Late AZ Rifle-(7) NR Points

crcountry · Nov 20, 2017

Fellas-

I'm a DIY late season rifle guy. Although I'm a bowhunter out east, I still haven't found the stomach for bowhunting elk and coming home empty handed....I'd rather have cold temps and a 600yd rifle than warm temps and bugling elk.

I just saw Nate Simmons on the western hunter on the Outdoors channel, and loved what I saw on that 30 min show with his dad harvesting his biggest bull ever deep in an Arizona canyon around thanksgiving. Sorry to hear his dad passed just a few months after that hunt. Since my dad was never into hunting or fishing, I really never knew what that bond felt like...I'm glad my 6 year old boy is so torn up about the outdoor world that he is growing up in.

I have 7 points now, and I'm also planning on flying out this winter to complete the hunters safety course for my 8th point.

If I read the regs right, it looks like 6, 8, 9, and 10 all have plenty of late season tags with 10% going to NR. Is 8 points in the ball park for getting a late season tag in one of these units?

I see area 10 only has only 40% public land? Area 9 is flat as a pancake? What unit was Nate in? It looked like there were a few roads to navigate, and deep/steep canyons to get away from most of the hunters. And steep country means no horses either....that is right up my ally...2-3 miles from a road and all boot leather!

My uncle lives near Lake Mead and was flyfishing in unit 23 during the Sept rut for spawning brown trout. He said that area is an unreal elk spot as well, but it looks arid and not as highly regarded as 6,8,9, 10.

Any inspiration for a solo DIY, NR, late season, eastern elk hunter?

Read my latest story posted on the Wyoming forum that fully details my Unit 54-1 Cody, WY solo migration hunt last year. I'm serious about cashing in 8 points in AZ. I DO NOT NEED specific canyons/locations. Just a general thought behind access, steepness, remoteness, and info on 6,8,9, or unit 10.

HullinPhx · Nov 20, 2017

Message Sent..

Jerry · Nov 20, 2017

Just giving you my little bit of experience in both Az elk 9 & 10. I lived in Flagstaff for 13 years & hunted both units with friends several times, plus drew 10 . Only way 9 is a fabulous hunt, is if you draw an early rifle /bow hunt tag when elk are ruting & going wild. Huge bulls there & blow your mind in size. Late hunts there are a disaster , tons of permits & weather gets very bad often. Flat as that pancake--9--hell to hunt, glassing is terrible, almost impossible.

10 has some great hunting & huge bulls on public land ! You can glass here too-- huge area!! It takes a lot of time to scout here, or a great guide, it is not easy-- again early hunt best, late hunt a total roll of the dice, very tough too. Tougher here for archery, this is long range rifle hunting/shooting.

These are the best units year after year ! Other units just not as good, in my opinion. Still other great units, just not top of the line like these two. If I can help further, E M me, glad to offer what I feel & know. I could not draw tags in Az even as a Resident ! I still have lots of Bonus Points !!! LOL

Best of luck !
Jerry Gold-- Ft Collins, Co
E Mail: [email protected]

goinhuntn · Nov 20, 2017

The units you are looking at are good. 9 & 10 are 2 of the best units for big elk. 6 & 8 give lots of tags for rifle, and it is a circus in both!! Roads everywhere in 6 & 8 so you will not be alone & its pretty hard to get away from the crowds with all the roads.
Also 6 & 8 average bulls taken are 280 to 300 bulls with the ocassional boomer, but far & few between. 23 is a good unit also.
Check the stats on units in with fish & game. Also they changed the game for nonresidents for 2016 with tags. I will probably not explain it right, and hopefully someone will chime in. I beleive 5%
go to max point holders in the first pass & bonus pass the other 5% go in the general pool, but not guaranteed to go to a nonresident.

Hunt_the_West · Nov 20, 2017

For a late rifle hunt I don't think any of the units you listed would be On my short list with the exception of unit 10. Personally for the late hunts I would be looking toward units 1, 23, 27, maybe 3a/3c in no particular order.

Joe2Kool · Nov 21, 2017

>I beleive
>5%
>go to max point holders in
>the first pass & bonus
>pass the other 5% go
>in the general pool, but
>not guaranteed to go to
>a nonresident.

That is my understanding also. They did that so someone with 1-2 points has a chance at drawing.

Flatlander · Nov 21, 2017

Well at the risk of sounding like a know it all I will offer my .02

Nate Simmons was in either unit 1 or 27 in Eastern AZ. Most likely 27. Both of these units are excellent late season hunts.

As others have said unit 9 is a tough late season hunt because it's flat, and has lots of pines. This unit has also been hammered with mature bull harvests in the early hunts for several years. Trophy quality is declining.

Unit 10 is an excellent hunt. Quality is up since they reduced tag numbers for the early hunts. With the archery hunt significantly reduced again this year more mature big bulls should be making it to the late seasons. Biggest problem here is broken bulls. The bull:cow ratio is ridiculous in this unit so bulls are usually pretty busted up. There are a few major ranches in the unit. Most allow hunting, but have additional restrictions and charge fees for the hunter and all helpers. Checkout huntbigbo.com for details.

