Story By: Mike Reilly
How do you describe a hunt nearly two decades in the making? Here’s the condensed version.
As a young boy in central Nebraska, my son Nate had no vision of chasing giant bull elk. Born in Arizona, he was unaware of its incredible hunting adventures. I knew. I’d lived in Mogollon Rim country for five years, where pursuing elk, mule deer, bear, lion, bighorn sheep, javelina, and Coues whitetails ignited my passion for the West’s rugged spaces. Family and career pulled me back to Nebraska, but I vowed to return to hunt Arizona as often as possible. Twenty-six years later, the hunt for Double XL Mondo began.
I’ve played Arizona’s preference point game for nearly three decades, and my family joined in. In 2022, my 83-year-old father cashed in over 30 elk points for a rifle hunt in northern Arizona. Thrilled but cautious due to his age, we hired Bob Dykeman of Shadow Valley Outfitters to maximize our chances.
We arrived at camp early, checked rifles, and acclimated. Bob showed us a video of our target bull, an astounding specimen with a unique left beam that changed yearly. We estimated him at 400 inches: “Double XL Mondo.” On opening morning, Dad’s slower pace couldn’t keep up with the elk or the terrain. Double XL passed us in the early morning gloom, and we couldn’t close the gap. Later, we spotted a beautiful 7x6 bull in open country, too nice to pass up. A plan was made, and 24 hours later, Dad had his bull. Double XL faded from our focus.
In early 2024, I hatched another plan. Nate, now 28, had 19 elk points from years of applications since age 10. I calculated we could draw northern Arizona archery bull tags. Bob was enthusiastic, and the draw favored us with early archery tags.
Nate and I prepared diligently, tuning bows, selecting arrows and broadheads, and practicing relentlessly. By summer’s end, we mastered Remi Warren-style drills: running 150 yards and shooting 60 yards in under 10 seconds, or hitting a 30-yard target after 20 push-ups in under 8 seconds. We shot from knees, sitting, or leaning around trees to simulate high-pressure scenarios. Mid-September couldn’t come fast enough.
Before leaving Nebraska, Bob sent scouting videos. Double XL Mondo was still alive, rutting in his usual range. Though smaller than in 2022, he was a monster bull and our top target. We knew others would pursue this well-known bull.
The first two days brought sightings but no close calls. Nate, new to elk hunting, was happy to take any legal bull for the meat, but Bob and I urged him to aim high after nearly two decades of waiting. On day two, Bob and Nate had a thrilling encounter with a screaming 6x6 bull at 40 yards. Bob talked Nate out of shooting, teaching him to manage the adrenaline rush for later.
Day three was hot, with low elk movement and high hunter pressure. We checked waterholes and the area where Dad shot his bull in 2022, finding tracks but no elk. That night, Bob and I noted winds gusting up to 40 mph the next morning. I believed the wind would help us.
We hiked a mile in the dark to reach the rutting bulls. Across the valley, headlamps from other hunters, three-quarters of a mile away, revealed they were upwind, breaking a key rule. As morning light spread, we glassed herds in private land meadows, the rut in full swing. Double XL defended the largest harem. As the sun rose, elk moved toward public land timbered beds, but the downwind kept them from our path.
Small herds drifted east and south. Double XL’s group headed east, and I glassed them at 800 yards, hoping they’d come our way. The lead cow’s nose caught the upwind hunters, and within 10 seconds, the herd moved toward two saddles we’d staked out. Nate and Bob were on the west saddle, I was 400 yards east. The cliffy rocks provided cover, but peeking too early risked skylining us. We relied on our ears, listening to elk below.
The herd passed my saddle, heading toward Nate and Bob. I stayed put to avoid disrupting their hunt. Fifteen minutes later, silence fell despite the strong winds. Something was up. I crept downwind to their location and saw them looking over the edge. Bob waved me over, saying, “We got him! Nate smoked him at 55 yards!” Stunned, I asked, “You got Double XL Mondo?” Bob explained they got an arrow through him, likely a good hit, but hadn’t seen the impact point.
We found the arrow: no gut stench, some bubbles. Nate avoided watching the arrow to keep his shot steady, while Bob focused on stopping the bull. After waiting 45 minutes, we followed the blood trail, which faded quickly. I reassured Nate that this was where real hunting began, though as a new bowhunter, he wrestled with uncertainty.
At 130 yards, the blood trail vanished. I’d been here before, so we rested for 45 minutes, rehydrating. I believed the bull was within 150 yards, alive or dead. We looped away from the trail, glassing into the timber. On my second pass, 50 yards closer, I spotted him piled up behind a downed pine. After confirming he was dead, I signaled Nate and Bob. Double XL was down.
We stood speechless, honoring a bull that had roamed these mountains for years. His unique left beam meant a lower score, but his character was unmatched. We measured his right beam at 178 inches; a matching left would have pushed him past 400 inches. Nate’s shot was perfect, and Double XL expired quickly, for which we were thankful. His massive body and antlers made him a legend, the king of this range.
Packing out Double XL, I told Nate he was “free.” Puzzled, he listened as I explained: this was likely the largest bull he’d ever kill. He could now hunt elk for the joy of it, without chasing a bigger trophy.
At camp, we celebrated. Hunters stopped by all afternoon to see Double XL. One young man said he’d arrowed the bull last September, thinking he’d made a double-lung shot, but lost the trail. He’d searched for weeks, assuming the bull died. He was happy for Nate and relieved Double XL survived.
That evening, by the fire, Nate called his grandpa, teasing that he’d “taken care of business” for the family: Double XL was ours. Thanks to Shadow Valley Outfitters and Bob Dykeman. Though I didn’t bag an Arizona giant, I’ll return someday, Lord willing. The point game begins again!