After reading a post asking for help on a champ elk hunt I decided I would go and help. Aj is 12 and has cerebral palsy. His dad Dan put him in for his first elk hunt in az unit 27. I'd never been in the unit. It's steep country!
My wife and I made the 5 hour drive with the trailer to meet Dan and Aj. Once I met them I knew I'd made the right decision.
Friday I ran across a guide with a hunter and they were on 3 bulls but not what they were going after . Seeing I didn't have a rifle they asked what I was looking for . I explained I was helping on a champ hunt. They pointed out the elk and I went to get Dan and Aj . We set up to shoot the bigger bull as he was bedded and had a broken leg . The weather moved in and we waited for a opening . Another group of hunters moved in and busted the bull .
We kept after it for days and on the last day finally got a shot at a spike at 850 yds at the shot . He was covered up at 450 by cows. It was a complete miss but Dan made the trip and checked to be certain. Walking the fence line he spotted elk on the ridge we'd been seeing them . So we made a last day push to get on them . It was a push as Aj is not super mobile and we walked in a half mile . Dan forgot his binos in the scramble to get everything . So I adjusted mine and gave them to Dan and he worked into a lane on the elk . The big bull stepped into the window we had ( only 10 feet wide ) . I got Aj into the spot and at 450 uphill it was a one and done as the bull dropped at the shot. A complete sigh of relief came over Dan and myself as it was a grind but Aj never complained once. The kid is a trooper and it goes to show you to never give up.
My wife and I made the 5 hour drive with the trailer to meet Dan and Aj. Once I met them I knew I'd made the right decision.
Friday I ran across a guide with a hunter and they were on 3 bulls but not what they were going after . Seeing I didn't have a rifle they asked what I was looking for . I explained I was helping on a champ hunt. They pointed out the elk and I went to get Dan and Aj . We set up to shoot the bigger bull as he was bedded and had a broken leg . The weather moved in and we waited for a opening . Another group of hunters moved in and busted the bull .
We kept after it for days and on the last day finally got a shot at a spike at 850 yds at the shot . He was covered up at 450 by cows. It was a complete miss but Dan made the trip and checked to be certain. Walking the fence line he spotted elk on the ridge we'd been seeing them . So we made a last day push to get on them . It was a push as Aj is not super mobile and we walked in a half mile . Dan forgot his binos in the scramble to get everything . So I adjusted mine and gave them to Dan and he worked into a lane on the elk . The big bull stepped into the window we had ( only 10 feet wide ) . I got Aj into the spot and at 450 uphill it was a one and done as the bull dropped at the shot. A complete sigh of relief came over Dan and myself as it was a grind but Aj never complained once. The kid is a trooper and it goes to show you to never give up.
