Unit 23 Any help will be appreciated!

Iddogguy

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I’m hoping to draw a 23 elk tag in the next few years. I’m planning on archery hunting javelina & or deer in January until I draw. Hoping to learn about the unit. I was originally going with unit 10, spent time there & decided to switch to 23. I’ll stick it out for 23 N or S so l’m going to learn what I can pre tag. If anyone is willing to help in anyway I would be grateful! Would prefer PM’s. Thanks in advance Mark
 
When I started putting in it was 9 or 10. That I wanted to hunt. Then I shifted to just 9. Now after all these years it’s 23, it appeals to me because of the quality and the lower tag numbers!

I remember when 9 archery elk was OTC. I was hunting Idaho & Montana every year. The elk hunting was great then. Just never found the time to hunt Arizona. It’s hard to leave good hunting to go someplace else.
 
Sounds like were both of a certain age. Ive been running around 9 since the 80s. Its a unit I could still hunt , country club elk hunting.
 
I believe you would never be guaranteed a 23s rifle tag since there's only 10 early tags. There should be 1 bonus pass tag for 23n since there's 20 tags in there now. Last year 4 others with 26 like you tried for 23n and 5 tried with 27 so if that stays the way it is you could technically be 9 years out on a 23n early rifle tag if you're the last to draw and noone else with those points switches over to trying for 23. Similar looking situation for 9 and 10. So. .. yeah tough situation you're in. Not sure how old you are but could still be in for a long wait. Any chance you archery hunt? Or could get the unit 1 early muzzleloader hunt.
 
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I believe you would never be guaranteed a 23s rifle tag since there's only 10 early tags. There should be 1 bonus pass tag for 23n since there's 20 tags in there now. Last year 4 others with 26 like you tried for 23n and 5 tried with 27 so if that stays the way it is you could technically be 9 years out on a 23n early rifle tag if you're the last to draw and noone else with those points switches over to trying for 23. Similar looking situation for 9 and 10. So. .. yeah tough situation you're in. Not sure how old you are but could still be in for a long wait. Any chance you archery hunt? Or could get the unit 1 early muzzleloader hunt.
I’ll probably put in 23N archery first choice, not sure about 2nd choice at the moment. Maybe 23N any weapon 10 or 9. I could have drawn an archery tag in 9 or 10 the last few years. There’s only 20 nonresidents with more bonus points than me. I prefer the archery for the longer hunt time, that may play to my favor?

Thanks for your input longranger. Mark
 
I’ll probably put in 23N archery first choice, not sure about 2nd choice at the moment. Maybe 23N any weapon 10 or 9. I could have drawn an archery tag in 9 or 10 the last few years. There’s only 20 nonresidents with more bonus points than me. I prefer the archery for the longer hunt time, that may play to my favor?

Thanks for your input longranger. Mark
Based off last year's point numbers you would draw 23n archery. One guy with 26 applied for it and drew. Obviously never know who might give up on a rifle tag and put in but you would have pretty good odds of drawing it. Whatever you do always apply for the harder to draw hunts first choice and then the archery 2nd. And DO NOT put any choice that's easier to draw than the 23n archery as your 1st or 2nd choice because you will automatically draw it and never be considered for the 23 archery tag. If you have the rifle hunt 23 1st and 23 archery second and happen to be the one with highest points applying for the archery tag you will get it in the bonus pass. If for some reason someone else with 27+ points applies with you then you're not guaranteed either tag and would have to hope to draw a random tag.
 
Yes, I put in 23N rifle first choice & 23N archery second choice last year. I only had 25 points because I never had the Hunter’s Safety Point. That’s been taken care of now!!! Thanks for your input. Mark
 
I hunted it this year. I looked at tons of bulls but was looking for that monster so I came home empty. best hunt I have ever been on. lots of 280-320 type bulls the Larger ones never presented themselves. chose wisely between 9, 10 and 23.
 
Also my expectations were probably way to high but I only saw one bull that would push 350. could have taken a shot within 30 yards everyday. if you draw the tag PM me and I will give you what I know about the unit.
 
