AZ unit 8 late rifle elk/Sycamore canyon questions

[Timvz26]

Hello everyone, drew a unit 8 late rifle tag in AZ this year, after doing some research is seems like the best bet for this unit is Sycamore canyon, which looks like a beast of a canyon. I have help going with me to pack one out if we are so fortunate. My brother and I are young and dumb enough to still do something like this.

A question I have is how is the pressure hunting the canyon? I am assuming there will be lots of glassing pressure but will there be hunters down in it hunting? Glassing it from every point, etc.

Another question is there water flowing in the bottom of it year round or should I look for small springs or tanks? I have never hunted this dry country before so trying to learn in advance.

Please feel free to PM me if you would like, I also did a DIY Alaska caribou hunt this past fall I would be willing to share info about as well.

TIA, Tim

 

[Sarcastick]

Pressure on the edge of the canyon will be intense to say the least, especially if you haven't experienced the late rifle hunt in that unit yet. Down in the canyon there will be less pressure but also significantly fewer bulls than along the edges. The water in the canyon is typically seasonal and can get pretty dry other than towards lower end near the springs. Tanks can be good depending on rainfall.

 

[Sarcastick]

Do you have a sxs or quad you're bringing?

 

[Timvz26]

Do you have a sxs or quad you're bringing?

Yes I do and I plan to bring it.

 

[Sarcastick]

Perfect, the roads in the unit get bad so having something other than a truck can save a lot of travel time.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

Shameless

 

[BuzzH]

Head straight to the bottom and be sure to do it in the dark...bring a tourniquet.

Oh and if you're looking at aerial imagery, if you see "open" country with a gray hue, walk straight through that stuff...bring extra clothes and bandaids.

 

[Sarcastick]

Shameless

No AZ elk tag this year huh?

 

[Timvz26]

Shameless

How so? It’s a huge unit and a huge canyon, I asked two questions that have nothing to do with where the elk are and where to find them, I’m over 14 hours away so I reached out to a community that I thought was here to help with stuff like this.

 

[POk3s]

How so? It’s a huge unit and a huge canyon, I asked two questions that have nothing to do with where the elk are and where to find them, I’m over 14 hours away so I reached out to a community that I thought was here to help with stuff like this.

You came here. Said the unit number in the title and then explained where all your “research” has led you to, in the unit, for all the world to see. Now while none of that may be “secret”, the hunting world just doesn’t react kindly to that kind of thing, on an open forum. I can’t say I’m any different. A lot of times, those that would’ve helped you are simply turned off by you giving out too much info.

 

[Elkoholic87]

This could've been easily accomplished by a scouring the forum, other online research and sending PMs to forum members. This is why I hate some of this stuff.

 

[Timvz26]

You came here. Said the unit number in the title and then explained where all your “research” has led you to, in the unit, for all the world to see. Now while none of that may be “secret”, the hunting world just doesn’t react kindly to that kind of thing, on an open forum. I can’t say I’m any different. A lot of times, those that would’ve helped you are simply turned off by you giving out too much info.

Fair enough, however I feel that rather than blasting PM’s out to a bunch of random ppl I don’t know, I figured I would just put my info out here and hope they would reply or send me a PM. I really don’t feel that I am giving out earth shattering information by my questions but as often with the internet, you can never do anything correct.

 

[Timvz26]

This could've been easily accomplished by a scouring the forum, other online research and sending PMs to forum members. This is why I hate some of this stuff.

Please post the forum threads that answer these questions, I did try to do that first, on here and rokslide.

 

[Timvz26]

I am considering buying a scouting package for this but every thing in my soul tells me not too, however with all the time and travel I want this to be a productive hunt but have never hunted a dry/arid environment for elk. I figured I would see if I could get some help on this forum. Sorry to all the purists who I violated by asking some questions about a specific unit. I hope the elk gods will forgive me.

 

[Timvz26]

Pressure on the edge of the canyon will be intense to say the least, especially if you haven't experienced the late rifle hunt in that unit yet. Down in the canyon there will be less pressure but also significantly fewer bulls than along the edges. The water in the canyon is typically seasonal and can get pretty dry other than towards lower end near the springs. Tanks can be good depending on rainfall.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Gr8bawana]

You came here. Said the unit number in the title and then explained where all your “research” has led you to, in the unit, for all the world to see. Now while none of that may be “secret”, the hunting world just doesn’t react kindly to that kind of thing, on an open forum. I can’t say I’m any different. A lot of times, those that would’ve helped you are simply turned off by you giving out too much info.

It's just not a big deal when people have to apply for the draw. It takes years to draw a tag so cut the OP some slack.
It's not like an OTC state where every yahoo is going to see this and go running to this location.

 

[Sarcastick]

It's just not a big deal when people have to apply for the draw. It takes years to draw a tag so cut the OP some slack.
It's not like an OTC state where every yahoo is going to see this and go running to this location.

It's a big canyon too, second biggest in the state. Probably every hunter with that tag looking for a bigger bull will be there, along with their guides, family members, guides family members, second cousins, etc.