Antelope

If you want to hunt a record-book antelope, this is the place. Antelope densities are actually somewhat low and fluctuate from year-to-year based on climatic conditions and the amount of predation exerted upon the herd by the plentiful numbers of coyotes. Between 85 and 95 percent of all fawns conceived are lost to various mortality factors each year. According to research, most fawn mortality is caused by coyote predation.

Scouting and heavy-duty glassing are the methods to find big bucks. The ability to crawl for long distances helps. The special auction tag holders and their guides always visit Unit 10 and generally find record-book bucks.

Antelope inhabit the wide-open grasslands all across Unit 10, but anywhere there is even a small grassy opening in the junipers should not be overlooked. Antelope are sometimes found in areas of relatively dense juniper cover. Just keep looking and don't pull the trigger too soon.

The Coconino Plateau, the north end of Unit 10, is a favorite location for big-buck hunters. This is flat to rolling country with a lot of roads and a lot of roadless areas. It is big country. Dedicated hunters who put in their time will locate "taker" bucks.

The Bishop Lake Plateau, the Aubrey Valley, Red Lake and the Williams corner have all produced a number of big bucks. No single area in Unit 10 should be overlooked.

Bighorn Sheep

There is a small permanent population of desert bighorn in the Cataract Canyon area. This is a naturally occurring population and not a transplant, although a supplemental transplant is being considered at this time.

Hunting sheep in Cataract Canyon is a relatively simple affair. A hunter should walk the rim of the canyon and look down. It could be a very simple and "easy" sheep hunt if the rams are on the rim. If they are below the rim, things get interesting. If they are on the middle bench, the hunt becomes more difficult, but they are still huntable. If the sheep are on the bottom talus slope or the bottom of the canyon, a lot of difficult hiking is in the hunter's future. This is "real" Grand Canyon sheep hunting.

Sheep are most commonly observed in the northern portion of the hunt area along Cataract Canyon. Driftwood Canyon, Disquiba Canyon, and the main stem of Cataract Canyon itself as far south as the area around the Carlson Pothole catchment are the best locations. Sheep do use the entire canyon area and have been observed all the way south to the Box K area. The Havasupai Reservation is off limits to sheep hunters.

Elk

Unit 10 is a great elk unit. Trophy quality elk are here and can be very impressive. There are a few 400-point bulls here in years of good precipitation and range conditions. This should be one of those years. All you have to do is draw a permit, work hard, and be lucky. The archery and early rifle bull hunts in Unit 10 should be good again this year. Don't shoot the first bull you see. Scouting is very important, as elk are not evenly distributed here. Respect other hunter's opportunities. Scouting for the early bull hunt during the archery hunt should be as unobtrusive as possible. Someone else's hunt of a lifetime hangs in the balance. Scouting and hunting from hilltop observation points with powerful optics is highly recommended. Unit 10 elk still respond to "calling" and this method of hunting can be as exciting as it gets. Pick out several different elk calls, cow calls, and bugles, and practice until you sound like an elk. Instructional videos or cassettes can be helpful, but hearing real elk will also help. Vary your use of different calls and calling sounds to keep the elk on edge. Remember, elk don't usually sound as good as champion elk callers. When a bull is really worked up almost any call will get his attention. Waterhole hunting from blinds or good hiding places can be a good method of hunting elk in the warmer times of the year. Please respect other hunter's hunting blinds and just don't plan on using one that you didn't put up. "Blind jumping", similar to "claim jumping" with miners in the good old days, has become a problem in recent years. Hunting antlerless elk can be very easy or very challenging depending on your luck and existing conditions during your hunt. Again, glassing from good vantage points and watching water can be good ways of locating elk. When elk are located at a distance, aggressive hunting tactics are likely in order. A herd of elk can feed along at a relatively fast rate and can easily out distance a stalking bow hunter. Rifle hunters have more of an advantage, but one still needs to get close enough for a good shot before the elk feed into cover.

Early-season hunting is usually done during warm weather. Make sure proper care is taken with meat.

The Kaibab National Forest portion of Unit 10 is a good location to hunt elk. The central part of Unit 10 from Mount Floyd north to Long Point, the Bishop Lake Plateau, the Aubrey Cliffs, Robber's Roost, and Cataract Canyon all hold huntable populations and trophy bulls. The Coconino Plateau now holds a good population of elk right out in the open ‘antelope’ country far from the trees. Find an area to your liking and put in your time.

Mule Deer

Mule deer occur unit-wide with the exception of wide-open grassland areas. Population densities range from low-to-medium with the higher densities generally occurring in the Williams corner and the Aubrey Cliffs areas. The mule deer population has fluctuated in recent years primarily due to precipitation amounts, range conditions, and the level of predation. The present mule deer population is recovering from a historic low that occurred in 2003. Fawn survival has been above average for two straight years, which likely translates into an increase in population. Hunt permits have and will follow population fluctuations whenever detected. Glassing, spotting and stalking, still hunting, and road hunting (using a vehicle to move from one spot to another and glassing along the way) are all popular and effective ways to pursue mule deer. Unit 10 is not a trophy unit per se, as is the ‘Kaibab’ or the ‘Strip,’ but decent bucks are taken here on a yearly basis. If looking for a larger buck, pass on the smaller ones. Most of the larger bucks checked come from rather dense Pinyon-Juniper country.