I had dreamed all year long about my archery elk hunt in Arizona. And now that I sit here, 12 hard days of hunting are behind me. Time feels like it has been swept right from under me. The hunt had it all. Good weather, bad weather, moments where I felt unstoppable, and moments where I felt incapable.
Right here, I’m going to just say, I didn’t get an elk. I did shoot one though. More on that later. What I wanted to do here is lay out my thoughts after the hunt and some major takeaways after spending so many days in the field. All of those days gave me a lot to think about. Most are hunting-related, but I even was put at peace with something I struggle with in life.
I’m a big fan of the euro mount, especially for deer/elk. They’ve got a rustic look and I just love the color contrast between skull and antler. Early on, I would go through the whole process of creating these on my own. Boil, pressure washer, boil, pressure washer, etc. I enjoyed the process, but man it always took me forever to finish. With the time crunch that is now my reality going through that process is something I haven’t been able to revisit. Well, not entirely at least. After getting a hot tip from a buddy, the lazy man’s euro mount sounded like it was a perfect alternative. Now, a few years later, I’m happy to say it was.
Year in and year out life is filled with lessons. If you’re like me and always striving to be better than yesterday, you pay attention to those lessons. This past 2021 hunting season provided me with more than its fair share of takeaways, just like it should be. Here, I’m going to lay out my biggest lessons learned from the 2021 hunting season. I walked away from it with new perspective, and with any hope, you’ll walk away from this article with the same.
So, we are in the thick of it now on this elk hunt. In the last episode of Dialed in Diaries you saw me play cat and mouse with a bull. After several attempts, he just kept on avoiding me. Whether it was by his own doing or because of an outside source, like the quail hunters. These things happen in the field and we didn’t get too down about them. That’s bowhunting and it’s all part of the game. To get mad about it, would be doing yourself and the whole experience a disservice. We’re out there to have fun, so petty things like that don’t deserve our energy.
In this episode, I finally catch up to the bull from the last episode. This time, he put himself in a fantastic spot for an approach. It was a 2.5 mile stalk with an hour left of daylight. I ran the whole way in order to get into position on the bull. Watch Episode 6 down below to see how it all shook out.
I really hope you enjoyed that episode as much as I enjoyed creating it. Sure, this one stung a bit, but it’s always fun looking back at moments like these. They provide learning opportunities, as well as opportunities for clarity. And in foggy times like that, clarity is absolutely needed to find your way through.
Like always, thanks so much for watching and please SUBSCRIBE to the Youtube Channel to stay up to date with future videos! Next up is Archery Deer here in Arizona. One of my all time favorite hunts of the year. Backpack bowhunting for coues deer at its finest. Backpacks were heavy on this one. Stay tuned and stay safe out there!
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We’ve reached a new chapter! High country mule deer is behind us and late archery elk hunting lies ahead. This hunt took place in my home state of Arizona and is one that has grown on me through the years. Most folks want to get out and chase screaming bulls during the month of September, and rightfully so. I love the early hunts. However, spot and stalking bulls in our Arizona deserts is something that has become more and more appealing to me with each passing year. The tags are easier to draw, the weather is great, and you get to hunt the same bulls that hunters wait decades to hunt on the September hunt. They might not be screaming during the month of November, but it is a fun hunt in its own right.
In the past, my brother Jake and I have never had an elk tag together. This would be the first time both of us head afield with an elk tag each. So, that in itself was a win for the both of us. As we grow older, it seems we get more and more busy. This has a negative effect on how much time that we get to spend together. So, when hunts like this pop up, where we can both hunt at the same time, it is much appreciated. From glassing side by side, to hanging out around a crackling fire, we soak it all up.
In this episode of Dialed in Diaries, we’ll kick off the very hunt I’ve been talking about. Late archery bull elk hunting in Arizona, during the month of November.
If you haven’t already, please SUBSCRIBE to the Youtube Channel and blog to stay up to date with future posts. Thanks so much for the support through the years. 2021 is going to be the most hunts I’ve ever done, and I plan on sharing it every step of the way through Dialed in Diaries. Keep your eyes out for Episode 6 in the near future. Hint, hint. SHOTS FIRED!
