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7 East Elk

22K views 40 replies 15 participants last post by  Old School 
#1 ·
Wife and I have the September Cow hunt 9/13-26 Not the peaks hunt.
I have been e-scouting and researching for a while, planning on making trips before the hunt chasing deer but this will be my first big game hunt in AZ, (Originally from NM).
I am not necessarily asking for "Where do I go?"
But I am asking: Where does everyone else go? I am trying to figure out where to get away from people. Everything that I have looked at hiking into, also gets me nervous that other people will be there. I have heard from friends and neighbors: Hunt the peaks! Hunt North West edge! Hunt North of the peaks! Hunt on the South of the peaks! Hunt by the Ski area!
(Sounds like there are elk everywhere)
The unit looks like it is COVERED in roads every except the peaks, but I dont want to hike into the peaks just to find more people.
If it helps we are going to go the first weekend... but we are going to be hunting HARD the second half of the hunt, I am hoping people will thin out by then.
Thanks!
 
#2 ·
My unit for the last 15 years but not in October. It can be a good unit but the last 10 that has been a difficult hunt due to hotter weather those months. All areas have resident herds but if it is hot and hot to elk is 70 they will stay up on the peaks. Hunting pressure is not likely to drive those elk down but it will drive the small groups that are lower out into the juniper. It will also cause them to go nocturnal if the are not already.

Monday of the hunt the unit will be a ghost town. I always try to be in the hunt area a week early and spend that week putting the final touches on my scouting. You get an up to date look.
 
#3 ·
Sorry I can't help with 7E, never hunted that unit. But Lynn made a comment that caught my attention.....

"but if it is hot and hot to elk is 70 they will stay up on the peaks."

Last Saturday I was sitting on a vantage point at just over 5000' at 4:00PM and 95 degrees out, watching 3 groups totaling over 100 elk, including a number that were just laying in the grass in the direct sunlight. Elk don't necessarily mind it hot.
 
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#5 ·
7E and 7W have decent draw odds but for both Deer and Elk the hunts can be a total zoo. Couple reasons, 1 yes there are roads all over the place, 2 Flagstaff even if the forest isn't covered in camps a big contingent of the town can sleep in their own bed and hunt hard every day. Also along with living close and having good cell service throughout the unit If I have a tag I can also have 5 friends in trucks driving different parts of the unit to help out. 3. Its an easy drive from Phoenix and a lot of people from the Valley are familiar with the area. So taking these into account get as far from a road as possible. If it's been warm and dry find the most remote water source available and that will be a good bet if there's not already someone on it.
 
#6 ·
Well, I’m not right all of the time :). I just stopped putting in for the October hunts because it seemed the elk, preferred to remain high or in the thick stuff during the day. And I didn’t enjoy hunting in 85 degrees.

Even with all of the hunters, few get out of their vehicles and the crowds were gone by Sunday afternoon.
 
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#10 ·
I was in 7W last month about 3 miles from East, glassing a herd of bulls coming down for water. We were at 5500 ft at 78 degrees. The northern half of 7 is covered in little volcano hills that are covered in trees surrounded by meadows below. They like to bed all day in those hills and move near dawn and dusk.

Most of the smaller roads in the Coconino Forest have been closed to vehicles and you need their special map to know which roads are open. USFS doesnt block the roads though. Use them for easy hiking away from the vehicle traffic. Download that map.
 
#17 ·
Not all and it is your responsibility to know where you can drive and where you can camp. Get the app from Coconino. They do enforce closed roads and camping in the wrong areas.
 
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#15 · (Edited)
You can get the maps at Coconino's web site. They can be downloaded to phone or GPS (Garmin).

Something chopped part of my post.
In 15+ years of hunting both sides I have seen elk at most elevations but in spite of what was said earlier I have seen large herds in all areas until calving and my experience has been they move higher. They also like the tops of most all of the cinder hills that have good cover. In one case of a major blizzard there were major numbers of elk coming off of the Peaks and Kendrick during the storm.

If you are trying to pin down high or low, good luck. Get out and start looking now while it is hot. Get back in again during rut, then go back up again post rut when the weather changes.
 
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#18 ·
Just coming back to give an update.. We've been up in 7E deer hunting and scouting for the elk hunt as much as we can. I've had a wonderful time chasing deer. crawled within 10 yards of a doe in hopes when she stood up one of the bedded deer around her would have a horn or two on its head. no luck. It was a blast though. HOWEVER!
I've laid eyes on 4 cows in the past 3 weekends and they were a hair over 9,000 ft.
I have hiked in multiple times to 9-9,500 ft and have seen tracks but its pretty tough with as thick as it is. It is cold up on the mountain. I didn't hear any bugling and am having a tough time finding water. I think I am going to move to the east side of the mountain instead of the north. I am going up for day hunts Friday, Sat, & Sun. And then we are going up for the 2nd weekend as well.
 
#23 ·
there are 2 tanks that always have water, one is at lockett meadow, the elk water at night and go up the mountain, the other is high tank up in the burn.
hope this helps but you need to check yourself for high tank, it is a good hike but the one in lockett meadow you drive up to the campground.
 
#29 ·
Just bring your own water and a dog bowl, then set up on that lol. If you have buddies with you, have them drop you off high and pick you up low, then repeat on another ridge line until you find elk or at least fresh sign. Hunt smarter not harder lol. Works for me. Dad is 76 and does not do well climbing, I drop him off on top and park at the bottom and meet him half way up, pushing game to each other.
 
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