2A - trophy unit?

[rcdinaz]

I have seen a few good ones in 2A but it has been a couple of year. A couple of scouting trips and you will probably find a good one.

[Saguaro]

This is the one I got in 98. I still see a few each year his size.

[Roosevelt Mark]

Beutiful antelope.

[Coach]

+1 Beautiful buck. I do love hunting antelope, but there's nothing I love more than bulls in the rut in Unit 1. My goal is to really scout hard and get it done opening weekend in 2A, then have all the time I need to focus on the elk hunt.

 

Thanks again.

[StickFlicker]

Great looking buck, Saguaro!

[ZBAR]

I’ve spent a lot of time out there. You’ll probably find a big mule deer buck before you find a stud antelope.

[Coach]

So, here's what I decided. Taking opening day of the goat hunt off, the 7th. Mondays are slow so if I don't get it done opening weekend I can squeak in a few hours on the 10th. Then from the 14th through 27th it will be all about elk.

 

I went up in the high country last weekend and it was lush and green. I know this is a drought year, but I think the bulls up high are going to be well fed and watered. If I kill a decent antelope, I'll be happy but I really want to get up there hunting bulls in 1 again. I've done it several times and have yet to get one of the really big boys, and I want that more than an 80 inch goat.

[yotebuster]

If its a rifle antelope hunt you should have all of your legwork done before opening day. If I had a 4 day antelope hunt and could only take 4 days off of work Id take the three days prior to the season and opening day and that would be it. Find a big one when they arent being bothered. It also helps to not have a rifle with you the first day or two so you look a bunch over before shooting. AZ antelope tags are the best in the world with NM coming in a somewhat distant second. Your tag is on the worst side of Az for big bucks but near the best side of NM! Unless youre in your 30s its probably the last rifle antelope tag youll ever get. Enjoy it and kill a big one!

[wildwoody]

Sounds like he has 1 real day off for the goat hunt the rest of his time is for elk. Like I said id hunt woodruff and off the highway to petrified forest usually a good one in there. Scout the week end before.

[trphyhntr]

I've never seen a big goat in my life but the biggest one I've ever seen was off that petrified forest road in some seriously ugly country

[Coach]

I've got a buddy coming this weekend to help scout around the petrified forest NP. I've got other places in the south part of the unit near St. Johns. Like yotebuster said, my take is scout early and hard for the goat hunt. If I do my homework, it shouldn't take more than a couple days. Then I have the rest of the month to focus on finding a bull better than I have yet in unit 1.

 

I've seen big goats, and really pretty ones but all in New Mexico. The first really nice mid-high 70's goat I see I'll go after him.

[Heat]

Had a similar dilemma in 2012. Had archery tags for elk and pronghorn in Unit 1. Spent a week hunting each. If I had a do over, I would have spent more time hunting pronghorn than elk. Elk tags seem to come around a lot more. I had just killed an goat in 2010 with a rifle so I wasn't really chomping at the bit to get another goat so much. It was a great hunt and had a blast. Good Luck!

[Coach]

I spent the weekend out there really trying to get to know the unit. It's strange for sure. There are some goats out there but with all the perfect antelope country out there, seems there should be a whole lot more. All our bordering states have TONS of antelope in all that open country. I eventually found a couple and think I have a starting point, but wow - I just can't figure out why they are so sparse in such perfect country.

[AZkiller]

Coyotes

[WHALE]

Coyotes

I was out in 3B North on Friday and lost count about a dozen coyotes. I was looking at some good looking stuff and seen way more coyotes than antelope. Think I will take the rifle this weekend