Unit 9 late rifle elk help

[fahndrich5]

Hello this year me and my wife got drawn for unit 9 December rifle hunt. Just seeing if I could get any info about to or so help not looking for any homey holes or anything. But new to AZ elk hunting just got out of military and was lucky enough to get unit 9. I have read a little bit on it but anything helps thanks guys.

[Red Rabbit]

Congrats on the tags. I sent you a PM.

[AZHog]

Did you draw December bull or cow tags?

[Javelinasports]

Big unit!

How many times will you be scouting before the hunt, what area do you intend to start?

I can give you my 2 cents.

[lancetkenyon]

Thank you for your service.

[Tight Guy]

PM sent

[fahndrich5]

I received the December 1-7 bull hunt. And will probably scout 2-3 time before season maybe head up when muzzy season starts.

[daverp]

Have not hunted U9 myself, but it borders both of my two main units of U10 and U7W which are very similar.

 

If you're not familiar with the unit at all, I'd spend at least several weekends out there familiarizing with the road system, area, and scouting out glassing points. If you can afford a week off in September or October, and a few more weekends thrown in to familiarize with the unit, then another four or five days to a week before the hunt to locate the bulls, you should do well. Don't worry too much about seeing elk now. Get familiarized with a good section of the unit far and wide, and find areas you want to hunt in various terrains and vegetation types.

 

My limited understanding of U9 is terrain features for glassing from can be hard to find. If you can locate good glassing points in various areas of the unit, you're off to a good start I'd think.

 

If you haven't already, read up on the unit at the G&F website, and go from there. Pick up some topo maps and try google earth for your couch scouting time.

 

Once you are familiar with the unit, your best scouting will be done the week before the hunt (but try not to push the elk). Glass, look for fresh sign, but try to stay out of bedding areas or otherwise pushing them around. The bulls are not going to be in November and December where they are in September and October (generally speaking). You can find areas with good concentrations of bulls in October (heck, even 2 weeks before the hunt), and then the rut is off or the weather changes, and they vanish.

 

Be prepared for the contingency of weather pushing them around. It has been my experience the elk in these units are relative "wimps", because they have the option to be. They can be somewhere one day, get a decent snow, and they move off a few miles to lower elevations where they don't have melting snow dripping on and around them while they bed down for the day. Don't understand why a moderate snow would push them so quickly, but that has been my experience when they have easily accessible and close by elevation drops. I've seen it too many times to discount my belief these elk get very annoyed by water dripping on and around them, and if all they've got to do is move a few miles as they move around at night to get out of it, they often will. I've also seen them move not an inch (so to speak) if it snows a little but the weather is cold as heck and there is no snow melt.

 

Just one guy's opinion, but keeping that in mind has worked for me. Might be something to it, or it might be nothing more than coincidence. But the point is, if they do move for whatever reason (weather or hunting pressure) have a plan B area ready, and be ready to move there if you don't see elk in your preferred spots. Concentrating your efforts in one geographical area and not having a "plan B" and "plan C" could lead to you not seeing much if they do get pushed out. Then you're looking for elk and a place to hunt in the middle of the season in unfamiliar terrain and surroundings.

 

The week before the hunt I like to set my preferred spots based on what I've seen in the days immediately preceding the hunt. And I'll hunt those in the morning (unless I have reason to stay all day), and move off to another area for the evening. If I don't see elk move into my glassing area in the morning, I'm not wasting my time there all day waiting to see if somehow they magically appear for the afternoon and evening hunt.

 

Showing up opening morning of the hunt and expecting to see elk where I saw them a couple weeks or months ago is a gamble I don't like to take.

 

Good luck. U9, like U10 and U7W produce some NICE bulls!

 

 

[Phil Beavers]

I just got back from scouting. I have a unit 9 archery tag this year ( finally!!!) Lots of cows and calves every where right now.. My buddys dad drew a late rifle 9 tag last year and they were unsuccessful due to weather. Thats a tough hunt that time of year just because you might get hit with heavy snow. So be prepared for that it may or may not happen. I like hunting closer to Tusyan area, its a huge unit but I like that area. The guides love to hunt and scout the west side of unit 9 (at least during the archery hunts). I dont hunt late season so I'm not sure what their behavior will be like that time of year. There isnt much to glass in the Tusyan area because its all pines .. I love that unit , its too cold for me in December though lol.

[Hoss50]

I don't know if 9 is like 7E, but in 7E which borders 9, the bulls are more often found in the middle to lower elevations that time of year. I have had the late cow hunt in 7e the past 2 years, and weather is a big deal. Pray for a cold winter, and a good monsoon IMO.

[Javelinasports]

Good info above, maybe you can scout a few days during Thanksgiving if you can.

I will send you a PM.

[fahndrich5]

Thanks everyone for the Info it means a lot and have already learned a lot from everyone's feedback so thank you and will keep everyone updated on how hunting and scouting goes and will get pictures

[hesbinrubn]

Shoot me a PM and I will try and give you some info.

[6AYoteHunter]

Pray for no snow during the hunt. If you are lucky it will snow a couple weeks before the hunt. This will push lots of elk out of the pines and higher elevation pinyon/juniper into the areas you can glass.

Last year the snow during the hunt was a very serious problem. Feed was really bad in the southern part of the unit as well. Elk movement was significant at night.

[dbov245]

Hello, my name is Dave. I was drawn for late elk rifle 2018 unit #9. I have never hunted elk in az.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.