ARIZONA TROPHY ELK HUNTS- HUNTER TESTIMONIALS
When it comes to our reputation as top Arizona elk outfitter, we are proud of the fact that over the years we have guided many hunters to their trophy Arizona bulls, as is apparent in our photo galleries. Not only do we value the trophies taken, but more so the friendships forged with our hunters during the hunts that continue to this day.
We realize that there is more to a hunt than just the animal taken and understand that a hunter will typically spend several days to two weeks with their guide. We feel that a hunt is not just about the antlers (although we excel tremendously in this area), but it is also about the overall hunt experience, and creating lasting memories that will stay with our hunters for a lifetime.
Don't just take our word for it- check out what our hunters have to say about their Arizona elk hunting experience with Elk Camp Guide Service. (This is just a small representation of the dozens of "Unsolicited" Testimonials we have received).
Hey Steve,
I made it home safe and finally getting back to regular life, unfortunately.
I know I said it before but wanted to thank you and Tim again for the great experience. I decided 2 years ago that I would finally cash in for my 50th birthday and join ZERO Hunt Fees. I already miss the excitement, preparation and anticipation leading up to the hunt. I'll be honest and say I've been a bit down since getting home but only because it's over. That is a special place and hope it hasn't ruined me for the rest of my hunting career.
I wanted to hunt hard, I wanted to be a good teammate with my guide Tim, I didn't want to settle, and most importantly, I wanted to perform under pressure and make a good shot. I know you could see my relief when we finally found the bull.
I'll keep applying and maybe I'll get lucky some day and be able to return. I still have max points here in CA and also Nevada so still some great hunts ahead.
Last thing, can I get Tim's email? I wanted to share some images and thank him again for such a great hunt. We were a perfect fit and he was a huge reason for my success.
Thanks again and hope to see you soon.
Joe Latter
Steve,
I hope you have a great holiday season! I am already salivating for my next opportunity at the next drawing in Arizona. We will see if "Lightning Strikes Twice."
Many have asked me if I am going to continue the ZERO Hunt Fees Program after I got my tag in the first year that I applied, and my response is...are you kidding me?... Yes!
Every day I was out hunting with your great guide, Devin, we had a memory or experience that I will never forget. Arizona elk hunting is truly a gift from God!
I did a few social media posts but again, if you want or need anything from me, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to send you more pictures or do any write-ups you might need. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you again,
Brandon Lavinder
Steve,
Just wanted to take the time to thank you for the opportunity to enjoy the hunt of a lifetime. As a first year member of your ZERO Hunt Fees program I drew an AZ early archery elk tag. This was my first elk hunt and I had no idea what to expect.
From the beginning my guide, Kyle, walked me through everything from equipment to what to expect in the field. He took all the necessary steps to make sure I was prepared and comfortable when I arrived in Arizona. He was also conscious of what I was looking for in a big bull.
Kyle did an excellent job scouting and planning prior to my arrival. We hunted for six days and saw elk just about every time we went out. On the evening of day six I pulled back on a 340" bull and let go. Unfortunately I shot a little far back and we didn't have any blood.
Kyle knew exactly how to handle the situation. We backed out and went back the next morning. We were lucky enough to find him wounded and bedded down within the first 45 minutes of searching. I credit Kyle for staying positive and not giving up on a less than ideal situation.
I would recommend the ZERO Hunt Fees program to anyone who has ever wanted to hunt elk. It is an affordable way for anyone, regardless of experience, to enjoy the hunt of a lifetime!
Thank you,
William Taylor
Kevin Kruger- Unit 1 Archery
Steve,
I am not the most eloquent writer for sure.
I just wanted to say how enjoyable it was to hunt with Clint on my 2019 Unit 1 hunt. We worked hard and had a nice place to stay at night.
Once we killed of course, the hard work begins and Clint worked hard to get the elk ready and out. Even working in the dark for hours.
We also did some good walks and lots of bugling. Clint was a courteous & knowledgeable guide that helped to push me a little, so we could get it done.
I very much enjoyed hunting with Clint and want to thank him for a bull of a lifetime. Shot on the day that I lost my son 6 years ago- so a very special bull.
I wanted to say thanks to both of you and I am willing to be a reference for future clients if needed, thanks again.
Clint be well – and hope we both kill a good Coues in January with our bow.
Shane Gregory
Steve,
2017 was definitely the most outstanding year that I've experienced in my 50 years of big game hunting. This was due to the fact that after finally drawing my Arizona Unit 9 muzzle loader elk tag, I had the opportunity and the pleasure to hunt with the "Elk Master", aka Steve Chappell.
