22 South, Muzz ELK

ducksbucksandbulls · Aug 27, 2012

Only a month to go.
I'll be heading into the unit on Sept 22 to scout til the opener.
Anyone have info on the unit that they are willing to share.
I've hunted 23 and 10 and 6a but new to 22S.
Have talked to several others who drew the tag, And always looking for others imput.
what areas should I be scouting. Peak rut dates that far south?
thanks,
DBB's,

muleymaniac · Aug 27, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-12 AT 01:08PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-12 AT 01:07?PM (MST)

dont have any spots but rut dates should be the same = bulls are shedding/rubbing velevet now and people are hearing bugles , so get out at night and listen easy to locate by bugling to them!!

i want that tag NEXT YR LOL - JUST GOT A NEW bk KNIGHT .54

hoopscoach · Aug 27, 2012

PM sent.

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud"

Gator · Aug 29, 2012

PM sent

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

tooele · Aug 29, 2012

Rut dates are in the peak. Fun hunt, not the quality of bulls as 23 or 10, but lots of small ones with the occasional big guy. Big one being 330 ish. True there are larger, but much more rare than in other units you have hunted. When we hunted it there didn't seem to be anywhere that we went that didn't have screaming bulls within a mile or so, so start chasing early in the morning and hopefully you will get on a bigger bull. Most are below 300 inches. Very Hot, usually 90 degrees in the day, meat spoils quickly with lots of meat wasps swarming as soon as the kill is opened up. Very thick brush manzanitas, better to wear bird chaps than soft camo clothes or you will have tears all over your 100 goretex pants. Can Glass most of the the unit well and see bulls you will be chasing, which is an advantage, because once you start chasing the brush is as nasty as it gets.

Good luck

couesmagnet · Aug 29, 2012

I would say toole has a very good description of the unit and hunt, especially if you hunt the northern half of 22 south. I would however disagree with the size of bulls though. While there are lots of small bulls running around in the north part of the unit, the middle and lower half of the unit which is still pretty thick with mazanita holds much larger bulls on average. Keep in mind though there isnt even half the elk in the middle to south parts of the unit when compared to densities in the northern half. If i was you i would stay out of the stuff to the north , even though it will still have a couple 350 to 370 type bulls, and go down to lower stuff and thrash your quad and hiking shoes looking for a monster. i also wouldnt shoot anything under 350 on this hunt. This is probably one of the harder early hunt elk tags in the state if your looking for something over 350, but then again there are 400 inch bulls in this unit, and more than one usually on any given year. But these bulls require horses, and or a very very long hike thru manzanita infested country. Lots of bulls up north or very few elk in the middle to southern parts with an occasional giant sprinkled in. Also be very very careful of rattlesnakes if you hunt in the middle to the southern parts. They will be out at night and early mornings on this hunt in force, and with the extreme distances you will have to cover to even find elk, you will see more snakes than elk, so at least be aware of them.

ducksbucksandbulls · Aug 29, 2012

I hate snakes!
I love elk...
I took out a 42" ten button snake last week here on a A zone deer hunt.

I have hunted in unit 23 and all the vegatation bites, scratches and eats you up. Not a fun place to pack out for sure.
A few years back my wife and son shot 2 bulls side by side and took us most of 2 days to pack them out 2 miles. It was on the late hunt with snow and freezing temps at nite thank god.
Never again will we shoot 2 at a time.

I noticed the same thing in 23, the further south you went the fewer bulls you'd see and they were bigger.
Thanks to all for the PM'S
Keep the info flowing...
Thanks again,
Howdy

CAelknuts · Aug 29, 2012

I helped a buddy on his 22S muzzy hunt 3 years ago, and we had a real nice hunt. He shot a smaller bull than I wished he'd have shot on the 2nd evening, but it still scored 305. I was disappointed primarily because we encountered a 350-360 bull the evening before the season opened and I wanted to look for him some more. We also got onto a real nice bull the 2nd morning and I thought we could kill him the next morning but my buddy tagged out on the 2nd evening.

PM me and I'll give you locations where we hunted. I will say, we hunted entirely in the northern end of the unit.

As for snakes, that's where I saw my first ever Arizona Black Rattler. Sinister looking b*st*rd. He was about 2 feet long and looked like Darth Vader. I also saw a black rattler last year, in 23N, just north of Young.

ducksbucksandbulls · Sep 11, 2012

Anyone been in the unit the last week?
Are the bulls talking.
leaving in 10 days.
thanks for all the PM's

AzIdUtelknut · Sep 19, 2012

I am headed up that way Fri night. Just to listen to elk and hopefully see a few. If you are around maybe we will stop in and say hello.

Gator · Oct 5, 2012

How did your hunt and scouting go.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

ducksbucksandbulls · Oct 9, 2012

We scouted for 6 days, saw from 2 to 8 bulls a day.
Never found any really big bulls.
Bulls were talking early and late, all night around camp. Lots of people showed up the day of the hunt. Areas we hiked into and never saw a foot print, had hunters coming out of the wood work.
hard to believe with only 40 tags.
The biggest bull we saw scouting was killed by another hunter opening morning.
The tag belonged to my wife, grandma of 2. On the 2nd morning I called in a small 5x6 to 20 yards and she could not stand the bull bugling at us. One shot and it was over.
Not the bull I would have shot, but a fun hunt none the less.
I'll be back in Arizona for my 6A muzz hunt in Nov.

thanks to all who shared info on the unit
DBB's.