12 A-Kaibab Archery Hunt

Blackknight · Aug 30, 2006

So how many of you out there are going to head up there this season. I'm making a tradition of being up there every year!! I know there is a lot of hunters at times but its still fun to go up an chase big Muleys!!!! What are some of your tactics you'll be using this season now that the fire has hit most of the area??? Stands, blinds etc.....

KaibabHntr · Aug 31, 2006

I also go up every year for the bowhunt, but drew my AZ archery elk tag so had to change gears. I was really looking forward to it too. I generally sit on or off water in the morning and evening and still hunt in between. The road hunters have no clue how many deer trails parallel the roads just 100m-200m into the trees. I try to catch them moving to their beds and hope for some good luck. I put a stalk on a heavy 27" 4x4 last year but got caught up in some thick, loud and nasty brush making my move and couldn't close the deal. Didn't spook him he just up and walked away and I couldn't find him after that. Other than that I saw three other young bucks in 6 hard days of hunting and missed my turkey at 35 yards by a 1/4 inch. Also had a bobcat at 20 yards on a hole 2 nights in a row - didn't have the $2 tag to take him - lesson learned. Also set up on an awesome dirt tank with a vitual deer highway coming into it. Built my blind at 2pm and sat until dark. Turns out I wasn't the only one. About 4 pm a guy came an crawled into a treestand, another came and tried to setup 15 yards from my blind and by the time I walked out (after the guy in the treestand yelled out to chat with another guy in a blind on the other side with 30 minutes of light left) there were 6 hunters total on that hole. I went to my plan b spot the next afternoon and that's where I ran into the 27". Always got to have a plan b and c spot just incase.

Anyway good luck. Be sure to post some pics of your hunt.

RG
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com

utaz · Aug 31, 2006

My brothers and I are making it an annual tradtion too. Since we didn't get drawn in Arizona.We have some serious ADD and have to keep moving. We walk a lot of terrain. We try to find some dark pine beds and make the stalk. Last year I lost 5 pounds walking and couldn't move for weeks.

I have noticed lots of hunters sit on the water, I personally think that is boring. I know its one of the best was to get a good shot, but I prefer walking in nature and trying to find myself as far from others as possible.

Blacknight, good luck and thanks for all the advice over the last two years. Its just fun to be out there with family, as you said "chasing big mulies."

Utaz

sfbeach · Aug 31, 2006

I am going to make a trip to 12A to join the rest of you. I am hearing you have had lots of rain. Will hunting the Water still be the best bet with all the rain. Nothing I am reading is talking about spot and stalk. With the burned area, is spot/stalk going to be a viable option or should I be thinking water? Also Any thoughts on getting away from the Crowd. Are there less hunters in the Wilderness areas?

This will be my first time in the Kaibab, the stories about 6 hunters on one water tank is a little sobbering. Any help would be apreciated.

fin little · Aug 31, 2006

I use to bow hunt the Kaibab in the 80's , this will be my first year back with a bow in 18 years. I live close and have been scouting it for a month. There has been plenty of rain with lots of standing water. Its starting to dry up now . Its a fact there are alot less deer now than there was in the 80's and from what I've been told I expect alot more hunters. They have closed alot of the old logging trails so maybe we can find some space. The best buck I've found is a heavy 25+ 4 point with one freaky eyeguard. Couldnt really tell what was going on with it.He would tickle me. good luck everyone.

KaibabHntr · Aug 31, 2006

Well I stopped by Sportsmens tonight to get the rest of my tags only to learn that I did not need the $2 tag to take that bobcat - and I had him at 20 yds 2 nights in a row! Damn. Would have looked good on my wall.

Anyway, It's taken me a long time to slow down and not hunt deer like I'm hunting elk. I like to move too, but the slower I move and longer I sit the more mule deer I seem to see. My experience is when I'm trapesing through the trees (especially when its dry which it usually is) I'll be busted by the deer long before I even have a hope to get a shot. They will generally hear, smell or see me before I ever do them. To me slow is key and sitting a ground blind isn't so bad when you have deer after deer coming in to drink - your just praying that one of them be a buck. Plus you have good chance at turkeys and other animals coming in to drink too.

