AES is dedicated to benefiting elk, advancing wildlife conservation, and preserving outdoor recreation traditions for present and future generations.
Habitat Project Update by Russ Johnson
campsite tour, checking out all the different setups in camp. When we reassembled around the campfire, we had smores and thanks to one of our veterans who had brought a guitar and a couple of the project people, had some live music and singing around the campfire.Saturday, after a rainy night, we all woke up to a great day and breakfast burritos. For our morning portion of the day, EmpoweRanch as part of their service portion of camp, encouraged the veterans to come up to the jobsite and help out until lunch. We worked hard until lunch, and had a good amount of fence installed before we headed back to camp. After lunch, EmpoweRanch loaded up vehicles and drove out to the top of the Mogollon Rim only 4 miles away and the veterans got to experience some breathing techniques, a small hike, picking wildflowers, and relaxing. Our project volunteers got back to working on the fence. Most of the day we were broken into 3 groups, 2 hanging the 10’ and 20’ panels, and one group that was attaching the single rails above the panels. The afternoon went really fast, and we had a nice visit from our executive director of AES to the jobsite. We decided to call it quits for the day around 5 PM and head back to camp. We had chicken fajitas for supper, and everybody loved talking around the campfire that night. We again had S’mores as a treat.
Sunday morning, we woke up after another rainy night and had pancakes, sausage, and eggs before packing up camp for the weekend. Several of us had to take off and head back home, but the rest of us stayed and working a few more hours on the fence. We not only broke our goal this weekend, but we shattered it, hanging 1,475’ of fence. We have 3 sides completely hung, and will finish the remaining side next week, and putting some finishing touches on it and hanging the gate. This weekend was filled with great times, lots of hard work, and memories made. It was great to sit back and watch our project team interact and work with the veterans of our programs. It was amazing to listen to all the conversations and laughter, not only while sitting around the campfire at night, but also out on the project site as we work together. Getting to watch our veteran’s enjoying nature and not worrying about the stresses of life, but enjoying the serenity of healing outdoor recreation was priceless. Our volunteers work extremely hard and without them we would not be able to accomplish these projects. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to these men and women who give up their personal time to come and help our organization.
Friday, August 23 was our 6th weekend at the Buck Springs project site. When we arrived at camp Friday mid-morning, we got our kitchen set up and then the volunteers that had arrived starting staging panels on the east side of the exclosure we are building so that we could be ready to start firsts thing Saturday morning. This took pretty much all day to stage approximately 1000’ of panels. We returned to camp and had a great meal around a campfire.
Saturday morning, after breakfast and our safety meeting, we headed out to the project site to start construction of the fence for the day. We broke into 2 teams. One team 
starting adding the single railing on the north side, while another team started hanging the panels on the east side. The time went very quickly, and by lunch the north side of thefence was totally complete, and most of the panels were hung on the remaining side. It was a beautiful and cool day for working up on the rim. After lunch we broke back up into our respective teams again. By mid afternoon all of the panels had been hung on the east side, and our 2nd team had finished the top rails on approximately 500’ of fence. We combined teams and got quite a bit more of the top rails done. By 5 PM we were all exhausted and returned to camp for a pasta supper, along with great stories and conversation around the campfire, complete with S’mores.
Sunday morning, we woke up for a great breakfast and afterwards broke camp. As we headed back up to the job site, our goal was to finish a 2nd side of top rails, and by around 11 we did just that. This fence now has 2 sides that are complete. All we have to do is install the top rails on the southern and eastern side. In 2 weeks, we will return to finish this project. Our volunteers have worked extremely hard on this project, and we would like to thank each and every one that have came out to be a part of it so far.
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If you are interested in any of the fishing or above events, please feel free to contact russj@arizonaelksociety.org for more information.
The Arizona Elk Society (AES) recently teamed up with the Phoenix Varmint Callers Inc. (PVCI) to host an exciting and educational event for beginner hunters. This year's event, known as the Predator Boot Camp, was open to participants of all ages, providing a unique opportunity for families and individuals to learn the ins and outs of predator hunting in a supportive environment.
Set in the rustic, primitive camping area near Vincent Ranch, the weekend was all about immersing participants in the outdoors while teaching them valuable skills. With over 100 campers, volunteers, and mentors attending, the AES team had a big task ahead, especially when it came to preparing and serving meals for the entire group. But our dedicated AES volunteers were more than up to the challenge. They arrived at the campsite around noon on Friday and immediately began setting up with the help of many eager hands. The teamwork and camaraderie among volunteers and participants were heartwarming, demonstrating the spirit of community that AES events are known for.
Throughout the weekend, participants learned the basics of predator hunting from PVCI experts. From understanding the behavior of various predator species to learning thetechniques and tools needed for a successful hunt, campers were engaged and eager to learn. The hands-on demonstrations and guided hunting sessions provided invaluable experience, especially for those new to the sport.
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, creating an ideal backdrop for the weekend’s activities. As always, the meals prepared by the AES team were a highlight, with many attendees commenting on the quality and taste of the food. It's no small feat to cater to such a large group in a remote setting, but our volunteers pulled it off with flair and enthusiasm.
The weekend was filled with stories of first-time experiences and successful hunts, adding to the excitement and joy of all involved. Below, we are pleased to share two testimonials from participants who walked away with not just new skills, but also cherished memories.
A couple weeks ago, I went to the Predator Bootcamp, and I had a great time! When we arrived, we already knew people from other AES events. After setting up camp, we went down to meet everyone. We saw other kids our age and made new friends quickly.
The next morning, AES made us breakfast. Then, we were taught about hunting stuff. Then, we had lunch. Then, it was time for my very first hunt. We gathered our gear and set out with our friends. We went to lots of areas, but we got nothing. Then, it was nearing dinner. We were heading back, but we wanted to go to one more stop.
We all got out of the truck. We set up. We waited, but nothing came. Then, when we were all about to leave, I saw a coyote standing about 75 yards away. I showed it to my partner. Soon, everyone saw it. I raised my gun and then I shot. My friend also shot at the same time. It fell and we jumped up so excited and ran over to the coyote. It was dead. I had done it. My first kill. We loaded it up and headed back to camp so excited. We rolled into camp yelling “we got a coyote.” We hopped out. People came over and admired the kill.
We were the only group to get a coyote. That night, we talked about that memorable hunt. The next day, we had breakfast, then we sadly departed from camp. All thanks to Arizona Elks Society, it was a successful hunt.
September 6-8 Buck Springs
September 27-29 Beaverhead Tank (Unit 6A)
October 4-6 Leonard Canyon (Unit 5A)
October 1, 8, 15, 22 HRO Bass Fishing Class
October 10-13 Jr. Elk Camp
October 18-20 Leonard Canyon
October 25-27 HRO Bass Fishing Trip Bartlett Lake
November 1-3 Leonard Canyon
November 17 Wild in the City
December 14 Volunteer Lunch
December 9, 16, 23, 30, Jan 6 HRO Survival Skills Class
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raining a bit, so we loaded up the trailer and got to work. We were able to get the entire south side fence panels staged by the post, and much to our happiness, the storms passed over and the skies were sunny, so we decided to go back to setting posts. In all, we got 21 of the 81 posts set on Friday, leaving only 60 to finish on Saturday when we had a bigger crew. It was a very productive Friday.