Swivelhead

Sitting water is the one sure way to have negative interaction with fellow hunters & the general public. Expect it.

I've had similar experiences at the tail end of the early archery hunt. Hunters that have the early rifle or muzzlerloader elk hunt that opens tomorrow are out scouting with abandon. It's one thing if someone scouting for an upcoming season innocently interrupts a stalk. No excuse for this man's actions, he knew your son was on the elk. Selfish SOB.

Any AZ unit can produce outsize bulls. Great genetics in our state, bulls just need a chance to get old, have decent feed and be somewhat parasite free.

Still hot & dry. Call the ranger district in which you'd like to shoot and have a conversation.

I see the wound, could be an injury from dueling with the competition. Anybody see and arrow shaft or broadhead?

Cool looking bull. My brother encountered a giant double beam bull in 5BN but it was 10+ years ago. Brother really wanted the bull but it did not happen.

Congrats on your success!

Noted

Due dilligence by the seller is key.

You guys assume the worst. An out of state buyer can arrange to have the seller ship the weapon to an FFL in his state of residence which is perfectly legal.

Really nice bull. Gotta love those high country black racked antlers with ivory tips. Good job!

Not trying to hijack this thread but .......... a good read (long) should you have interest. https://apps.azdot.gov/files/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/pdf/az660.pdf

I agree and will not take a frontal or quartering frontal shot on a large animal such as elk. Too much armor.

Likely, the reason you have little blood to trail is the arrow apparently traveled through a large muscle mass prior to contacting vitals. Dense muscle mass will contrict and limit external blood loss. Unfortunately, there was no exit wound to drop blood on the ground. I suggest you & your group grid the thickest nastiest terrain in proximity to the shot. Pay close attention to north and northeast facing slopes. Use your gps to make sure you don't miss too much. I agree 100% with Yotebuster concerning quartering shots and echo his experiences. Arrowed a buck in Colorado a number of years ago that was a quartering frontal shot at close range. Arrow passed through the shoulder mass and split a rib perfectly on exit (1.5" two blade Magnus). The split rib acutally stripped fletching off the arrow. I knew it was a fatal shot. Deer bled for 30 yards then nothing. Area was choked with oakbrush and it took and hour of GPS gridding to find him, the deer traveled less than 200 yards. The muscle mass contricted and the rib closed up causing minimal external blood loss. It was a headscratching recovery. GPS gridding is your best bet to find the animal you seek.

Protect your youngster from the elements: Sun, cold, wind, rain, etc. Prolonged exposure to tough conditions can be a turn off for anybody. Great thread BTW.

An applicant can acquire two bonus points per year for bison and turkey. An applicant need only apply once per year per genus to maintain the loyalty point.

Excellent! Congrats to you, your son and daughter.

Congrats on your buck, he's a great looking deer.

Pro sports is entertainment, nothing more. I am disapointed that pro athletes and owners have chosen to be political. Hopefully college sports will not follow the path of the pros. I'll not spend a dime or watch any team that chooses to protest. Looks like the D-backs chose to not play today in support of current protest, too bad.

WOW!!!! Congrats. Hard work & persistence = Success

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo_irQ9bjzU Amazing man, treacherous times.

Somebody scored. Just bought a second home or I'd have been all over it.

I agree. The man's presentation was matter of fact without added drama. Personally, I found it riveting and could not stop watching even though it was late. The entire presentation is top notch and I encourage anyone to listen to it. The most profound part for me was @ 40:20 through 42:40.

Need more grazing on public lands. Keep it mowed. Ft Apache and San Carlos tribes have fires but they always seem to get control of them quickly. Plenty of game on tribal lands. Tribes graze their lands regularly, I see it as a win/win. USFS might consider have a conversation with them.

Premium optics are all excellent. Reputations are earned. Meopta is apparently on the uptick, don't own any but would take an unbiased look at their wares if I was in the market.