Arizona Unit 9 Rifle info

[graze]

A friend drew a Unit 9 rifle Bull tag, I think the dates are in late November. We are trying to get info on the hunt and what to expect,ie, weather, elk numbers and everything in between. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks graze

 

[Shedreg]

Depending on the water, but look around the tanks south and around Lockwood Canyon and along the reservation fenceline. Also, all a long the Coconino Rim, there are deep canyons where you can walk into from the rim road on top. In the Lower Basin, you can look up on the rim and also see the bulls.

 

[mike111]

Your in for a tough but fun hunt! I would be hunting around water on this hunt, unless it snows then it would probably be a better hunt. Really scout the transition zone in the unit as most of the elk will start migrating. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out!!

 

[graze]

Thanks guys, I will keep you posted.

 

[Blackknight]

graze, sent you a PM!

 

[maddglasser]

Where do they Migrate too?

 

[mike111]

The Grande View elk usually migrate off the coconino rim to the northeast part of the unit. The Skinner elk will head south in those thick cedar gulleys that are tough as heck to hunt. The elk east of Tusuyan will head south towards Red Butte. Some elk will head to the park after the rut and continue to grow big. The elk on the west side I've noticed stay about the same spot year round with not much movement.

 

[Shedreg]

Also Check from Harbison, Willows Camp, Willows Trick Tank, Dent and Sayer and all the way down to Lockwood and along the unit 7/9 border. Plan on covering some ground and go up there in Sept., and you might hear some big ones and see them. The big ones will be more in the canyons that go into the reservation, south of Willows Camp and east and north of willows trick tank.
Another good place, is where unit 9, the national park and the reservation comes together. This is north of highway 64, coming from Cameron to the Grand Canyon. There is a little burn and a trick tank on the national park side, but they come across to feed and stuff, you'll catch them crossing or on the fenceline.
Take in consideration of there will be the early rifle, a cow hunt, deer hunt and a fall turkey I believe, so the elk will be always be where they go, when pressured.
"Elk are elk where you find them", holds true for up there.
Good luck.

 

[billythekid]

shedreg, I sent you a p.m.

 

[Shedreg]

BillyTheKid,
I replied to your PM and any other info you need, just let me know and glad to help. It's a lot of country up there and you'd be surprise where you find them, especially the big bulls. In the mid-1980's, we were hunting deer around the Willows Camp area, up to Harrison and those genes are still there! We took some real good bucks back then and always those big elk too.
The area would be flat and open and then you'd hear them! In those flats and other canyons, the bull ratio is much higher and all you have to do is do some hyper elk calls and other cow sounds and they will come a running and glunking!
Another good area, is just go southwest of Upper Lockwood, there is a fence there and a two tracker road, follow that road south and about 2 or 3 miles, go directly south (you'll have to walk and get a good gps reading) and there are some good bulls in there also.
Upper Lockwood will be on the Kaibab map I believe. All that area south, southwest from there, is really good.
There is a big 400 bull in like the first McClendon tape, "bugling big bulls" they show a bull coming across a flat, and that country looks very south of Dent and Sayer and north west of Upper Lockwood!
One of my friends, he shot a 375 bull and barely hit it on the top of the back and it got away. We got it on film too. Ironic about the whole thing, is that we were chasing another bull the next morning, after we tracked the other bull all the next day and we found an arrow, and it was my buddies! It was like 2 miles from where he shot it. The odds of finding that arrow were huge. It probably just barely got under his hide and fell out, so we knew the bull was going to be okay. He ended getting a 364 bull a day later. That was a fun hunt.

 

[billythekid]

shedreg, sent you another p.m.

 

[AZtrophyhunter]

Hey Shed, sent you a PM.

 

[billythekid]

Shedred, did you get my last pm?

thanks

 

[billythekid]

Shedreg,

Have you checked your p.m. inbox? Sent you a p.m.

thanks,

btk

 

[fullcurl74]

I also drew this tag. Seems like a few years back there were about 180 tags, and now around 300. Does that sound right? I'm afraid there will be some major conjestion in the popular areas with that many tags jammed into a 7 day hunt. I'm not sure where to go to get away from all the hunters.

 

[RockyMtnOyster]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-26-07 AT 05:25PM (MST)[p]My older brother had this tag a couple years back. He killed a very unique bull that had a bunch of barb wire fencing wrapped all over his horns. He must of got caught up in a fence and was strong enough to pull the fence down, but kept a little souvenier. Here's a picture of the bull, you can't really see the barb wire.

Here's a better picture of the barb wire all up on the antlers

RockyMtnOyster

 

[AZtrophyhunter]

Whoa, that's pretty weird. Thanks for sharing Rocky.

 

[MEANTTOBBUCK]

That is strange to see yet good thing he made it out of the fence.

 

[fullcurl74]

How's the precip looking in Northern Arizona this spring? Seems like it has a lot to do with antler growth on good years vs. bad years.

 

[DidIDraw]

Here is a picture of the bull I took in Unit 9 last year. I saw lots of bulls but they were in the thick P&J and it was really tough to get a shot. I hunted the entire hunt and took this bull on the last morning of the hunt. I had other hunters bump elk that I was hunting but I just kept at it until the right opportunity presented itself.

Good luck to you - I wish I were going back there again this fall.

 

[fullcurl74]

Hey DidIdraw, congrats, that's a nice bull. I also killed a bull there with half an antler on one side in '03. Did he break or just grew that way? Looks like you had a little snow. That wouldn't hurt my feelings any.

 

[DidIDraw]

It looked like his left antler pedicle was damaged - it was just plain smaller.