First time AZ mule Deer hunting

[poordevil]

Not looking for big trophy bucks, but a good unit for meat deer. A unit one can count on to offer a shot. What would you recommend?

[AZ_SAWBUCK]

Welcome to CW! I'd suggest taking the GMU Map taping it to the wall and throwing a dart at it! MD are found almost everywhere in AZ. When selecting a unit you really need to ask yourself other questions first. What kind of terrain do you want to hunt? Type of weapon, Time of year, hunting pressure your willing to deal with? Draw odds ect.... There is a ton of information offered on the G&F site under "where to hunt" and believe it or not its usually a good place to start. Look at the regs. for draw odds and hunt success for more insight. But confirming a Honey Hole is only done by either "Boots on the Ground" or scouring FB, Instagram and websites like this, in search of good background in grip and grin photos that confirm a good spot! Hope this helps!

[poordevil]

Thank you for the reply. I was kind of thinking about doing just that......the dart at the map thing.

 

I am now 60 and will be using a Winchester M-94 .30-30 with open sights. Because I am not looking for a trophy type giant, I guess the draw odds I want are a sure thing, or as close as I can get to it. I just want a unit that has an abundance of deer so I can set up a shot with the .30-30

 

I am in Yuma, so is Flagsaff area to be preferred over, say, Tucson or farther toward the New Mexico side?

[trphyhntr]

1. Abundance of deer

2. Arizona

 

 

Pick one

[NOTAGS]

put in for the 12bw early hunt. It may take you a year or two to draw, but there are a ton of one and two year old bucks running around there on the October hunt. Ez hunt for the most part, lots of chained clear cuts that they will be in at first and last light. Plenty of downed timber to get close, or circle into the pj around them.

 

Opening morning it sounds like a war zone. Definite shooting opportunities.

[Big Browns]

^^^^^^^ What he said

[goinhuntn]

Pretty much any unit in the state would be good for a meat hunt. As mentioned above check draw stats on fish & game website lots of units

you could draw with 0 points

[CouesFanatic]

I'd scroll down the list of draw percentages and see what units/hunts are an option. Start eliminating from there.

[PRDATR]

See page 45.

mainregs 2017-18.pdf

[poordevil]

Thank you all for your insight and help.

 

I will look at arrears that offer deer sign and wait for the unexpected. All I want is a meat deer If a big guy comes along , then Well I can be called lucky .

[poordevil]

Thank you every one for your time and effort in listing area's deer may be found.

 

You are all a helpful and considerate group of folks and I hope to glean your knowledge for deer and Javilina!.

 

Thank you most very much!

 

 

I am going to put in for both Muzzle loading and rifle Hunting. I have already taken a Buffalo in 2007 with an Enfield Musketoon , CAL. .577 . Not to mention deer and even RATTLESNAKE!

[wildwoody]

12bw early, that's wrong. If your in the valley try 21 lots of mules

[452b264]

put in for the 12bw early hunt. It may take you a year or two to draw, but there are a ton of one and two year old bucks running around there on the October hunt. Ez hunt for the most part, lots of chained clear cuts that they will be in at first and last light. Plenty of downed timber to get close, or circle into the pj around them.

 

Opening morning it sounds like a war zone. Definite shooting opportunities.

You will find some years they wont leave the heavy cover, and they dont have to there is an abundance of feed mixed in those JP. (large blocks of sage) Find a water source the deer are using and follow it until several trials merge into one or two main trails leading to water and set up an ambush (place your stand down wind of the ambush). My son killed his first deer this way he was about 3/4 a mile from a water catchment that had atvs and trucks parked on top of it all day long. Hunting pressure is severe when you are close to any water sources. Once you get away from the road we have never seen another hunter during this hunt (3 hunts). Dont think because this is part of the strip/Kaibab you are going to find big deer on the early hunt this is a meat hunt with lots of little 1 to 2 year old deer that migrate in from Utah, read az fish and game information about this hunt they will tell you the same thing.

[PRDATR]

My son and I hunted it about 5 years ago and we never saw another hunter while we were out hiking as every single other hunter we saw was road hunting.

[elkaholic]

If I'm was you I'd be checking areas close to home- huge muledeer in S/w Arizona - kofas etc. ask the farmers in the areas in and around Yuma - go ask if you a can check the field edges. find the water tanks in the deserts down ther e I know Cibola area as good deer numbers

 

do some home work close to home - get to know unit 43 - go to G&f website under where to hunt look up 43 most info is spot on for information on where to start

 

if your lookin for meat why drive all, the way across the state