Rag Horn Report post Posted August 3, 2017 I have had this guy come into my cams for 2 years now. This is the only year he won't be 425+. Can't convince me the rain isn't to blame. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted August 3, 2017 I have had this guy come into my cams for 2 years now. This is the only year he won't be 425+. Can't convince me the rain isn't to blame. blame russia and donald trump 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EAS Report post Posted August 3, 2017 Keep the pictures coming I got a few months before my Hunt but I got the itch cant wait to start doing some scouting in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing. Sooo many big bulls this year... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PseAZ Report post Posted August 3, 2017 Great that's what I like to hear.... Hopefully I can find me a solid and unbroken bull to chase. Cant wait to get out and start looking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost85 Report post Posted August 3, 2017 I think the bulls are average or a little above. The bucks that i have seen are way above average. They got more moisture when they needed it most. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
recurveman Report post Posted August 3, 2017 I would say the bulls are well above average this year and we will see some big bulls hit the dirt. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector777 Report post Posted August 3, 2017 I would say the bulls are well above average this year and we will see some big bulls hit the dirt. According to who? Rains have been below average this year so unless they just had a magical season nothing should be above average. Problem is who decides what average is? Every year no matter what there's monsters that get killed. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naturebob Report post Posted August 4, 2017 I predict monster bulls. Everything has been right. It all starts last year. There has been plenty of food and moisture winter and spring. This stuff now means nothing for elk....... Biologist BOB! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
idgaf Report post Posted August 4, 2017 My very basic observations for antler growth: It's not the amount of rain it's the timing of it Elk start growing antlers the moment they lose their old antlers Spring rain gives elk the edge on antler growth. Meaning if they nutritionally satisfied they grow better antlers Rain in June puts antler growth over the top There will always be elk with short antlers, it's called genetics Age, nutrition, and genetics all contribute to antler growth Big ones will always be big no matter what 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted August 4, 2017 I would say the bulls are well above average this year and we will see some big bulls hit the dirt. According to who? Rains have been below average this year so unless they just had a magical season nothing should be above average. Problem is who decides what average is? Every year no matter what there's monsters that get killed. According to him. It's his opinion. However, there are people who believe and I don't know whether this is right or wrong, that moisture during the fall and winter prior to the season provide better winter and spring browse. Better browse means that animals have better overall nutrition/health heading into the growing season. Because they don't need summer nutrition to build fat reserves, they have surplus that ends up becoming antler growth. This does make sense as antlers have little to no water content but instead are made up of calcium which is generated by metabolized food not water. Therefore antler growth is more dependent on browse throughout the fat building months than water during the growing season. However drought conditions during the growing season could impact available browse at that time, so maybe it would slow down growth as fat reserves are burned up to supplement antler growth. I don't know what's right and wrong, I am far from a biologist, but I will say that the elk overall look very healthy to me. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector777 Report post Posted August 4, 2017 I would say the bulls are well above average this year and we will see some big bulls hit the dirt. According to who? Rains have been below average this year so unless they just had a magical season nothing should be above average. Problem is who decides what average is? Every year no matter what there's monsters that get killed.According to him. It's his opinion. However, there are people who believe and I don't know whether this is right or wrong, that moisture during the fall and winter prior to the season provide better winter and spring browse. Better browse means that animals have better overall nutrition/health heading into the growing season. Because they don't need summer nutrition to build fat reserves, they have surplus that ends up becoming antler growth. This does make sense as antlers have little to no water content but instead are made up of calcium which is generated by metabolized food not water. Therefore antler growth is more dependent on browse throughout the fat building months than water during the growing season. However drought conditions during the growing season could impact available browse at that time, so maybe it would slow down growth as fat reserves are burned up to supplement antler growth. I don't know what's right and wrong, I am far from a biologist, but I will say that the elk overall look very healthy to me. Since it rained so much last month every buck is going to be 100 inches bigger this year. Nothing to back that up but it's my opinion so it's gonna happen. Get my point? You don't just throw a generalized elk will be bigger this year because I say so and noone can question that. Everyone on here has a different opinion and while I don't agree with the opinion you explained atleast you gave me something to think about or it can at least give some context to why you think that. I'm not sure anyone knows the perfect formula for antlers but I think rain and snow in winter when everything is not growing isn't going to help anything. I agree on the side of if a bull is healthier with more fat to make it through the winter he would have a better chance to grow bigger antlers. But I think most of our elk have it so easy during the winter it doesn't have much effect from year to year. Our summer and fall feed with easy winters is why every year AZ produces big bulls. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunterjohnny Report post Posted August 4, 2017 Elk will be bigger this year cuz I said so! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kazpilot25 Report post Posted August 4, 2017 I would say the bulls are well above average this year and we will see some big bulls hit the dirt. According to who? Rains have been below average this year so unless they just had a magical season nothing should be above average. Problem is who decides what average is? Every year no matter what there's monsters that get killed. Where I'm planning on hunting early archery bull they are about 150% above average for rainfall year to date. I would definitely have to disagree with your statement of below average rains. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kazpilot25 Report post Posted August 4, 2017 I would say the bulls are well above average this year and we will see some big bulls hit the dirt. According to who? Rains have been below average this year so unless they just had a magical season nothing should be above average. Problem is who decides what average is? Every year no matter what there's monsters that get killed. According to him. It's his opinion. However, there are people who believe and I don't know whether this is right or wrong, that moisture during the fall and winter prior to the season provide better winter and spring browse. Better browse means that animals have better overall nutrition/health heading into the growing season. Because they don't need summer nutrition to build fat reserves, they have surplus that ends up becoming antler growth. This does make sense as antlers have little to no water content but instead are made up of calcium which is generated by metabolized food not water. Therefore antler growth is more dependent on browse throughout the fat building months than water during the growing season. However drought conditions during the growing season could impact available browse at that time, so maybe it would slow down growth as fat reserves are burned up to supplement antler growth. I don't know what's right and wrong, I am far from a biologist, but I will say that the elk overall look very healthy to me. Along these same lines, with the cows carrying good amounts of fat and being generally healthy from winter/spring browse, heading into summer and breeding season they should be primed for estrus in a normal cycle. Typically if they're unhealthy and not carrying proper fat leading into September, they won't go into estrus until later, if at all. That can push the rut back or create a very weak rutting period. This means that the rut should be prime this year during that first week of the early archery hunts. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim Report post Posted August 4, 2017 If you guys would have said they were going to be smaller this year the same group would have argued with you that your wrong and they would be bigger. (lol) 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
