whats the deal with locating elk in unit 6a

[azcoues]

hello fellow hunters not askin for any advice dont even have a tag but i have been all around unit 6a the last couple months,i have been high and low and the elk seem to have disappeared i have seen maybe 15 elk in this unit in 2 months!I talked to a game manager and he said the herd was down 40% but that just dont seem right ,why so drastic in one year,just concerned,because i used to go out on any given day in that unit and see at least 20 to 40 head.what is your guys and gals opinion on this matter.

[BowNut]

Change in weather maybe but i would say it's because they have been getting chased around since September with hunt after hunt. They are probably there just that with the rut over and pressure from hunting there habits have changed.

[azslim]

out at night and holed up in the day, get as high as you can (Apache Maid or similar) and break out the biggest glass you have.

[arizonaelitefreak]

we had similar problems in 6a during the jr hunt! we had luck on the south end of the hunt finding elk but still ended up eating tag soup due to some blown opportunities! good luck as stated above get up high and use the biggest glass possible and spot them from afar!

[elkaholic]

- just my .02

 

you may never agin see the populations of elk that we use to have !

 

most of our state is being over hunted - the g$f has systematically been killing off -way too many of - the cows , for several yrs now

 

you take 3-5 hundred cow elk out of the herd - that could add up to -mature cow 1-2 calves a yr. - 700 to 1000 elk for that yr- in 3 yrs you are talking 5000 or more easily I'm not a numbers guy but i'd guess in 5 yrs those cows may have increased the herd by 7-10,000 elk

[JACK]

Get a copy of the regs for the last 5 years or so...take a gander at the number of hunts and tags that have been issued for 6A...and do the math...doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where most the elk have gone...at least you just get the opportunity to take your gun for a walk...doesn't mean you get to see an elk...

[bomberodevil]

Man, I hate to hear that. Myself and my son-in-law have tags there starting next Friday. I have been in the unit twice scouting but both times, other hunts were going on and we didn't want to bugger up someone else's hunt. This is my son-in-law's first AZ tag and I was hoping he would at least see some animals. We'll be out there the whole hunt, so maybe we'll get lucky.

[coues krazy]

On a side note, maybe the reduction in elk will mean more mule deer.

[SirRoyal]

The elk are still there. Just have to work harder. Yes herds are down 40% but keep searching. Here is a bull we took last friday.

[CouesFanatic]

- just my .02

 

you may never agin see the populations of elk that we use to have !

 

most of our state is being over hunted - the g$f has systematically been killing off -way too many of - the cows , for several yrs now

 

you take 3-5 hundred cow elk out of the herd - that could add up to -mature cow 1-2 calves a yr. - 700 to 1000 elk for that yr- in 3 yrs you are talking 5000 or more easily I'm not a numbers guy but i'd guess in 5 yrs those cows may have increased the herd by 7-10,000 elk

+1

 

I'm not familiar with that unit, but I agree with the overhunting statement. And its not just for elk.

[Bravo]

I'd say it has more to do with the all mighty dollar and that's why the previous HMFIC(boss) of the G&F used the "opportunity" ploy to get the public's buy off on setting bull and cow ratio's to the minimum and increasing "hunting opportunity". The new Director seems to be moving in the right direction and you should see elk and deer herds rebound in the coming years. There is enough browse in that unit to support large deer and elk herds if they would just manage it properly. I've also noticed a LOT MORE cattle grazing in prime elk and mule deer habitats. Kiabab is another example of mismanagment by the Forest Service and the Game and Fish. They claim there isn't enough winter browse for the deer herd but they keep letting thousands of ranchers graze their cattle on it each year. Don't get me wrong(not blaming the cattle folks), the ranchers are just trying to be profitable so as long as they are allowed to over graze, they will continue to do it. There can be balance if managed properly and enforced.

[Buckhorn]

Thousands of Ranchers?????? How many ranchers do you think there are in 6A? Or even Arizona as a whole.

 

Buckhorn

 

They claim there isn't enough winter browse for the deer herd but they keep letting thousands of ranchers graze their cattle on it each year. Don't get me wrong(not blaming the cattle folks), the ranchers are just trying to be profitable so as long as they are allowed to over graze, they will continue to do it. There can be balance if managed properly and enforced.

[coues krazy]

Pretty sure he meant thousands of cattle.

[azslim]

deer and cattle eat different things, elk and cattle are grazers, predominantly grass, deer are browsers, more shrubs and brush

 

altho it it seems Az cows will eat darn near anything, a Wy cow would starve to death in Az.

[Coach]

Wow SirRoyal - love the mass! LOL azslim - you're right. I've seen these munching down on prickly pear like it was lettuce. Even cholla, with their whole face covered in it...I think they've evolved to not have nerve endings above the neck.