Arizona 22N
- Thread starter bschnoor
- Start date
You have pretty good tag. I had the 22N that was a week later than your tag last Dec.....bulls were skittish. Yes, you can do it unguided. Get a Tonto NF map & read it well. I got VERY lucky & drew 23 late this year with the same hunt dates as yours. The reason....timber. Any 23 help out there would be great......your unit has pretty thick timber. I hunted every day & never fired a shot. I was picky & have no regrets. I saw bulls in every spot that I hunted.....mostly 300 class animals. The second to last day I saw a 360 plus bull that I could never get a shot at in the thick timber. He was still alive after the season & he should still be there. Saw his horns but no hide. If you get snow (I didn't last year) they might be near the Rim. The guides there were getting bulls, one had four hunters with three being nothing special & one 370 bull. They got it low in the burned area that was very thich brush by pushing the brush with walkers. Keep in mind to respect the guides areas, they were all very nice to me even though I was unguided. Don't be afraid to walk.....the more I walked away from the roads, the more I saw. I also DID NOT see other hunters when I walked into these areas......the elk were also less spooky too. Best of luck to you......drop a coin on the map, you will see elk there.
Do the guides have there own areas? I dont think so. Its forest service land, and you can hunt anywhere you like. Just because a guide is in the area, doesnt mean you have to stay out of the area altogether. Should those guides have been rude to you because you were unguided? Again I dont think so. Enjoy your hunt, and dont let anyone dictate where you hunt guide or not. Its an awesome area with some huge bulls. I lived in meads ranch for five years, and I saw monster bulls in Tonto village all the time. Some of those bulls bed very close to the village. good luck
To clear my statement: Yes, that is NF & guides DO NOT have areas. What I meant is to have respect for someones space, whether it be ungiuded hunter or a guide camp. I would be pissed if someone drove up & parked next to my camp & followed me in the field. There is PLENTY of area to hunt there. Again, best of luck to you & that is the only response I will make regarding guide space.
N
nohat
Guest
What if you along with the "guides" know where a big bull is.. but the "guides" set up camp along the only road in a week before to "claim" the bull?
LIK2HNT
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 3,402
Hey Brian, Looks like I will be there right after you. I though I applied for the Dec 1-7 dates but must have hit the 9 key instead of the 8 key when applying (or changed my mind at the last minute for better draw odds and forgot). Either way it should be a good hunt. After I get my maps lined up and call a friend that lives east of there we can compare notes if you want.
Wish you luck on your hunt.
Bill
Wish you luck on your hunt.
Bill
