CMF
WKR
My 11yo's first elk. AZ early rifle opportunity hunt.
We got there 10 days early and scouted for 9 days, minus a few evenings. We didn't see a lot of elk, but saw several bulls, including one nice one. The people started rolling in the day before the opener and it was clear there would be plenty of pressure. We decided to capitalize on the first opportunity we could.
We saw nothing opening morning, sat this water hole the first evening, getting in there at 2pm. At 4pm we had a hunter walk in on us and he turned around when he realized we were set up. Someone beat us to a different spot we tried the second morning so we audibled and still hunted through an area with no luck.
We got set up on the water hole again the second evening around 4p and these cows came in around 430. They ran in, drank facing us and then started to run off. I gave a few cow calls and they stopped and turned around to look, giving him a broadside shot. One shot with a muzzle braked 300 winmag shooting 130grain barnes reduced recoil ammo. She made it maybe 50-60 yds and died 10ft from a two-track, making for easy work.
Good times in Arizona. While scouting we found prickly pear and ended up making jelly, found petrified wood, the boys shot jackrabbit, cottontail and made quesadillas and got some target practice on some praire dogs that ended up feeding our dog.
I picked up a CO muzzy tag for 14yo in the 2nd draw,(in case we tagged out early) so we loaded up and hauled it to CO. We got three and half days of good hunting in-between weather windows, saw elk each day and he missed a nice herd bull the third eve. Good times. I can't wait for next year.
AZ scouting bull
We got there 10 days early and scouted for 9 days, minus a few evenings. We didn't see a lot of elk, but saw several bulls, including one nice one. The people started rolling in the day before the opener and it was clear there would be plenty of pressure. We decided to capitalize on the first opportunity we could.
We saw nothing opening morning, sat this water hole the first evening, getting in there at 2pm. At 4pm we had a hunter walk in on us and he turned around when he realized we were set up. Someone beat us to a different spot we tried the second morning so we audibled and still hunted through an area with no luck.
We got set up on the water hole again the second evening around 4p and these cows came in around 430. They ran in, drank facing us and then started to run off. I gave a few cow calls and they stopped and turned around to look, giving him a broadside shot. One shot with a muzzle braked 300 winmag shooting 130grain barnes reduced recoil ammo. She made it maybe 50-60 yds and died 10ft from a two-track, making for easy work.
Good times in Arizona. While scouting we found prickly pear and ended up making jelly, found petrified wood, the boys shot jackrabbit, cottontail and made quesadillas and got some target practice on some praire dogs that ended up feeding our dog.
I picked up a CO muzzy tag for 14yo in the 2nd draw,(in case we tagged out early) so we loaded up and hauled it to CO. We got three and half days of good hunting in-between weather windows, saw elk each day and he missed a nice herd bull the third eve. Good times. I can't wait for next year.
AZ scouting bull
