Arizona Elk 7W in dec...What to expect?

[ELKBURGER]

Alot of snow for sure....My buddy finally drew his tag with 18 points and I have the opportunity to tag along to run a camera and pack meat, God willing...Just wondering if anyone has any experience with that late rifle hunt?

[Bean Counter]

I haven't spent much time in that unit. I can ask around some of the peeps I know and I can PM you if I learn anything. In the mean time, if you didn't know, this is on the G&F's website RE: Unit 7....

Overview: Elk can frequently be found in most of the habitat types in Unit 7.  Elk are not typically found in the open, low elevation grasslands north and east of the Peaks. Elk are located on their summer range during most of the hunts. The highest densities of elk are located in the ponderosa pine forests above the pinion-juniper habitat type. However, elk are sensitive to food availability and will move to lower elevations if summer rains improve forage conditions there. Burned areas appeal to elk, but the animals usually abandon such open sites before or after the first day of the hunts.

Elk will normally stay on summer range until significant snowfall (18-24”), pushes them out onto the winter range generally to the northern portions of the units. The bulls can usually be found on their winter range earlier than cows.

Elk densities in unit 7 and particularly in 7-E have been reduced over the past 12 years due to concerns over aspen regeneration.  The lowest number of permits offered in 7-E occurred in 2006, but permit numbers have been increasing due to higher calf crops and above guideline bull ratios. Conversely, the highest number of tags for 7-W occurred in 2006.  The total number of bull permits were decreased in 2009 due to a decrease in bull-to-cow ratios and the addition of the early rifle bull hunt. 

Areas to scout:
7-E: The Hochderffer Hills, White Horse Hills, Saddle Mountain and west and north of Maverick Butte.  Elk can be found in areas from Maverick Butte east to O’Leary Mountain. Higher elk densities can be found along the edge of the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. As stated above, with the current lower elk densities in 7-E, scouting prior to your hunt will be crucial to being successful.
7-W: Government Prairie,  Sitgreaves Mountain, Slate Mountain and Kendrick Mountain, out on the lower elevation hills to the west and the southwest corner of the unit near Williams are good places to start. Again, scouting prior to your hunt will greatly improve your chances of being successful.

Peaks Hunt Area: The Hochderffer Hills, Fern Mountain, Bismarck Lake, and any of the high, open meadows along the San Francisco Peaks.  Be aware of private property and houses in the eastern part of this sub-unit.

[ELKBURGER]

Thanks Bean. Any input would be appreciated.

I did see the descriptions in the Az regs. Good info but I'd love to hear personal accounts and see lots and lots of pictures!