I had been applying for an Arizona elk tag for many years and you had been helping me with that process for all of those years. The information that you provided for me during the application process was invaluable. It was apparent to me from the start that you had an extensive knowledge of the hunting units and the elk populations in those units. The information that you provided for me was absolutely "spot on." It was definitely worth the wait to finally draw this coveted elk tag and to have the opportunity to share my hunting experience with you.
Elk hunting is my passion and when we finally met on the day prior to my hunt, I knew that I had made the perfect choice to use you as my Outfitter. Even with that being said, I had no idea of the epic hunting experience that was in store for me. Every aspect of my hunt was awesome. The camp was great. Your knowledge of the areas where we were hunting, the elk behavior in those areas, and your ability to "talk to elk" was amazing. We were in to elk constantly. You called almost two dozen mature bulls into easy shooting range. Several times during the hunt, we had multiple bulls in front us at the same time.
You and I had discussed the type of bull that I wanted to try to harvest. We passed on bull after bull since they were not exactly what we both were looking for. So I will never forget the moment when the Arizona Monarch stepped out of the timber as he was responding to your calling and you whispered to me, "Bob, that's the bull we've been looking for." And indeed he was. What a bruiser. What an incredible ending to an epic week of elk hunting. And perhaps best of all, I will have the opportunity to relive my hunt by watching "Elk Camp with Steve Chappell" when it airs on the Sportsman Channel this coming July, 2018. That will be absolutely priceless!
Steve, it's hard for me to express how much I appreciate what you did for me and how much it meant to me to have the opportunity to experience this hunt with you. I'll remember it forever and I wish there was a better way to express my feelings than just saying "Thank You!" for helping me to realize the best hunting experience of my life!
Happy Trails my friend and I truly hope that we have the opportunity to share Elk Camp together again.
Bob Saban
Good evening Steve!
I am sure you have already heard, I had some great success on my late season bull elk hunt in unit 10. I accomplished my goal of harvesting an unbroken 300+” bull (pics attached) this last Sunday. The bull green scored 322”.
What I would really like to share with you are my thoughts on the experience I had with CGS guide Aaron O. From the beginning to end of the hunt, Aaron was an absolute joy to be with. He was the consummate professional as a guide and has amazing glassing skills. We saw bulls every day and he never lost site of what my goals were for the hunt. He had a perfect plan each day that gave me the best chance to achieve success. As it turned out, on Sunday we executed his plan to perfection. It is still amazing to think about and remember all that happened that day. Something I will remember forever.
There are a couple of moments during the hunt that I think are worth noting. First, after sharing a bit about myself with Aaron and getting to know him better, I came to know that he is a man of faith like myself. I can’t tell you how much that meant/means to me. I quickly realized that I would be spending the duration of my hunt with a fellow Christian brother. I would certainly like to think that God had this planned from the time I called you.
Secondly, as you will see in one of pictures, we packed the elk out to the truck. I figured we put in just over 10 miles packing meat. This was certainly a physical chore that could have probably been avoided by finding a way to get the truck close to the animal. There was a great reason for this. Aaron may or may not have mentioned that we met four hunters, young USAF airmen from New Mexico, while we were glassing that morning. We were already unknowingly at the spot that they had been on the day before. They were kind enough to respect the fact that we were there first and chose to glass in a different direction. As it would turn out, Aaron and I were already on several bulls and working on a plan to get a closer look at two really big bulls. Before we could gather our gear, two of the hunters came over and shared their elk findings from the day earlier. We let them know we were about to take off and make an attempt on one of the bulls.
By this time all four of the hunters were now coaching us up and wishing us luck. They quickly moved into our spot on the hill to continue glassing and watch us as we hunted. When I killed my bull, the hunters were able to watch the whole thing. Shortly, after the kill, two of the hunters showed up at the kill sight to congratulate us and also let us know that the two bulls they were hoping to hunt, were still close in the area and unaffected by my shooting. They asked if they could make an attempt to go after the bulls while we worked on my bull.
At that point, Aaron and I both decided that we would pack the elk out on foot so we could give the out-of-state airmen the best opportunity to kill their bull. While we may have spent 6½ hours hiking over 10 miles to get the bull out, it was by far the best part of my hunt. I had the utmost respect for Aaron, as a guide, in deciding to make the choice to put in the physical effort, all so that we could honor the young hunters serving in our military.
Steve, in closing I would like to say “Thank You” to you, Aaron and Chappell Guide Service for the effort that was made for me to have success on my hunt. Aaron lived up to all my expectations as a CGS guide and certainly held up your reputation as the premier trophy guide service in the business. I now have a new goal, to kill a 360” bull and have my name in the B & C book before I pass on from this life. You will be my first call when I am lucky enough to draw the next tag.
