By Jared Canty
There’s an elk hunt on the White Mountain Apache tribal lands – AKA the elk capital of the world – that normally goes for round $20,000. In July of 2020, I heard that this hunt had been canceled. The tribal council had determined to do a particular once-in-a-lifetime hunt for its tribal members, permitting us to hunt throughout the peak of the rut and giving us the most effective alternative to reap a bull elk scoring over 400 inches.
Listening to this information obtained me very excited, realizing I had an opportunity to go on a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. I’ve all the time dreamed of experiencing this trophy hunt, however till this 12 months, that’s all it was, only a dream.
I killed my first cow elk in November of 2000 after I was 19. That was the day I knew I beloved elk searching – the joy and the enjoyment of being out in nature, not realizing what new journey every day would convey. Ever since then, I’ve been searching bull elk on the WMAT, Zone 1. The largest bull elk I’d killed earlier than this hunt was a 350-class 6×7.
Getting Fortunate
The following step was getting drawn for a tag. There are 4 zones for this hunt; Zones 1, 2, 3a, and 3b. I made a decision to place in for Zone 2, as a result of over the previous years Zone 2 had produced the most important bull elk, a lot of them scoring over 400 and making it into the all-time document ebook. So, in my view, this was the most effective zone to attempt to get drawn for.
There have been two totally different hunts for every zone. For the primary hunt, Sept 12-18th, there have been three tags out there via the draw. For the second hunt, Sept 20-Twenty sixth, there have been 4 tags out there via the draw. I put in for each hunts. There are limitless entries for this draw. Every entry was $5, and I put in $300. That got here out to 60 entries every.
The day of the draw lastly got here on August Twenty sixth. I obtained the most effective information a bull elk hunter might ever ask for. I’d been drawn for particular bull elk, Zone 2. My elk searching dream had lastly come true. There have been so many entries, and I used to be fortunate sufficient to get drawn for one of many 4 tags; I obtained my golden ticket. I might get to hunt throughout the peak of the rut. It was an unbelievable day – so thrilling! I lastly have the chance to go after a real big. After getting drawn, the tag value me a further $500, however it was nicely value it.
I posted the thrilling information on Fb, and afterward that day I used to be contacted by my good friend Boyd Tate. Boyd is a well known veteran elk information on the WMAT with over 20 years of trophy searching expertise, harvesting many bulls over 400. He provided to assist me out. I requested him how a lot he charged per day, and he informed me he didn’t need to receives a commission, he simply loves trophy elk searching and he didn’t need to miss out that 12 months. With out hesitation, I accepted his provide. I’ve by no means hunted Zone 2 earlier than, so I didn’t even know the place to start. This labored out completely.
The week of the hunt lastly arrived and on Friday, September 18th, my dad, Scott Canty, and I had been headed up the hill to arrange camp. On our approach up the hill, we had been stopped by a ranger. He checked our tag and requested the place we had been going. He wished us good luck on the hunt and informed us he hadn’t seen any huge bulls on the market this 12 months. That didn’t discourage me although, I wished to see for myself. After establishing camp, we met up with Boyd and made a sport plan for scouting within the morning.
September 19, 2020
That morning, Boyd and his son Dale arrived at our camp round 4:30 AM. All of us set off down the highway. This was a scouting journey to find bulls. Proper at first gentle, we pulled as much as an open subject simply east of a tank, stopped the truck, and listened. There have been bulls bugling throughout us. This obtained me very excited for the times to come back. We checked just a few areas that morning, all with promising indicators.
There wasn’t an excessive amount of motion that night, however we did handle to bugle in a pleasant 6×6, 350-class bull. That was just about the one bull we heard or noticed earlier than it obtained darkish on us. We returned to camp and obtained prepared for opening day. At camp, I might hear a minimum of three or 4 bulls bugling. I knew this opening day was going to be an excellent one.
Opening Day
It was 4:30 AM and Boyd was at camp proper on time. We headed to the realm we had scouted the earlier morning. Proper as we parked the truck, we had one bull bugling about 50 yards from us, however it was nonetheless too darkish to see something. The bull started to maneuver off to the north, away from us, so we determined to go forward and comply with to see if we might get a have a look at him. This bull went up a ridge and circled proper again round to the creek. This was slightly valley the place all of the motion was that morning.
There have been a minimum of 10 bulls and 20 cows on this valley. From the highest of the ridge, we had an incredible view of the tank. At dawn, we watched a number of cows and one bull enjoying within the tank, 1000 yards out. It was a wonderful morning, an ideal day for searching. We glassed up and sized up all of the bulls within the valley however didn’t see any shooters. We then returned to the truck to go try one other space.
On our approach there we heard a loud bugle not too far off the highway. There have been a minimum of three or 4 bulls bugling. Boyd and I made a decision to offer chase to see if any of those bulls had been attainable shooters. My dad waited on the truck as a result of every thing was occurring so quick. I grabbed my .270 Weatherby and headed out.
