azelkhunter69

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.

if it is 90%, that means it is 90% in the 1-2 pass. That means there aren't any left by the 3rd choice.

Most people don't know the reports exist, but if you want to increase your odds of getting drawn go to this page http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/BonusPointProcess.shtml and study the bonus point reports for the bonus point round and the 1-2 pass by hunt number. If you have the 2014 regs, you can look up how many bonus points it took to get drawn in the bonus point round and get a general idea of your odds of getting drawn with X amount of points in the 1-2 pass. I used to print these reports out and study them for hours before I settled in on a few hunts that my family and I like regardless of how many points it takes. If you like to hunt as often as possible and don't mind what unit you hunt in, it is definitely worth looking at the reports. Good luck on the draw fellas.

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.

Like a lot of other people, this is my first time trying to post a picture and I have no idea if it will work. This is my wife's 2nd bull in 4 years. She has had quite the run the last few years. Drew her first bull tag in 2011, shot a 6x5 and got her picture on the 2012 Elk and Antelope reg. booklet. Drew the same tag the next year and again this year. 3 bull tags in 4 years...must be nice. Proud of her, she came through and filled the freezer so I don't have to eat beef this winter. Went to my favorite spot the 2nd morning and spotted this bull down the hill before we even sat down. He was just standing there looking around. My wife sat down and got ready to shoot. He was facing up the hill and didn't provide a great shot so I told her we would just be patient and wait for a good shot. He finally moved, but moved behind some trees. I couldn't see him but my wife could...barely. After what seemed to be an eternity, another bull steps into the opening the 1st bull was in at the beginning. I start telling my wife there is another bull now but she can't see him. She is focused on the first bull. Eventually the first, and bigger, bull takes a few steps and is standing broadside in an opening. I am going back and forth looking at both bulls trying to figure out which provides the better shot and BOOM, she decided, and shot this bull straight through the heart at about 100 yards. He went 40-50 yards and crashed. Great job Zandora!!

I thought the same thing and have had her buy tickets but apparently she only has that kind of luck with tags.

I think they call them "quiet areas" because there is limited, or no vehicles allowed.

Too bad about the miss. Must have made you sick. The 2nd week is always better in my opinion. I had a bull tag 3 years ago where you are and they didn't start going crazy until the last 2 days.

You can try sneaking in on them. You may have better luck trying to intercept them though. If you know where they are headed, get there before they do and wait.

Congrats to you and your dad. Making memories with your dad outweighs the score of any elk. Especially when they start getting older. I will be in the woods in a little over a week with my 2 boys and my dad on the boys muzzleloader cow hunt. My dad just turned 76. I can't wait. Congrats again, may you enjoy many more hunts with your dad.

I agree, don't panic. It gets better as the season goes along. It's also supposed to rain and get cooler in the middle of the week. That will help also. Keep after them, you'll get your chance.

The new forest road management plan. If you don't have one you should get the new official map as to what is an open road. The new rules don't require a closed sign on a road to be closed. The road needs to be on the map as open to be open. That's how I understand it. Maps are free at the office or call them for one. No sign is a bunch of garbage in my opinion. My 2 favorite roads have gates on them that remain open but are closed according to the map. If you don't want me in there close the gate that's already there! Another ridiculous part is when you have to pack an elk 2 miles down a perfectly good road because forest service says it's closed. OUTRAGEOUS! <end rant> Wasn't there a bylaw where you could drive in to retrieve game on a closed road? But only to retrieve it? I could have sworn i saw something but could be wrong. As I understand it, the rule is, you can only drive up to 1 mile off of an "open road" to retrieve an elk. Some units you can't even do that, you have to pack it out. In unit 8 where I like to hunt some roads have closed signs on them and some don't. I know for a fact there are a couple roads that get a lot of use that are technically closed. They don't have signs on them so people keep using them. It would be nice if they would take the time to put "closed" signs on all the roads that are closed. Game and Fish has more or less said they won't enforce the rules because they are different from unit to unit, forest to forest which confuses people. This is the first I have heard of forest service guys handing out tickets. The rules have been in place for a couple years now, maybe they figured that was enough of a grace period and started ticketing people?

Where I was in Unit 8 this past weekend, there were bulls still bugling at 10am and started up again at 5pm Sunday.

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So jealous. Went deer hunting in 8 this weekend. The bulls are bugling, cows are bunched up and weather was good. Sunday there were bulls still bugling at 10am. They started again at 5pm. Wish I could hunt elk every year. Nothing better in my opinion. Think I will "hunt" with a camera this year to try to get my "fix". Good luck to all those lucky tag holders.

8 Archery