I hope you, your family and all of your guides have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!
God Bless and Go Army!
Thomas Stills
Hi Steve,
I wanted to say thanks for one of my most memorable elk hunts. My Arizona Unit 9 archery elk hunt was amazing thanks to you.
First, this was my first guided hunt as I usually go DIY. I was not sure what to really expect. You, Gary, and Perry were all great. From the first day, you made me feel welcome and it was more like hunting with friends. The camp was very comfortable and the food was great. I think this was the first elk hunt where I have ever gained weight.
Now to the hunt…Even with hot days (I think it was 90 degrees one afternoon) and a full moon you continually pulled bulls in front of me. Prior to shooting my bull, I think we had 15-18 mature bulls within easy bow range to include two bulls at the same time on one occasion- I had a decent bull on my right at 12 yards and another good bull came running in to your calls on my left and stopped at 20.
You also stalked us into two bedded bulls that were huge. We had the one bugling in his bed for over ½ an hour at only 50 yards. He was able to slip away without me getting a shot (that was my fault, I was at full draw and was stuck not knowing the range). We also had the bull with the great thirds and the list goes on.
I remember you commenting that many people believe that with unit 9, the bulls are easy to call. Nothing could be further from the truth! I am sure that without you calling and your knowledge of the area, that this hunt would not have turned out the way it did. I truly believe that people would be crazy to attempt this hunt without the help of a guide and you are clearly a great guide.
I just wanted to thank you again for an awesome experience. Now that Arizona has proposed to change the draw rules, you never know when/if I can draw that hunt again...
Thanks Again,
John Wester
Steve,
I want to thank Chappell Guide Serve and particularly your guide, Aaron for my elk hunt. Aaron was competent, professional, and a pleasure to be around.
Camp was nice and there was always plenty of good food, which I appreciated, but the reason I wanted to hire a guide was for hunting proficiency. Aaron certainly didn't let me down.
As it turns out, the weather was very hot and the elk weren't cooperating very well. Even with that, Aaron was able to keep us in bulls. Counting each morning and afternoon as separate hunts, we had a total of 6 hunts and I had an arrow nocked on 5 of those. That makes for an exciting hunt. Aaron knew where the bulls should be, how to get close, and how to set up. Sometimes, though, the bulls don't play by those rules and you just get memories.
While I don't necessarily measure the value of a hunt by killing an animal, we in fact did just that. Aaron knew where to go in the wind where we might be able to see some elk. He was equally as proficient with handling the elk after it was on the ground.
While not a 400 inch elk, it is a mature 6x6 bull. If you don't consider any mature elk with a bow a trophy, I suspect you should find a new sport.
Once again, thanks for all of the help and look forward to talking to you in the future. Good luck on the rest of your hunts.
Mike Hummel
Hi Steve,
We had a great time on the late season hunt. I can’t say enough about your Guide, Carl. He is a very savvy guide and a most pleasant person. We had a wonderful time with him. And we told him that since we now know where he lives, he hasn’t seen the last of us!!
Eric’s bull is absolutely beautiful. I’m sure you have seen the pics of him. And I want you to understand it was my decision to leave early to come home. All I wanted was for my son to tag a trophy bull. I had no issues at all coming home with my tag. Actually, I could have shot a bull with Eric but chose not to. Our experience with Carl was wonderful. It was a pretty tough trek coming out that night, but we made it.
As we intend to apply next year for tags, I would greatly appreciate your advice on which units/hunts to apply for. If we are fortunate enough to get drawn, you will be the first to hear about it.
I have spoken with several friends and will continue to do so about your services and how you run a first class operation. I have highly recommended you to them. Thanks so much to you and Carl for the hunt and memories of a lifetime.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Steven Pretlove
Hi Steve,
Just wanted to thank you for pairing us up with your Guides, Mitch & Austin for our recent late season elk hunt in Unit 27. They did a great job for us, and we really enjoyed the trip! While we didn’t catch up to the monster that Mitch spotted before the season opened, we did get to see a lot of bulls & came home with a couple of very respectable bulls.
It was nice to see as many bulls as we did during the trip! Very different from the other places that we have hunted. We were fed well, and had a nice comfortable camp. We would definitely jump at the chance to hunt with Mitch & Austin again. Just wish I could tap the “Fountain of Youth” so that I could keep up with Austin!!!
I hope that your hunt went well. Heard you got snowed on pretty good.
Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! It will be time to apply for next year before you know it. Hope it doesn’t take 9 more years before we draw again…
Harvey L. Blodgett
Steve,
Just returned from our late rifle hunt unit 27. All I can say is WOW!
We being my brother Harvey and myself had the pleasure of hunting with your guides, Mitch and Austin.