Water is key but you don't have to hunt directly on it to be successful. Find the routes coming into it and set up. The bucks aren't stupid, they know that almost every hole will have at least one hunter on it so they won't come in til dark. That said they may be working their way towards and hanging back off the hole a few hundred meters back. You can catch them there too.

Good luck. There's gotta be a few golden waterholes with no other hunters on it!

RG
www.KeyToTheKaibab.com

redrabbit · Sep 2, 2006

My plans are to be up there on the weekends. In the last few years, the crowding has taken some enjoyment out of the archery experience, so have taken the shotgun and GWP to find some grouse the last two years. This year, both bow and O/U will take the trip. I will avoid the tanks and stillhunt as I find it more enjoyable.

RR

Blackknight · Sep 2, 2006

I've been studying the maps and I'm still not finished. I have come to some conclusions this year that might help you guys out this year. As I have given UTAZ some areas to check out here are some more!!! The guzzler that is Upper Tater Canyon and the Dirt tank just north of that guzzler, the water tanks between FR 214 & 294 just west of FR 206, the ridges just north of Moquitch and that guzzler too, I know that Fracus Canyon tank off FR 462 always has good deer in it and finally for now the areas near Billy and Jolly FR 205B,200A and 200 will always produce "Big Deer"! Just make sure you concentrate near that guzzler just west of FR 205B all the way to the FR 200 and back up! I hope to see you guys up there but right now I trying to figure out where I'm going to camp. What about the rest of you???

beaner · Sep 2, 2006

I'm gonna risk the crowds since I didnt get drawn for anything else and need to unwind after my recent deployment. No idea where to go as I havent been there in over 12 years, and the area I used to hunt is burnt and probably over run with other guys. Im sure I'll stumble across a few of you.

Good luck.

hunter1 · Sep 5, 2006

i will be up there on friday night, will be at jacobs lake after dark every evening to see what the boys are pullin, i am going up to find a nice tree to sleep under and let my boy fling arrows at the squirels if a nice buck so up i will take him but i dont plan on really hittin it hard more of a excuse to get out of town.

Blackknight · Sep 10, 2006

Well, its count down time. Just three more days and Ill be headed up there to look around and set up. Where are the rest of you guys camping at????

utaz · Sep 10, 2006

Staying at the lodge at Jacobs Lake. Did you decide on the East side? I'm leaving on Wednesday afternoon too. Can't wait.

RockyMtnOyster · Sep 10, 2006

My brother and I (aztrophyhunter) are headed up there to hunt Mon-Wed. We'd hoped that by so doing we could get away from all the people hunting on opening weekend. I am so looking forward to this hunt as I was shut out on all the other draws.

Any of you guys plan on hunting during the week?

RockyMtnOyster

hunter1 · Sep 11, 2006

we are going to be camped over on the west side not sure were just yet wont get there until friday night, hey blacknight did you check out that area i told you for elk i never heard back from you on it.

Blackknight · Sep 11, 2006

Sorry my friend, I did check it out and I did find that elk stand you were talking about but I didnt run into anything. I saw fresh sign but it rained pretty good and some of the roads were inaccessable. Its a good area though. Im gonna recheck during the first week of October. You have my number. Make sure you get ahold of me so we can meet up there. IM gonna camp on the West side as well!!!

NeedaNu4x · Sep 25, 2006

I was up there this over the weekend. A last minute thing, a friend wanted to see what all the hub-bub was about. So we took our bows and headed out. We hunted all day saturday and half day sunday. Like i said just a list minute thing. And long drive back to the Valley. Well we didnt see much, one good buck, a spike and bout 8 does in all. Still quite a few hunters there. LOTS of road hunters! The weather was cold and very dry. Needless to say we came back empty handed. But my buddy thought it was "kool". And since I havent been there in 4 years but the destruction of the fire was amazing yet very sad. And thats my weekend report, lol. Anyone else score in the north kaibab?

mike