HELP! Oak Creek South ELk Unit

[huntin4ever]

I have an Oak Creek south early rifle elk tag. I am just looking for a little insight on the unit. I am not familiar with the area at all, any info will be helpful and appreciated.

 

[legacy]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-09-08 AT 10:42AM (MST)[p]Well, there's a reason the draw odds are good for this unit. I've hunted it multiple times for elk and have spent quite a bit of time on that unit. I will tell you that it is a very difficult unit to hunt and the quality of bulls is poor. I believe the unit is managed for 4-5 year old bulls. We killed a bull in 2006 and he was 4 years old. He was a very small 6X6.
We did kill a 5X5 in 2001 that NETS 343 (Pope & Young). The unit has gone down hill every year since. They opened up the north part of the unit a few years ago and killed of a bunch of big bulls. It's seems that this may have been the turning point for the unit. There have been some bulls down around Cove Fort. That area burned, but I know some elk have already moved back into that area. The northern part of the unit has also seen it's share of fires recently as well. Anticipate low elk numbers and tough terrain. There are a few 330+ bulls on the unit, but they will be hard to find. Not to sound harsh, but you should have done your homework on this unit before this point in the game and I hope you didn't burn a pile of points either. Anyway, I do wish you luck and hope you find one of the good ones, because they are there! Keep us posted!

 

[middlehoof]

The late hunt can be good,, bulls come over from the pavhant.
I know you have the early though, so get some trail camera's and set them up on water holes not alot of them either this would probably be your best bet. Like Legacy said this unit is tough in the earlier hunts.

 

[miagenboy]

Sent you a PM.

 

[pushin_30]

All are correct a very deficult unit to find a nice 340+ bull in. I talked to a guide that guides on that unit and last year both of his clients wanted something 350+ and both went home empty handed. It is a tough hunt early on. However just because 340+ in hard to come by it doesn't mean that there are not bulls on this unit that do not fit that category, they are they, they are just few and far between. I had a ML deer tag last year and saw some nice bulls, I will pm you.

Pm sent.

 

[mlycrzy]

Has this unit rebounded at all or still declining? I may have drawn the late hunt and would be thrilled with a 320-340 bull. Any thoughts?

 

[legacy]

>Has this unit rebounded at all
>or still declining? I may
>have drawn the late hunt
>and would be thrilled with
>a 320-340 bull. Any thoughts?
>


As said before, there are a FEW decent bulls on this unit. A 320+ bull is pretty high expectations. The unit has not "rebounded" any and quality is still low. If you get a shot at a branch antlered bull, I would consider shooting. That way you can atleast take a bull off of this unit before the DWR gets their way and turns it into a general season elk hunt (which they have already tried to do and will continue to do). I know huntin4ever, who started this thread, did not kill a bull last year. I also know of several others who had permits on this unit, including a conservation permit, that did not kill bulls last year. Anyway, I assume you didn't burn a pile of points, so just go hunt and have fun.

 

[mlycrzy]

Thanks Legacy. I only had 1 point as a non-resident so I didn't give up much as far as that goes. This is my first bull tag not over the counter so I will make the best of it and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[legacy]

>Thanks Legacy. I only had 1
>point as a non-resident so
>I didn't give up much
>as far as that goes.
>This is my first bull
>tag not over the counter
>so I will make the
>best of it and see
>what happens. Thanks again.

Yeah, I wouldn't loose sleep over 1 point. Hopefully you get some weather and the elk get moving. Good luck and keep us posted!