January 2026
Elk Hunting | Arizona
Story By: Mel Wright
I had the hunt of a lifetime and went through a long process to get prepared for it. I didn’t know what an early muzzleloader tag meant until I experienced it. This was my first drawn tag, my first muzzleloader hunt, my first Arizona hunt, my first public land hunt, and the hardest, most rewarding hunt I’ve ever been on. It’s also the one I’m most proud of.
I had an amazing experience with a couple of people in the muzzleloader world, and without their help, I probably wouldn’t have been successful. Dean Parker with Parker Productions was beyond helpful, generous with both his time and advice. I had no idea what load to use, but Parker Match/Hunter bullets had been recommended to me. I made what was probably a very weird double order in the middle of the night, and Dean emailed me the next day to make sure I knew what I was getting. Long story short, we went back and forth emailing, and he gave me his cell number. He was very understanding and told me to call him for advice anytime. He was genuinely more concerned with me having a successful experience than with selling me bullets. Because I had no idea about anything in the muzzleloader world, I reached out to him several times. I would go to the range and call him when I wasn’t getting consistent shots or needed direction dialing my load in. I cannot thank him enough for all his help. Parker Productions gave me the best retail experience I’ve ever had buying anything. By the time I left for Arizona, I had learned a ton about muzzleloading and discovered an appreciation and enjoyment for the particulars of hunting with these rifles.
I also started rucking six months before the trip. That training came at a time in my life when I really needed to start taking care of my body. I am forty-five, and, at the time, I had just started realizing how out of shape I’d become. I did not want to miss out on a bull because I couldn’t make a hike. The other goal I had was to be able to enjoy the moment if I was successful in killing one. The last thing I wanted to do was kill myself on a stalk, then be so exhausted I wouldn’t remember it. In the end, I was not as prepared as I thought I was, but I did make some really hard stalks and enjoy every minute. The life changes this hunt made me start have stuck, and I am really thankful for the motivation it provided.
The trip from Alabama to Flagstaff was an adventure in itself. I ended up having three different tickets due to last-minute flight cancellations and a missed rebook. The ammo and powder were their own adventure and added to my education and experience. I was not aware that Blackhorn 209 is considered an explosive and, therefore, not allowed on planes. I found out that it is delivered via ground transportation when you order it. Luckily, I had planned to get to Flagstaff two days early so that I could have a full day to check my gun out and get familiar with the area. The flights ate up my extra day, but I realized it wasn’t worth feeling sorry for myself. I had the Unit 9 tag in my pocket.
I was set up with A3 Trophy Hunts though Huntin’ Fool, and I booked them within a week of pulling my tag. Since there is only one random non-resident tag, A3 keeps a spot for whomever pulls it. If you are not 1,000 percent certain you know where and how to kill a 350-class bull, I would recommend them without hesitation. They are a no-nonsense outfit that goes after big bulls, and they take it seriously. You go with them because you want the biggest trophy possible.
Chad Rhoton is the owner and answered all my questions when I booked the hunt. Tyler Mott was my guide, and he reached out to me about a month before the season. We brainstormed everything I would need. (We both learned about the black powder no-fly label at the same time.) He asked me about my physical condition and what I felt I could do on a hunt. When I said I felt I was ready for any kind of hunt, I did not know someone like Tyler existed. If hunting was a sport like football, Tyler would be a first-round pick in the draft. He was starting to guide for the early archery season, and, when I looked him up on Facebook, I was extremely impressed with his past hunts. His profile is back-to-back monster muleys in velvet, huge elk, giant rams and anything else that requires a pack mule to haul it out of the woods. Having hunted with him, I’d swear he could run a bull down on foot and stab it with a knife if that’s what it took to get one on the ground.
All of the guides with A3 are good guys. I was really impressed with their focus and resolve to get their hunters in front of the largest bull possible. When one of them tagged out with their hunter, they would jump in to help whoever hadn’t tagged out. Tate Rhoton was a huge help on my hunt. We had gone back to camp to regroup and dry out after sitting through a three-hour hailstorm on the flats during our first stalk, and he was nearly struck by lightning spotting for us.
Peyton Zufelt was another A3 guide that popped up when I needed him. After four stalks that included hailstorms, lightning strikes, and unexpected wind changes, a nine-mile hike brought us within 360 yards of my bull. In Alabama, we don’t have many opportunities to shoot anything over 200 yards. I had a CVA Accura MRX .50 caliber, and I was confident up to about 250 yards. We didn’t think he was going to give us a chance to get that close due to the number of elk herds all around him, but Peyton had come up from Phoenix with a secret weapon that one of his friends had let him borrow: a .45 caliber that hadn’t yet found its max range.
Peyton went with us on that last stalk. We went through multiple cuts and had to double back several times due to wind and other elk being in the way. We finally popped out about 360 yards from my bull. He was at 407 yards when I got the rifle on him. Peyton told me what to dial for 400. I fired that rifle for the first time at a 385” bull to fill a tag I’ll never pull again. One shot, five or six steps, and he was down. He was dead by the time we got to him.
I could not be more impressed with that rifle. Come to find out, it was the personal gun of Luke Horak, owner of Arrowhead Rifles. When I texted him to thank him, he said it was serial #WTC001, from the first branded Arrowhead Rifles. He said that “WTC” was his grandpa’s initials. The fact that I was able to shoot an Arrowhead was a blessing, but to shoot Luke’s personal gun was amazing.
I also had a great experience with John Brown at Bonecollector Wildlife Studio in Cottonwood, AZ. He is working on my mount now and was really patient with me when I dropped off my head and cape.
I cannot recommend Huntin’ Fool’s license application service enough. I’ve recommended it to several of my friends. The tag systems out west are so different from anything we do in the south. I didn’t think I would ever actually pull a tag like this, but it happened. I’m a member for life, and I am getting my nine-year-old son set up for several draws this year. Thank you for helping me make this hunt possible.