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In the last episode of Dialed in Diaries, you watched my brother and I backpack into the Colorado backcountry in search of mule deer. No deer were harmed in the making of that film, but my brother was unfortunately. This caused us to pull the plug and head home 5 days early. It was a bummer all the way around, but necessary. He was in no shape to trek into the area we were planning on going. 2 weeks later, I’d head back to Colorado with a good buddy and try my luck again, which lands us here, episode 4.
We are fully immersed in scouting season right now! Isn’t that exciting? Everything that we do now is laying a foundation for our upcoming season, no matter what species one might be after. This is the leg work necessary, to help ensure the highest quality hunt we can attain. It is what separates the consistently successful hunter from everyone else. Lately, I’ve been out scouting water sources for a black bear hunt here in Arizona. The hunt takes place during a dry and hot time of year, so water is key. This is going to help me eliminate water sources and key in on others. Hunting is a game of chance, so giving yourself the best chance for success is what it’s all about. Even though this hunt is focused on bears though, doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention to other critters I come across. I’m constantly scouting for next season…..this season.
To keep the ball rolling on the Fall Hunting Season video series, we land at an elk hunt I recently went on. My Dad drew a late rifle bull tag here in Arizona, and we couldn’t wait to get out there to get a look at some bulls. This hunt takes place in an area that is very near and dear to our hearts, so getting to hunt elk here was pretty special for us. Episode 5 of this series has more snow than we’ve ever hunted in for sure! It was a winter wonderland out there. We got in the field the day after a huge snow storm blew through northern Arizona. It was the perfect recipe for good elk hunting. The day before we hunted, my Dad and Brother actually arrived to their tent completely covered. It had broken and collapsed beneath the snow. That’s not something us desert folks deal with often. Besides all of that, our Dad was able to harvest his first elk ever! A huge thank you goes out to who came and helped us pack the bull out through the frozen night. You know who you are. Here it is! Episode 5 of my Fall Hunting Season. Enjoy!
Man, what a cool hunt! Getting to watch our Dad harvest his first elk was pretty memorable. This is going to be the last episode in this series. With the new year started up though, I’m sure I’ll put together more of these for 2020. If you like the videos, I’d super appreciate if you took the time to subscribe to the blog and my YouTube Channel to stay up to date with future posts. I’ll be trying to put out much more video content. Until then though, Happy New Year!
I recently had the pleasure of joining a good friend of mine on his late archery elk hunt here in Arizona. He drew a bull tag for an area that has grown near and dear to me, so I was ecstatic to go hang out with him for a few days. We’d be hunting in the desert for bull elk. In the past I’ve done approached this pretty much exactly how I’d hunt mule deer. Get up high on a vantage point, glass, and make a stalk. A classic spot and stalk hunt! The weather was great, as was the company. Not only is Gabe a newer bowhunter, this was his first elk hunt! Let’s just say, he got a great introduction to it.
Hunts like this are some of my favorite. Aside from having fun glassing up bull elk and making stalks, it was awesome to just spend time with one another in some great country. We ate some great food and had some equally great conversations. Sometimes, it was to the point of me forgetting to keep glassing. We experienced the gamut in terms of emotion on this hunt. Being rather new to bowhunting, Gabe learned a ton on this hunt. It was fun watching him go through the process and realizing when things clicked or didn’t click. That’s all part of the journey that is bowhunting. A never ending line of classes, ready to school you at every turn. The school of bowhunting in full effect. This, I love.
Here is a short video I put together of the time I spent out there with Gabe. Hope you like it, and if you do, please subscribe to the blog and youtube! You’ll get notifications every time I post, so you don’t miss a beat! Thanks for watching!
If you read about my elk hunt from this past September, you already know how much of a grind it was for me. The toughest hunt mentally I have ever done. 14 days straight in the field with more ups and downs than a roller coaster. It was a humbling experience to say the least and I am so glad that I had the privilege of going through it. Below is the video of that very hunt and a constant reminder for me that I will never have it all sewn up. Follow along with my brother Jake and I as we chase elk in our home state of Arizona. Enjoy the video!
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