Bad News AZ Hunting buddy can't go
Elk
I just got a call from my hunting buddy I drew Az 6 B tag with. He blew his knee out yesterday and can't go on the hunt we bought point gard so he's going to donate his tag to Tom Wagner's Wounded Vet program he will get his points back and even get a point for this year.If any of you can't go its a win win deal
Dan, so what's your plan now?
ElkNut/Paul
I will go alone and take my popup camper and not the 30 ft camper I think I can handle it done it before. I feel sick that Lewis will not be able to go it would have been the first time we have ever hunted elk together
Good to hear you're moving forward, stay safe & bugle on!
ElkNut/Paul
Dang!
Good luck Dan and keep us posted!
Mark
Sorry to hear Dan. I’m sure that you will still make the most of your hunt.
Man, sorry for your buddy’s predicament. That is tough right before a hunt for sure.
Glad some good is coming out of it and it can go to a wounded veteran. Also pretty cool that AZ’s program for point guard will allow him to keep his points!
Good luck down there! Hope you get a good bull!
Making plans months ahead with adults is a crapshoot. Add in family and work responsibilities and I am shocked when the entire plan comes together. Our policy is you pay in the expected cost to reserve a spot and if you can't go then you forfeit the funds. Does not matter the reason since a lot of the costs are not rather rigid such as rentals and adventure excursions. The cash in full to reserve a spot gets a committed group together. Before, had a lot of "sure, I am going" that would bail about 30 days out. Sometimes the reason for bailing was legit but often was a bit suspect. The allure of the actual adventure is sometimes more exciting than the doing, I suppose.
Glad you are full steam ahead and best wishes for a fantastic hunt that will inspire your buddy to get his knee back in service even sooner.
Dan and I have communicated about his Arizona elk hunting the past few years. I'll stop by his camp this season (missed it last time when we both had tags the same year). When he tags out, help will be coming his way to help with the recovery if he wants/needs it (I've got WeBoost for my truck as I shuffle between several Hunts for Heroes camps every season).
It really does make sense to purchase Point Guard for only $5 when you apply to Ariz G&F --- this is a real-time example. Like Dan said, his buddy doesn't lose his points and a disabled Arizona vet gets to go elk hunting. Life changing experience for all the vets, believe me!
Dan, I will be hunting unit 8 early archery, right next to your unit. I plan to be there a week early to scout and the whole season if need be to hunt. I can come and help you pack out that big bull your going to shoot. If I get lucky and tag out early I can come over to your unit and spot and call for you or whatever you need. I will send you a PM first thing tomorrow with my phone number so we can talk. Kurt
Here is the wounded vet stuff
Sorry to read this Lewis
Be safe and enjoy bigdan
Good luck, Robb
What a bummer! Sorry to hear Dan and Lewis, that's really tough news for you. Hang in there. Glad the tag is going to a good cause and you get to keep points. Dan, keep us posted and good luck!
Sorry to hear this Dan! Sometimes we think we have it all planned out, then God throws us a curve! We don’t understand it, but HE has a reason................... ;-)
Dang it man! Too bad ! I’m sure you’ll have an awesome hunt Dan. Should you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Thanks all for the kind thoughts and words I do admit it hurts to the core but I never knew there was a program that allowed your tag to be donated to a wounded warrior.That does take some of the sting out of it. I hope Dan has a great hunt not sure he could do it without my calling and expertise lol.You gotta laugh to keep from crying.Good luck all Lewis
The only way I drew my Az elk tag is lewis had all the points . Lewis and I meet in 1988 when he walked in to my Bow shop in Kalispell Him and his brother were driving around Montana looking for some were to hunt elk I pointed him to a good place to start and he hunted it for several years. But we had never hunted together This was going to be our first time My hunting buddy here in Montana went under the knife today getting a new knee and the other one will be done on the 29th So I will not get to hunt with him here in Montana Knees taking out both of them the same year Bad Luck my elk camp just got smaller from a 30 ft camper back to my pop up
Bad luck guys ! No reason you can't do it in the future though. Good luck !
Sorry to hear it guys, that's a bummer..... and I was just looking forward to the reports. Anyway, good luck and shoot straight Danny..... and Lewis, you get well soon.
something inherently wrong with the rule that ets a guy with points give another guy a lift up so both draw and then can back out and likey do it again the next year. feeds point creep. Make no sense that someone with enough poits gets to hunt when NO points were ultimately used to draw.
Good for BigDan to benefit, using the rules available for all, but still seems a poorly framed rule. I would do the same and be happy to get the benefitif the situation were to occur since it is what the rules allow....but the rule should be tightened up to prevent this situation. If the guy with more points has to bail both tags should be invalidated.
