AZ Archery Antelope Success

With the AZ archery season opening up last weekend, I found the boys and myself hunting some familiar areas. This is our third year in a row in the same unit hunting antelope and lets just say the unit has treated us well. We spent the first weekend trying to find the "Heartshaped" buck but with an over abundance of monsoon rain we did not find our big buck. However, the night before season  Devin found the buck he nicknamed Big Heavy from last year in a familiar spot and the hunt was on.



Big Heavy the night before season

Opening morning we glassed our buck and moved into position for a stalk. Big Heavy decided it was time to travel and left his does in search of greener pastures. It took until late afternoon opening day that friend Damon Hughes and myself located him about a mile from where we lost him that morning. I stalked to within 75 yds of him and his new set of does but just could not get it done before it got dark.

Saturday found us looking for the "heartshaped" buck again and putting a stalk or two on some lesser bucks before going home to work the week and get ready for the upcoming long weekend.

Labor Day weekend found Devin and I leaving camp in search of the "Heartshaped" buck or Big Heavy. Within 30 mins of the sun coming up we had located a buck from quite a distance with 8 does. An hour or so later after quite a stalk we finally glassed a bedded doe that was with our unknown buck. Crawling for approximately 250 yds found us inside of 130 yds of our bedded antelope. A short 30 mins later does began to get up and guess who gets up with the does, none other than Big Heavy. As Devin and I were discussing our game plan we decided to try a decoy to see if we could get him to move our way.

Just as the buck finished making a scrape Devin flipped up the decoy. Big Heavy locked on and the stare down began. Finally he gave in and started working our way. Big Heavy walked up to within 50 yds but with a tree blocking my view, the only tree in front of us, I did not have a shot. He finally had enough of our decoy and decided to walk back to his harem. Once the does locked onto the decoy and began to work our way Big Heavy decided he needed to revisit us. When he finally presented a shot it was a quartering away shot with him looking at me.  I had to slide over a few feet to have a clear shot and knew I was caught for sure. Well the antelope gods smiled on me that day and the Ulmer Edge broadhead took him right behind the shoulder and exited through the opposite shoulder blade. Big Heavy only lasted a 100 yds and the celebration began. Both myself and Devin were excited beyond belief. We had worked hard for this buck and what a great buck it is. Thanks to Devin and Damon for all their help. Special thanks to Devin who is always there to scout and work just as hard as I am for an animal. Enjoy some pictures from the hunt and who knows; will we get to hunt antelope 4 years in a row?



Big Heavy
 



Great reward to a great hunt
 



A great year for monsoon moisture

Burnt Timber Bucks

Since the 2012 deer draw results will be posted soon, just thought we'd give you a little "Deer Teaser" to peak your anticipation.  All of the following bucks were taken in units 3A-3C over the last few years.  We've had great success on both the Junior and General hunts alike.  Enjoy the pictures and good luck on the draw!!

2011 General Hunt

2010 Season (Jr and General)

2009 Season

Weekend Antelope Scouting Trip #2

Well we asked for rain and we got it.  Devin and the boys met me to scout antelope this weekend and so did the monsoon rain storms... Before we even arrived at camp it rained 1" plus and just kept coming leaving pretty much everything under water.  Units 4A and 5A had rolling monsoons pretty much all of Friday and Saturday which left for some cool weather and muddy four wheeler travel which the boys sure enjoyed.

We had quite a bit of success as we slipped and slid around on the four wheelers finding lots of elk in which 2 of the bulls were really nice 340-350 type bulls, and seeing 30+ antelope with 7 of those being bucks.  I did get some video with my Tinesup set up of the" Heart Shaped" buck that Devin hunted last year, pretty much in the same area he has been for the past few years.  Check out some pics and video from our weekend trip.......



One of the well needed storms this weekend



Treyden with his first set

Nice Az buck

The "Heart Shaped Buck"

Size Doesn't Always Matter

It's pretty easy to get wrapped up into the whole size/numbers game when it comes to hunting.  I know I've done it.  It's especially hard when you're in the guiding business.  But here's a little story that really put things into perspective, at least for me.

Last year, I met a 12 year old boy from Clarkston, Washington by the name of Spencer Clegg.  He had drawn an early rifle bull tag in unit 4B and traveled to Arizona to hunt with his Dad, Matt, and good friend Matt Toniolli.  They hunted hard and chased some good bulls.  With time winding down, they decided to contact us in hopes of some help.  With only a day and a half left in the hunt, we met in Heber at 3:30pm and headed out for the evening hunt.  While driving to our desired hunting area, we drove up on two bulls that were watering at a tank near the road.

