youngbuck Report post Posted September 17, 2010 Sounds like another kill to me, but no boot tracks or quad tracks? A bull ain't no easy thing to get outs the woods. They would left some hair I think. If the only thing left is the gut pile, some one gutted it. Might have been a cow hunter, and was easier to pack out. Keep us posted if you see/find anything else Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sbhunter Report post Posted September 17, 2010 Keep at it you will find him! Tried to get out of the office to come help today, couldn't make it happen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KaibabHunter Report post Posted September 17, 2010 No rack or body parts in the area. Looks like the animals had at the gut pile and that's it. I really think that was my bulls bed. Looking at the sign he was bleeding from 2 holes and the blood was just like the blood he was spewin at the shot - real thick and dark. This wasn't bubbly/frothy blood that would be a good sign it was a differnt elk. The stomach contents were cold so I think it was gutted yesterday. The tracks Lead straight towards last blood. And here's a thought: yesterday morning a truck came out of the only road that goes that way while we were lookin. My dad saw em and tried to catch up to them at the gate, they saw him and didn't stick around to talk. Truck had a camper shell so couldn't tell if they had an elk in the back. I really wanted that bull but if they did tag him at least he didn't go to waste. That truck would also eliminate the need to track the herd that came through the same spot in the morning but I'm gonna anyway. Once that's done I think I've exhausted all possibilities and done all I can do. That was the only group of crows in the area and I straight saturated the area in the 1/2 mile to 3/4 mile area and dipped out to a mile inmatmleast 2 spots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kennyt Report post Posted September 17, 2010 You have given it your all to find this bull. Dont be down on your self. I saw a guy in the same unit last sunday look for a few hours and was ready to fling more arrows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oz31p Report post Posted September 18, 2010 You've ginen a hellova effort. More that most. I was in show the last few day. I talked with 3 diferant people that hit elk and looked around an hour or two then when on hunting. One of them told me his son made a high hit on a bull they did not bother to look for I'm I know this cause I talked to him a 715 in the morning at a circle k in town. He sayed it happened that morning. But they were going to check out a diferant area. Some people children. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iBowAZ Report post Posted September 18, 2010 If someone took the bull you most definitely see signs of people, footprints, meat cut off with a knife, tire tracks etc. Any signs of dragging? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KaibabHunter Report post Posted September 18, 2010 I wanted to say thanks to all who helped me out. CW.com members have helped through the entire process of this hunt: scouting, tactics, shooting, tracking and morale support. Nobody plans to lose an animal. I can't explain how or why everything happened but I put in a lot of effort to figure it out and come to a reasonable conclusion of what happened. Some may think he's still out there but I believe that some one else found and tagged my bull. I won't restate all the details but that's what I believe happened. I've talked with at least 2 other guys that had it happen to them too. I do know that some unlucky things out of my control did happen that if that wouldn't have my bull woulda died 30 yards from the highway ie him running towards the highway and bedding he coulda been spooked by traffic, the rest of the herd running down the fencline and him getting up to go with em, clogging his holes when he bedded killing the bloodtrail and so on. It was fun posting the play by play and very useful to me to help figure things out by asking u guys question while hunting from "should I switch spots?" to "what kind of hit do think it is?" I recommend that those of u with upcoming hunts and a phone that can do it, try it on ur hunt. I know I'd like to see how ur hunts progress day by day, successful or not, while I'm stuck at home/work! Thanks again and best of luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted September 18, 2010 Sorry it didn't work out for ya. If the season is still in then good luck with the reminder of your hunt. Thanks for taking me along on your hunt and it was exciting to hear the day by day updates while I worked. You did more than most hunters would have done to try and recover your bull and my hats off to you for that. This part of the hunt sucks but it goes along with archery hunting. It happens to everyone sooner or later. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted September 18, 2010 Sorry it didn't work out for you but you gave it a helluva effort trying to recover your bull. If your still hunting hopefully you can get on another bull. Thanks for taking us along on your hunt. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Kudos to you for doing everything you could to find your bull. A lot of guys would have quit much earlier and tried to find another. You did all you could do, and I commend you for that. Great job, and sorry it turned out the way it did. Hopefully you've earned some karma points for next time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KaibabHunter Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Holy smokes what a roller coaster hunt!!! I just found and tagged my bull! Unfortunately the meat is gone which kills me but he has been located and tagged. Based on the evidence I had all the way till last night I thought my bull had been found and tagged by another hunter. I forgot my gps at camp so I didn't get to mark him to see how far he was from last blood but from what I can guess I think he's around 300 yards from it. What a shame cause I hammered the exact area he died as did my dad and 5 other helpful guys who gave about an hour of their time to help off and on. He died in a depression almost completely surrounded by deadfall and thick brush. Amazing that after all that we probably walked past him 10-15 times and never once smelled or saw him. The animals have had at him a little but it appears my shot was lower than I thought missing the lungs but maybe clipped the heart and/or all those arteries in there - all in all a good shot I think. Wish it had gotten the lungs then this probably wouldn't have happened. Initially we were parking off the highway or walking in from camp to look. There's a road (the one the truck I thought likely tagged him came out of) south of the highway about a quarter mile that I parked on in the same spot 4 different times when I was looking by myself. I'll gps it but the bull appears to be just 150-200 yards from that spot. Unbelievable we never came across him. I was in that same area till dark last night - no smell! The guy I met up here, mike, had parked on that road this afternoon to check out a tank that I told him about that's not on the map and does not have road acces-good tank. On his way out he smelled him and found him and left me a voice mail. A huge thanks to mike! I tagged him and will be in first thing to get the rack and leave the other part of the tag with the carcass - don't plan on field photos due to his poor condition. He turned out to b a real nice 5x5 but has a little star to a 6th on his left. "tough hunt" -- what an understatement! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Great news! I'm so glad you finally found him. 2 things strike me as really cool about this post - 1) which I already mentioned, you never gave up looking and totally dedicated yourself to finding him - that speaks volumes about your character. 2) The support of other hunters who volunteered their time to come help look for him. Awesome job, awesome post - and a big thumbs-up to the Arizona hunting community who stepped up to help a guy find his bull. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Great news, Congrats on finding him! This is probably a hunt you will never forget. My hats off to you for never giving up trying to find your bull. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Great news! I'm so glad you finally found him. 2 things strike me as really cool about this post - 1) which I already mentioned, you never gave up looking and totally dedicated yourself to finding him - that speaks volumes about your character. 2) The support of other hunters who volunteered their time to come help look for him. Awesome job, awesome post - and a big thumbs-up to the Arizona hunting community who stepped up to help a guy find his bull. What else is there to say. I hope to meet you someday so I can shake your hand. You have got to show us pictures after all that. This has been one of the best post I have followed in a long time. Glad it all finally worked out for ya. Congratulations on your successeeful bull hunt. There are not alot of hunters who would have had the guts to own up to loosing an elk and shared with us your adventure. Thanks for the memories. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobbyo Report post Posted September 19, 2010 Congratulations, I think it would help others if you can give us a distance he traveled from where you arrowed him. I am also interested in how far he traveled after jumping the fence. You really had bad luck on that blood stopping on a low shot. That really confounds me how it could stop flowing with gravity and cavity filling with blood ect. I am sure it is a relief getting closure. I lost a big mule deer 10 years ago and even though friends saw him alive weeks later I still wander around looking for him as if he will magically appear when ever I go back to that area and ten years from now i will probably be doing the same thing. I'm happy for you. these situations can haunt you. Bob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
