Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting info Arizona Unit 10 late general hunt please

I finally have time and access to the 'puter again and am enjoying the campfire once more.

I need some help with an upcoming hunt in AZ Unit 10, late general season bull tag, nov 29 start. Has anyone done that hunt?

I've hunted that unit twice a few years back, during the archery season (late Aug/early Sept I think) for cows. I got schooled on how smart they are against a guy with a traditional bow. Hunted Boquillas ranch outside of Seligman and also north of the RxR tracks outside of Ash Fork (Forest Rd 7 area out past the flagstone quarries).

My questions are:
Are bulls still in those areas during the late season? There were lots there during the archery season and they were easier to get close to than the cows! If not around where I've hunted before, where to try?

What type of shots to expect distance wise etc. I could get close (to the bulls, not the cows) during the rut, but these animals will have seen lots of folks with all the seasons in that unit since August. I'm going to be prepared for shots out to 300yds or so, hopefully closer ( would prefer 200 or closer, my "comfort" range).

Weather? I'm expecting it to be "similar" to the Show-Low/Pinetop area at that time of year, freezing or nearly so at night up to 70's maybe in the daytime, and possible rain/snow events.

I'm not looking for a real bruiser, although I know they exist in that unit. Might hold out the first few days but this will be my first rifle elk hunt and if successful my first elk. I may just shoot the first legal bull I see, I like to eat meat.

Places/roads/etc to watch out for/stay away from? Has there been any fire activity there this year? Any old burns to check for food sources for bulls trying to gain back some weight?

Any help/recommendations/advice is welcome. Thanks in advance,

Geno

No way I'd kill the first legal bull in unit 10. Take your time and find a good one.

I can't give you specific info on the unit, as I've only bowhunted 7E, but I know that unit 10 holds some real nice bulls.

Good luck.

i sent you a PM

I sent you a PM

get the new roads closed maps for kaibab it can be downloaded or if anyone here can send you one or they can be picked up in williams info center by r/r tracks

i live south of r/r over by crockton we watch elk everynight we are at property even watchin cows now -

hunt area off the 6 rd closer to the southern r/r spur from welch to devel dog

Thanks for that info azcoues, I'll look that 6 rd area up and check for those road closures.

Got the pms from you other guys, thanks, replies sent to you.

Ghost, as to holding out for a "good" bull. Yep, as I mentioned I've seen the quality of some of those bulls, had some satellite bulls within bow range while I had a cow tag and was QUITE impressed with substantial 6x6 satellites. I saw a few of the herd bulls those seasons too. So, I'm thinking a couple of days of looking for a "good" bull, and if I'm not getting chances or seeing anything but smaller bulls I'll take an opportunity for one of the "little" guys, raghorns, dinks or whatever one wants to call them. I'm not living on an unlimited budget and a 700 mi one way trip only to come home with nothing because I held out for a big bull is not my way of doing things. No offense meant to anyone who likes big antlers, I just don't get the opportunity to hunt down there that often.

Mostly I just like to hunt and if the opportunity comes to harvest something to go with all the veggies I'll be putting up this year, I'm gonna take it. I'm not into "dead animals" (as my wife calls them) on the walls, so if I got a really nice bull the antlers would just have to go on a barn or shed or out in the back yard. (secretely, I'd love to have a pic with me and a nice 350+ that I'd taken, but that's just for braggin' rights!)

Thanks for the help folks. Good hunting to you all.

Geno

azcoues, I've got the road closure map being mailed to me as of today and I looked over that #6 rd area online too. Looks similar with maybe a few more trees than a little west of there by the 7 road. Hopefully I can get a few days of scouting in and maybe set up camp between them if the animals seem to be in the area. Is that 6 rd area you recommended REALLY popular during the late rifle season. I was surprised during my archery hunts that the 7 rd area pressure was really light, but then again lots of them were way west over by the res border.

thanks again guys for all the help.
Geno

sent you another PM

I have guided a few of those late tags in 10. The weather is a crap shoot. It can be great or horrible. I find the best bulls in rough country by then. Killed two nice ones right off Trinity mountain a few years ago. You can bail off into the east canyons if you want and I have always found then there. Make sure you have a unit 10 hunt map (one of three units in the state for which such a thing exists)

Thanks dennisinaz, I'll check that Trinity Mt area out. I do have that map, I think I have 2 copies even. Always wondered why there are only 3 units with those nice maps as you mention. They must have run out of money or something. The map was quite handy for my archery hunts. I just got a road closure map from the NF today, so I'm good to go on which roads are open, too.

Let's pray for decent weather for all our hunts this year. Maybe not perfect (what fun is that?) but decent anyway. "Horrible" weather, as you put it, sucks.

geno

the governor tag bull killed in that unit a week ago went 447. i would say the elk will be scattered over the unit by then. also the gf dept has a special unit 10 map. a guide would not be a bad idea.

The weather is more of an issue in 10 than some other units because so many of the roads are impassible in those conditions. We had a coyote calling tourney in 10 one winter and we spent the whole hunt winching each other out of muck holes and bar ditches.

dennisinaz, how are the "major" forest service roads in there at that time of year (single digit rd numbers are what I know as "major" FS roads)? I've seen them during archery season and after a little rain they are still pretty passable. Of course, that was 7-8 years ago and maybe the FS budget hasn't allowed for road maintenance.

Weather was my major concern when I applied for that hunt. It worked out really good with my work schedule and time for driving down there and back. Guess I'll just have to live with what I get.