Unit 8 is good but has lots of tags and lots of roads. You can always hunt Sycamore canyon. It's steep and deep and fairly miserable.

Unit 6 is the most heavily hunted unit in the state. Trophy quality is low. Lots of tags, lots of hunters, lots of roads but also lots of elk.

Since you mentioned 23, this is probably the best public land elk unit in the world. It's lower elevation and pretty rugged. This is like a Coues deer hunt. Staring in thick junipers with glass on a tripod and looking for sign of a big bull. This is probably the only unit in the state where bigger bulls are killed on the late hunt than the early hunts. But it's not really an experience hunt. You may see two elk per day. Or none. But big bulls will
Be there and can be killed. Broken bulls is a problem here as well.

cmbbulldog · Nov 21, 2017

>Well at the risk of sounding
>like a know it all
>I will offer my .02
>
>
>Nate Simmons was in either unit
>1 or 27 in Eastern
>AZ. Most likely 27. Both
>of these units are excellent
>late season hunts.
>
>As others have said unit 9
>is a tough late season
>hunt because it's flat, and
>has lots of pines. This
>unit has also been hammered
>with mature bull harvests in
>the early hunts for several
>years. Trophy quality is declining.

>
>
>Unit 10 is an excellent hunt.
>Quality is up since they
>reduced tag numbers for the
>early hunts. With the archery
>hunt significantly reduced again this
>year more mature big bulls
>should be making it to
>the late seasons. Biggest problem
>here is broken bulls. The
>bull:cow ratio is ridiculous in
>this unit so bulls are
>usually pretty busted up. There
>are a few major ranches
>in the unit. Most allow
>hunting, but have additional restrictions
>and charge fees for the
>hunter and all helpers. Checkout
>huntbigbo.com for details.
>
>Unit 8 is good but has
>lots of tags and lots
>of roads. You can always
>hunt Sycamore canyon. It's steep
>and deep and fairly miserable.
>
>
>Unit 6 is the most heavily
>hunted unit in the state.
>Trophy quality is low. Lots
>of tags, lots of hunters,
>lots of roads but also
>lots of elk.
>
>Since you mentioned 23, this is
>probably the best public land
>elk unit in the world.
>It's lower elevation and pretty
>rugged. This is like a
>Coues deer hunt. Staring in
>thick junipers with glass on
>a tripod and looking for
>sign of a big bull.
>This is probably the only
>unit in the state where
>bigger bulls are killed on
>the late hunt than the
>early hunts. But it's not
>really an experience hunt. You
>may see two elk per
>day. Or none. But big
>bulls will
>Be there and can be killed.
>Broken bulls is a problem
>here as well.

What he said.

crcountry · Nov 21, 2017

I love it guys....I love the banter. And when a couple ideas start to float around, like they have here, I get laser focused on a spot and decide on something...followed by 6 months of research, phone calls, and pre-season scouting. And for the most part, it doesn't matter on the specifics at all, as all of these units produce a few big bulls....its the crazy f'er that sticks to a plan that wins the race. I like the sound of eastern AZ! Thanks guys. I always post my success, and I'm almost always solo. So the story is pretty fun to read.

mike111 · Nov 21, 2017

I think you've been given very accurate information. If you want more canyons than stay with 27, or 23. Unit 9 has been going down hill the last ten years, just not what it used to be. The early rifle/muzz every year with an increase in late tags hasn't helped, although there are still a few good bulls to be found. Unit 10 I like for the glassing opportunities, but there's a lot of land to look over. Units 1, 23, 27, 9, 10, 8, 7 West, have your best odds at a larger bull. Good luck with your choice, and hope we get to hear how your hunt goes when you get one!

264mag · Dec 3, 2017

My friend drew unit 9 late with 2 points and shot a 300" plus bull on Saturday

chipc · Dec 4, 2017

You'll need at least 15 points to guarantee you a 23 late rifle tag. They are cutting the tags from 150 in '17 to 125 in '18 which likely will decrease draw odds.

3point2 · Jan 3, 2018

What does it take to draw 1 or 27 as a RN?

Joe2Kool · Jan 3, 2018

These numbers are from my chicken scratch notes so don't treat them as gospel.
For the last 2 years, it took about 15 points to draw a Unit 1 archery, and about 9 for rifle.
For 27, it took about 9 for rifle. I didn't write down what it was for archery.

But, it is possible to draw a tag with no points. See explanations near the top.

3point2 · Jan 3, 2018

Oh sorry I just reread my post. I meant non-resident late hunt for 1 or 27 riffle.

WapitiBob · Jan 3, 2018

LAST EDITED ON Jan-03-18 AT 07:42PM (MST)[p]
Toprut has the nr point pools in their az odds section, go to list view then more data.

You'll probably need 10 for either late rifle but the point pools thin out at 9 so maybe..

Thomas11 · Jan 4, 2018

U don't have much of a chance at 7 points for 27 and 1 late unless some of the applicants change their draw strategy as Was said above due to smaller point pool at that level. Other than the random side