Living in Az and rarely drawing an elk tag is frustrating
So I took a chance on an over the counter tag and had been watching a couple of different herds. Luckily I live near a couple of the otc areas.
I took this spike yesterday evening exactly 5 months after my heart transplant.
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Congrats- what kind of otc tag gets elk in June? Nice
There are several otc units in az that are open year round.
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I only get Aug-March here in Oregon for the damage control tag or LOP tag. Blacktail Deer is Sept 1 to end of Feb. Both are any weapon. BTW grew up in Prescott. Hunted 17B growing up with dad as a youth and up by Williams lake for elk.
That’s funny im from az but lived in Oregon for about 5 years. And then moved back to AZ. I’ve not hunted much in the Prescott side of the state. They have a few otc units over there one around Alamo lake!
Fantastic! Congrats. Weird to be elk hunting in June! How was the pack out?
Drove the truck right up to it. I visited with the rancher about 30 minutes before i shot this spike. He gave me permission to go anywhere on the back field to retrieve any elk I shot.
The shot was @ 375 yards ( my range finder has been acting up). The projectile went in at the point of the left shoulder ended up heart shot and didn’t go far at all maybe 30 yards.
Shot him in the evening temp was about 68 while i was processing it got it to my meat guy within a few hours.
I’ve field dressed em in warmer Temps that’s why i hunt them in the late afternoon.
what unit in Arizona was this in?
That’s a great question. AZ has 8 or so otc elk units. I live almost right in the middle of 4 of them and about an hour from another.
The ranchers in the area do want the elk gone but are also weary of who to let on their range. Some of the ranchers sell their access to outfitters others just won’t let anybody hunt thier property.
I have access to some private property in several of the units ( mostly by situational happenstance).
My “agreement” with the rancher was i would treat it as a meat hunt and take the first legal animal i had a reasonable shot at. Thus the spike. There were some bulls in there that will probably be pretty nice, but it would be kinda crappy for me to ask for access and then not take an animal because I’m waiting for it to grow antlers while also eating up all his browse.
Some of the elk in these otc units are very agricultural dependent. Azgfd states hunt success is @ 1% or less.