2015 AZ Elk Success Board
Elk
Lets see those Pics for 2015! Good Luck to all!
already an elk meat pole thread.
azrod...How many meat pole threads do we need? You know there are 50 states ;)
azrod, you have a tag this year?
If so, good luck! Hope to hunt AZ soon!
Ohiohunter never enough luv looking at Elk
Midwest No I don't but my grandson does 2nd in a row last year he held out on a big one and came home empty this year he says i'ts going to be different, we'll see he still wants one bigger than grandpa's 336 though 5Bs
Archery elk doesn't start for another week. Just saying.
Its a one stop shop here at bowsite on the meatpole.
Grandson Tanner Ragen 1st Archery Bull 5BS 2nd morning Bowtech 100 Muzzy 49 yds dropped in 20 yds
Congrats to your grandson! Mike
There might already be a elk meat pole and there might be 50 states but Arizona elk are good enough to have their own !!
Tell Tanner congrats.
Right on jdee and I will. Love all them elk but as you said ARIZONA ELK and HUNTS are special! Lot of great looking animals, taste good too.!
I had a awesome hunt in 5bs. I was in elk every morning passed at least 8bulls. Missed 2 330plus bulls(rushed and buddy told me wrong range on other) before i shot a nice 5x5. i dont regret settling for a lesser bull i focused on bringing meat home.
Congrats Derbyhunter5, wheres the pics
Congrats Bill in MI. If I remember right you drew an ok tag (as compared to AZ top unit's ) and went DIY ??? You done good son.
azrod, Congrats to your g'son!
Not the giant I was chasing, but on day 7 decided it was time to harvest my first elk
This is my bull by far not the biggest I had a chance at but I was more than happy with the experience.
This is my buddies bull it was his first ever elk.
Nice!! Bet he was thrilled. Congrats to all! It's not the size but the experience that lives within us!!!
Bill in Mi Congrats and a heck of a good story. What did it score?
Derby, heck of a nice family photo there. Very cool
Yes, my tag was a so so 4A DIWF (Do it with friends) hunt.
I'll have it scored by P&Y in November. I'm guessing between 315-325" but what do I know? TBD
Congrats to all.
Bill
AZ Unit 7 West bull: tradbow kill on 9/17/2015.
Gross score: 378+ Green score NET: 372+
Second photo of above bull, with lucky hunter.
Oh man that's massive! Congrats!!
That last bull is wow! Would love to hear the story....
That 6x5 that Derby buddy killed is a tank!
Please share some of the stories behind these Bulls.......
I have 11 points in AZ and could have 12 if I go and take the hunter safety class. My question to you guys could I have drawn any of those units that you guys got your bulls in as a non-resident. MY friend in AZ lives on the border of 1 and 3A-3C and I don't think I will ever draw those units so I am always trying to find a new option.
str8arrow, that first pic of the dead elk really shows how hard it is to guess a score ore judge an elk from only a picture! Looks like nothing special, but the second picture with the hunter in there really gives it perspective! Awesome trad kill!
My buddy got his bull on second evening of the hunt. He was still hunting through the woods with my dad and another buddy when they spotted the bull. They slipped into position wind was perfect had a narrow window between trees at 44yds. He shot and they thought it hit in the money. Giving the. Bull sometime they started tracking and ended up jumping the bull so they backed out until mysel and other friend was able to help track. After a very stressful hr long track we found the bull expired. We had a 1/4 mile uphill pack to the truck so it wasn't bad.
My hunt in arizona was great and definitely a learning experience.
After passing bulls every day and a miss I finally connected on day7 . We got back to the area to hear bulls bugling. Trying to get the wind in our favor we made a move on the herd. Hiding in patch of brush we could see the herd heading towards us a spike iled the way followed by a dozen cows couple smaller bulls then a nice 6x6 (330) if they will stay on track they are going stay upwind and be easy 25yard shot. They go left catch are wind but holdup at 40 yards. The big bull stops vitals right behind a tree if only he took another step. He angles away towards a cow then comes back in front of us a buddy was ranging and told me 60 I shoot and it flies right over his back frustrated I said to my buddy the next bull that cones in and just bugles right in our face I'm shooting. Hour later we had that chance 3 cows a calf and my bull came in around 35 yards bull just screamed. And I decided Im shooting. I drilled right behind shoulder but got little penetration (I think the xexcuetioner hit a rib). Watched the bull stand hunkered over for 30 mind until another started fighting him. He walked off we backed. Out ate dinner and went back to recover him only to find a short blood trai And no bull. Searched for 2hrs in dark nothing. Went back next morning and can't find anything. My buddies were looking further out and found him still alive bedded down at noon the next day. Finally meeting up them we slipped up where bull was bedded and find him dead hr later. I'm glad. I didn't loose any meat and it was only. 5mile back to 4wheelers.
Congratulations to all the successful Arizona hunters in 2015! All excellent trophies.
6x6 bull,
Based on last years draw odds you would have a 100% chance on the 3 units mentioned on this thread with 12 points. If I had to rank them in order of hardest to easier to draw I would say 7W, 5BS, 4A. All good units!
One thing that has been talked about a lot is that the Department is going to change the NR allocation in the Bonus Only round to only 50% of the total NR tags, so if that does go through all this is out the window! Might still have a pretty decent shot to draw but no more guarantees in the bonus round like now. However you would have a shot at any tag in any unit besides a few sheep hunts if they do change it.
Good Luck!
