After putting in for Unit 15 elk for 8 years I was finally lucky enough to draw one of the coveted tags. This is one of the famed Gila units although a little less notable than the 16 units. I rolled into camp a day and half early to set up camp and do some scouting.
After some very encouraging outings to scout, the rain settled in and created quite a mess for opening morning. Despite the rain, I dawned my rain gear and headed out. That morning actually proved to be the slowed of the week. As the hunts when on it continued to get better and better. At the end of day one I had already seen or heard close to a dozen bulls and passed a shot on a spike and been very close to two bulls fighting. Each day I learned something new. The next day I rose put my gear and new boots because my feet were soaked from the day before. I went back to a very rugged area that I left elk at the day before. Again I was on elk but had a bit of a run in with a local guide as he blew a heard out of the area with his Ranger. I called it quits and headed back to camp for some warm food. At camp I realized that I had a wardrobe malfunction, the soles of my Danners had fallen off and were only held on by the wire from my gaiters.
After a few phone calls and a quick 3 hour trip into Springerville Arizona, I picked up a new pair of Under Armour Bouzman boots and was back in business.
I continued to hunt hard in the back country putting on lots of miles and having incredible opportunities but always one step behind the elk or getting busted by cows.
The morning of the 4th day I was up early and headed out to try and hunt the same elk I had been chasing for 2 days. However I was going to try and attack them from a different way and come in from the bottom. As I am driving out to the area I want to park and start my hike in, I stopped to check my GPS. When I do this I hear 3 bulls on the ridge line to my south. With this, i quickly changed gears, parked my Ranger and gathered my gear and was off. As I crest the ridgeline, I continued to hear the 3 bulls firing off. I use the cover of darkness and moonlight to stalk into the middle bull. As the shooting it slowly becomes shooting light I see one of the bulls step out broadside at around 60 yards, however my ranger finder had some morning dew of the lens and I could not positively get a range and elected to pass. As that bull moved on, I headed off to the bull to my left. As I close the distance I see the large bull step out, again broadside. This time I get a range but he is 91 yards, about 20 yards out of my comfort range. As I stand still watching to see what the bull is going to do, his cows blow out and take him with him. I sit a bit confused what caused this. Then I heard some aggressive bugling and racking of a tree, then I see a guide, hunter and cameraman step out up wind of the heard. They make there way down and never see me until they get about 10 yards away.
At this point, I am a bit frustrated but my focus quickly turns to 3 more bulls to my south. I head off and withing minutes, I find myself stalking a bull and as I can hear myself getting close, I am in a wide open park setting when it happened. As I approach the side of the hill it slopes off, I see the tips of antlers coming up form below. I instinctively drop to a knee, put my release on the loop as he crests the hill headed directly to me. At 40 yards I debated a head on chest shot as I thought he would see me and not continue forward. However luck would have it, he let out a bugle and continued to me making a right hand turn and walking behind a small bush allowing me to draw my bow. He then stepped out at 30 yards quartering too me. I settle my pin and watched the lumenock find its mark. As the bull did a 180 degree turn, I could see my arrow buried deep but at a relatively hard angle. At this point, i backed out and decided to give him 3 hours just in case. After a long 3 hours I headed back and followed his tracks, with no blood. After a short 100 yards I found my bull piled up.
After some very encouraging outings to scout, the rain settled in and created quite a mess for opening morning. Despite the rain, I dawned my rain gear and headed out. That morning actually proved to be the slowed of the week. As the hunts when on it continued to get better and better. At the end of day one I had already seen or heard close to a dozen bulls and passed a shot on a spike and been very close to two bulls fighting. Each day I learned something new. The next day I rose put my gear and new boots because my feet were soaked from the day before. I went back to a very rugged area that I left elk at the day before. Again I was on elk but had a bit of a run in with a local guide as he blew a heard out of the area with his Ranger. I called it quits and headed back to camp for some warm food. At camp I realized that I had a wardrobe malfunction, the soles of my Danners had fallen off and were only held on by the wire from my gaiters.
After a few phone calls and a quick 3 hour trip into Springerville Arizona, I picked up a new pair of Under Armour Bouzman boots and was back in business.
I continued to hunt hard in the back country putting on lots of miles and having incredible opportunities but always one step behind the elk or getting busted by cows.
The morning of the 4th day I was up early and headed out to try and hunt the same elk I had been chasing for 2 days. However I was going to try and attack them from a different way and come in from the bottom. As I am driving out to the area I want to park and start my hike in, I stopped to check my GPS. When I do this I hear 3 bulls on the ridge line to my south. With this, i quickly changed gears, parked my Ranger and gathered my gear and was off. As I crest the ridgeline, I continued to hear the 3 bulls firing off. I use the cover of darkness and moonlight to stalk into the middle bull. As the shooting it slowly becomes shooting light I see one of the bulls step out broadside at around 60 yards, however my ranger finder had some morning dew of the lens and I could not positively get a range and elected to pass. As that bull moved on, I headed off to the bull to my left. As I close the distance I see the large bull step out, again broadside. This time I get a range but he is 91 yards, about 20 yards out of my comfort range. As I stand still watching to see what the bull is going to do, his cows blow out and take him with him. I sit a bit confused what caused this. Then I heard some aggressive bugling and racking of a tree, then I see a guide, hunter and cameraman step out up wind of the heard. They make there way down and never see me until they get about 10 yards away.
At this point, I am a bit frustrated but my focus quickly turns to 3 more bulls to my south. I head off and withing minutes, I find myself stalking a bull and as I can hear myself getting close, I am in a wide open park setting when it happened. As I approach the side of the hill it slopes off, I see the tips of antlers coming up form below. I instinctively drop to a knee, put my release on the loop as he crests the hill headed directly to me. At 40 yards I debated a head on chest shot as I thought he would see me and not continue forward. However luck would have it, he let out a bugle and continued to me making a right hand turn and walking behind a small bush allowing me to draw my bow. He then stepped out at 30 yards quartering too me. I settle my pin and watched the lumenock find its mark. As the bull did a 180 degree turn, I could see my arrow buried deep but at a relatively hard angle. At this point, i backed out and decided to give him 3 hours just in case. After a long 3 hours I headed back and followed his tracks, with no blood. After a short 100 yards I found my bull piled up.
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