22N Mazatzal Wilderness Area Questions

[My Rights As An American]

Thinking about checking the area out for my November elk hunt. I have been trying to read up as much as possible, but not finding a ton of information of elk hunting in that area. I know it is primitive and no road access to the thickest parts, but wondering if anyone has ever hunted bull elk there with a bow before and their success/failures? You do not need to post them directly here, you can PM me if you are more comfortable. I will not share PMed information. Are there enough elk in there to make it worthwhile? Not looking for a bruiser, just something with antlers and meat for the freezer. Thanks to everyone who contributes!

 

 

[ready2hunt]

Picture a rough elk hunt and then double that. haha.

 

I love that area but it can be some of the roughest area to hunt in if you don't know where you are going or you are out of shape. You can find elk and even big bulls but just as you can imagine they are not as abundant as other places. With the type of terrain you are in its best to know all your water sources especially come Nov. and sit and glass glass glass. While I have never hunted elk in the matazal and I have been with others and the best success I have seen as been over water (along with everyone one else in the unit) or watching them to find out where they bed and then putting a stalk on em. It can be very worth it just a lot less "luck" as others experience in other units.

[My Rights As An American]

Thanks, I would call last year in that unit along the rim "rough". Until last day of the hunt, closest I came to a bull was about 400 yards and it was impossible to get closer due to terrain. Could have shot plenty of cows. I sort of like pinon/juniper hunting at times instead of super thick manzanita. I have been trying to map all water sources and find areas in between on maps that look promising, especially north facing slopes where the terrain and plants are thickest. Just wondering if there are enough elk in there to really actually give it a shot or are the numbers so low that I should not expect to see elk while glassing for a week at a time.

[Viper]

Do you have the 22-S Nov archery hunt? That is what I drew this year. Can't draw a Sept hunt, so we put in for this one. I know the area pretty well, as we have hunted WT in there for several years. We see a lot of elk in late October. Most of the area is steep and brushy. I figure on a lot of moving around/glassing, then stalk in, and sitting water where possible. It will be a way different hunt than up high in the pines. Kind of an experiment...if it works out, I will put in for it again.

There are just 60 tags for that hunt, but there are a few prior hunts. Whether good bulls are left over for us depends on how well the muzzle-loader hunt goes. I heard they slottered them last year. Someone told me the big bulls tuck into the canyons way up in the cliff country to rest and eat for winter. It is near imossible to get to them, but can be glassed up.

I'm sure it will be fun, but tough....a meat hunt.

[Scooter]

I have the same tag (22N late archery bull) and I can't wait!!!

[Big Browns]

Do you have the 22-S Nov archery hunt? That is what I drew this year. Can't draw a Sept hunt, so we put in for this one. I know the area pretty well, as we have hunted WT in there for several years. We see a lot of elk in late October. Most of the area is steep and brushy. I figure on a lot of moving around/glassing, then stalk in, and sitting water where possible. It will be a way different hunt than up high in the pines. Kind of an experiment...if it works out, I will put in for it again.

There are just 60 tags for that hunt, but there are a few prior hunts. Whether good bulls are left over for us depends on how well the muzzle-loader hunt goes. I heard they slottered them last year. Someone told me the big bulls tuck into the canyons way up in the cliff country to rest and eat for winter. It is near imossible to get to them, but can be glassed up.

I'm sure it will be fun, but tough....a meat hunt.

 

Look where a Sheep would be and you will find the Bulls!!!!! No Joke!

 

Adam

[Viper]

Oh...I just noticed, you mention 22-N. The Mazatzals on the north end are pretty tough (Hardscrabble area). We did some scouting in there for WT a few years ago. It was tough just walking on all those "baby heads" (cantelope-sized rocks). AZ Trail will take you right into the wilderness area. I know a guy at work that does pretty well with that hunt. He says it depends a lot on the weather.