Black Bear
Unit 23 is split into two halves for the black bear hunt. The two halves have different hunt starting dates, so be sure to check which half you plan to hunt and be sure of the starting date. See the Hunt Regulations for the definitions of the north and south half boundaries.
The season dates are valid only until the female harvest objective is reached, after which time the season closes at sundown on the Wednesday immediately following. Hunters are responsible for checking to see if the hunt is still ongoing before they go afield. Season status must be checked by calling 1-800-970-BEAR (2327). Hunters are also required to contact the Arizona Game & Fish Department in person or by phone at the same number within 48 hours after taking a bear. In addition, a premolar tooth from each bear taken must be received in the Phoenix office of the Arizona Game & Fish Department within 20 days after contacting the Department.
Overview: Black bears are primarily associated with the chaparral, pine-oak woodlands, and the pine/mixed conifer habitat types. During some years, black bears can be located in the desert scrub habitat where thick stands of prickly pear cactus are found. Prickly pear flats can often provide excellent glassing and stalking opportunities for bear hunters. Look for prickly pear flats that extend up brushy slopes. This situation provides bears with good feeding sites adjacent to cove to retire to. Later in the fall, Gambel oak thickets (in years with good acorn production) are places to check. Glassing oak thickets is much more difficult and the use of predator calls can enhance your probability of success. This year it appears that there will be low prickly pear production and plenty of acorns and other berries up high, so bears may be tough to find. Try hunting both types of habitat if you are having trouble-locating bears in one or the other. Predator calling in an area where there is bear sign can be productive also.
Areas: The entire Sierra Ancha Mountain range and its drainages are good bear habitat. A few spots to mention are Cherry Creek, Coon Creek, Salome Creek, Lambing Creek and Picture Mountain. Bears can be taken in the pine/mixed conifer areas in the North Hunt Unit along the Naegelin Rim and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation Boundary.
Tips: Black bears, more than any other big game species in Arizona, must be hunted early in the morning or late afternoon during the early fall hunts, if the hunter is to have an opportunity to locate the animals. Scouting prospective areas helps greatly and the use of binoculars and/or a spotting scope is almost mandatory. To judge a bear, look at body bulk and relative size of legs to the body and the ear size relative to the head. A bear with long –lanky looking legs is probably a young smaller bear. A bear with small appearing ears probably means a larger bear since bears’ ears (young and old) are generally about 5 inches long. Hence the smaller the ears appear in relation to the head, the bigger the bear’s head, which probably means a bigger bear.
Elk
Resident elk numbers in Unit 23 appear to be stable or slightly downward at this time. Last fall, 494 elk were surveyed showing a bull to cow ratio of 60:100. The calf crop was 37 calves per 100 cows. Poor calf recruitment over the last several years appears to be a response to the prolonged drought conditions this Unit and the state has experienced. Portions of Unit 23 in the Canyon Creek area were burned in the Rodeo-Chediski Fire and will have an impact on elk populations there. Four Limited Opportunity hunts in the Canyon Creek area were added to address the overutilization of regenerating willows and cottonwoods by elk along Canyon Creek.
The early bull hunt remains split into a Unit 23 North and Unit 23 South with 20 permits in the north and 20 permits in the south. Antlerless elk tags are allocated between 23 North and 23 South as well. There are huntable populations of antlerless elk in southern portion of the unit, but Unit 23 hunters have not been taking advantage of them. Consequently 20 antlerless permits are allocated to the 23 South Unit in both October and December.
Elk activity is dictated by temperatures with elk being more mobile during the cooler times of the day. This is especially true during the early hunt when days are usually quite warm. Elk are very vocal animals so herds can be located at all hours using various calling techniques. During the warmer times of the day this allows the hunter to stalk animals which are bedded down. Being familiar with calls and studying various videotapes on elk hunting will help a hunter become more successful.
AREAS: Depending on which hunt you are hunting, areas differ. During the early bull hunt, if you have a north permit, your hunt will concentrate on the extreme northern portion of the unit. Areas to scout include Canyon Creek, Colcord Mountain, Naegelin Canyon, Turkey Peak, and Christopher Mountain. These areas all offer excellent elk hunting opportunities. If you have a south permit, your scouting will be centered on the Sierra Ancha Mountains. Areas to scout will include Workman Creek, Reynolds Creek, Armer Mountain, and Sawmill Flat.
During the general antlerless hunt in late October, you should concentrate on the same areas in both the north and south units, as the bulls will generally still be bugling, though to a lesser degree than in early October. Elk will be found from the Mogollon Rim south to Parker Creek. This is a large area, so scouting will be beneficial. Areas to scout will include Canyon Creek, Naegelin Rim/Canyon, Christopher Mountain, Bottle Springs, Aztec Peak, and Armer Mountain.
