Hunting Season Has Started -Drew Elk in AZ 2021

[Johnm1]

Hunting for me ends in February with the close of quail season. I've extended into March hunting rabbit with a handgun. But that was more of a hike with a firearm than a hunt. After some stumbles AZGF finally posted results this morning. So trips are being planned. Fortunately I am familiar with a decent part of the unit. But this summer I'll be researching the parts i haven't been to before.

I just got done cleaning my truck of all of the latent mud and dust, cleaned the inside of about a 1/2" of dust that collected behind the seat and buffed out the trail rash from 6 months of hunting in the desert. And now it starts all over again. Life's good.

 

[wankerjake]

Congrats. My daughters and I got skunked again. Need to figure out how to take my kids hunting this year especially my 12yo, this makes 3 draw cycles in a row she’s not drawn a tag. Maybe looking into Texas here shortly

 

[Johnm1]

AZGF has had some kind of issue this year and they were lambasted across the internet for it. Fortunately they listened and gave people another chance to update their credit cards before the delayed draw. The AZ draw is all electronic using credit cards, so if your card is stolen or lost between when you submitted your application and the actual draw your application is rejected. There is always a posted date when you can change your credit card just before the draw and this year they added another date just before they drew.

My gut tends to give AZGF the benefit of the doubt. Their job is to manage wildlife. They aren't electronic draw experts and I suspect have to rely on a vendor to make changes and update the draw system. I'd rather they do it in the most economical way rather than hiring an IT staff to write/maintain the draw system software. Spending money on IT staff instead of wildlife management seems counter to their mission.

 

[Johnm1]

Congrats. My daughters and I got skunked again. Need to figure out how to take my kids hunting this year especially my 12yo, this makes 3 draw cycles in a row she’s not drawn a tag. Maybe looking into Texas here shortly

There aren't many this year, but there are a couple of extra tags that are first come/first served by mail. There are 36 regular type tags and 661 limited opportunity tags left. By limited opportunity tags they mean 40-50 total elk in the 4 units that tag is good for. Expect less than 5% success rate. But the unit 12's are very pretty and could offer a decent opportunity to hunt other things while carrying an elk tag. They accept paper applications by mail on Monday 3/22/21. Plus that hunt tag is for any elk and is good from 4/14/21 through 10/7/21 and 10/22/21 through 10/31/21. So you could go on several hunts for birds and carry an elk tag. My favorite pastime when I don't have a tag is to hunt rabbits with a handgun. It'd be nice to have an elk tag in my pocket when I'm doing that.

2021-Pronghorn-Antelope-Elk-Leftover-Tags-as-of-3_19.pdf (amazonaws.com)

Those are very similar to the general non-permit elk tags that are in areas the want to remove elk from and almost all of those are 'Any elk'. Though the same limited opportunity. But as I see it, hunting is hunting.



You probably know this, but other might not.

 

[murf]

what unit?

murf

 

[Johnm1]

22 North. Late hunt. So me and 400 of my closest friends will be bumping into each other. Considering hunting the wilderness to avoid the mass of people but haven't settled on a strategy yet. Firstvweek of December, so weather could be `interesting `. The hope was that the snow/freeze would be late and drive them down off the rim for the late hunt.

 

[murf]

some tips from the game and fish dept.: AZGFD

winter monsoon is normally january, february and march. hopefully we will see an early snow this winter to push the elk down off the rim.

luck,

murf

 

[Johnm1]

The hunt has started. Unseasonably warm weather and the 400 other hunters are here in force. My partner hasn’t arrived and may not. That is a blow to my success potential as my hips have degraded significantly and I just can’t cover much ground by myself. I’ve heard of several reports of success but mostly south/lower than I am. If a storm would come in it would drive them down off the rim. It is forecast to get colder Monday night but not nearly cold enough to drive them off the rim.

This hunt is the second riffle hunt. The first ended yesterday. Weekends are busy but it slows down significantly after Sunday night. The only hunts that occur during the rut are during archery season.

I actually don’t have internet in my camp. So any updates will happen while I’m out in the field. I’ll update as I can.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Best of luck to you and stay safe.

 

[Johnm1]

Still not a sighting. I’m a bit far north from where I believe they are. Hoping one of the throng of hunters drives one my way. The real hunting will begin on Tuesday. After the weekend hunters have left for a couple of days.
FYI - most hunts in Arizona are 7 day hunts beginning on a Friday. Most of my daughters and my harvests have been on day 5.

My partner won’t arrive until Sunday afternoon and he is leaving Tuesday night.

 

[Johnm1]

Still warm. Two were taken this morning within a half mile. A 3X4 and a 4X4. The 3X4 was packed out in 4 hours. I haven’t seen the group that got the 4X4 back yet to pack it out. I’m hoping they found a different road that was closer to the kill site. If not that meat will go to waste. I still haven’t seen a living elk yet.

 

[Johnm1]

My youngest daughter bought me both of these camp tools when she was little. She’s all grown up now. They are not expensive but they get used on every hunting trip I take whether I have a full camp or am just dropping a cot next to the truck (long since given up sleeping n the ground).

 

[Johnm1]

Apparently the 4X4 was packed out on their last quad. I misunderstood what the brother was telling me.

I have internet when I’m in the field but can barely get a regular text out when in camp.

Tomorrow is the last day and I still haven’t seen a live elk. My partner came for just one day and my hunting is limited by the inflammation in my hips.

The hunt is the last of several including two archery seasons, a youth rifle hunt and I’m told a rifle hunt during the rut. I’ll have to research that, but needless to say this area has been well hunted over the last 2 months.

I tell people that I like to hunt, but that doesn’t make me a good hunter. Great country and I did get a lot of pictures.

 

[Johnm1]

So, how many carry one of these when in the back country?



I understand that a person can’t yell loud enough/long enough to assist in their own rescue.

 

[Johnm1]

Sprinkling of rain cam early. Hoping the change in weather will make them move. I wasn’t expecting to need the poncho until this evening.

 

[Johnm1]

Well that was more than a sprinkle of rain. A lot of hunkering and not much hunting. Slowed down but still sprinkling. This wasn’t supposed to start until this afternoon. Using a poncho more or less as a tent to stay dry.