Mitch and Austin went over the top to provide a very enjoyable service. Their knowledge of the area was outstanding.
They provided the most professional, & kind with attention to detail service anyone could want.
There was never pressure to harvest an animal and we were fortunate to see several bulls throughout the days we hunted. We did harvest two great bulls. Camp was clean and comfortable and the meals were great.
This was by far the best guided hunt I had been on. I have over thirty years of Elk Hunting experience, mostly over the counter tags and do it yourself style. With the service Mitch and Austin provided I learned a few more tricks of the trade. Keep up the good work, hunt safe and live life to the fullest.
Hopefully I can draw again and return for a September rut hunt someday.
Sincerely,
Brian Blodgett
Dear Steve,
I know you are out guiding but I wanted to take the time to tell you about my hunt. From the moment we first spoke, your outfit has been top notch.
I wanted to thank you for teaming me with your guide, Gil. When he first contacted me I could tell he cared about the hunt. He asked me about my equipment and told me what to expect during the hunt.
He took the time to take two trailers up to camp, to make sure I had everything I needed. He kept me informed with trail cam pics. He asked me what food and drinks I wanted on the hunt.
When just about no one in our unit was seeing or hearing elk, somehow he knew where they were. We saw multiple elk everyday. If I can ever be of any help for a reference for your outfit or Gil don't hesitate to have a future client call me or email me.
Thanks again,
Greg Cross
Memphis, TN
Via phone message...
Hi Steve,
This is Scott Kramer. As you know, I hunted with your guide, Josh in Unit 27 for Archery Elk. I wanted to let you know I had a fantastic time, Josh is a great guy, and I couldn't have asked for more! The hunt was incredible and a lot of fun...
Hi Steve,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you thanks and what a great experience I had and will never forget! Attached are a few pics of my bull taken on the 14th and last day of the archery season in Unit 27.
Also thanks for pairing me up with your guide, Chris. A great guy with a never give up attitude! Looking forward to doing it again with any luck! Talk to you later.
Sincerely,
Clinton J. Quinn
Good morning Steve,
I trust you are out in the field having a good time.
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the great job you did in securing your guide, Justin as my guide. I feel like the planets aligned when I showed up and quickly connected with him.
You clearly listened to the description I gave regarding my likes, physical abilities and expectations. Justin absolutely has a "low key" understated ability and personality. What a great guide, and he has binoculars for eyeballs!
From the first morning to the last (day 5) we were in elk every trip out from camp. Due to conditions we never sat water but pursued bugling bulls each morning and evening which is my favorite (Which by the way were NOT behind every tree). It was a tough hunt for many up to the point I departed successful. It was impressive how he was able to move from area to area due to hunting pressure and conditions and still put us on elk.
Throughout the hunt I was treated like a hunting partner rather than a client. Early on I made one thing clear, he was the dog and I was the tail. Wherever he chose to go I would follow! I took pride in keeping up with him but at nearly 68 years old I know he hunted at a pace he felt I could maintain.
I missed the elk of a lifetime on the evening of the fourth day (estimated at 380") while in a perfect setup, all on me. I know Justin was understandably disappointed but there was absolutely no drop-off in his efforts proven by the success I had the very next morning. That was when we connected with, funny "the elk of my lifetime" green scored at 329"- when we setup an ambush having gotten ahead of a group of elk moving through a drainage.
All my expectations were not only met but exceeded!
Thank you,
Here's to the music of Bugling Bulls!
Sincerely,
Ralph Botticelli
Augusta Montana
Hi Steve,
I wanted to let you know that I had a great Late Rifle hunt with your guide, Ramon. It was obvious from the very beginning that Ramon knew the area and the game we were after and did everything thing in his control to get me the elk I was hoping for.
I have been hunting for about 45 years and I mainly do hunts myself, but on rare occasions do use a guide for areas I am unfamiliar with. Ramon hunts the same way I do, and it was like hunting with an old friend that I have known for a long time.
I have hunted elk three other times in different states and have never even seen an elk during these hunts. I told Ramon that I was looking for a 6X6 with big tops if possible, but when this nice 5X5 came out at 364 yards with the whale tails on top and long points I knew this was the elk for me. Ramon reminded me that this wasn't the 6X6 I was looking for just prior to me shooting, trying to make sure I would be happy with this bull. But for me it was the bull of a lifetime.
As I am getting older this may have been my last attempt at getting an elk. The best thing I did on this hunt was contacting Steve Chappell Guide Service for help on this hunt of a lifetime. I got my elk and am very happy with him. I got to hunt again with my son and my good friend Ramon.
I will be in contact with you for recommendations on future hunts. Thanks again for everything.
Steve Miller
