It was a three-mile drive and another one-mile hike across the valley floor to get to the rutting area and water tank. This is where Mark Stevens and his dad, Jess, had spotted the big non-typical bull several days before my arrival on Arizona's San Carlos Indian Reservation for the start of my September hunt on the Dry Lake Unit. John McClendon, an Arizona outfitter who has guided me on many successful elk hunts, had told me he knew of a big non-typical bull on the reservation. I killed a big bull on the reservation in 1997 so I knew the hunting was good. I bought a Dry Lake tag hoping to get a chance at a monster bull.

After a three-hour drive from the Phoenix airport I arrived at Jess' camp late on Monday, Sept. 3. Mark and Jess shared with me the results of their scouting activities. After listening, I knew the big non-typical they'd spotted (which they'd nicknamed Mr. Big) was definitely the one John had told me about and wanted to go after. My tag was good for 14 days but I'd hoped to be back home in less than 10 days to get my three teenagers packed and off to college. Mark told me, "We've got to be up early and walk in while it's still dark. It's been over 90-degrees everyday and the elk are heading for the cool of the timber bedding areas right after daylight." With those words, I unpacked my gear and settled into my sleeping bag for what I knew would be a short night's sleep.

When the alarm went off at 3:30 a.m., Jess and Mark were already up and drinking their coffee. I hadn't slept much, but then I never did on the night before the first day of a September elk hunt...just too much anticipation. The three of us got into my rented SUV, and after a 45-minute drive we parked in the cover of a cedar grove. We were about a mile from where Mark and Jess had seen elk busy feeding and rutting every night and morning during the prior week. I grabbed my 12 power binoculars and my .30-.378 McMillan Bros. Weatherby and we began our hike in the dark. It wasn't long before I began to hear the greatest sound in the world to an early-fall elk hunter...bugles coming from several different directions. We approached as silently and as cautiously as we could. There were only a few small gullies and minimal ground cover to mask our stalk. The wind was favorable. After getting as close as we dared, I finally hunkered down to wait for enough light to see if one of the bugling bulls was the one I'd heard about.

As it slowly became light enough to see, Mark spotted the big non-typical about 1000 yards away with a group of over 80 cows, grazing and already lazily moving toward one of the several draws that led back into the steep timbered hillsides. As I focused my binoculars, the big bull followed his cows into a small, dry creek bottom. While I couldn't get the look at him I wanted, I saw enough to know this was the kind of bull dreams are made of. Unfortunately, between the big bull and us were another half dozen bulls and a smattering of cows strung out for several hundred yards feeding. They were gradually moving toward the cooler bedding areas of the hillsides which provided them both cover and safety. Because it was so wide open, we could not get closer for fear we'd be seen and spook all or part of the herd into running off. I decided not to risk a stalk at that time and to wait later that evening for another try.

For the late afternoon hunt, we set up early and waited patiently for the big bull and his harem to come out of the timber on the steep hillsides to feed and water. Just before dark, Mark again saw the big bull. He'd walked out of some timber and then bedded again on the hillside under a large juniper about 800 yards away. With lots of cows feeding between us and the bedded bull, Jess got out his spotting scope. I finally got a good look at Mr. Big. What a monster! I'd seen a lot of big bulls in my years of hunting but none quite like this one. After glassing the big non-typical for a good five minutes, I guessed him at around 420 B&C points. Mark and Jess thought he was bigger than that. Unfortunately, any stalk was problematical as there were too many other elk between us and the bull, and we were quickly running out of daylight. As it turned out, he never got up from under that juniper before dark. We headed for camp anxious for the morning hunt.

We made it in the next morning without being seen and we were perfectly set up. With lots of bugling going on, all the big bull had to do was show and I knew I could get a clean shot given good daylight and the right opening. As luck would have it, we saw approximately 40 cows and 10 bulls that morning, but no Mr. Big. We spent some time cautiously following the elk into the timbered hillsides at a safe distance, but our bull was nowhere to be found. We went back into the same area the next several days and it was as if he'd simply disappeared. I was getting worried. Had he spooked and run off? Had he gathered his cows and gone to another area? Was he feeding and rutting only during the night? We were at a loss as to where he was or if he'd return, but I knew that we had to be patient and just wait.

The following morning came and went the same way. We watched numerous elk go to water and feed. We cautiously followed several of the bulls and cows up the steep hillsides as they headed into the sanctuary of their timbered bedding areas after daylight, but again, the big bull had simply disappeared. Mark's brother, Homer Stevens, came to camp after breakfast and we told him of our trials and uncertainty about where the big bull was located. Homer said, "Unless he's become totally nocturnal, he's got to be getting pretty thirsty. There's not much water around so let's go in and keep an eye on the one big dirt tank in the area. Maybe he'll come to water late this afternoon while it's still daylight." I agreed. It sounded like a good plan.

Homer and I found a spot in the valley where we could watch the big water tank without being seen. It also gave a good view of several drainages the elk had been coming out of in the late afternoons as they headed for water and the lush feed on the valley floor. After sitting and glassing the hillsides for about three hours and with only a half-hour of daylight left, we hadn't seen or heard any elk. As we decided to move about a quarter mile to the east, Homer said, "Here come some elk". Homer and I raised our binoculars in unison. Homer said, "That's him!" Homer and I froze, and watched the big bull with about 20 cows head straight for the tank. When they crossed the top of the dam and disappeared into the tank, Homer said, "Let's go." He and I had about 700 yards of ground to cover to get to the tank, hopefully before the elk watered and were on their way. As we neared the tank, I was soaked with sweat and my heart and lungs were gasping for air. Walking was OK but trying to quietly run for a half-mile in 80-degree heat at an elevation of 6,000 feet was not something I was used to. As I tried to catch my breath and collect myself crawling up the side-wall of the dirt tank, I chambered one of my 180-grain Noslers and flipped up the covers on my rifle's 12 x 50 Swarovski scope. Seeing that bull stand on the water's edge about 100 yards away was incredible. Miraculously, the wind was calm and neither he nor the cows had seen or heard us coming. As the bull walked up and neared the top of the tank, I squeezed the trigger and watched him fall. What a monster!

The bull was an 8 x 7 and after waiting the mandatory 60-day drying period, he officially scored 442 3/8 net B&C points non-typical and he grossed 454 6/8 B&C points.

It was a hunt I'll remember forever. My thanks go to God for creating this incredible game animal and to my tribal guides, the hard-working Stevens family. They spent a lot of time and effort helping me find this trophy of a lifetime. The San Carlos tribe does an excellent job of managing their wildlife resource and the Reservation has produced lots of big bulls over the years. I'm just fortunate it was my turn to find the right bull in the right place at the right time. I'm also thankful this was one lead that turned out to be true. 

-----> View Dan's Bull featured in the King's 2003 Elk Calendar