An Arizona bull elk tag is a coveted hunting tag, especially if it is an early-season archery hunt. These tags are only available once a year, and you have to enter into a lottery system through the state game and fish department to try your luck at getting drawn for these permits to hunt the majestic animal.
Arizona Bull Elk Hunt
This particular hunt takes place in very early fall during what is called the rut, also known as breeding season for elk. This means that the bull elk are challenging each other and fighting to collect as many cows to breed with as possible to ensure their bloodline. In addition to the bull elk challenging and locking horns to win their mating partners, they also get very vocal. It is very common to hear the undeniable elk bugle of the bulls filling the air throughout the forest. In addition to the bugling of the bull elk, these bulls will violently thrash their antlers against any unlucky trees or large bushes in their general vicinity. They are doing this as a means to challenge or warn any other bulls in the area.
The rut being in early fall means that the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting colder. Of course, this also means that the tree leaves are starting their annual turning of colors, where the hills turn from a lush green to a golden yellow and bright red. Eventually, the leaves fall, and the trees become barren for the winter. The mornings are crisp and cool, with a layer of morning dew on the ground becoming the norm.
An Epic Hunting Trip
This was literally a hunt of a lifetime, and soon, I would be joining three other buddies in northeastern Arizona for a twelve-day adventure. In preparation for this Arizona bull elk hunt, I had to make sure that my bow was tuned and ready, my arrows were all prepped with the proper broad heads, and all of my hunting and camping gear was in order. It was mid-September, everything was ready and loaded, and it was time to make the trip to our new home for the next two weeks.
One of the big differences in hunting with a bow compared to a gun was that you had to be much closer to your prey with a bow. Generally speaking, typical shots on a bull elk with a bow were sixty yards or less for everyone in our camp. This was my first bull elk hunt, so I had set my bow up for those ranges. My furthest shot would be sixty yards. Anything less than sixty yards should be within my kill zone, and if luck and my skills met at the right time, I could be lucky enough to get a shot on a monster bull elk.
Gear and a Gameplan
Once the equipment was all checked, we got ready for dinner and discussions on the game plan for the next morning, most commonly known as opening morning. Daybreak the next morning would be the official start of the bull elk season, and we all held hopes that we could get a shot at a nice bull on opening morning.
It was important that we discuss current conditions, terrain, and our thoughts on where we focus our efforts that first day. As we ate dinner, we came up with a solid game plan for opening morning. As we wound down for the evening, we cleaned up a little, double-checked our equipment, and called it a night. I’m fairly certain that none of us really got much sleep that night as thoughts of the hunt the following day bounced through our minds.
It was still dark and much colder than I anticipated when the alarms started going off the next morning. We still had a few hours until daybreak, but we had to drive a little ways to our hunting area, and we would also have to hike into the hills we would be chasing these elusive bull elk. As we arrived at the spot we would park to continue on foot, I was already amped and ready to go.
As we exited the truck, we were immediately met with a crisp, damp, cold air that burned as it entered our lungs. This was good for us, as it generally meant that the elk would be in full rut and active. This was immediately confirmed as bull elk bugles echoed through the forest around us. We quickly gathered our gear and started our trek up a somewhat steep ridge toward the area we had all agreed on for our opening morning hunt.
The Arizona Wilderness
The next few days were a blur, as we spent each day chasing bull elk all over the northern Arizona forests, filled with big Ponderosa pines, Junipers, and Aspen trees. The elk were extremely active, bugling and chasing each other, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world. This allowed us plenty of opportunities to get close to these large animals, but never quite in a position or distance to close the deal with a shot.
That all changed one morning, as one of my buddies and I decided to try a different area, which was a little closer to our camp. We had found an extremely steep ridge on the map, but we knew that with the steep and thick forest hills came big bulls.
This would be a little tougher of a hike, but if we played our cards right, we might just get our shot. As we made our way up the hill in darkness, we could hear the screaming bugles of bull elk in the distance. It took a good hour for us to work our way to the top of the ridge slowly. When we topped out, we took a much-needed pause to allow the deep burning sensation in our lungs from the cold air and lack of oxygen to somewhat subside.
The Hunt Begins
After sitting for a few minutes, we both heard the unmistakable sound of a bull elk thrashing its horns into a tree, followed closely by a crisp and loud bull elk bugle. This bull sounded close, so we quickly and quietly grabbed our gear as we looked at each other and signaled where the sound came from. We began to slowly work our way around a clump of trees toward where we heard this bull. Within seconds, we both froze in our tracks as we saw a large bull elk about two hundred yards down the hill from us and luckily facing away. This was a very nice bull with six points on each side, commonly called a six by six.
Planning and Preparation
We quickly discussed a plan to move toward the big bull, using the thrashing of the tree as cover for our movements toward him down the hill. We were now within forty yards of the elk, and as a small thicket of trees slightly separated us, we could hear what sounded like the bull moving our way. I quickly made my way to a few small pine trees on the edge of a small clearing. I positioned myself with a few small openings to take a shot with my bow if one presented itself, and I could hear my hunting partner a few yards to my right.
It was still pretty crisp and cold as we were on the shady side of the hill, and the morning sunrise was blocked. As I prepped my arrow into my bow, I heard a loud branch snap in front of me. As I looked up, I saw the bull elk walking directly toward me and about ten yards away. I slowly lifted my head, and as I did, I also brought my bow up slowly and drew back the arrow.
Bull Elk or Bust!
As I held this position, the big six-by-six continued to walk right at me, coming within about three yards but directly behind a small six-foot-tall pine tree. He abruptly stopped, leaned his head back, stretched out his neck, and, without warning, let out the loudest bugle I had ever heard in my life. The steam from his breath filtered through the small pine tree, and I could see the drool hanging from his mouth as his scream slowly faded into small grunts.
I thought for sure that he was going to rush forward through the tree and hit me full speed. Staying at full draw with my bow as the bull elk slowly turned left, facing toward where I knew my hunting buddy was. I then watched the bull elk bolt forward, quickly disappearing from my sight behind a few pine trees, as I heard a loud crash and some loud rustling. Shortly after, I heard the familiar “twang” of bow strings as they released an arrow. This was immediately followed by that same bull elk running past me at a full sprint and a nasty arterial bleed from his neck. Once past me, I heard another loud crash, followed by the thud of his body hitting the ground. I heard a few small rustles of leaves and branches on the ground, followed by complete silence.
Closing in
I called out to my buddy, who confirmed that he had shot the bull through the neck at about five yards. I then walked into the clearing in front of me to see the big bull lying dead still on his side about twenty-five yards away. My buddy and I let out some celebratory hoots, followed by a high five and hug, and then made our way over to the bull. He was a beautiful six-point bull elk with dark antlers with glowing white tips. We had filled one Arizona bull elk tag, and now the real work began.
Ready for your own hunting experience? Read this: Bowhunting for Beginners
