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My first Elk Hunt - Success!!
12/9/2011 11:12:43 AM
My first post to this forum thread, I am pretty excited to post.
Was drawn for Bull Elk in Arizona 22N, which is around Payson, Arizona. Have a few friends that live in the area, so we were fortunate to have a base of operations, as well as some early scouting opportunities, since they know the area well.
Our first scouting trip showed us our area was pretty thick with bulls and cows. Of course, the first day of the hunt was a traffic jam of ATVs heading to our same area 
, and every ridge we had scouted the weeks before now had a hunter looking back at us. WTF.
, and every ridge we had scouted the weeks before now had a hunter looking back at us. WTF.So we scouted some other areas until the weekend hunters died down. And Monday, we got in position early, and two Bulls presented themselves. It was at 496 yards, so I took my shot at what we thought was a 5 x 5, and I missed. The Elk did not move, so I shot three more times, and nothing, the Elk did not even move. (I will say I took a tumble on Sunday, and my rifle hit the deck, so we think the scope got moved, or I just suck) Anyway, I told my hunting partner to take the shot, and he took the shot again at 496 yards, and nailed it first shot. Elk moved 20 feet, and went down.
Turns out it was a 5 x 3, a good young bull elk, and we field dressed and butchered it, and packed it out. Congratulations to my Partner Ed! Now I took some ribbing from the guys, so now I had to get my Elk.
So we scouted the next day, and we saw two bulls on the other side of the ridge we were glassing from, so we decided to put on the hunt for them Wednesday morning. Our group split to glass several areas, and then after no sign, my buddy Denny and I humped across a ridge, and as soon as we got to the top, there were two bulls on the opposite ridge. The shot was 440 yards, I had buck fever, and my first shot (now using my hunting partner's rifle, the one he took the Elk on Monday with) was high. So I settled down (the Elk did not move), and I took my second shot, and hit him on the top side of his back, and he went down immediately, and stayed down.
My first Elk! Not a big one, 3-4 y/o 5 x 6. But my first, and not my last. Both Elks taken with a 30.06 using Nosler partition rounds. (Both shots through and through)
