Unit 9, one month and counting!

SLIVER

Very Active Member
Messages
1,278
I drew a bull elk tag in unit 9 late (November 28-Dec 4th), and am starting to get pumped up. I have a few starting points, and will be going down 4 days early to get acquainted with the area.

If any of you have experience hunting this unit late season please chime in. I realize that it is going to be way cold, and am prepared for that. What tactics should I use (spot and stalk, tracking, glassing if I can find a vantage point?) What tactics have you had success with in this unit. Also what type of bull should I hold out for?

Thanks for any and all responses you are willing to give, and thanks to you that have given information already.

}}-SLIVER-->
 
That is some pretty good info. Thanks for the tip.
You see any BIG bulls? I am getting way excited!

}}-SLIVER-->
 
Tough hunt. I wouldn't hold out much. Shoot the first decent bull you see. That unit is night and day different from the early hunt to the late hunt.
 
This is the type of hunt where I have no problem eating tag soup in search of a quality bull. With that being said, I would like to kill something bigger than the bull I already have on the wall (348"). I know that this hunt will be hard, but I won't meet my goals by killing the "first decent" bull I have a crack at.
I'll keep you guys posted, and hope to have some success pics for you in a couple weeks.

}}-SLIVER-->
 
Well after spending 9 days in some very beautiful elk country I came home with some great memories with friends and family, and my tag. I had opportunities on 300-320 bulls, but was holding out for that chance at a bruiser. We did see one big bull, but never had a chance at him. All the bulls we had opportunities to shoot were not what we were looking to hang our tag on. We hunted very hard, and hunted many different methods, and in the end I'm happy with the way the hunt turned out. Wish I could have laid eyes on one of those AZ giants. Maybe next time. I was surprised at the amount of very small bulls being shot (2 year old bulls), and at the beautiful sunrise/sunsets that AZ has to offer.
Here are some pics for you to check out.

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}}-SLIVER-->
 
Wish more hunters were like you. Most guys will kill anything they see on a late hunt and it hurts the elk herds bad when 100's of raghorns get blasted every year. Glad you had fun!
 
Well heck, you were on the WRONG side of the unit for the BIG bulls! Everyone knows those giants are on the WEST side! Just kidding.

These late bull hunts are not by any stretch of the imagination designed to be "Trophy" hunts.

Just ask AZ G&F. And ask them what percentage of the bulls taken on these kinds of hunts are 6 x 6 or better, and score over that magical 350.

Not many..

Sportsmen who draw these late tags in any unit, should always keep this in perspective when they are hunting.

This is a glorified meat hunt, plain and simple. Are SOME huge bulls taken?

Absolutely! But they are few and far between. Besides, a lot of those big bulls are broken up during these hunts..

Just the facts guys!

Ask G&F and unit managers about this.

I know some outfitters/guides tell hunters every year about the big bulls they are going to see and kill.

The odds of this MAY be higher with an outfitter or guide, but no matter, these are NOT TROPHY hunts by design!

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters
 
Don.... We hit the west side as well. Put some serious miles on the trucks in the 9 days we were there. Those monster bulls had a hidey hole that we couldn't find. I guess I will just have to try harder next time. They are int there somewhere!

}}-SLIVER-->
 

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