23 Late Archery input

[CountryD7127]

I got drew for the 23 late archery Bull hunt.... Has anyone had this hunt and willing to give any input????thanks

[naturegirl]

3 yrs ago I had late bull rifle 6a. got skunked fpr a big one but had passed on spikes. any late hunt requires lots of scouting in the 1-2 weeks before the hunt because everything changes as the weather changes and the big ones go into hiding. scouting done months in advance means very little and i avoided the lower areas where there were what seemed like 1000 other hunters although that is where the most success was that year. I just don't like tripping over other hunters all day long.

[CountryD7127]

3 yrs ago I had late bull rifle 6a. got skunked fpr a big one but had passed on spikes. any late hunt requires lots of scouting in the 1-2 weeks before the hunt because everything changes as the weather changes and the big ones go into hiding. scouting done months in advance means very little and i avoided the lower areas where there were what seemed like 1000 other hunters although that is where the most success was that year. I just don't like tripping over other hunters all day long.

thanks for the input

[AZbowhntr]

This is probably the hardest hunt in Arizona. That said if you do a search you can find a picture of the bull I shot this last year on the same hunt. We saw a lot of bulls but not very many that were in a spot that I was willing to hike in after or that were even close to what we were looking for. The best thing you can do is hope for dry weather. Than they have to hit water. If there is plenty of water than I would set up and glass. And spot and stalk. The bulls will be spread all over the unit so there are no areas that are going to hold all the elk. Out of the more than 50 bulls we saw last year only a couple were over 300. So dont be holding out for a giant. There are a few around but extremely hard to find. Good luck

[Chef]

To add to AZbowhntr's post...he drew the same tag several years ago and it was windy.

Brutaly windy. Pray that it's dry, warm, and not windy.

[125coues]

I have a friend that draws this hunt alot and all he does is glass in am and sit water in pm.He has only killed 2 bulls in the past years ,none over 310 but he does get to hunt alot.He drew it again this year and he says he will not be passing on any bull.As said it is a very tough hunt.Are you hunting the north part or south part of the unit? Which ever part you go to good luck.

[Snapshot]

I am not sure about migration in unit 23, but it would be worth looking into!

 

I got drawn for late archery in Unit 27 in 2009. It was the toughest hunt I have ever been on. Found lots of bulls, but they were migrating. One day the area was full of bulls, next day they were long gone and on the move. The only bull I got a stalk on busted me because of the winds, which was a daily occurance. They were all moving down in the steep canyon country.

 

 

Here is a little clip from the G&F unit info:

 

During the archery antlerless hunt in November, hunters should scout the Christopher Mountain, Naegelin Rim, Canyon Creek, Young Airport, Buzzard Roost, and Armer Mountain areas.

The late bull hunt in November and December will have the bulls pushed into remote often rugged areas of the Unit. These areas include Armer Mountain, the south slopes of Naegelin Rim, Christopher Mountain, Horse Mountain, and the Mogollon Rim.

 

TIPS: Scouting for the earlier hunts should begin soon after being drawn. Scouting for the later hunts should wait until elk begin their seasonal shifts, which occur after the weather changes and things cool down significantly. There will be areas where elk are common in September, but are absent in December. Also, later hunts have seen an increase in the use of aircraft for scouting. There is a Game and Fish Commission Rule, as well as federal regulations,

[CountryD7127]

thanks everyone for the input....... And most likely 23 south......but its all of 23

[NOFX]

Had this same tag last year. Very tough hunt. I was on bulls everyday and was willing to fill my tag with anything with horns. I went home empty handed and swore to never put in for that hunt again. TOUGH HUNT!!!! The good thing is that there are tons of elk, bad thing is getting to them. Previous post were right on about weather. Hope that it is dry! Bulls were hitting water everyday and stopped immediately after it rained the weekend before the hunt. Good luck and PM me if you want some help or advice. I know the unit well, I live in Young.

[ForkHorn]

Also have this hunt. My plan is to try to catch a bull coming out of his canyon hideout for water. It could be tough if it rains and water is everywhere.

 

Tough or not I get to go hunting. Good luck!

[CRAZYBUCK]

I will also be hunting elk with countryD do you guys think a salt would be worth sitting? I have a spot that I know is used during the summer but not sure if they still come in for a treat in the fall months

[Today's the Day]

I have tons of bull pics on water holes around Young during that time period. Get the camera out and good luck.

[reezenhunter]

Ya I have lots of bulls coming to my cams year around in 23 also hike to a nasty canyon and glass it might be steep and tough to get to them but its possible

[kaibabkiller]

Hunt the deepest darkest canyons you can find!

[azcoueshuntr]

always see alot of nice bulls in that Diamond Butte Ranch area lots of glassing and be prepared for a long shot....