Adventures of Kevin and Brittany: My 2012 Late Archery Bull Hunt

Last year putting in for the fall hunts I asked my father, "wanna put in for the late archery bull with me?" His reply was no you'd be out of your mind to do that. Well I am, I put in for it with 25 tags and drew it being the 9th tag. I was excited! I thought if we can get some snow and some hunting pressure from other hunts I'm going to chase these bulls in the canyons where they winter. I drew the tag in a unit we shed hunt every year, we know where these bulls like to winter and though it would be hard I wanted to test my self. Plus I would rather hunt then sit back and watch others hunt, I would rather have twenty bulls under my belt then 1 big one. Well as all well laid plans go, all my scouting time was quickly stopped with the news a good friend had drew the strip hunt. So as it would happen I would come home from the strip and head right into my hunt. Feeling confident this wasn't a big deal, as long as we had some weather. The first day on the strip we had snow and I was hoping it was falling all over Arizona pushing them bulls low. Well a dusting came and my good friend Artie was out there and the bulls were on the move to the low country! He saw 10 bulls with one good one we would definitely hunt.

Fast forward a couple days and I'm home from the strip and ready to go hunting. The day before the hunt we glass 9 bulls and three of which Artie and found a week prior, and the shooter is still there. Warm weather had been the norm for the last two weeks in this country and the bulls were scarce. Everything we were seeing was up high in the canyons but not low where I was hoping to spot n stalk them. It was starting to sink in this was going to be tougher then expected. Opening day turned up with the shooter and the two other bulls, gone. Where they went we have no idea but they had been held up in this remote spot for two weeks and then they disappeared. Wasting no time in the evenings we all scattered out in search of a big bull un broken any where we could find them. The full moon had hit and the temps were in the 60's, not even close to were I had wanted them to be. Over the next three days we looked and looked covering a lot of miles. We knew where there were bulls but all that was there were 5 points and smaller but there were about 20 bulls, so I knew we had bulls to chase I just elected to search till I had enough and wanted to HUNT. At the end of day three and no sign of any good bulls I told everyone that I was ready to hunt and bring home some meat. I felt confident enough in saying if we could bed some bulls in the manzanita thicket covered hill that I could slip in there and get a shot.

The morning of day 4 we glassed the canyon bottoms with no luck again. Before the sun came up I swung the glass to the north and boom, theres a big bull in the thicket! He was an unbroke 6x6 with long beams and big thirds, game on. We sat and bedded him with two other 5x5s in the nasty thick country across from us. The plan was to go to camp and meet with good friend Todd Shavers and I would change my clothes and shoes in a way that would make easing through the brush somewhat easier. I changed my pack out and grabbed my thick socks and at 1pm we headed out so I could start the stalk. The wind was blowing right to them so I would have to climb high and get on the other side of a huge canyon edge and rim around behind them then start picking my way through slowly and see them before they get me, or hear me. The brush was tall, like 8 feet tall in most spots but where they had bedded the brush was 5 foot tall but still thick. I kept thinking what am I doing with this bow in my hand in this brush?? You need a rifle dumby! 2 hours later with my dad, Brittany, And Todd on point about 3/4 of a mile away I was nearing a point we had decided I would try and get to when I hear in my ear bud, "you made it!" I had told my dad watch for me I will pull my shirt up so you can see the white in the brush and when I did I found myself in position with good wind and 150 from the trees the bulls had last been seen and assumed to be bedded under.

Taking some deep breathes I smiled knowing that the what seemed hard was easy and now the hard part was really starting. After getting my clothes and taking my shoes off I got ready to start slipping into their beds. My plan was to cut the distance down in half then sit and wait for them to get up and feed then I would try to get closer. With plenty of time before sundown I start to slip in when my dad tells me that the big bull was up and feeding under a lone ponderosa pine. Im 90 yards from the tree, so I keep on going with the sun in my eyes I continue to pick my way through the oak brush and manzanita. With every step I stop and listen for them, and finally I can hear him and I'm 80 yards from the tree. Three other bulls get up and feed off like it was meant to be with this big bull. Once they were out of the picture I got aggressive thinking he won't notice my sounds if I make any cause of the other bulls.

