swcruiser

What he said. I think 80 is a hard target in the first time out. Good luck

Prdatr is right.. great coues all over the state. The unit in my opinion is related to what style of hunt you want and can handle. You like high country or desert? Glassing,sitting, packing in etc. The country will also dictate which options are worthwhile. I’ve seen 100+ deer in nearly every unit I’ve been in 10+.

well shoot.. i hope i don't run into any locked gates that should be open. I guess i need to make dang sure whats what though and bring a cordless grinder just in case!!!!! I would hate to tear something down that was legally locked!!! Thanks for the heads up. TexasHunter- do you know if that was the Eastern side or Western side of the Dragoons outside the town of Dragoon?

Thanks CatfishKev, I may look into accessing the areas through middlemarch pass.- looks like nice country. As of now it seems like the are I like has open access from the East end.

Thanks guys! I was planning on accessing from the Easter side of the Dragoons. I prefer to climb into higher country- usually less traffic. I just want to make sure any gates/roads open now remain open during the season. Nothing worse than rolling up all pumped to get into an area you've been dreaming about to find a locked gate!

nobody with info on road access? Ill probably make at least one trip out there before the hunt but would love to get info on places to avoid. In other units Ive hunted roads are good until right before the season then ranchers close it up. similar issues?

I used to hunt bear in 23S. Rough, steep and thick. There are giants in there which will stay in there until they die. Ive found the head of one of them and doubt I could have ever seen him a foot in the area i was trying to grind my way through. Exhausting and fustrating. Be sure you can actually recover what you shoot. There is enough cover, water, feed etc that they don't have to move much and even if they do you cant see them. I once stumbled into a deer "DEN/Pocket" whatever you want to call it in oak the jungles..... I was hating myself and everything with leaves... I was beat to heck and no way could pack an animal out of there IF I was able to shoot one. This opening was COVERED in deer droppings... 20ft across and absolutely no way to see down into it from above and literally looked like a dumpster dropped piles of deer pebbles... They are there or close by but may never see them. You'll have to have lots of patience and diligence. Some areas Ive glassed 3 days in a row, see 3 or 4 bears ( no deer) and then all of a sudden a deer makes an appearance. Yotebuster mentioned the difficulty of hunting in the pines. it applies to areas in the southern part as well. On a bear hunt I glassed a 120-130 buck for 30 min but I was up high well before light. I would never have seen him if I hadn't spent and hour and a half bushwacking before light. Get hiking early and away from easy access. The terrain was so difficult I never went back to find that buck for fear I would drive myself insane trying to take it out and Im slightly on the crazy side. You usually wont have to move much if you can get to an area which others are afraid to hike once you make it.

Guys I got skunked again and putting in for another OTC tag. Has the access for 30B been constant for the last few years? any changes/ updates anyone knows about? I looked over the old posts and G&F. I plan on hiking in from the East side off the Stronghold rd. Camp traffic doesn't usually matter too much as I pack in and dont run into many hunters but maybe want to avoid a zoo like atmosphere. Thanks

You are always better off planning for a backpack hunt even a single overnight, IMHO. Allows you to reach open country and glass at the right time. Really depends on weather for the Dec. hunts though. Bucks could be moving throughout the day if the rut is in full swing ( have seen this more so in Jan.). However, I hunted another unit couple years ago and the timing could not have been better. It was literally one of those occasions where you say to yourself- man that looks like a place a buck should be and it was. What an experience. I was running late that morning and pissed at myself for not being where i wanted to be but i saw more bucks and deer that day then ive seen in two seasons of hunting and I only hunted 3 hours. If your flexible on dates follow the weather- hope for some snowfall and cold weather.

if you like travelling roads you will see many hunters. Some guys glassing while sitting on the road. Most are gone after the weekend. If your willing to hike there is plenty of open country and deer.

Also depends on the country. If its a sanctuary for the buck and he cant go to far without running into crowded territory its likely he will be back. A single distance shot doesn't usually send them running unless they can figure out where the round came from. 350 is kind of middle territory though. Did he run right when the shot wouldve hit? Seems strange he wouldve let you get within 40 yards before he bolted.

Creed_az_88, Thank you for the info. I'll probably pack in 3.5 days worth and plan to hike out and restock after that depending on what I see. I have another area further north I wanted to check on as well.

I didn't ask about animals.

Hi all! Im new to Unit 29. I didnt draw a tag in the general lottery and pulled one of the OTC. I have never hunted 29 and have only visited the range a couple of times. Beautiful country just have so many options in AZ!!!! Im a backpack style hunter, hate seeing people while I hunt and always plan on some suffering. My equation for success! I plan to pack in from the southern end and have pretty much decided my route but wanted to know what the water situation is like and what the ground cover is like now. Ive looked at Sat Images and the ground looks bare in some areas. Im assuming the images are a couple years old? Has the ground cover returned fully? exploded? Are burn areas in dense cover impossible to make it through now? I hunted 27 for elk and am not afraid to tackle new growth and deadfall. Also do most canyon systems have water right now. Ive been checking rain fall and know the main canyon systems hold reasonable water but do the smaller systems also around nov.? Thanks for any assistance. Sorry posted this to rifle forum by accident.