Unit 27 Late Archery

[schmee24]

Well I finally drew my first elk tag! Accidentally put 27 late archery on my application instead of early 27 but going to hunt it. Anyone have incites into the unit and that time of year? Plan to go up this spring/summer and do some scouting. Hopefully someone has had this tag before and is willing to share a bit about it ??‍ appreciate the support!

 

[yotebuster17]

You got point guard? If you had more than 2-3 points I’d use that. Summer scouting won’t help a ton. Those elk move a fair bit over that amount of time. If you do hunt it, spend your summer getting in shape instead of scouting. Both physically and mentally. The stuff off the rim is some of the steepest country in North America. Combine that with almost guaranteed crunchy snow and that’s one of the tougher elk hunts there is. I’d get an OTC Co tag and go get your first hunt out of the way and fling some arrows at raghorns there. Save your AZ points for one good chance at a good bull. (Don’t need 20 points either, the lowest tier Sept archery elk hunt in AZ is still a world class experience).

 

[schmee24]

You got point guard? If you had more than 2-3 points I’d use that. Summer scouting won’t help a ton. Those elk move a fair bit over that amount of time. If you do hunt it, spend your summer getting in shape instead of scouting. Both physically and mentally. The stuff off the rim is some of the steepest country in North America. Combine that with almost guaranteed crunchy snow and that’s one of the tougher elk hunts there is. I’d get an OTC Co tag and go get your first hunt out of the way and fling some arrows at raghorns there. Save your AZ points for one good chance at a good bull. (Don’t need 20 points either, the lowest tier Sept archery elk hunt in AZ is still a world class experience).

I do have point guard, I had 5 points. I’m also really excited to finally have a tag as well lol any areas specifically to e-scout and look at the terrain to decide if I want to keep it or not? There’s not a lot of information online for the late hunts

 

[yotebuster17]

I do have point guard, I had 5 points. I’m also really excited to finally have a tag as well lol any areas specifically to e-scout and look at the terrain to decide if I want to keep it or not? There’s not a lot of information online for the late hunts

Are you a resident or NR? If resident I would turn that back in a heartbeat. If NR, I’d probably still turn it back.
If you hunt it I would try to hunt right above the rim in the flatter ponderosas. Not because that’s where most of the elk will be, but just because that’s where you’ll have the best chance of stalking one. If they drop off into the manzanita off the rim you are gonna have a hell of a time stalking in that stuff.

 

[longranger]

I see you're a resident. Without wanting to put out the fire of your excitement I would suggest turning that tag back in. With 5 points and giving the tag back you would have 6 next year and within another year or two you can have a mid tier early archery hunt and have a lot more fun. If you do end up keeping it be prepared for one of the toughest hunts you've ever been on. Those bulls hang out in some nasty places that time of year.

 

[huntazido]

You have been given some good advice here.

 

[yotebuster17]

Also assuming you just started putting in you should be gaining a loyalty point and if you don’t have AZ hunter safety, get it. That should take you from 5 last year to 7-8 next year. You’d be in the running for several sept archery tags within a year or two. I would say you’d have a much better chance to just kill an elk with your bow in CO OTC than 27 late archery. If you had a bunch under your belt and wanted to be hunting an area with chance to be stalking 320-340+ bulls then 27 late archery is for you, but I wouldn’t pick it as my first archery hunt for elk. Or my 30th personally.

 

[iccyman001]

I drew it as a NR with 2 points this year and I solely put in for it because of how hard people say it's going to be and how much it's going to suck. I am going to spend my whole time out there and kick some ass.
Ill go out there for a scouting trip in Oct to get time in the unit and look for the closest recent data that I can before my hunt.
I cannot wait for this hunt.


Good luck to you if you dont turn it back in.

 

[Beerdrinker]

Congratulations on your tag ! Scout , Hunt hard and go find elk. With a little luck and some hard work you may kill something pretty good ! 27 is a great elk unit. Go frickin hunt ! there’s 60000 other elk hunters wishing they had a tag who knows the next time you will get one ! Good luck

 

[freaknasty]

I agree with Beer drinker
27 is a great unit it can be a hard one too depends what your looking for but its doable. get out and scout learn the roads where you might want to hunt its a big unit watch the boundaries. if your by the Rez
you'll need some good glass and patients.
good luck post em up kill or no kill
I've guided on that unit before PM me, I'll get to it eventually.

 

[yotebuster17]

I drew it as a NR with 2 points this year and I solely put in for it because of how hard people say it's going to be and how much it's going to suck. I am going to spend my whole time out there and kick some ass.
Ill go out there for a scouting trip in Oct to get time in the unit and look for the closest recent data that I can before my hunt.
I cannot wait for this hunt.


Good luck to you if you dont turn it back in.

Burning 5 resident points or 2 NR points isn’t really a comparison. You really have no chance of catching anything else, likely ever so it’s a good use of them. With 5 resident points he’s about 1-3 years out from a solid rut archery hunt. With 2 NR points you’re about 25-30 years out from a solid rut archery hunt. Good luck on it and atleast you’ll be hunting.

 

[pacer1975]

As a nr, I drew 6a with 2 pts. My buddy Drew back to back 8 with 3 and zero pts. My buddy this year drew 4a with 5 pts. Guess will are lucky.

 

[yotebuster17]

As a nr, I drew 6a with 2 pts. My buddy Drew back to back 8 with 3 and zero pts. My buddy this year drew 4a with 5 pts. Guess will are lucky.

Extremely. Those are all sub 1% draws. Like sheep tag odds.

 

[freaknasty]

PM me I'll give you my # in there

 

[Old_Cohntr6]

schmee24,
Have you made it out to scout? There will be bulls on Middle mountain, off in the Blue and plenty of other places that have deep, steep canyons. Do lots of glassing and bring a buddy to help guide you in on a stalk once you find one. I'll be heading out in a month to chase them with my bow in 27 too.
Jeff

 

[Gazelle]

schmee24,
Have you made it out to scout? There will be bulls on Middle mountain, off in the Blue and plenty of other places that have deep, steep canyons. Do lots of glassing and bring a buddy to help guide you in on a stalk once you find one. I'll be heading out in a month to chase them with my bow in 27 too.
Jeff

Me too Jeff, see ya there!

 

[Old_Cohntr6]

Sounds great, good luck Gazelle!

 

[schmee24]

schmee24,
Have you made it out to scout? There will be bulls on Middle mountain, off in the Blue and plenty of other places that have deep, steep canyons. Do lots of glassing and bring a buddy to help guide you in on a stalk once you find one. I'll be heading out in a month to chase them with my bow in 27 too.
Jeff

Been up there once this summer but seems like going in right before the hunt seems like more sense. Have you hunted the late season before? I’m sure weather is going to be a big factor for the hunt as well

 

[Old_Cohntr6]

You are doing good to get in the unit at anytime and learn roads and check the country, the more time there the better.
I have not had a late bull tag but have been up there helping out on a few hunts over the last 10 years or so. In my opinion the weather can be more of a limiting factor to you being able to get around rather than what it does to the bulls. It takes a lot of snow to move those elk to "lower" country. They seem to go to the same or close to the same country every time the rut is over.
Jeff