Arizona Unit 27

[mitschkeb]

Started the season chasing moose in Alaska now looking to get into some mule deer. Planning on January otc unit 27 I've done about all the onx scouting to prepare us going to arrive a couple days in advance to put boots on the ground if there's anybody with some knowledge of the unit willing to share biggest thing is planning on bringing my 11 year old son would this be a good unit to start him off into backpack hunting or should I look further south due to snow. Any info would be appreciated.

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[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

I can't say for sure about your son but I personally would not take an 11 year old backpacking in January out there. It's rough country that can be pretty cold and snowy.

 

[Eric4]

My experience with the unit has been positive most years, regarding the weather. Last year however, was snowing with high winds for the first two weeks of January. The wall tent with a wood stove made the 10 day hunt a lot more enjoyable.

 

[trophyhill]

AZ has always been my backup plan if I don't draw the January rut hunt in NM. The problem is, I keep drawing the darn NM tag

 

[cyocham]

Following

 

[dtrkyman]

I have hunted the unit the last 10 days or so of January the last couple years, weather has been great for me, cold in the morning and at night of course, but days and evenings are great.

Only had one day that was a wash with crazy wind. It is rugged in places but there are plenty of deer and many guys seem to glass from the road. Lots of good trails to access the back country and I think if you get in a mile or two you will not see anyone most likely.

As far as the kid back packing in, be prepared for nights in the teens, I was south of the rim too. Some of the roads will become impassible with a little moisture but they dry quickly.

Some dirt bags stole a cooler full of my food last year also!

 

[mitschkeb]

I have hunted the unit the last 10 days or so of January the last couple years, weather has been great for me, cold in the morning and at night of course, but days and evenings are great.

Only had one day that was a wash with crazy wind. It is rugged in places but there are plenty of deer and many guys seem to glass from the road. Lots of good trails to access the back country and I think if you get in a mile or two you will not see anyone most likely.

As far as the kid back packing in, be prepared for nights in the teens, I was south of the rim too. Some of the roads will become impassible with a little moisture but they dry quickly.

Some dirt bags stole a cooler full of my food last year also!

Thanks for the insight we are going to give it a shot definitely going to pack the layers and a hot tent. One of the rangers in the area was saying that some roads get snowed in tell spring have you had any issues with this and are tire chains necessary.

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[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Out of curiosity, why did you choose Unit 27?

Are you actually planning to backpack in? Or driving in, setting up camp, and going out each day?

No matter what be prepared for a variety of weather.

 

[dtrkyman]

Some roads will get impassible, I have not had that issue but I did luck out last year as the snow 10 days prior had melted and the roads dried out.

Worst case with bad roads there is plenty of ground to access off the highway!

 

[arwhntr]

If I was bringing an 11 year old I would look at units further south without the weather risks. Want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for him.

 

[mitschkeb]

Out of curiosity, why did you choose Unit 27?

Are you actually planning to backpack in? Or driving in, setting up camp, and going out each day?

No matter what be prepared for a variety of weather.

Was trying to find a unit with highest deer density but couldn't find much on that coming from Texas it's been more of throwing darts at a map came down between 36a and 27

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[Jclark225]

Hello,

Looking at 27 for Jan 2021 myself. How did your hunt go?

 

[BDubbYuh]

Also looking at 27 for January 2021 and curious to see how your hunt went.

 

[ZDR]

sounds like a lot of us Roksliders will be in 27 in Jan...

 

[Jaker_cc]

Is it this time of year again?? If you like company, this will be a good hunt for y’all

 

[Jclark225]

Is it this time of year again?? If you like company, this will be a good hunt for y’all

Does that hold true for, say, 8 or so miles off the roads? I've heard it gets crowded so planned to backpack in off trail. I only want to be near a road on the first day driving in and a week later driving out.

 

[bohntr]

There will be some disappointed hunters.....there are better options

 

[Jclark225]

There will be some disappointed hunters.....there are better options

Gotcha, I better hit the maps for a solid backup plan in case it's too crowded. My initial thoughts were to gain elevation and mileage from roads thinking that would get me (for the most part) out of the competition. Works really well in Idaho

Looks like 22 and 24b have some decent roadless areas but hard to say having never been there. Oh well, it'll be an adventure either way. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Jaker_cc]

Does that hold true for, say, 8 or so miles off the roads? I've heard it gets crowded so planned to backpack in off trail. I only want to be near a road on the first day driving in and a week later driving out.

That’s a great thought, but it’s a much tougher reality. If the deer aren’t where you walk into then you are spending lots of time moving camp and walking with camp on your back. Weather is a huge factor on this hunt. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Lots of deer are killed 1-3 miles in, lots of people driving roads and shooting the first legal deer they see. Day hunting and moving country to find them is a big factor in being successful. Success doesn’t mean killing a deer, it means finding deer and learning the country and gaining knowledge.

 

[Jclark225]

I 100% agree with you in that success is all about gaining knowledge and experiences. If the only measure was harvesting an animal I've given up bow hunting a long time ago lol. As it is, the adventure and excitement of exploring new areas is good for me.

I'll definitely take your advice to heart and maybe not put all my eggs in one basket of a single location. A 10 mile round trip is still day hunt range. So maybe I'll skirt the fringes dipping in 3-5 miles until I can locate some deer. Thanks for the help!