I lived in Phoenix for five years but only hunted deer three times. I hunted once in Sycamore Canyon north of Jerome. I hiked in about a mile upstream from the springs, sat in the shade of a juniper on a point that overlooked the main canyon and a couple of side canyons. I bivouaced there and spent several days glassing. Eventually took a respectable buck.
Another time I hunted the Gila Bend Mountains. I scouted the area ahead of time and found a spring. Well not really a spring, but a place where there was water near the surface that the animals could smell and dig for. There were tracks everywhere. A couple of weeks before the season opened, I built a blind with a sun canopy using brush (ocotillo, mesquite and greasewood). On opening morning, I walked into the area in the dark, carrying enough water and food to stay for several days. I sat and waited, ocasionally napping. Got another buck. I tried the same spot and tactic a year later and came up empty.
KC
