Bowhunting Near Payson

[punkrcker1344]

Hey im looking for a place near payson or on the Rim. I am 16 and wondering if anyone could help me out in finding a buck becuase so far i have only seen Doe. Any help in a specific place would be great.

[bowhunter4life]

try by the sun devils camp east of payson

[azryan]

pay me and i will give you a location of a buck

[hunterdude]

If he pays you the " BUCK " would be in your wallet. This is where lots of scouting comes in handy. Oh don't forget the walking part of it , you'll have to pound some ground to get around.

[COOSEFAN]

That surprises me you have only seen doe's. I think I've seen more bucks (coues bucks) within the city limits of Payson, than I have outside city limits! Some have even been big bucks and tend to have a "no fear" mentality also. I would just get out and start humpin' the hills lookin for sign, you'll start narrowing down your search and will end up with some good spots, you actually don't have to travel far at all! Good luck, JIM>

[mikep35]

If your financing permits I would suggest picking up a trail camera and place it where your seeing these does to see if the bucks are around. Trail Cameras are always a good way to find out if there are animals in your area.

[azryan]

def follow the advice of coosefan or mike3p5 n hunterdude...just get out and around you will eventually stumble along a buck...good luck to you

[TREESTANDMAN]

Bowhunter12,

 

I think you will find that most members on this site are not willing to give specific info on good areas. It is not that we are trying to be rude, but a hunter works hard and puts a lot of time, money and effort into finding great areas. When we give specifics, not only are we putting more hunting pressure on our honey holes, but may be causing more disturbance to another hunters honeyhole. I am a very serious bowhunter and I believe hunting pressure is the number one cause in ruining a bucks pattern. My advice would be to visit azgfd.com and click on the where to hunt tab. Click on unit 22 and it gives great starting points for scouting in that area.

[mikep35]

I agree with treestandman, there's no better feeling than when you've put in the time and effort of scouting and planning, and you shoot that buck you've been keeping tabs on! Its a lot of hard work, but in the end it makes it that much sweeter.

[Red Rabbit]

Mike/Treestandman, well said.

 

RR

[BASS]

Hey Bowhunter12, glad you found the site! It may take a while for some of our members warm up to new guys. You see, like I told you, every year about this time we get a ton of what we call "e-scouters." These are people who bombard the hunting sites looking for any slight hint on where to go looking for game. Also, check your PM box again.

 

 

 

-Kenny Bass

[Redbeard]

The Payson area has lots of deer (for AZ) but it can be pretty thick forest too.

 

This is my method for scouting a new area. I have been successful withh this as have several of my friends. Josh, Little Bear, Jeffy, Nate, Dave.

 

Spend several days just looking for tracks in the mud along the roads and at waterholes. Don't even look for deer, just tracks, but spend a lot of time and cover a lot of ground. One year I scouted 60 different water holes during the summer. Finally narrowed it down to two. Killed a buck opening day.

 

Go back to the spots where you saw the most sign and learn the area. Look for deer trails and try to figure out why they are where they are. Going to water, beds, food, following contours? Figure out (guess) how to hunt it. Treestand on water, spot and stalk, still hunt, blind, etc? The way it is raining now sitting water is not top on the list.

 

Think positive. Hunt all day.

 

If you stay at it in about 5-10 years you will get one. On average each year only one out of 20 AZ hunters kills a deer. Except Little Bear. He seems to get one every year. Did I mention that he shoots a crooked and cracked longbow. Becoming a good hunter really helps. You are lucky because you are starting young and have access to sites like this. Little Bear did a pretty good job of perfecting "spot and spook" on his own for years before he got his first deer at about age 20.

[jamaro]

Dude. Just keeping plugging away...You will find some bucks. Look for the right type of habitat and you will be fine.

 

Jason

[bowsniper]

As much as I'm out in the woods, I almost never see a buck. Does are much eaiser to run on to. Get your self a game camera, that's the only way to know what's really out there!

 

bowsniper

[scout4u]

its not called "finding" its hunting and as stated above you need to put in the hours and miles to make the reward worth it. You can take someones advice and find the game but it doesnt bring meaning to the term hunt-ing. In my mind if someone tells you everything about the area,game etc its not hunting its just killing. ( big game guides excluded)

 

Definitions of hunting:

 

hunt: the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

 

hunt-search: the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone

 

hunt: the work of finding and killing or capturing animals for food or pelts