Every fall, elk hunting pulls us up into Arizona’s high country. Arizona’s elk season, managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, draws hunters into the high country every fall. This elk hunting trip Williams style took me north with my buddy Jeff for four days of scouting, climbing, freezing mornings, and a few surprises along the way.
Hitting the Road to Williams
I had planned to meet Jeff at around 10am at his house. I called him that morning and he told me he realized he had a water pump leak in his truck. He wanted to change it out before heading up the mountain.
I took my time to finish getting ready as I knew I had a couple extra hours. It was a hectic morning anyway; just the general preparing, guy came to wash our cars, builder was there waiting for inspector to show. I kind of got caught up in a lot of stuff. Not to mention, Donna had left early to take KK to skate, and I wouldn’t see her if I left at 9am as planned. It was nice to be able to chat with her some before heading out.
A Bite Before the Drive
I left the house around 11:30 and got to Jeff’s about an hour later. He was just buttoning up the water pump and starting to make sure there were no leaks. He still had tools to pack and to finish organizing a few other items. Plus, he wanted to grab a shower before we headed out.
We left his house and went to grab a bite to eat nearby. Since there was no room in the parking lot for a 38-foot RV pulling an 18-foot trailer, I parked in a far-off area of the lot. Another guy and his wife were just parking in their fifth wheel also. We just pulled up side by side in the lane, since nobody else was going to park that far away! LOL Jeff and I decided on Taco Bell, since we had both recently had In and Out…still a hard decision though! ☺ After we finished, Jeff headed across the road to see if he could get a new bulb for his right tail light. He had no blinker.
Meeting Bud
I walked back to the RV as the people in the fifth wheel were just backing up to head out. I got myself better situated at the exit of this part of the lot, awaiting Jeff’s call for us to hit I-17. The fifth wheel started to pull out and then stopped abruptly in front of me. He got out and came around to my drivers window. I said hello and he said, ‘You must have been a corpsman’.
I was quite shocked that he would know that, and I asked him how he figured it out. He said he noticed the Navy plate on the front of the RV and had already seen the 3rd 5th plate on the back. His dad was a corpsman in WWII…with the 5th marines nonetheless! What a small world! He himself served in Vietnam. I’m sure he said 64-65.
We chatted for about 15 minutes before we finally said our goodbyes. I asked him his name…Bud. Man, how I love meeting and chatting with fellow veterans! Especially when it is just so random! After they drove away with many waves and smiles, I had to laugh and think about what Donna and Caitlynn will say. I don’t go anywhere that I don’t meet someone I know, or make a new friend. Here’s to meeting up again soon Bud!
Elk Hunting Trip Williams: Stuck in the Mud
Jeff calls and we are headed north! It has managed to get late quickly. We head up the hill towards Williams. We stopped about halfway for gas for Jeff. Small town, so nowhere for me to fuel anyway.
Eventually we continue and finally get into Williams in the dark. From there we head through town and out onto the county road which will take us into the woods. We only have to drive a couple of miles on a dirt road before Jeff pulls into a road. It doesn’t take him more than about 30 seconds to be fully stuck in the mud. UGH!!
I stay out in the road and get out to help Jeff unhitch the trailer. He gets the truck out of the mud and comes at an angle to grab the trailer once again. Success on the first try! I get in my rig and Jeff has me make a wide swing and stay high in the grass. No problems, and I pull right into a nice flat spot. We setup camp in short, had a bite to eat, chatted for a bit and then it was off to bed, as we would be heading out at 0530 the next morning.
Day 1 in the books! Looking forward to morning!
Up next: scouting in the dark and a 545-yard shot in Chapter 2.