By the time the archery hunts arrive, the weather should have cooled considerably, and the elk (especially bulls) will be heading into the brushy cover of the south slopes of the Naegelin Rim, Christopher Mountain, Horse Mountain, Oxbow Mountain, and Armer Mountain. Antlerless archery hunters will find their quarry widely scattered and all the areas mentioned for the earlier hunts will apply as well as these locations.
During the general antlerless hunt in early December, hunters should scout the Christopher Mountain, Naegelin Rim, Canyon Creek, Young Airport, Buzzard Roost, and Armer Mountain areas.
The late bull hunt in December will have the bulls pushed into remote often rugged areas of the Unit. These areas include Armer Mountain, the south slopes of Naegelin Rim, Christopher Mountain, Horse Mountain, and the Mogollon Rim.
TIPS: Scouting for the earlier hunts should begin soon after being drawn. Scouting for the later hunts should wait until elk begin their seasonal shifts, which occur after the weather changes and things cool down significantly. There will be areas where elk are common in September, but are absent in December. Also, later hunts have seen an increase in the use of aircraft for scouting. There is a Game and Fish Commission Rule, as well as federal regulations, which prohibit the use of aircraft to take or pursue wildlife in Arizona.
Mule Deer
Mule deer numbers in Unit 23 are at currently at low levels compared to long term averages. The past several years’ drought is primarily responsible for this condition. Mule deer inhabit virtually all habitat types in the unit. The southern and lower elevation areas provide mule deer hunting along the A-Cross road (Forest Road 60) and the Cherry Creek road (Forest Road 203). The northern and higher elevation areas north of Young to scout are the Naegelin Rim/Canyon area and the Valentine Ridge/Canyon area. Portions of Unit 23 in the Canyon Creek area were burned in the Rodeo-Chediski Fire and will have an impact on mule deer populations there.
Access: Access is widely available via State Routes 260 and 288 and the complex of Forest Service roads. Some Forest service road closures in the northern part of the Unit exist during December through March to protect roads from damage during snow and rain. Check with the Tonto National Forest during these times. Be aware that if accessing Unit 23 by crossing Tonto Creek in Tonto Basin, that Tonto Creek is subject to temporary flooding and isolating travelers. The same warning holds true for crossing Cherry, Coon, and Salome Creeks. Smaller side drainages can also block travel for extended periods. The early archery hunt will generally have hot, summer-like temperatures with moderate to cool nights. Late archery hunters can see rain, snow, or clear/cold weather.
Tips: As with most big game hunting, peak mule deer activity periods are early morning and late evening. Be in your hunting area during these times. Hunters who get out and work the areas on foot are usually more successful than those hunters who stay close to roads. Utilize your binoculars and cover hillsides carefully before moving on.
Coues Deer
White-tail deer numbers in unit 23 are static to improving. The long-term drought we have been experiencing over the past several years has had an effect on them but they seem to thrive in unit 23 regardless. The buck to doe ratio was 57 bucks per 100 does, which is very high. There should be plenty of bucks to harvest in 2004. Hunter success in December 2003 was 55 percent, which is quite high but typical of a rut hunt. Of much importance is the fawn crop. How well the fawns survive due to the dry spring and summer we have had, will indicate the condition of the total population next season. We need rain!
White-tailed deer can be found in all habitats from the semi-desert grassland areas up through through mixed-conifer forests. They are primarily found in a band of elevation from 3,500 feet to 6,000 feet. White-tailed deer prefer areas that do not experience heavy livestock densities. It would be beneficial to know where the cattle are when planning your hunt. This information is available through the Tonto Basin and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts. Currently (August 20004) there are very few cattle on the entire Tonto Basin Ranger District. Required equipment for a successful hunt is a GOOD pair of binoculars and a tripod to mount them on and/or a spotting scope. There are areas in the unit where a good glasser can glass 20 to 30 deer from one vantage point. This can’t be done unless you have the proper equipment.
Areas: Popular areas holding high densities of white-tailed deer are between Cherry Creek and Tonto Creek at an elevation between 3,500 to 6,000 feet. All major drainages that run off of the Sierra Ancha Mountains hold white-tailed deer. For an undisturbed hunt, packing into one of the wilderness areas is a good plan. These are Salome, Hells Gate and Sierra Ancha. The north half of the unit also produces good hunt opportunities for white-tailed deer.
Tips: Pre-season scouting is very important. Locate an area away from roads and glass the area to locate deer. Use a Tonto National Forest map to help you locate areas in which to search. White-tailed deer are very localized and can be found in the same canyon or hillside several times. The December hunt is a rut hunt and the bucks are usually actively seeking out does. Continue to glass with an honest effort and you should be able to locate a mature buck.
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