Unit 1 - Late Bull Tag

[azsugarbear]

Although I have been through parts of this unit for fishing and camping trips, I've never hunted here. I have no idea what to expect or where to start looking. Help from any experienced hunters familiar with this area would be greatly appreciated. Not expecting you to give up your honey hole, just more general info like:

 

Are the bulls still up in the highland forests & meadows, or down in the cedar & juniper?

Are the bulls pretty busted up or in relatively good shape?

Do they stay out later in the morning trying to put some fat on, or have they become secretive from all the pressure?

What can I expect in terms of hunter pressure & bumping into others?

Do I hunt the water tank in evening, the treeline at dawn, bedded elk in the canyons during the day?

Usually snow on the ground? Condition of FS roads?

How cold will it get? Will the elk be on eastern slopes warming up or quite comfortable?

Are the elk back in the Wallow burn areas in a big way?

 

The azgfd site mentions several places to hunt/look for elk, but doesn't mention if info is for early or late hunts. Most areas mentioned seem to be north of Hwy 260. Is this for real, or is it just a way to redirect hunters to elk herds that need to be reduced due to diminished carrying capacity of the habitat?

 

Any insights from hunters with experience in this unit would be greatly appreciated.

[russd]

 

...Yes

[mc68]

Expect cold nights, but it won't bother the bulls. The biggest obstacle you will have is all of the other hunters, it can get frustrating. There are elk throughout the unit and unless there is some big snow storms that come in they will be from the highest country down to the lowest. The roads are generally fine so wouldn't worry to much about that. There will definitely be some broken up bulls, but you can also find them in good shape. My son killed a 340 class bull there on opening morning last year and he didn't hardly have a chipped horn. The elk get very skittish and will cover a lot of ground during the hunt due to all of the people out and about, so don't be too surprised if something you had seen scouting is no longer around. Just hunt hard a and chances are you are gonna find a very nice mature bull to wrap your tag around. Good luck and would like to see pics after your hunt.

[azsugarbear]

mc68,

 

Thanks for the response and intel. I wasn't sure I was gonna get anyone to post up on this.

[mc68]

Ya a lot of times people get weird about sharing information, I guess I was a little that way when I was younger too. I have an archery bull tag for September in unit 1. if u remember, PM me after the rut and I will see if I have some more info to pass along. I have a brother that lives in the unit and we usually have some really good bulls located at that time of year. Enjoy the experience, the tags can be few and far between!!

[trphyhntr]

do you even research bro?

[azsugarbear]

I must confess: I wrote several responses to the question above and then deleted them all. To be honest, I'm not sure quite how to respond. I suppose my first post could be viewed by some as coming from a fat slob who is too lazy to get out there and earn this info for himself. But I submit there is another possibility: a veteran hunter who has watched the number of tags and hunting pressure in units continue to increase over the years.

 

Most of us here on CWT understand that there is no substitute for boot leather on the ground. We further know that the best intel is gathered in the weeks and months prior to the hunt. The best time to do research for my hunt would be from Sept. through Nov. learning the travel corridors, the water & food resources, the patterns and behavior these elk are exhibiting during this time of the year. Unfortunately, we live in AZ where the hunts are stacked on top of each other. In unit 1, there are no less than six elk hunts and one deer hunt scheduled for this fall. My hunt is the fifth one. I have every legal right to be out in those woods gathering my own research during the four previous hunts. In fact, you could argue I have a moral obligation to the elk as well. But I try to balance my need for good intel with that of staying out of the woods when others are trying to hunt. Those hunters value their tag as much as I value mine. They expect the same quality of hunt that I hope to get. Don't we all have stories about a stand or stalk that was blown by some inconsiderate hunter doing 'research' for his upcoming hunt during the middle of our own hunt? The more info I can gather from on line resources, the less chance I have of spoiling someone else's hunt.

 

Yep, bro.....I try and do a lot of research.....which sometimes includes asking members for their general knowledge about an area.

[trphyhntr]

 

nevermind.

[mc68]

Azsugar, you have nothing to feel guilty about IMO. You are a fellow hunter on a hunting website that is supposed to be about hunters coming together to help each other become better...none of us know everything we need to know and sometimes we can benefit greatly from just a little helping hand. The way you posted your questions was entirely not invasive as to anyones " honey hole". This is what frustrates me about this site, more and more it seems that there are a lot of people out there who are just looking for a chance to do some web bashing. You are not in the wrong at all to ask for more general information as you have done. Tags are so hard to come by that you really want to maximize the experience. Striving to be a better hunter is what we should all do, any and all ways possible...

[sherman]

I didn't think there was anything wrong with the question and imo you where doing your homework.

[BeardownAZ]

I must confess: I wrote several responses to the question above and then deleted them all. To be honest, I'm not sure quite how to respond. I suppose my first post could be viewed by some as coming from a fat slob who is too lazy to get out there and earn this info for himself. But I submit there is another possibility: a veteran hunter who has watched the number of tags and hunting pressure in units continue to increase over the years.

 

Most of us here on CWT understand that there is no substitute for boot leather on the ground. We further know that the best intel is gathered in the weeks and months prior to the hunt. The best time to do research for my hunt would be from Sept. through Nov. learning the travel corridors, the water & food resources, the patterns and behavior these elk are exhibiting during this time of the year. Unfortunately, we live in AZ where the hunts are stacked on top of each other. In unit 1, there are no less than six elk hunts and one deer hunt scheduled for this fall. My hunt is the fifth one. I have every legal right to be out in those woods gathering my own research during the four previous hunts. In fact, you could argue I have a moral obligation to the elk as well. But I try to balance my need for good intel with that of staying out of the woods when others are trying to hunt. Those hunters value their tag as much as I value mine. They expect the same quality of hunt that I hope to get. Don't we all have stories about a stand or stalk that was blown by some inconsiderate hunter doing 'research' for his upcoming hunt during the middle of our own hunt? The more info I can gather from on line resources, the less chance I have of spoiling someone else's hunt.

 

Yep, bro.....I try and do a lot of research.....which sometimes includes asking members for their general knowledge about an area.

Nothing wrong with asking questions. Besides whats the difference between hiring a guide who does all the work right? Other than exchanging money for time and info. Tons of elk up there. Just like most non rut hunts for any animal, it gets tougher the longer the hunt goes due to the hunt pressure. Ive known people to kill nice, almost huge bulls up there right off the road so... With that many tags just get off the road and pretty much anywhere you will be fine.