jgraffaz Report post Posted April 8, 2015 To my surprise I drew my second choice which is a Late Archery bull tag in unit 22S. I plan on scouting HARD and learn the unit very well with a scouting trip planned in 2 weeks....After reading some different things some people say that elk "winter" in the south and spend the the summer in the north out of the unit boundary? Any information or tips on the unit and or late archery hunt would help, thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted April 8, 2015 I had this hunt a couple years ago. Tough hunt! I won't do that again. You will see a lot of elk...until the rut is over. Then, most of the bulls are gone, so early scouting for elk won't matter. Mainly, scout for water and get familiar with the area. The smaller bulls that tend to hang with the cows may still be there, but the larger bulls head up...up into the Mazatzals or north toward the rim. If the weather stays dry into the hunt, water will be the most effective. You will be in competition with the local rancher and other hunters for the water. This has been my experience. There are others on this site that know this hunt better than I. Perhaps they will share info. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgraffaz Report post Posted April 8, 2015 That helps a lot, thank you, are there any wilderness areas in 22 south or is it all in the north? Do the mazatzals going down accros the boarder or stay in the north? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azshtr Report post Posted April 8, 2015 Viper has it described very well. Elk are all over that area. Scouting early is best to learn the lay of the land. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
223VARMINTER Report post Posted April 8, 2015 Hellsgate Wilderness near Little Green Valley. Mazatzals are in 22S also. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azshtr Report post Posted April 8, 2015 Hellsgate Wilderness near Little Green Valley. Mazatzals are in 22S also. Be sure of your conditioning if you drop an Elk in there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues79 Report post Posted April 9, 2015 Decent bulls in the unit if you work very very hard to locate them. The muzzleloader hunt tends to hammer most of the bigger bulls in the unit. It is about like 22 North is now, with smaller, young bulls being the norm. Anyways, water is a good bet. It'd be real good to have someone spotting for you if you're going to spot and stalk. I always liked to NE part of the unit but it has become very very popular with the late rifle hunt. Good luck. You're in some pretty country anyways. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhxDT Report post Posted April 9, 2015 Hellsgate Wilderness near Little Green Valley. Mazatzals are in 22S also. Be sure of your conditioning if you drop an Elk in there. Totally. Really rough terrain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgraffaz Report post Posted April 9, 2015 Does the hellsgate wilderness usually hold a decent number of bulls? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seldom Drawn Report post Posted April 9, 2015 Some really good bulls there I am a little confused with the guys saying you better be in shape, sure you do all any hunt I am 56 years old last time I had this hunt was awesome never saw another hunter took 2 days too carry my bull out there is a lot of straight up and straight down canyons but most hunters don't stay in shape. good luck on your hunt. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#1huntinfool Report post Posted April 10, 2015 i live in the middle of 22.. pm me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azruger Report post Posted April 12, 2015 My son drew the junior tag in there. We hunt Oct. 9 thru the 15th. I will definitely pass along any good bulls we see. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhxDT Report post Posted April 13, 2015 i live in the middle of 22.. pm me Generally, how does it look? I would hope that the unit benefited from the really wet winter we had. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ingo Report post Posted April 19, 2015 I had this hunt in 2014. It's been mentioned that the terrain is tough and the bulls are hard to get to but it's not an impossible hunt. I hunted for 8 days and I was near bulls probably 6 of those days. I didn't get a shot but I felt like it was just dumb luck because I was within bow range a couple of times. You have two options, in my opinion. Sit on one REMOTE water spot for the entire hunt, or spot and stalk. Odds are probably better if you sit, but for me, the odds of me sitting for 8-10 days on the same spot are infinitesimal. We sat a few days and spot and stalked a lot but next time I would devote all my energy to spot and stalk. I AM NOT in good physical condition (6'2", 310lbs) but I when I left I was 20lbs (no kidding) lighter and my legs were getting used to it. I grew up in Payson/Strawberry so I've hiked those hills my entire life and I knew what to expect. I've got 22N this year so I'll be hunting out of my dad's house up in Strawberry. I do want another crack at 22S someday because I think it's probably one of the most challenging hunts in AZ with a smidgeon of a chance at success for dedicated hunters. The area we hunted was some of the most breathtaking country I've ever traversed (near the base of the Mazatzals). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhxDT Report post Posted April 19, 2015 With an recommendation from the national forest service, I found this link that shows where rainfalls have been. Interesting to see that last years rain was fairly good. http://water.weather.gov/precip/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
