One hundred fifty years ago elk roamed most of the United States, in foothills, woods and plains and from sea level to mountaintops. The Merriam's elk, Arizona's native elk, represents a sad note in American fauna. This, the largest of all elk, was the last of the large game animals to become known to science and the first to become extinct. The Merriam's elk originally found in New Mexico and in the White Mountains and Mogollon Rim areas of Arizona was last recorded taken near Mt. Baldy in 1898. Even today, these areas generally produce bulls with heavier mass and shorter tine length than those of Northern and Northwest Arizona which typically will have less mass and longer tine length. The heavy mass of the White Mountain herd has led some to believe the Meriam's elk was never exterminated, but that some survived to interbreed with the introduced elk from Yellowstone.

Elk disappeared from Arizona due mostly to heavy harvest. As pioneering increased and new settlements were formed, elk meat became a common commodity. At the trading posts and general stores it was worth around seven cents a pound. The most noble of cloven footed game animals in the territory was hounded, hunted and slaughtered until the lone survivor, according to the best authority, was killed near Mount Ord in 1898. In addition, contraction of infectious disease from domestic livestock contributed to the extinction.

In 1913, 83 Yellowstone elk were released at Cabin Draw, near Chevelon Creek, which is about 45 miles south of Winslow. Subsequent releases occurred in Arizona from 1918 to 1928. A total of 157 elk were released throughout the state into what was considered suitable habitat. From the beginning, the growing elk herd began to reach the incredible estimated herd size of 35,000 today. Arizona's first elk hunt occurred in 1935 when the population was estimated at 4,800 elk. A total of 276 permits were issued with a resulting harvest of 145 bulls.

When I first started archery elk hunting in 1972 it was really different than it is today. Back then you could buy an archery elk tag over the counter. During that period of time the compound bow had not come into existence so you either hunted with a long bow or recurve and to be proficient with these bows you would have to practice, practice, practice. Not too many hunters wanted to or didn't have the time to practice that much which resulted in very few bow hunters. From the mid 80s to early 90s Mike Whelan, a good friend of mine, and myself were in elk heaven. During that period New Mexico had over-the-counter archery elk tags and Arizona was on a draw basis, but you could almost always draw an archery elk tag. Mike and I would hunt the second week of September in New Mexico and then hunt the third and fourth weeks of September in Arizona. Today, with the efficiency of the compound bow and other sophisticated equipment, the sport has grown dramatically initiating lots more interest and resulting in the draw basis for archery elk. On average it takes about five years to draw an archery elk in Arizona. Arizona has become the most sought after state in the nation for archery elk hunts. This makes it really hard for most hunters to get much up-close experience in the field. I thank the Lord and feel very fortunate for the years I have had with the elk but feel for the new generation of hunters. The down side to the draw and very limited number of tags is the wait. In contrast the upside is once you do receive that coveted tag you typically will have the hunt of a lifetime.

Most western states have obtained a healthy elk herd due to strict management and limited entry units. In addition organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have played a major role in promoting and maintaining healthy elk numbers throughout the states. These groups have purchased thousands of acres of land to preserve elk habitat as well as getting involved in projects such as controlled burns, re-seeding and water projects. The special auction and raffle tags have played a big part generating millions of dollars for habitat improvement projects. In the last four years Arizona's elk auction tag has sold for $100,000 or more for a combined total (auction and raffle) of $1.8 million. This money is earmarked for habitat improvement projects in elk range. It also will benefit other animals such as deer, antelope, turkey and many others that share these areas.