We ditched the truck and circled around the tank to get the wind and try to get into position.  Within minutes we were on the backside of the tank and had two 150 yard shooting lanes despite the thick cedar trees.  Suddenly a heavy 6x7 bull walked through the trees heading away from the tank.  We could also see the smaller bull still watering at the tank.  I turned to Matt (Dad) and explained that the 6x7 that walked off was a good bull and that I believed we could get on him in the clearing he was walking towards.  Or we could wait out the 5 point that was watering and that he would walk thru our shooting lanes when leaving the tank.  Here is where "perspective" comes in.

Being the good Dad that he is, Matt turned to his 12 year old son and asked Spencer what he wanted to do.  Go after the big bull in hopes of getting on him again, or wait for the smaller bull to exit the tank???  Spencer's response was simple and direct.  "I just want to shoot a bull, Dad!"

Within minutes the 5 point finished drinking and walked into view.  Spencer made a perfect 135 yard shot and dropped the bull with one shot from his 270.  I will never forget the celebration that erupted once the dust cleared.  I don't know that I've ever seen a more excited 12 year old.  It's moments like this that we love the most about hunting with youth.

Congratulations to Spencer on his first bull elk.  And Congrats to Matt Clegg for allowing his son to make the decision that I wouldn't have made.  But I'm glad he did!!

  Spencer's AZ Bull



Proud Dad Matt Clegg and Spencer



Spencer Porter, Rusty Ulmer, Me, and the Cleggs



Weekend Antelope Scouting Trip

Well we braved 40 mph winds and extremely dusty conditions to spend a little time in my archery antelope unit this weekend with my two grandsons. I have been promising to take them camping this spring.  After a long night in a tent with the wind not slowing down at all the boys were all ready to hit the four wheelers for a long day of  looking at some new country and trying to find some bucks.

We put 20+ miles on the four wheelers finding pretty dry conditions every where we went and only seeing 10 antelope and two coyotes. But the good news is one of them is the buck Devin was trying to kill last year on his archery hunt. He knick named him the heart shaped buck because his horns almost touch at the tips. I will for sure be back in the area to get some photos and film of the heartshaped buck in the near future...... Stay tuned..

Treyden and the boys got him spotted

Deagan in Training... He sure spotted alot of white rocks

Eating some lunch

We only lost one of them

Deagan with the big find of the weekend

Picking Up Horns

Having been out 3 of the last 4 weekends with my son in-law Colby and son Devin we have logged several miles up and down and in and out of numerous canyons. We have been in units 1, 3C and 23 with alot of blisters and really finding out how out of shape I have became this winter.  We have had decent success finding close to 30 horns and had some great times horsing around with each other and enjoying the nice spring weather we have had. Enjoy some pictures from our past adventures.

Devin with a nice set

Getting ready for the pack out

Spotted this horn from a good distance

Can't wait for next year

Shed Hunting Trip

It's always been a hobby of ours to go horn hunting in the spring.  With antler prices up this year, it was just the motivation we needed to go tackle some rough, thick canyons in search of some brown, elk horns.  J Lewis, Andrew Crandell, and myself spent half a day sweating and swearing while fighting thru mansanita thickets and hiking in and out of canyons.  By the time we reached the truck, we had each found 4 antlers a piece.  Andrew found the only brown horn of the morning.

Although I didn't find a brown horn, I did pick up two of the biggest sheds I've ever found.  The first shed was a #2 (last years horn) that's in great shape.  I was so excited when I found it, that I didn't get a picture of the horn were it laid.  The horn measures 168" (mid 370 class bull).
The other big horn I found is at least 3 years old and was laying in the open (see pic).  It has an amazing top-end with a 26" G4 and 18" G5.  This horn scores 177" (low 390 class bull).

Maybe next time we will find some horns that we can sell to at least pay for our gas.  But I'm not parting with my big horns.  They already look good on my pot shelf.  Enjoy the pics.

J Lewis was the first to find bone

My first big antler of the day

Andrew's first horn

Too bad he's all broke up!

Andrew's brown 6 point.

How cool is that???

Probably the biggest horn I've ever found

Three tired dudes!  Not bad for a half day trip