Boyd and I lastly caught as much as the primary bull about 500 yards from the place we heard the primary bugle. Boyd known as this bull in with just a few cow calls. He lastly stepped out from behind the Juniper tree. He was a pleasant 6X6, 340-class bull.
Boyd mentioned, “Don’t shoot, he’s just a bit man.” So we rapidly moved off to the following bull. We encountered one other related bull and determined to go him up as nicely. As we reached the highest of a hill, we noticed motion coming in the direction of us. It was a bear and her cub. It was an thrilling second, and we watched the bears eat acorns from an oak tree for a couple of minutes, then we lastly went again to the elk hunt.
After chasing down one other small bull, we determined to go to a brand new spot. We virtually caught as much as one other bugling bull, however by no means obtained an excellent look. It was round midday now the temperature was pushing 90 levels – too sizzling! We handed the identical ranger on our approach again to camp for lunch, and he knowledgeable us that there have been a number of different hunters within the space. He additionally tell us of a spot the place he had heard some bulls going loopy.
After lunch, we determined to offer it an opportunity and headed as much as that space. As we arrived, we jumped a 6X6 bedded down close to the highway. We had been in a position to name in one other first rate 6X6 340-class bull. The remainder of the afternoon was quiet for probably the most half.
It was practically darkish with about 35-40 minutes of sunshine left. A few mile down the highway to the north, there was slightly Cienega I wished to take a look at. I obtained out of the truck and let loose a bugle. Proper off the bat, we obtained a solution. After about 10 minutes we had three different bulls bugling and coming in; a small 5×5 and two good 6×6 bulls. On our approach again to camp, we noticed a nice-sized, cinnamon-colored black bear simply minding its personal enterprise, on the lookout for meals. That just about concludes the joy for our opening day.
This May Be It
It’s 4:00 am we’re getting an earlier begin as a result of we’re trying out a brand new space that’s additional away from camp. Sadly, proper as we obtained to the turn-off to that space, one other hunter beat us to it. Boyd knew of one other good space with a tank to hunt. As we arrived close to the tank, we stopped to hear. Immediately, there have been bulls bugling throughout us. We crossed the drainage previous the tank and obtained up on prime simply to the east facet. There have been a minimum of 10 totally different bulls bugling. I believed to myself, “This may very well be it, I would get my bull at the moment.”
As we approached the motion, we might inform the rut was heating up. We might hear the bulls rubbing their antlers in opposition to the timber, breaking branches, and bugles throughout us. The primary bull we noticed, I believed, for certain, was a shooter. He was a 380-class bull, most likely the most important bull elk I’ve ever seen out within the wild. Boyd, nonetheless, knew he wasn’t the one. We had our minds set on a 400”-plus bull, and we weren’t going to accept something lower than that. We handed him up and labored our approach in the direction of the opposite bulls.
These bulls had been already on the transfer. We walked as much as the sting of a canyon and glassed a number of bulls going up the opposite facet with just a few cows. There have been some fairly good bulls going up the opposite facet, however no shooters.
We continued on down in the direction of Pine Flat Tank. We parked the truck to glass round and hear. Proper the place we stopped the truck, I appeared down on the bottom and located a superbly formed, unbroken arrowhead. It was the primary one I had ever present in my life. At that second I believed to myself, “Hunters from the previous have additionally been right here. Luck is certainly on my facet.”
The tank was additionally fairly quiet – not one bugle. So, we determined to go try one other tank. On our approach there we stopped the truck to hear. We heard a bugle not too far off the highway, down on this little drainage. We glassed round and seen a pine tree prime transferring facet to facet. From the place we had been standing, we couldn’t see the bull, however we knew precisely the place he was. It was a ready sport, in the interim. We knew that if we tried to go down there, he’d bust us earlier than we might even get an excellent have a look at him.
We waited and watched for about 10 minutes. Boyd determined to begin cow-calling to see if he might get him to come back into the open. It labored and the bull started heading our approach. You possibly can hear branches breaking as he walked in the direction of us. He lastly stepped into the open, and I had a transparent shot. He ended up being a 370-class 7X7 – an amazing-looking bull that anybody could be pleased with taking, however we weren’t going to surrender on our aim.
Boyd didn’t waste any extra time. He mentioned, “He’s not the one we wish. Let’s go.” So we began heading again to the truck. My dad mentioned, “What, he’s not large enough for you?” I mentioned, “Nope. We’re after an enormous 400+, so we’ll maintain wanting.” We chased bugle after bugle that day, and though we noticed some giants, none of them was the one.
We had been amazed at what number of huge bulls had been within the space. Not one of the bulls we noticed that day had any damaged factors, because the ranger had informed us they’d. We had been slightly nervous in regards to the days to come back. Boyd’s final day of depart from work was Tuesday the twenty second.
