macknnc Report post Posted May 5, 2014 As I said, in my earliest posts here...I grew up reading Jack O' Connor...his books, his monthy column...and recently got the excellent bio on him by Robert Anderson, which includes a chronology...and according to it..(and to the text in the first chapter) O'Connor killed his first Coues just east of Tucson in the Catalina mountains... So back to Adams book...the Catalina Mountains are in Unit 33...(again..all my info is at least 10 years old, except for what I pick up here..)..Unit 33 is highly recommended...three hunts...first two 'reasonable' success rates...(by NC standards at least)...third one..great success... Adams also suggest backpacking in the 'late hunt' will offer more success... now all this sounds very intriguing to me...particularly the back packing idea...I need to get back into shape but I have thought that might extend my range so to speak... But any of you reguarly hunt 33? Are the conditions more or less the same as they were 10-11 years ago? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Download the regs at http://www.azgfd.gov/regs/mainregs.pdf. This the current set-up for whitetails unit 33: 1117 Oct 24 - Oct 30, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 7001118 Nov 7 - Nov 13, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 7001119 Nov 28 - Dec 7, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 7001120 Dec 12 - Dec 31, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 50 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coatimundi01 Report post Posted May 5, 2014 In 33 you will find a ton of hunters in the Redington Pass area, the Oracle control road area, and the Happy Valley area. There's plenty of deer in 33, just be prepared to hike to get away from people as it's the closest unit to Tucson. Also, get your preseason hiking in. Anywhere in the Catalinas are nearly all shaped like this /\/\/\... Lol Good luck man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Download the regs at http://www.azgfd.gov/regs/mainregs.pdf. This the current set-up for whitetails unit 33: 1117 Oct 24 - Oct 30, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1118 Nov 7 - Nov 13, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1119 Nov 28 - Dec 7, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1120 Dec 12 - Dec 31, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 50 Don't forget 300 jr tags and 200 muzzleloader tags and OTC archery hunts in August, December and January. Lots and lots of tags, hands down the most hunted unit in the state. Success still hovers around 30%. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted May 5, 2014 One sound option to consider may be the Galiuro Wilderness in unit 32. That early December hunt usually has some left over tags I believe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outdoor Writer Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Download the regs at http://www.azgfd.gov/regs/mainregs.pdf. This the current set-up for whitetails unit 33: 1117 Oct 24 - Oct 30, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1118 Nov 7 - Nov 13, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1119 Nov 28 - Dec 7, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1120 Dec 12 - Dec 31, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 50 Don't forget 300 jr tags and 200 muzzleloader tags and OTC archery hunts in August, December and January. Lots and lots of tags, hands down the most hunted unit in the state. Success still hovers around 30%. I didn't include those hunts because if I recall in another thread he mentioned he would be doing his first hunt with a rifle and I do not believe he's a junior. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
macknnc Report post Posted May 5, 2014 Download the regs at http://www.azgfd.gov/regs/mainregs.pdf. This the current set-up for whitetails unit 33: 1117 Oct 24 - Oct 30, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1118 Nov 7 - Nov 13, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1119 Nov 28 - Dec 7, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 700 1120 Dec 12 - Dec 31, 2014 (31,36) 33 Antlered whitetail deer 50 Don't forget 300 jr tags and 200 muzzleloader tags and OTC archery hunts in August, December and January. Lots and lots of tags, hands down the most hunted unit in the state. Success still hovers around 30%. I didn't include those hunts because if I recall in another thread he mentioned he would be doing his first hunt with a rifle and I do not believe he's a junior. Yup it will be with a rifle and haven't been a junior for a very long time... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues..crazy Report post Posted May 5, 2014 33 is a great unit it does have a lot of tags. If your willling to work you can get away from crowds and find some really big bucks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted May 5, 2014 I was just making note of the overall number of tags in that unit from Aug - Jan. It gets hunted a lot, but people seem to take plenty of bucks there are every year. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted May 5, 2014 If you're intrigued by backpacking, there are a lot of places in 33 where you could hike in a long way and avoid the crowds...but that's honestly true of any of the southern AZ units. Coati is spot on...lots of hunters in the more popular areas, but the deer are still there too until they get shot at a couple of times, then they disappear. Might consider putting in for the 33 hunts (sounds like you are already) and then if you don't draw 33 you can pick up a leftover for one of the other units. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sherman Report post Posted May 5, 2014 I have hunted 33 for 24 years and will not this year just because of the number of hunters there are good units with less hunters. But it is still and will always be a good unit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
macknnc Report post Posted May 6, 2014 Sherman: That certainly is a valid point, but, assuming all this comes together, hunting 33 allows me to check off two things on my 'bucket list' finally take a Coues (a quest that started in the Chirachua (sp?) Mountains in the 1970s) and hunt ground covered by my boyhood/young adulthood hero, Jack O'Connor. Though I freely admit duplicating Jack's first successful Coues hunt will not really be possilbe...According to Anderson, O'Connor, going to college in Tucson then, talked a co-ed with car into taking him into the Catalina's, they parked...(for shame, Jack..) O'Connor went for a 'short walk" with a 30-30, (one of the many 'lost' O'Connor rifles) spooked a buck and managed to whittle him down on the run... That was over 90 years ago, so I sorta doubt I can pull that off today (or this fall or next fall one of which is when this will occur..) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PatrickJr Report post Posted May 6, 2014 your success in 33 depends on how hard your willing to work for it.... yeah some guys get lucky and see a buck off the road, but if you want a "respectable" deer then you will still need to work for it. i hiked in over 2 miles last year from a road that is an hour of driving off of pavement and had great success.....stay away from reddington pass, and around biosphere, or oracle. these spot are always flooded with hunters(as previously mentioned) if you want a really good buck, i have a buddy that guides in 33 and last year he guided a guy that shot a 140! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
