Good Tag? 7 East Peaks Hunt Area 10/21-10/27 Any Elk..

[GreyGhost85]

I would think there is a pretty good chance of them making noise. Most likely not real rut activity, but there will still be some bugling going on

[208muley]

Elk schmelik... What's with the buck in your avatar?

[Opening Morning]

?

[Explorer]

Are you going to shoot a cow if you can't find bulls? My family will be hunting those same dates and unit but for cow only. Goodluck.

[Opening Morning]

He's gonna shoot whatever. Hasn't killed a big game animal yet. Just trying to get an idea what he's in for.

[Basser15]

By the second hunt the bulls are getting very quiet after being pressured through the archery hunt and the first Peaks hunt. The better density at that point is either way up top or down lower beneath the boundary line. There's always elk to be found but that hunt gets tougher each year as they have been doing what the hunts was intended for....decreasing the number of elk on the Peaks. By the fourth hunt I would encourage your buddy to shoot the first branch antlered bull he sees, especially since he has never killed a big game animal before. The other nice thing about those tags is that they are "any elk" so if he is having a hard time finding a bull then he can always fill the freezer with a cow.

 

Make sure he's in shape if he's planning on hunting up on the mountain. DesertBull is right that the area west of the peaks to the 180 is a part of that unit but you will probably be seeing about 75% of the cow hunters in there driving the roads since it's the one area that has road access. Not sure what the number is but I think it's 150 cow tags per season now so that area will have been hit hard for about 6 weeks straight by the time his tag rolls around.

 

Hope I'm not coming across as Negative as any tag in AZ always has the potential of a great bull. But to be realistic it will be a tough post-rut hunt with limited glassing opportunities. I love that unit and especially the Peaks but it's hard to watch the herd get decimated in the name of "Aspens".

[DBArcher]

I'll be up there on the first and third hunt, I'll give you any pointers I can. If you want to pair up for a scouting trip let me know. Daniel

[Lance]

The Peaks Area can be a fantastic hunt! Along with many cow tags, these are the last 4 bulls we have taken there. You must be willing to hunt hard and ready and willing to pack Elk out of anywhere! Not being willing or not having the means to go the extra miles and then pack out those extra miles is what keeps people from filling their tags in this unit. Prepare in every way for back country wilderness hunting so your hands aren't tied and you'll have a trophy hunt!

 

Lance

[ready2hunt]

+1 to what Lance said. I am not experienced in that unit however, based upon the fact that each one of those pics you posted have a big bull on the SIDE of a mountain I would tend to believe what you are saying. Some good looking animals there.

[Adicted]

Nice bulls for a tough hunt

[yotebuster]

Awesome Bulls! I'd be REALLY surprised if any of them came out of the 4th hunt though. Although the old saying "elk are where you find them" is somewhat true. Late October is truly the hardest time of the entire calendar to find a bull elk. Combine that with 50 straight days of over the top hunting pressure and some seriously vertical country and you have absolutely the most challenging rifle bull elk hunt in the state. I'd hire timberland and go smoke the first branch antlered bull you find of that's what you're after. Better yet, shoot a big fat cow.