Nick
Thanks Nick. I appreciate the info. I just need to convince my friend that I don't think I will ever have enough points to draw those two units.
My 2015 not the best photo selfie by stacking rocks and setting my phone on it
6x6 Bull, you should draw 3C next year! granted that is if the changes don't take effect yet.
It took 11 points last year for 100% draw as a non-res.
You're still a couple off of unit 1 (it took 14 for a guarantee). My $.02, I would stick with the units you have chosen since you have waited so long. Easier said then done, I'm at 9 points and I'm having a real tough time thinking about doing that.
ki-ke — Those two photos of mine are of the same bull, one without body attached. Taken in Unit 7 West. As a N-R, I had accumulated 16 points before drawing.
11 points didn't get me a 3c early archery tag for the 2015 season.
Str8arrow that is a toad of a bull congrats. I'd like to hear the story!
AZBUGLER if I am that close I think that you are right that I should wait. He keeps sending me trailcam photo's that are unbelievable!!! I would almost feel bad if I went to AZ now and didn't have him help me but he keeps thinking just one more year or so and I should draw. At 59 I just hope that I am in as good of shape as Paul@fort is when I do draw.
My reading of the 2015 Bonus Pass report does not yield the same results that AZBugler is reporting. 16-13 points was pretty sure to get a tag 3a/3c in 2015. With 13 points, 90% of those applicants drew a tag. With 12 and 11 points respectively around 12% of each of those two groups drew. 1 person got a tag with 10 points in the bonus pass. I would suspect those were residents. Technically you needed 14 points as a Non-Resident to get a guaranteed tag in the Bonus Pass in 2015 if I am reading things right.
I suspect the draw odds changed significantly with many folks burning points prior to the non-res draw change. I had 11 and did not draw my first choice 3A/C. Burned my 11 on a lesser unit and well, the hunting quality was less than hyped.
6x6 - Listen to what Heat is saying. You could be several years off if 3A/3C is your goal. Believe me, I've been chasing unit 9 for what seems an eternity, and with 18pts I'm still not guaranteed a tag. I'm not telling you to give up on your goal, but there are big bulls in all the units. Put 3A/3C as your first choice, and one of the other units you're considering as a second and go hunt.
Like me, you're not getting any younger... If I had to do over again I'd have hunted a lesser unit years ago, and probably drawn the same unit again. I know a guy (NR) who's shot a 315 and a 340 in unit 6A, the most heavily trafficked unit, while I have yet to hunt Ariz. You tell me who's had more fun...
My friends bulls from unit 8
My stats were from 2014, not the 2015 results as Heat pointed out. The draw odds will very from year to year. The problem is that once you've invested so many years, it seems like kind of a waste to give up on it. Not that it by any means would be a "waste" of a hunt, but a waste of waiting a few more years. I could've 100% drawn an early bull tag in several units last year and the year before. But.... Since my points are getting up there, I've started to hold out. Part of me says I'm nuts and I should just get drawn and go hunt! The other part says, "then why did I sit the last few years out"! This will probably be the only time in my life I will hold out this long. After my next draw it's going hunting as often as I can.
Your right AZB. In 2014 11 points would get a non res a tag in 3c but not 2015. Some years they change the amount of tags allotted in a unit and that makes a big difference too. Myself, after putting in for points and tags in AZ for so many years and spending so much money on it and then they might change things after all of the years and $$ invested I know for a fact as soon as I draw a tag in AZ I'm not doing it again.
I killed as good a bull in another state as I could of hoped for in AZ (well almost ) and it only took putting in once plus all the otc states and land owner tags. AZ is a great elk state but it's one and done for me.
Quit wasting all those years applying for those 9 and 10 tags, we kill giant bulls in units that only 6-8 points get you in. We killed a 391 in a 8 point unit this season and a 393 in the same unit two years ago, contact me and put down a deposit and we will tell you what units to apply for. sorry guys no deposit not information , we have made that mistake a few times, if you don't draw you can either get the deposit back or roll it over to the next year.
Bill in MI measure that bull. Bet you're way low.
I don't have the antlers in my possession now, please tell me what you think it might gross.
I can score whitetails pretty dang close with a glance, but I have zero experience scoring elk.
FYI my bow measures just over 42" end to end.
Has the frame of a 340-350 bull all day.
345-350 Is right on id say
Bill I was going to say 340-350 before I saw the other posts. Shot a 320 gross bull this year and yours has better thirds and better tops. Great bull for sure!
Bill, put a tape on my WY bull and he is going to gross close to 330". Frames appear to be similar, but your bull has better tops for sure.
Bill,
I think 340-350 is a good guess too. However, I wouldn't be surprised if your bull hit 360-370 with the added width and the way the main beams curve (and all the points for that matter), bulls like yours can be deceptive in their score because of their character.
Do you know the main beam length? If they are 50" or over, I think your bull is over 350.
Your bull is probably my favorite of any I've seen this year, even of some that probably score higher. The point curvature and the character of the curves is fantastic. Love the sweeping 6ths and the forward arching daggers. Absolutely beautiful bull! Congrats!
Late hunt this weekend....so much good luck my head is spinning
Can't count 'em all Nesser! Nice bull
Amazing, Nesser....I thought all those late season bulls were supposed to be all busted up.
Congrats! Gun or bow?
Thx guys....it's a bow kill Midwest. The late bow seasons kicked off Friday. The late rifle seasons start the Friday of thanksgiving weekend.
