Arizona otc mule deer help

[Anthonysince94]

I'm planning on trying to take down a mulie with a bow this year. I'm green when it comes to any kind of western hunting. I'm looking for a unit that's forgiving for beginners and not flat. Were planning on hiking in far from the beaten path and camping for a few days.
For you guys that have done this hunt or something similar even can you share your tips and experiences? I'm struggling to find good information to select a unit.

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[svbubba]

unit 27 .........on the az/new mexico line........is the place .....far from any major cities {phoenix }...........

[Anthonysince94]

unit 27 .........on the az/new mexico line........is the place .....far from any major cities {phoenix }...........

Can you give me some more details about it?

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[Jamesl]

Can you give me some more details about it?

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I'm shocked that you got a Unit out of someone! lol!

[diamond10x]

Get you an AZDFG booklet and start reading on different units.

Your plans of hiking in a good ways off the beaten path may change no matter where you go in Arizona. Unless you plan on carrying a ton of water, water sources will dictate where you can camp. Since you’re doing the otc, the rut will be going on so deer will be moving and getting off the beaten path might not even be something you need to do.

[CEO]

I'm shocked that you got a Unit out of someone! lol!

Exactly. When the sentence started I assumed it would end in sarcasm.

[buxNdux]

Get you an AZDFG booklet and start reading on different units.

Your plans of hiking in a good ways off the beaten path may change no matter where you go in Arizona. Unless you plan on carrying a ton of water, water sources will dictate where you can camp. Since you’re doing the otc, the rut will be going on so deer will be moving and getting off the beaten path might not even be something you need to do.

^^^^Haha this!!! Take an good 4 wheel drive truck or utv with ground clearance use topo maps to hone in on good glassing locations and spend most of your time there you will find deer if you put in that time. There are deer in every single unit, just gotta spend the time looking.

[crc]

Jay Scott podcasts are worth their weight in gold on this topic.

[Anthonysince94]

Man I appreciate all the info. My search on tapatalk wouldnt pull up anything. Can you guys point me in the direction of what kind of tent or other necessities I may not have thought of?

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[WItoTX]

Jay Scott podcasts are worth their weight in gold on this topic.

Add to this Remi Warren.

Good luck OP, should be a fun hunt. GoHunt, onX maps, and the HuntTalk forum are good places to start. However, if you ask that same question over there, you will get crickets.

[kingranch]

help eachother out
I gladly give out my colorado otc spots, you gotta earn the animal where I go so Im not worried about joe blow getting in my area its such stupid tough terrain

[r_u_sharp_2]

We hunted unit 20A in Jan of 2020.

Near Hillside AZ. You can drive it.. but I wouldnt. We used a guide service since it was our first trip. One had a older blazer and one had a mule.

We drove to the base of a good sized hill.. hiked up and glassed.. once we spotted one to go after the guide brought up a map and we set out a plan for a stalk once the buck bedded.

We stayed in Prescott/prescott valley and it was 30min drive to where we parked each day

We are planning to go back in Dec. Not sure if we will go to the same unit or try a different one. We saw plenty of deer and put in stalks every day just didnt connect.

Matt

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[wytex]

help eachother out
I gladly give out my colorado otc spots, you gotta earn the animal where I go so Im not worried about joe blow getting in my area its such stupid tough terrain

Might not affect OTC but I know some areas in Wyoming that having a few thousand folks reading a thread about good hunting somewhere will really screw the draw odds. Most states give limited tags to NR and blasting info out online can affect the draw odds for those limited tags.

Most are willing to give some info, PMs work best for specifics, imo.

[MLank]

Can you give me some more details about it?

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https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/units/pinetop/27/

[jaker_cc]

If this is your first year doing this hunt I would consider seeing deer a win. Plan to get your butt kicked because you don’t really know what you are doing. Don’t worry about hiking in a long ways and camping, it’s not Colorado or some draw unit in Wyoming. As far as gear, there are hundreds of threads on this topic and it’s about like asking someone what vehicle they like. There are tons of options, just make sure whatever you choose as far as a sleep system can handle the elements you will be hunting in. Last year it got down to 2 degrees at night. Without a stove it would have been terrible.

Most people with a good otc spot wouldn’t tell you for anything in the world. Go find you a good spot on your own and it will mean you same to you as it does to them. Last year we saw 3 deer over 26” wide and one was a legit 180” buck. I’ll help you with gear and making sure you are safe but I’ll never tell you my unit.

Manage your expectations for your first time out. With all due respect