Also my expectations were probably way to high but I only saw one bull that would push 350. could have taken a shot within 30 yards everyday. if you draw the tag PM me and I will give you what I know about the unit.
Onln One bull pushing 350? Where did you hunt? I was helping in 23s where I saw several 370+ bulls but also saw some similar sized ones across in north.
 
was in 23N. pretty much everywhere except the wilderness. that was a little to rough for this old guy right now. also stayed away from Valentine area until the last couple of days. way to much people traffic there. checked out alot of bone but never could see the big one.
 
I had that tag myself 7 year prior. My experience was similar to yours Windtalker. I saw a lot of elk and a lot of 320-330 bulls but just a couple of bulls bigger than that. . . Granted one bull ended up getting shot by the Governors tag holder and going 438 and one other bull I had opportunities at was probably 380s by my estimate but those were the only bulls I saw that I felt confident eclipsed 350 and I looked at A LOT of bulls. It's a great hunt and I had a lot of fun but I think other hunts probably give you a better opportunity at a 350 bull (if that's what your after) in my opinion
 
Thanks for your post’s.
I’m going to apply for a archery Javelina tag so I can look the country over.
Was wanting to hold out for something north of 360.

Thanks again!
 
I hunted 9 archery back in 2006 I think, It was a pretty good time, but unit 3a/3c is pretty great now, my I know of 4 people that have hunted archery since 2015, I went on one of them with my son, and all had great hunts with opportunities at good bulls, and might want to consider that one?
 
You could be chasing big bulls with a bow or muzzleloader this year. Why wait? I knew a guy that spent 22 points on an early bull tag and got 1 day of bugling on a 7 day hunt on what was the best unit in the state, It’s not worth the gamble. Cash in, kill and start building points again.
You bring up a valid point, I think I am stuck in the mindset before AZ put half the tags to random. I had always hoped to hunt 9 but those days are gone now
 
I hunted 9 archery back in 2006 I think, It was a pretty good time, but unit 3a/3c is pretty great now, my I know of 4 people that have hunted archery since 2015, I went on one of them with my son, and all had great hunts with opportunities at good bulls, and might want to consider that one?
3a/3c with a bow is a top hunt in the country in my opinion.
 
Thanks for all the information, been wolf & lion hunting for 4 days. Seen there’d been lots of action while I was out of cell service.

I had lots of points a few years before I retired so I just banked them till I retired. I have 25 in Utah and 29 in Colorado. Had 20 some in Nevada and drew in 2020. Here is my archery bull in Nevada & the broken horned one I killed in Idaho the same year.
Thanks again for the information! Mark

A841694B-1DBA-47E6-823D-46758E7C5FBA.jpeg


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Thanks for all the information, been wolf & lion hunting for 4 days. Seen there’d been lots of action while I was out of cell service.

I had lots of points a few years before I retired so I just banked them till I retired. I have 25 in Utah and 29 in Colorado. Had 20 some in Nevada and drew in 2020. Here is my archery bull in Nevada & the broken horned one I killed in Idaho the same year.
Thanks again for the information! Mark

View attachment 100705

View attachment 100706
Awesome bulls!
 
Thanks for all the information, been wolf & lion hunting for 4 days. Seen there’d been lots of action while I was out of cell service.

I had lots of points a few years before I retired so I just banked them till I retired. I have 25 in Utah and 29 in Colorado. Had 20 some in Nevada and drew in 2020. Here is my archery bull in Nevada & the broken horned one I killed in Idaho the same year.
Thanks again for the information! Mark

View attachment 100705

View attachment 100706
Great bulls, congrats!
 
Thanks for all the information, been wolf & lion hunting for 4 days. Seen there’d been lots of action while I was out of cell service.

I had lots of points a few years before I retired so I just banked them till I retired. I have 25 in Utah and 29 in Colorado. Had 20 some in Nevada and drew in 2020. Here is my archery bull in Nevada & the broken horned one I killed in Idaho the same year.
Thanks again for the information! Mark

View attachment 100705

View attachment 100706


That is an awesome nv bull!
 
Well did you draw your tag in 23 this year? I hunted the late hunt 2 years ago and that is some awesome country. Ended up taking the 8x7 in my profile pic.
 

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