4a Youth Cow Hunt

[Hoof Hearted]

Hi all, heading up in a few days to 4a for my 12 year old's first elk hunt and I was curious for those who've been up there lately or had the archery tag to hear if the elk were in similar locations as in previous years since the monsoon was so terrible last year and good this year.  I've helped on youth hunts in the unit for the past 10 years and have always done very well, but I didn't make it up last year and been too busy with work/football coaching to make it up there yet this year so I'll be flying by the seat of my pants a little bit.  I will be able to scout a couple days before the hunt so I'm hoping my old haunts still hold a few cows, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if anyone had any recent intel they felt comfortable sharing.  Feel free to PM if you do.  Any info, good or bad, is greatly appreciated. Thanks!  

[UggRedBilly]

Elk are all over the place. Was there last weekend they were bugling even in afternoon! I was just there to go hiking and fishing but there was elk right behind my camp and just off the road in a few places. I was mainly around the 300 road and bear canyon lake area too! Good luck and come back with a story please!

[NOTAGS]

What he said.  I could have killed a cow with a rock during the archery deer hunt. Have fun and good luck!

[Hoof Hearted]

Well that's certainly encouraging!  Thanks, guys.  I think we'll stick with the rifle instead of the rock.  My boy has a decent arm, but his effective range would be pretty limited.    I'll come back (hopefully) with a good story.  

[bigorange]

I have no solid prior knowledge of 4a before the archery hunt. We saw quite a few cows on my hunt in the usual areas according to my friend hunting with me. He did comment that there weren’t as many cows off the side of the road as he’d seen in previous hunts there, but overall seemed to be good numbers. Good luck!

[PRDATR]

Bulls were bugling yesterday morning while I was fishing at Woods Canyon and the temps are going to drop another 10 degrees.

[UggRedBilly]

4 hours ago, bigorange said:

I have no solid prior knowledge of 4a before the archery hunt. We saw quite a few cows on my hunt in the usual areas according to my friend hunting with me. He did comment that there weren’t as many cows off the side of the road as he’d seen in previous hunts there, but overall seemed to be good numbers. Good luck!

All the people. I used to go a ton like 10 years ago. This last weekend I was doing a trash clean up of the area and saw how many people. Never seen it like that! Not even on a holiday 10 years ago

[AzDiamondHeat]

just don't go on the weekend.  and if you HAVE to get as far north as you can.  you will be very disillusioned with your fellow man otherwise.   

[Hoof Hearted]

Solid advice.  One of my honey holes is much further north, but I was worried after last year that there wouldn't be any water up there and that the elk had moved south where more reliable sources could be found.  But I imagine once the rains hit this year that they had no problem pushing north, especially with all the human traffic to the south.  Gonna give it heck and see what we can do, but no road hunting for us.  I refuse to let my kid kill one close to the road.  He's got to pack his first elk out some distance.  I've guided 5 different kids (family friends; before my kids were old enough) to their first elk and all of them had to haul out meat. That is a huge part of the process to me.  You learn to respect the animal more, IMHO.  My boy, Gunnar, killed his first Coues deer when he was ten ~1.5 miles and a thousand foot climb from the trailhead, and he talks about it constantly 2 years later.  It's a huge source of pride for him, and I don't want him thinking elk hunting is easy since, as you guys know, it's usually not.. 😉