Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 2022 AZ Elk Success

Well another very busy year. We did luck into some elk tags and we filled them, our hearts and freezers are full! I don't have the energy for full writeups these days so this will have to suffice.

My buddy Casey and I drew archery bull tags in Arizona. Very lucky draw for us. I held out for a larger elk and was unable to bag one. Casey has already killed a big ass bull with his bow so he wasn't picky. The rut was slow to start and we finally got a travel pattern down that was short lived but on day 6 we set up in a route and Casey thumped a 5x5, made a great shot at 56 yards, 4-blade Slick Trick Magnums crushed this bull:


Had a very awesome time on this hunt. I hunted all 14 days and had some close calls on some pretty good bulls and passed a couple small six points on day 3. Here's me passing the sleeping small 6x7 bull I walked up on. Passed his buddy too, he was about the same size. Pic is 50 yards from the bull, he's asleep:


Had some great times with Casey and my brother and my buddy Al from NY and my dad and my buddy Mike that I grew up with. Hunting bull elk with a bow during the rut is freaking great. I must do it again



The last hour of the last day I was able to make it happen. Got into a herd and a big 330+ bull was running the show, keeping his cows bunched up and moving every other bull along. Al and Casey were finally able to pull a satellite close enough for a shot. 59 yards and the shot felt good but we couldn't find the arrow or any blood. So we looked around before dark and then it got dark and Casey had to get back to Tucson and I had to work the next day. I was sure I hit him, the guys were not convinced but Al went out to look the next day and I knocked off early at work to help. I was on my way when Al said he found him. He was only 350 yards from the shot, I hit him a little back in the liver, but he'd hooked hard left and there was no blood. Arrow passed through him and we never found it. I was sure the meat would be bad so I was actually upset but we got him cut up and actually saved most of it. I lost a decent amount of the hind end around the femurs but his backstraps and fronts and half his hinds were good. Al forced me to take pictures and then forced me to smile. I was not in the mood thinking he'd be rotten. So happy we got him:


Italian sausage:


This was my first archery elk and man what a thrill it is hunting this animal this time of year. Amazing. Hope I get to do it again. Al and I were happy as hell he wasn't rotten:

A few weeks later my two daughters had cow tags and so did my nephew Elliot. Elliot and Jenna had the youth hunt and the bulls were still bugling a lot. So much fun. Jenna and I saw a tank of a bull and he kept his cows clustered and stood in front of them the whole time and we didn't get a shot at the cows. Tate and Elliot closed in on the bugles too and were able to get Elliot on a cow. Turns out the loose herd was about 30 elk, 20 of which were bulls, 5 of them were good ones. Two of them kept fighting after they made their way to open country away from us after Elliot shot his cow. Just a great experience to see the elk rut and fight, and Elliot kill his first elk:


We got Elliot's cow situated and Jenna and we went out trying to get Jenna a cow. We had the crew glassing for us on the hill but they weren't seeing anything so Jenna and I decided to chase some bugles. As we approached the bull that was screaming most often we jumped some cows and calves, I was able to stop them and the two young calves were the ones that stopped in the clearing. She made a good shot, 80-100 yards ish with the 7mm-08:



This was Jenna's first elk, so happy for her. The highlight of the year for me was, maybe an hour before she shot this calf, we were out in the junipers listening to bugles and she said "Dad, hunting is fun. This has been awesome." I about melted. I think she is hooked.

Back at home we celebrated with elk heart and liver:


And deviled kidneys:


The next week it was Jill's turn. Jill has been unlucky in the draw, this was her first elk hunt as well. We didn't see much the first day until right before dark, Tate and my dad were on the hill glassing and picked up a herd. They were able to guide us in and Jill made a great shot on a cow at 190 yards. 120gr TTSX blew right through and she went about 50 yards and piled up. My phone died after 3 pictures because I'm an amateur but we got a pretty good one. So proud of this kid, this is her first elk:


All in all I've had an amazing 30 days. A lot of hunting, a lot of work, a lot of love. Very proud of my kids.

Jenna messing around in camp:


Calf steaks and roasts:


I get to tag along on some late rifle bull tags so hopefully more coming after Thanksgiving:)

Great trips and pics. 👊🏻 Thanks for sharin

Great pictures and a wonderful family and friends! Congratulations to everyone!

Very very cool

A memory maker for everyone involved

Good job Dad!

Great write up too

That's what it is all about--Conglads

Big congrats to all!

wheres that damn like button at

Wow! That’s as good as it gets. Congrats.

Excellent job!

Great hunt and lots of good time with family and friends and a ton of meat to boot.

Awesome hunt! Thanks for the pics and really cool seeing some hunting kids in camp!

congrats on the hunt , good deal with the kids hunt hope they are hooked for life

Good stuff, congrats to all.

Outstanding, that's what it's all about.

Looks like an excellent month!

Congrats to all on their success.

That is frigging awesome!

Sounds like a great family adventure and lots of good eats.
The kids re-live it each time you have a nice meal of elk.
Well done.

Nice job all around. Looks like a lot of fum was had. 😁

I love it but I’m gonna have to wait till next year.