with the awesome warranty they offer.

Have decided I would like to get myself a nice spotting scope. I know they are nice, but I can't bring myself to spend $2k+ for a Swarovski. I have narrowed it down to the Vortex Viper 20-60 80mm or the Leupold Kanai 25-60 80mm. I have read the reviews and people love both. I would like some opinions from people on here that have had experience with one or both. Thanks for the info in advance.

(X2) I appreciate the offer but it's not that I need to save more, just can't bring myself to spend that much money on a piece of glass I won't use very often. The only time I ever used a spotting scope was several years ago when my dad got drawn for antelope. He had a cheap one, that's why I would like something better. I am sitting on 14 pts. with who knows how many more years of waiting.