I have two non-res elk points and would like to put in for the draw this year. Can any one who has hunted elk in AZ a lot give me an idea what areas may be good to apply for. I'm not looking for monsters. A 300 point elk would be good enough. I'll be rifle hunting by myself and don't want to hunt any real far in wilderness areas. I've looked at the AZ elk stats but I'd like to get some info from hunters before I apply. Any info would be appreciated.

You'll likely need many more than two bonus points to draw an AZ bull tag. There are 300 plus bulls all over the state. I have 6 bonus points, and I'll jump for joy if I get drawn - though even with 6 points it's unlikely. Good luck!

The best areas for BIG bulls are the ones with September rifle seasons like 23N, but they typically only have 20 to 40 tags. I drew one in 1992 with about 12 bonus points and don't ever expect to see another one in my lifetime. Did get about a 340 bull though, my biggest ever at the time.

IMHO, the best compromise between big bulls and getting drawn with a "reasonable" numbers of bonus points (4 to 6) is 6A. I've seen some truly monster elk there while deer hunting in December, and during the November elk season there are just a ton of elk moving thru.

Everybody would like to draw a 20-tag rut hunt with 2 bonus points and shoot a big 6x6 near a road; we'd like to win the lottery too.

Seriously, I've been hunting elk in AZ since 1980; PM me if you have more ???

Les

You might wish to read this other Arizona elk hunting thread if you haven't already. -TONY

Now that we have the AZ residents' attention, so if it takes forever to draw an elk tag, does it take as long to draw an antlered mule deer rifle tag??

I'm not necessarily thinking of the "super tags" in places like the Strip, but I must admit to dreaming about drawing a Kaibab tag - although that is probably almost as impossible... Any ideas of the # of prefernce points a tag like that would take?? I'll probably be dead before I have enough points together...

Btw, I briefly scanned a AZ regs, and it seemed there was a special North Kaibab hunt (different seasons). Which units are in the Kaibab, and which are the hot ones??

- mike

For desert mulies you could get drawn every 3 years and consider yourself lucky. I have a buddy who has drawn every year for the last 3 years. He applies for units that have better draw percentages (look at the back of the regs. for the previous years draw results as well as success results. He got one last year and was skunked the year before.

If all else fails, archery deer is an over-the-counter tag. at least it is for residents. I'm not sure about non-res.

Back to elk - 6-12 points for a resident and you have a chance to get drawn in the late season after the rut. Early rifle rut hunts and it is just plain luck no matter how many points you have.

I have another buddy who has 13 points for elk but he continues to put in for the early rifle rut hunt. I just hope he lives long enuff to get drawn (he is 35).

They might only have deer in the midwest, northeast, and southeast but at least they can hunt!!!!!!!!!!

I quit applying for Elk after 16 straight years of no draw. This was before points, but 16 years of wishing is more than enough. At least I have a Pioneer license now so regular small game and fishing is free.

Thanks Riodot.

- mike

Drawing a mule deer tag is no where as difficult as getting an elk tag, BUT...both the Strip and the Kaibab (Unit 12 A West and 12A East) are tough draws, regardless.

That said, someone applying for the Strip and the Kaibab for the FIRST time *might* draw because the permits are not all allocated to only those with BONUS -- NOT preference -- points.

A friend of mine drew a desert sheep permit the first year he applied after moving to AZ from AK. In contrast, I've been applying for 35 years. The sheep and a bison are the only two animals I lack for my Arizona Big 10.

The bonus point system in AZ is somewhat like a raffle drawing. A point plus the normal application for that year gets your name (as an applicant #) in the drawing twice. Someone applying for the first time gets only one #. Obviously someone with 5 points and the app for that year for a total of 6 chances has better odds to get drawn than someone with only one point. It's like throwing raffle tickets in a hat and picking a winner.

Now, for a nonresident the draw on the Strip or Kaibab becomes a bit harder with the 10% limit imposed on NRs. Once that quota is hit, no other NR can draw a tag there. In the future, the limit will also affect the other deer units and all other big game species. -TONY

Thanks Tony. Much appreciated.

Are units 12A West and 12A East where your buddy, Duane Adams, guides?? (Actually, I'm assuming the "buddy" bit... But since you co-authored the coues deer book...).

- mike

Yup, we have been friends since the late 1980s.

Duwane and several of his guides usually have a bunch of hunters in both units for the two Kaibab seasons. He also guides many elk hunters, and of course does Coues deer both in AZ and Sonora.

I write up a lot of the hunts for all the species in Rocky Mt. Game & Fish magazine. This month I'm writing one on a dandy Colorado mule deer Duwane's son Luke killed last fall. Think it will be appear in the July issue. -TONY

You have got to play to get paid! Do not listen to nay sayers. I am a non-resident who drew a rifle bull elk tag on my first try and followed the next year with a bow bull elk tag. Lotterys are a gamble, but people do receive tags! Don't hate me because I am lucky!