Arizona Late Season Bull Elk - Canyon Question

[BsDada]

Hey All,

This is my first ever hunt (didn't have anyone to do it with growing up). I got an awesome late-season rifle bull tag in AZ after many years.

I am pretty familiar with the area (been adventuring in the area for 15 years) and have been scouting for months. I have found plenty of elk, mostly herd bulls, which I am okay with. I keep reading that the larger bulls at this time of the year are in the canyons, but haven't seen any.

Well, this last weekend I was up on a ridge and came across some gentlemen poaching. I called them in, of course, and after all was said and done... the GF officer said for the good deed: to spin 180-degrees from where I was glassing and go into the canyons behind me. There are some big bulls in there.

My question is: What is the general tactic for something like this? Calling? Sit the edges and spot/stalk? I can't imagine trying to actually drop into the canyon without spooking the bulls.

Thanks!

 

[ThorM465]

How could you tell that the other guys were "poaching"?

 

[BsDada]

How could you tell that the other guys were "poaching"?

They shot an out of season animal.

 

[wapitibob]

Glass the canyons from the upper edges, and take your time. The Bulls won't move much distance.

 

[BsDada]

Glass the canyons from the upper edges, and take your time. The Bulls won't move much distance.

Thanks, Bob. Once identified, is it suggested to try and stalk into them in the canyon?

 

[Legend]

Hey All,

This is my first ever hunt (didn't have anyone to do it with growing up). I got an awesome late-season rifle bull tag in AZ after many years.

I am pretty familiar with the area (been adventuring in the area for 15 years) and have been scouting for months. I have found plenty of elk, mostly herd bulls, which I am okay with. I keep reading that the larger bulls at this time of the year are in the canyons, but haven't seen any.

Well, this last weekend I was up on a ridge and came across some gentlemen poaching. I called them in, of course, and after all was said and done... the GF officer said for the good deed: to spin 180-degrees from where I was glassing and go into the canyons behind me. There are some big bulls in there.

My question is: What is the general tactic for something like this? Calling? Sit the edges and spot/stalk? I can't imagine trying to actually drop into the canyon without spooking the bulls.

Thanks!

Calling will do you no good. Still hunting is pretty hard for really experienced elk hunters and I wouldn't recomend if you want to trophy hunt.

Glass, glass, and maybe glass some more. Keep changing angles and locations.

 

[BsDada]

Calling will do you no good. Still hunting is pretty hard for really experienced elk hunters and I wouldn't recomend if you want to trophy hunt.

Glass, glass, and maybe glass some more. Keep changing angles and locations.

I had to look up "still hunting". Thanks! I sort of asked in above comment: Once located, I am assuming I should try to get an ethical shot distance, but not pursue beyond that?

 

[hereinaz]

Get the wind in your favor, walk just below the ridge skyline, move slowly, glass into the shadows.

Get there early and watch for them between feeding and bedding.

If you can’t glass, but know elk are there, get wind and thermals in your favor and walk slowly while glassing with 8 or 10 power binoculars. Use them like a super power to see fur, noses, tails, and antlers.

Use a cow call if you make noise, that can settle them down.

Find water they are using and sit it in the afternoon until after dark.

 

[wapitibob]

Thanks, Bob. Once identified, is it suggested to try and stalk into them in the canyon?

I would get close enough to make a good shot. Randy Newberg has some late AZ vids on youtube, some others as well.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Elk have an innate ability to find refuge spots that are hard to see into.

Glass a lot. Move. Repeat.

When you find one, move in for your shot. Be patient.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Hey All,

This is my first ever hunt (didn't have anyone to do it with growing up). I got an awesome late-season rifle bull tag in AZ after many years.

I am pretty familiar with the area (been adventuring in the area for 15 years) and have been scouting for months. I have found plenty of elk, mostly herd bulls, which I am okay with. I keep reading that the larger bulls at this time of the year are in the canyons, but haven't seen any.

Well, this last weekend I was up on a ridge and came across some gentlemen poaching. I called them in, of course, and after all was said and done... the GF officer said for the good deed: to spin 180-degrees from where I was glassing and go into the canyons behind me. There are some big bulls in there.

My question is: What is the general tactic for something like this? Calling? Sit the edges and spot/stalk? I can't imagine trying to actually drop into the canyon without spooking the bulls.

Thanks!

Work the rims and glass down into them, change angles regularly. Plan on shooting across canyon if possible. They will want water/cover/feed all within a very small area. Cow calling can be useful to cover your own sounds if walking it a particularly loud area. You are looking for a tine here, patch of hair there, calibrate looking for those things, not a whole elk.

 

[intunegp]

Not to be a stickler on terminology, but typically finding a herd bull is a good thing...the big boy in the group, the dominant bull of the herd, etc. You said you have found mostly herd bulls, and you are okay with that, which made it sound like you're talking about something else.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Unless AZ is different, the bulls I would expect to see with cows right now are 1-3 years old.

 

[intunegp]

Unless AZ is different, the bulls I would expect to see with cows right now are 1-3 years old.

I'd agree. I was just letting OP know that typically when people are talking about the herd bull they're talking about the big daddy, not any bull hanging out with a group of cows...especially in mid-November. Wasn't trying to derail the thread.

 

[BsDada]

I'd agree. I was just letting OP know that typically when people are talking about the herd bull they're talking about the big daddy, not any bull hanging out with a group of cows...especially in mid-November. Wasn't trying to derail the thread.

Ah, yea, I meant the young ones currently hanging with the herds.

What you’re saying makes sense.


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