GIANTS DO EXIST!
It was the morning of September 22, at about 4:00 AM. It was nonetheless darkish out, and I appeared up into the sky and the celebs had been shining brilliant. I mentioned a prayer to ask for blessings for the day’s hunt. Simply as I mentioned amen, at that precise second, a capturing star flew throughout the sky. It put a smile on my face realizing that my prayer had been heard.
That morning Boyd wished to return to an space we had been to earlier than, close to a butte. As we set off down the highway, we seen that one of many different hunters that had been camped to the west of us, a couple of mile away, had gotten in entrance of us as soon as once more. We adopted them for about six miles to the turn-off we wished to take, and certain sufficient, they headed down that highway. We needed to provide you with a brand new sport plan, so since they had been headed to the east facet of that space, we determined to go try the west facet.
We noticed the following bull about 500 yards out as he was coming throughout a gap, bugling away, on the lookout for cows or different bulls. He was a pleasant 350 class 6X6, however he wasn’t the one both. So we handed him up too.
We then headed on in the direction of one other bugle. There was too huge of a gap between us and the bull so we couldn’t get any nearer. He was within the cedars about 200 yards out. We couldn’t see him however we might hear him. Boyd tried cow calling, the bull would reply again with a bugle. We continued to name for about 10 extra minutes earlier than the bull finally went quiet and by no means confirmed himself.
We took a break on the butte earlier than we headed down. There was an incredible view, you possibly can see for miles. I might solely think about what number of elk had been down there that we couldn’t see. I used to be slightly discouraged at this level, considering that the morning hunt might already be over, however it was solely 7 o’clock within the morning. It was nonetheless early, we simply needed to discover a new space with extra motion.
We drove round to the east facet of the butte and stopped the truck to hear – not a sound. I made a decision to bugle with my energy bugle and instantly obtained a solution. The bull was a great distance off, so we obtained again within the truck and began heading his approach, to the north. We drove about 1/4 mile up the highway and parked the truck. I bugled once more to find him, and he instantly answered as soon as once more. We had been shut!
All three of us headed in the direction of the bull to arrange. I bugled once more, the bull answered, and this time he was even nearer. He was coming in and coming in sizzling. He was prepared for a battle. As we waited for him, Boyd started to cow-call. We might hear him coming via the timber. I used to be arrange, kneeling on the bottom with my elbow resting on my knee for a gradual shot simply in case this was the one. All of us watched and waited, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than we had a visible.
I might see his rack even earlier than he stepped out from behind the cedars, into the open. I believed to myself, “That’s an enormous bull coming our approach.” I used to be prepared. He stepped out bugling. I had my crosshairs on him the entire time. He stopped, and I whispered to Boyd, “Ought to I take him?” With out hesitation, he answered, “Take him.”
Not even a cut up second later, BOOM! He was hit and hit exhausting. He hunched up however didn’t go down. I rapidly jacked one other shell within the chamber and BOOM! once more. He dropped proper there in his tracks. He was lifeless inside 30 seconds.
We had been all very excited. My hand began shaking, however fortunately I didn’t get the shakes till after the pictures. The bull lay 50 yards away from the place I shot. Seeing no motion, we began strolling in the direction of him. About midway there I mentioned to Boyd, “400.” He replied, “We gotta have a look at it. We gotta have a look at it. He’s obtained additional factors on there.” About 20 toes away now I mentioned, “Holy smokes, dad.” He mentioned “Yep.” After we had been 10 toes away, Boyd mentioned, “Effectively, I feel you made it to the 400 membership.” I mentioned, “400 membership. Have a look at that!”
We had been all amazed at what had simply occurred. I requested my dad what he was considering when he first noticed the bull, and he mentioned that if this wasn’t the one, he didn’t know what was. He was large. This bull ended up weighing 506 kilos hanging on the bone at White Mountain Meat Packing. After a 60-day drying interval, his antlers ended up making the all-time Boone & Crockett document ebook with a closing web rating of 443 2/8” and a gross rating of 452 4/8”. We named him “Goliath,” after the one true big.
This was among the finest searching experiences of my life. I made the most effective of my once-in-a-lifetime hunt, harvesting the bull of a lifetime. I didn’t simply make the 400 membership, I made the 450 membership – one thing only a few hunters will ever have the chance to do. I’m very happy with this accomplishment and the staff I had with me throughout this hunt – Boyd Tate and my dad Scott Canty. I’m very glad that my dad was there to witness every thing. He’s been my searching associate for 20 years, and we lastly obtained it achieved.
I’d nonetheless must say that my most memorable and favourite hunt to at the present time was when my daughter Alyssa harvested her first bull elk, three years in the past when she was 12. I look ahead to many extra searching adventures with my daughter and my dad. We’ll see what new adventures the long run will convey.
