Arizona Mule Deer?

[Ethan Barthol]

I'm headed to unit 27 in Arizona in January for mule deer. I've only hunted mule deer once, and that was in Western Kansas, so I know basically nothing about hunting them especially at higher elevations. Any advice about the unit or habits of mule deer would be appreciated.

 

[Jordan Budd]

Oh dang, some of my favorite country! Glass, glass and then glass. Seriously stick to higher points and rely on your optics to pick the country apart. That'll be a rut hunt so if you find the does, stick right with them and a buck will probably be nearby. Be sure to pick out landmarks before you go on a stalk, because that country looks majorly different in the glass than it does on the ground. If that makes sense. Good luck!

 

[RoJo]

Unit 27 has some of the most varied terrain in the state, from 3500 ft at the south end to over 9000 ft at the north end. Much of it is very steep, rugged, and thickly vegetated. Be prepared for anything (weather-wise). The snow could be (most likely will be) pretty deep above the Mogolllon Rim in January.

What part of the unit do you plan to hunt, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Ethan Barthol]

I was looking at going south of Alpine but some locals I've talked to said you have to be careful with the snow, so now I'm looking around the Four Bar Mesa area, and NE of Clifton.
Also, ive been using Google Earth alot but I don't know exactly what to look for in terms of food, bedding, etc. I've basically just been looking for areas with good glassing points, and tips on that.

Thanks

 

[RoJo]

Yeah, everything from Alpine to the Mogollon Rim will probably have significant snow in January. I'm not familiar with the Four Bar Mesa area at all, so I can't help you there. But I see it is over 6,000 ft, so it could potentially have some snow...not necessarily a bad thing depending on depth. If we end up with a mild winter, a couple of other areas worth considering are the Blue Range Primitive area, and the East Eagle Creek drainage just below the Rim, south and west of Strayhorse. Both of those areas hold Muleys as well as Coues, if that makes a difference.

If there is a lot of snow and you end up having to seek lower ground, there is access to lots of public land off of Eagle Creek Rd and Juan Miller Rd, both which you can pick up off the 191 between Four Bar Mesa and Morenci. Juan Miller actually goes all the way to the Blue River. If you need/want to get lower than that, you could try off of Martinez Ranch Road east of Clifton, north of Hwy 78. That country would be huntable regardless of weather, with plenty of places to glass from.

 

[Ethan Barthol]

Sounds good, thanks for the great info.

 

[Ethan Barthol]

Also, this time of year with it being cold, will the deer be at lower elevations? Or will they stay up higher?

 

[koupe1447]

Hey Ethan, just came across this post. I am looking at going this january for the same thing. How was your hunt?