Archery hunt with Jared Lusk

This past archery season I had the fortune of guiding an experienced elk hunter from New Mexico by the name of Jared Lusk. Jared booked his hunt with Chappell Guide service the very day draw results came out. Steve Chappell is one of the few outfitters that I'm affiliated with and is among the best when when it comes to the entire experience of booking with an outfitter! Steve has become a very close friend over the years and his passion runs VERY deep!! Steve has emotional attachment "APPRECIATION" if you will to every guide within his business but also every fortunate hunter that draws a tag and gives him a call.. .. ..

   Jared and his son Coltin met me in Eager, AZ a week into the hunt. The Lusks are very serious elk hunters and couldn't make the opening week due to their annual Colorado elk hunt. Jared's killed many bulls with his bow including an impressive 7x7 over 390" and a whopper 5x5 pushing 350" so I knew we were in for a test of sorting through bulls that many hunters would love to take. Jared had his sights set on a 370" class of bull and with only a week left in the hunt. I had only seen one bull in scouting that would produce that kind of bone and he had been pushed very hard by other hunters already. The hunt was just starting to heat up overall and we went into an area that we left a 7x7 a year ago that we thought would break 360" at only 4 1/2 years of age. Jared and Coltin are both AMAZING individuals and we wanted to see them walk away with a bull of a lifetime!! Lets cut to the chase we quickly sorted through half a dozen bulls and the biggest maybe breaking 330".. GREAT looking elk just not what Jared wanted to add to his collection.

After several close encounters and blood pumping call ins we decided to try a different area. We worked our way into a really thick bedding area after a slow morning and found ourselves in the middle of a rut frenzy herd of elk. I dropped back to give a couple of soft calls and Jared caught glimpse of the bull that was in his AZ elk hunting dreams. With swirling winds thick cover and hundreds of eyes we decided our odds were better backing out than blowing the herd. We backed out had lunch and awaited the afternoon movement... After the long wait the elk were at it again.. As they moved out into the open valley the bull that Jared caught a glimpse of moved into the open and we all knew instantly the hunt took on a different direction. 

After several attempts and 3days left we finally had ourselves in the middle of the herd. We decided to sit patiently and quietly awaiting the rut to take its course and presenting a shot. After about 25 min Jared finally had the bull at 45 yards working cows.. As the bull walked into a clearing broadside, cameras rolling, and perhaps some early celebration in our minds, Jared drew his bow settled in shot and....... WHACK!!!! Bull spun ran out to 63 yards confused and Jared let a back up arrow fly.. Jared was certain that the bull was hit but as we walked up to the location of the first shot the arrow in the tree revealed that the hunt was still on. We quickly shook the depression and got back on him. As we were working into position on the herd again they blew, confused we stood there wondering why they took off. Wind was good they didn't see us, then we noticed the 2 hunters trying to get on the herd with the wind at their back. With only a day left we were back at it and Jared said " if it's brown it's down " so we did just that.  We worked into position and after playing games of cat and mouse Jared sealed the deal on his archery hunt. We knew that the size of the bull wasn't near the original goal but Jared was at a calm of knowing his fun button had been satisfied and he just wanted to redeem himself haha.