Next year we’ll hear Lewis is patched up and he and BigDan drew again get to do the same hunt, using the same pile of points. Potentially 4 bulls will be dead when only two should be for those points.
The AZ G&F Department just keeps writing more and more rules that contribute to point creep, because they make more money. They don't want to fix it. When someone turns their tag in, they don't get their money back. Then, G&F re-sells it to someone else again.
^^^ What StickFlicker Said X10^^^
Double-edged sword. As an Arizona native with nobody to personally use the system with, I'm not a big fan. As someone helping get disabled veterans into the field hunting (no additional tag fees to the vet when tag is donated to a non-profit rather than going back to G&F), it's been a blessing ...
K hunter you can only back out one time that's to keep guys from selling there points We pay for it with point guard They make the rules we play by the same rules I'm going to do the same thing in Wyoming next year
"We pay for it with point guard..."
As Dan said, the G&F also makes everyone pay a fee each time they apply if they want the privilege to return their tag, so they are making money on both ends. I wasn't aware that the Vets didn't have to pay for their re-issued tag. Another great reason to donate it to one of those organizations rather than allowing G&F to capitalize on it even more.
Good luck Dan!
I know an AZ resident who was ecstatic when they implemented PointGuard. He has been building points for 8 nonhunting family members for close to 10 years now. He flat out said that he can now use each of them to draw two tags instead of one.
Looks like my son and I will be helping on the hunt with Lewis' donated tag. We didn't draw in 6b this year, so this is a perfect chance to do some good. My son has helped on several of these hunts. It's a great program. Hope to see you in the woods Dan. Thank you Lewis. Get well soon.
Maybe so, but I would doubt Lewis gets his original points back, his total before they split them up between the two hunters? He likely only gets back what he had going into the draw? Bigdan and what points he had go back to zero, so it might be awhile until they can draw together again.
I will go back to 2. Lewis will have 14 I have hunters ed point and loyalty
Damn had to be the Russians just got back from the doctor good luck all kill a big one Lewis
Yes, TD, lewis gets ALL his points back. I think it's great a vet gets to use his tag and I hope lewis can go next year. I bet there are several Bowsiters who would help him out if he needed it.
Surely, no one would game the system! (see NoWiser's post above)
Not only do they return all your points, they give you the bonus point you WOULD HAVE RECEIVED had you not been drawn.
I talked to Lewis, my kind of hunting buddy. Would love to meet him in person (hopefully next year?)
Maybe we can get back to Dan's going elk hunting in Arizona (only 4 weeks to go!) ...
I got my batch of Big Bull Double G Medium Bull reeds today built my camp behind the tree camp chair last night. things are coming along. I have A week to hunt here in The Breaks before I head to AZ. Got a new Rad Rover E bike on the way
Dan how are you going to keep it charged the ebike I mean
I will take my small generator with me and I will take my small microwave the bike has a 40 mile range so i will haul it on the Razor
Dan if i order the big bull double g am I guaranteed to produce bugles that sound as good as yours? ;)
Link, even if you take out a couple teeth the answer is still NO??
Careful on that bike Dan. We gotta go elk hunting next year.
Just got back from a fast trip home to pick up my camper Lewis called 5 min after I got back He's going to have both knees replaced one on sept 16th the other on the 26th Bike is going to be here today. can't wait
Got the bike I wish I would have got one before now. Just put 20 miles of back roads and trails on it this morning nice ride
Sounds like you are set now Dan- good luck!
Dan, I have had a Rad Rover for two years now and what a great tool to get quietly down the road. Good luck to you!
gottoohunt
Go too hay you rode your e Bike on a rainy Day?
Bigdan, Light rain, but not in anything heavy.
Weather looks good for the next 14 days got the truck and trailor loaded. I'm out of here at 4am. Will top off my fuel tanks in billings should make it all the way to Flagstaff
Have a safe trip Dan! Check in when you get back.
Good luck Dan we're all with you.If you need help sign in and call out...
Best of luck Dan and travel safe!
Big Dan after you and Lewis go in 2019 I would love to combine my 15 points with your 2 and you could show me the ropes.
Good luck Danny ! Kill a giant !
Talked to Dan on the phone earlier today. He made it to his hunt unit and is all settled in and scouting now in person, rather than just via Google Earth. Hunting elk in Ariz. isn't like anywhere else, which I know Dan can attest to. We have a disabled vet with the same tag Dan has, may combine camp with him. I plan on being there after helping another vet in a nearby unit.
