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Bottom tier bronze pics and story added

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Tagged out on my last available day to hunt on a tough hunt. Pics and story coming. Not the big bull I was dreaming of but I went into this hunt with the reality I would shoot the first bull I saw. 

20190929_002206.jpgWhen I first found out I drew my first archery bull tag I was surprised and excited. I only had one bonus point besides my hunter safety and my loyalty point. Right away I told myself i would be scouting like a mad man and dedicating all my spare time to making the best of it. I work six days a week and scouting was slow on my only day off but I found some good elk activity in spots I already knew of and felt confident. Then the sheridan fire started.  My top 3 spots were shut down to entry . Well good thing I still had plan D and a few more spots I had hunted on previous cow hunts. Opening day my plan D spot had a couple hunters working it over so I went to plan E. Plan E turned out to be where half the cow tag holders were hunting and only half the tanks in the area had water. Monsoons sucked this year. After a few days of searching and only finding old sign and multiple hunters getting to water earlier and earlier to beat the next guy in I decide to go back to plan D. A couple hunters for competition  beats a dozen. Went home on wednesday night  to take care of some business and was back to the hill Thursday night.  I woke up Friday morning to the first sounds of the rut I had heard all week. Tried multiple times to close in on the action throughout the weekend and either got busted or they were moving to fast. Sunday  night I was kicking myself for not taking my only week off work on the second week of the hunt instead of the first. My hunt was pretty much over accept for the last sunday of the hunt. Spent the week grumbling at work and thinking about my sons junior deer hunt coming up. My reason for not taking two weeks off for elk,  I wanted my second available week off to give him the whole hunt to get his first big game animal. Well thursday came around and my boss found out my hunt was a three week hunt and not a two week hunt and told me I could have a two day weekend.  Go hunting he said! Thanks boss!! Saturday I hit the woods and spend some time doing recon to find fresh elk sign after the big rain storms we had. No fresh sign found. Slightly discouraged I park my truck and decide to head into an area i had a blind set up on a trail at a fence crossing. Ten minutes into my trek as im slowly moving and looking for any sign of elk still being in the area I see something out od the corner of my eye.  I turn, its an elk . I Can see everything but the head. Then it lifts its head to take a break from eating acorns off the scrub oak and I see horns. No time to range! He is looking right at me. He is not running away. He lets me knock an arrow, still not running away. He lets me draw! Still not running away. He is farther than 20 yards but not farther than 30 yards i tell myself as I set the 30 yard pin on his third rib and aim for the opposite shoulder for the quartering away shot. Release  and thump!! He takes off. I just shot my first achery elk!!. I cow call a few times and hike back to my truck. Gotta give him an hour at least. Call in the buds to help haul out and sneak back in while they are getting geared up to come meet me. Track good blood a hundred yards and find him on the ground..with his head still up and he is looking right at me. Not what I wanted. He didnt try to move so I stuck him again and he stood up. Stuck a third arrow in the boiler maker and he walked about ten yards and did the drunken merry go round and hit the dirt. My first archery elk was down! Friends arrived and we gutted and loaded him and headed out with an amazing sunset.  All three hits were vital hits. Was surprised that the elk was so tough. But, I was dissapointed that my first shot went through both sides of the elk but didn't completely pass through at a range of 25 yards.  Im going to do some more thorough research on what im using before my next archery elk hunt.

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1 hour ago, AZHunter1 said:

He will eat good.

Ya he was not rutted up and stinky. Was surprised.

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On 9/30/2019 at 11:17 AM, thegunsmith2506 said:

Congrats! Way to stick with it in a tough unit!

I have a love hate relationship with these units. Fortunately they have been good enough to me over the years.

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