| In a season of
major fires and drought, what do I do with my bonus points or what if I draw? Most of the Rocky Mountain States are in a drought this year. What
does this mean to trophy hunters?
Interest in trophy animals is a lot greater today than
years ago. With this in mind a trophy hunter should pay attention to the drought. A
drought year significantly affects antler growth. A three-to-five percent reduction on
bull elk antler growth doesn't sound like much. But if you do the math five percent of 400
- that's 20 points.
A potential 400 point bull is now a 380, or five percent of
380 reduces a 380 to 360. Or five percent of a 350 is now a 333 bull.
In comparison mule deer will also have antler reduction on
drought years but not to the extreme that an elk has. Mule deer are for the most part
browsers compared to elk being grazers. The browse is not affected by drought as much as
the new growth of spring green which has lots of nutrients and produces healthy antler
growth.
This year reminds me of the last severe drought we had in
1996. I had a couple of hunters who drew Arizona elk muzzleloader tags in one of the best
units in the state (dream hunt). Typically on this hunt you could expect to take a
350-to-400 point bull, but due to range conditions we had a very difficult hunt. Not only
was the antler growth reduced, the intensity of the rut was way down compared to a normal
or good year. The cows were in such bad shape they didn't cycle well, therefore the
bugling and aggressiveness of the bulls was sub standard.
I believe it's natures way. If a cow is in such poor shape
and can barely survive, how is she going to carry a calf and then sustain the calf after
its birth? We only heard three bugles in five days of hunting. We finally harvested a 330,
which is a pretty nice bull, but not what you would expect for the hunt we were on. This
was one of the most frustrating hunts I have been on.
Of course the hunters came with high anticipation of
shooting a 375-plus bull. After reading all of the articles about monster bull elk in
Arizona why wouldn't they? The best explanation I could come up with was they drew the
best elk tag in Arizona during a severe drought year. That would be like winning the state
lottery, but on the day you won there was only $100 in the pot. Big deal!
If getting the biggest bull or buck possible is your main
goal you might want to apply for only a bonus point on a drought year. Some states like
Arizona do not let you apply just for a bonus point. In this case you might want to apply
for just one choice, which would have extremely low odds of drawing, like an early rifle
rut hunt.
I get many phone calls from potential clients wanting to
know what areas to put in for and what they should do on a drought year. My recommendation
is as follows. If you have two or less bonus points go ahead and try for the tag you
desire. If you have three or more bonus points try for a bonus point and wait for a better
antler growth year to burn your points on. 
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Continued -----> Elk
Reintroduction - Bringing Them Back
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