Good man Tom! Keep us posted!
Good luck Tom keep Dan focused lol Lewis
Dan can hear bulls bugling from his camp tonight --- 2.5 days 'til season opens ...
Got to spend a little time with Big Dan this past Monday and early Tuesday. A real treat, as you can imagine! He's been dealing with quite a bit of smoke for several days from a nearby wildfire, plus it's been WARM!
Went out with him early Monday morning and got to see a real bugler do his thing. Bulls bugled back from afar and closer in. Lead cow of the closest herd had a destination in mind and they wouldn't be diverted. We went out scouting some water in a different area Monday evening --- no bugles until 1/2 hour before dark. A couple younger bulls skirted Dan when they'd decided Dan was more than they wanted to deal with (lol).
The MANY campers left after opening weekend and the bugling we could hear from camp increased at night. I had to leave after an uneventful hunt Tuesday morning to prepare for the coming weekend's disabled veteran elk hunts that were on the horizon.
Got a text this morning (Wed.) from Dan that he'd gone in a different direction from where we'd been trying to intercept the elk, with interesting results. He called a shooter bull in to (3) THREE yards with absolutely no chance to release an arrow! The bull came out of a canyon to his bugles, through open previously burned timber --- head-on the entire last 100 yards or so. No chance to draw with the bull looking right through him. The elk eventually turned on a dime and high tailed it straight away from Dan! I can only imagine what words Dan might chosen for the moment, but we all know it certainly wasn't his first rodeo of that kind.
The bulls were still bugling in the canyon (Dan said maybe as many as a dozen or so) at mid-morning today as he hiked back up to his vehicle, walking in rain most of the way. That rain should quiet things under foot quite a bit, 'tho weather reports say temps should remain rather constant. The wind hasn't been bad at all, but a full moon is approaching which may (or may not) have a meaningful effect on things.
Wish I could have stayed with him a few more days. A mentor to many with a wealth of knowledge, and an endless inventory of hunting stories to share!
Tom is the warrior hunting now and I could tell you had a great time with Dan he is a trip of course he sent me a message “if I had been there I would have had a broadside shot on that bull “oh well maybe next year Good Luck on your warrior hunts just a great thing to do Lewis
Lewis, the vet we transferred your tag to missed a longer shot at a bull, but they're going to give it a go again this coming weekend (they're getting some help from a successful hunter who arrowed a bull the first couple days of the hunt).
BTW, we had 2 disabled vets in other hunt units tag out this past weekend using special crossbow permits --- one tagged a bull, the other (a VietNam-era double leg amputee) tagged his first ever elk (a cow). Yee Haw!
Lewis, hopefully you'll be down here next year --- it'll be even sweeter then!
Makes me feel good Good luck
Like this thread.. unfortunate to a very good end result. May lewis’s Knees get better and your vet be successful..
Well the season is over in AZ. Any word from Big Dan?
Well I ate the tag just no chances at big bulls I only had two 300 class bulls come in the last one was 2nd to last day had him at 10 yds broadside but not able to see my pin lots of elk. But on the weekends the unit fills up with campers from the city they shoot guns race around on there atvs and play music. I saw several bulls that were taken but nothing over the 270 mark Would I hunt the unit again yes but I would camp deeper in the unit far from were the city campers come on the weekends meet several bowsite guys on this hunt and several new az local bowhunters fun trip
Sounds like it was success even though it wasn't. You saw bulls, met up with Bowsiters and seemed to have a good time. Sorry you didn't put one in the fridge, but with a bow an opportunity is a successful trip, at least for me it is...
God bless!
Scar.
I had a great hunt just didn't punch my tag I had several smaller bulls at less than 30 yds one morning I had a heard of about 70 elk come through a hole in the fence about 25 yds away 4 small bulls had to idea I was there the heard bull had a cow in heat so he would not leave her he jumped the fence about 70 yds away it was a good morning
Hey buddy hate you had tag soup but I think you had a good time any idea how the warrior did good luck in Montana Lewis
Lewis I talked to Dallas on Thursday I had him hunt my stand on one of my water tanks he got into the stand about 3pm and it started raining cats and dogs for about 2 hours he did miss one on the second day
Dan, no worries, you're still the man! I'm sure you had a great hunt & built on to your memory bank! Way to go!
ElkNut/Paul
Sounds like you still had a good hunt.
Dan, glad you made it through the hunt okay. I enjoyed spending several days with you, and the various others that spent time in camp. Marvin
Marvin glad you could come up man what a Buck you Killed on the strip and the cover of Bowhunter and even got the shot on Camera what a job
