AZ UNIT 7E ARCHERY-water question

[handymom]

My fellow huntress friend and I drew archery cow tags for 7E. It will be my first time hunting the area, first elk hunt in
AZ, and my friend’s first elk hunt ever. I have a couple of questions. I am going to scout lots in the next three months. Our hunt is the last two weeks of September. I am still figuring out the monsoon thing as I have lived here only two years. I understand there won’t be water we can count on and am planning on caching water up there on my scouting trips. My question is how is the weather the last half of the month? Will the storms still be rolling in everyday and will we have to worry about lightning? Also, do I need to hang food or have a bear canister? And if I cache water, any tips on hiding it?We both wanted to go elk hunting badly as each year is more precious, and any elk is a trophy for a couple of adventurous bow hunting women on the plus side of 60. Any grouse up there? And any other words of wisdom? Thanks.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I've got absolutely no knowledge but good luck and happy mother's day.

 

[MTGomer]

I’ve only lived here a year but last Labor Day the monsoon storms were still going. The hardest rain I’ve ever been in was Labor Day weekend in the white mountains. People said that seemed a little late for that intense of storm.
I think by the end of the month they were done.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Be ready ffor monsoons through Sept.Cache water high on hillsides
away from potential runoff in a cool place.Use multiple places and mark on your GPS.
Living in Fountain Hills gives you a great advantage to scout.Good Luck you guys.
Always store food away from camp.Anything in Az. will find it.Mice to Bears its fair game.

 

[bobbydean]

Good luck ladies. Admire your effort. Please post a picture of your success. With bow. a spike is a trophy.

I am no help on your question.

 

[handymom]

Thanks for info. Yes, any elk is a trophy for a couple of gals with sticks and strings. Scariest thing I guess is lightening for me.

 

[bobbydean]

I backed pack into the Pecos Wilderness in May in my late 20's. I am now old. Tried to get into some early trout fishing at Spirit lake. Snow pack was too deep and I was in cut offs (stupid).

Backed out and camped on the shoulder of Mt Baldy. No vegetation, just a lot of boulders. Laid down in my tent and the lightening started. Lightening bounced off every boulder on the mountain. I got my ass off that mountain as fast as I could hike (run).

Terrifying!

I know what you are afraid of.

Wish you the best!

 

[hank4elk]

Good Luck & Good Hunting!
SW has possible good El Nino starting this year which means good monsoons.
So far it has been one of the best springs I have seen in many years snow & now rain wise. Raining again today.
I do not like lightning either.
All I can say is if it starts, get off the mtn or ridge....preferably into a vehicle or building...
Worst storms I have ever been in is in the Pecos Wilderness, the Gila & most of AZ...lol
Got knocked out by one strike at my gate in Skull Valley,AZ in 74'

 

[cfree]

My fellow huntress friend and I drew archery cow tags for 7E. It will be my first time hunting the area, first elk hunt in
AZ, and my friend’s first elk hunt ever. I have a couple of questions. I am going to scout lots in the next three months. Our hunt is the last two weeks of September. I am still figuring out the monsoon thing as I have lived here only two years. I understand there won’t be water we can count on and am planning on caching water up there on my scouting trips. My question is how is the weather the last half of the month? Will the storms still be rolling in everyday and will we have to worry about lightning? Also, do I need to hang food or have a bear canister? And if I cache water, any tips on hiding it?We both wanted to go elk hunting badly as each year is more precious, and any elk is a trophy for a couple of adventurous bow hunting women on the plus side of 60. Any grouse up there? And any other words of wisdom? Thanks.

Definitely get a flatline map for the area. I'm assuming you intend to hunt the wilderness? There are a few tanks and seeps even out in the antelope looking country that elk will hit, look along the 7W and 9 borders. I'd be concerned with packing an elk out of the wilderness, it is steep and usually warm that time of year. Typically the monsoons have settled a little by mid September but anything is possible, and the mtn has a way of creating it's own weather(being the tallest in AZ). Plenty of bears in 7 and they see/smell lots of hikers, hang food if you are camping out. Probably some blue grouse up there. When you get tired of hiking the steep stuff, drop down and hunt the trick tanks for a few days to recover. Remember to have fun! Success is measured in memories more than meat.

 

[handymom]

What advantage does a flatline map have over OnX maps? Yes we were planning on hunting the wilderness, but if there are cows in the flats, that would be cool too and certainly less physically taxing. And yes, I have been hunting long enough to know success is getting home without injuries and with good memories. Some of my best memories were unsuccessful hunts (solo archery elk and sheep hunts in the San Juans, CO). Thanks for bear info-could not find any but was planning on hanging food anyways. Usually, the National Forest website will warn about hanging food, but there was nothing. Will hanging be enough, or should we get a bear/rodent proof bag to hang. Will we be able to find flat ground up on the mountain to pitch a tent or should we base camp and hike in every day? Should we hammock or tent up on the mountain? I will have a base camp where we start out from with amenities-including a chest freezer. I have a cargo trailer converted to hunting camper for hunting, with a deep freeze and kitchen counter for processing. Just got my German Shorthair Pointer back from my trainer and am eager to head up there-but for all the snow that just hit!

 

[recurveman]

Well I've hunted 7E but it has been quite a few years. I did hike up the hill this weekend and stopped at about 10,500 feet and spent the night. If I was going to hunt cow elk with a bow in unit 7E I would go find some water north of the big hill out in the flats. The elk will start to migrate down the hill during the hunt. Typically the elk want to rut out in the flats. I've seen rutting up on the hill on dry years but for the most part I would plan on being out in the flats. Don't be afraid to head WAY north. The elk will also spend quite a bit of time on top of the hills out in the flats in this unit. The hills are mostly old volcanoes and they normally have a little bowl in the top of them and that is where the elk will spend a chunk of their time bedding and then hit the flats at night. I did kill my bull up on the big hill back in 2002 at 9,200'. You really don't want to go up that hill unless you are in great physical shape and are ready to kill yourself and think that is a blast. It was really dry that year and there was literally no feed down low. There are bears in unit 7 but not a ton. If you are out in the flats you can be to flag in 45 minutes (water, food, gas, tires) and have all the camping gear you need. Plus it is less likely that you will encounter any bears to the North. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.

Find water and sit a blind. You will kill a cow that way. Walking up and down the big hill will get you in better shape. One last piece of advice. The last 4 days of the hunt will have almost no hunters in the field. The first weekend will be a ZOO. Plan your time wisely.

 

[IEATELK]

7E isnt a hard hunt. Def sit water for a cow. Look over all the tanks... and make your plan! Good luck. Keep us posted