With the bull in front of me making sounds I slipped into 40 yards from him and run out of spots to step! I tell my dad i'm 40 yards from him and he reassured me that I had made it to just sit there and give it some time, let him make the next move. With that the bull bedded at 40 yards on the other side of the brush and all I can see is his horns shining in the sun. Having a big smile on my face I told my self okay, you made it in here don't screw it up and be patient for a good shot. 15 minutes goes by and to my left I hear some noise and all i can see is a small bull feeding his way towards the big bull. Well I'm not one to turn down opportunities and I saw one beginning too unfold in front of me. I thought to my self, killing a bull in here would be a huge deal to me and those looking down on me. Plus I love to hunt and my favorite part is the pursuit of an animal in his territory. So with that I backed off the big bull and was now headed towards the sounds of the small bull.

At 50 yards he walks through an opening but I was not about to take a marginal shot in this thick brush, If I shoot Im going to make it count and get close. As soon as he clears the opening I'm off right to him, and with that I fell in right behind him at 45 yards. He walked a little bit further then disappeared off to the right behind a juniper, so I stopped. I sat and listened and in my ear I keep hearing my dad telling me what the big bull was doing, I tried telling him that plans had changed but he could never make it out cause I was too close to let this bull hear me now. With the sun fixing to set, I told my self you better make it happen now or time will get you, so I was off and sneaking. As I cleared some brush there was some horns 35 yards from me but all I could see was the top. I stopped and got ready to shoot and started guessing the range, 45,35,40?? Right then the bull stands and I tell myself 40 and settle my forty pin on him as he turns and looks my way with a slight quatering away shot. I released and watch as my arrow flew perfect for where I wanted it to land. The bull jumped and ran off, I get on the radio and tell them I shot a 5 point get on him. Still watching the big bull everyone had to shift their attention and they quickly found the bull I had just shot. They watched as he walked off 250 yards with the big bull, then he went into some trees and never came out. The other bull walked off, now the tough question we all go through, " do I give him more time or do I start trailing?" This country you could easily push a bull to a point of never finding him, so we elected to leave him for the night and be there as the sun comes up so if he is alive we can get it done.

Day five we set out after a sleepless night and staring at pictures of bulls talking bout the shot. Me, Brittany, and Todd took off in the dark with my dad on point. As shooting hours came we found ourselves getting close to where they had last seen him. Brittany stood as a marker in one spot and me and Todd made little circles in the thick brush to make sure we didn't miss anything. My dad says you need to come lower, so we drop down and as soon as I get lower I smell bull!! I Yell at Todd and Brittany he's down some where right here! 20 yards from me we find my bull laying and the big sense of relief and the feeling of accomplishment over whelmed me. We had done it, stuck to it and got a bull down on the hardest hunt I have ever personally been on. We snapped some quick pictures and got the bull dressed and started the pack out. We had .55 miles to go, and at 1130 am we were in camp with my bull and the sheds we found on the way and I had a huge smile knowing I had filled my late archery bull tag!!

I shot the Ulmer edge broad head and it worked flawlessly! My arrow hit slightly back and angled through the whole chest cavity and came out right behind the front shoulder on the opposite side. My bull made it 264 yards from where i shot him and the blood trail was awesome.

Thanks again to my Dad, Brittany and Todd for hanging in there with me on a hunt most would not consider or give up on. Thanks also to my mom for staying in camp and cooking for us. She also watched our daughter Lacey while we would hunt, it was the best camp having your family and friends there for the whole hunt, thanks again mom! Thanks for everyone else who helped along the way also!

My bull may not be big but its my 5th Arizona bull, and while others were sitting at home waiting for their next tag we were out elk hunting doing what we love, and next year I bet we will have another tag but I know it won't be late archery!!! thanks everyone