Unit 21 – Arizona
Species Information
Antelope
Overview: The pronghorn antelope in Unit 21 inhabit the Agua Fria grasslands, which is high desert grassland with native grasses and forbs dominating the flats, swales, and mesas. A juniper/grassland mosaic is found at the upper end of the watershed. Juniper and catclaw grow on hillsides at higher elevations while catclaw and mesquite are found at the lower elevations. Factors that affect the antelope population in Unit 21 are habitat loss, predation, fencing, and urban expansion.
Areas: Antelope are found in the northern half of Unit 21. Antelope habitat ranges from Black Mesa (east of Sunset Point rest area off Interstate 17) north to the Squaw Peak Road. Starting in the north, Reimer Draw is a great place to start scouting. Antelope can be found using the large basins in and around Reimer Draw. Reimer Draw can be accessed by traveling north on the Reimer Road (Forest Road 68D) from the Dugas Road (Forest Road 68). Glass the surrounding areas carefully, as antelope will often seek the shade of the junipers during the heat of the day, and may not emerge until late in the evening.
Marlow, Yellowjacket, and Cottonwood Mesas are a complex of mesas that are excellent antelope habitat. Access to these mesas from the west side involves hiking up about 300-400 feet of elevation change from Yellowjacket Spring or Cottonwood tank, located just east of the Reimer Road. Access through the Horner Mountain Ranch is no longer open. The landowner has closed access through the private portion of the ranch due to littering, vandalism (mostly holes shot in water tanks), and gates being left open during the hunting season.
The Dry Creek area just north of the Dugas Road and east of I-17 is also excellent antelope habitat. There are no access roads off of I-17 in this area, hunters can use the roads that travel north from the Dugas Road or west from the Reimer Road to get there. There are plenty of buttes and hills hunters can climb up to get a good vantage point to glass from.
Towards the south, Perry Mesa is the largest area of antelope habitat in Unit 21. Perry Mesa is located on the north and south sides of the Bloody Basin Road (Forest Road 269) about 7-8 miles east of I-17. The main portion of Perry Mesa can be accessed by traveling south on the 14 Road from the Bloody Basin Road. There are several roads that go west off of the 14 road hunters can use to travel across the mesa. Hunter crowding issues have been an issue in the past on Perry Mesa when permit numbers were higher, so please be courteous to other hunters in the area and be patient. Antelope are sometimes pushed by other hunters, so waiting for antelope to move into the area you are hunting will sometimes work.
Black Mesa is the most southern area of antelope habitat in Unit 21. Black Mesa is located just east of I-17 across from Sunset Point Rest Area. A fire burned across Black Mesa in 2005, and it may take many years for the grassland plant species to recover. However, small herds of antelope have been observed using the area even with the less than desirable habitat conditions.
Elk
Overview: Elk sightings in Unit 21 began to be reported in the early 80’s. There is currently a small number of elk that reside in Unit 21. Other elk in Unit 21 may move back and forth to Units 6A, and 19A.
Most of the country that elk can be found in is extremely rugged. Road access is limited, and travel by vehicle to a harvested elk is not an option most of the time. Successful elk hunters should be prepared to pack the animal using friends with backpacks or pack animals such as mules. Temperatures during the early season hunts can be very high during the day, so hunters should plan on having help to pack out meat before it spoils. It is unlawful to allow any edible portion of a game animal to go to waste.
The most productive time to scout for elk in Unit 21 is during the rut which usually starts in early September. However, scouting before this time period will allow hunters to become familiar with roads and the lay of the land, which can pay off big when the hunt rolls around. Quality optics are a must for Unit 21 elk hunters, and the use of a tripod is highly recommended.
Areas: Elk can be located in Unit 21 in the Black Hills. Towards the north, scout the area around Squaw Peak. Squaw Peak can be accessed by traveling east on the Squaw Peak Road (FR 732) from I-17 at exit 278.
Elk can also be found south from this area along the Verde Rim to Pine Mountain. Access through the Horner Mountain Ranch is no longer open. The landowner has closed access through the private portion of the ranch due to littering, vandalism (mostly holes shot in water tanks), and gates being left open during the hunting season. Pine Mountain is where the highest concentration of elk can be found. Pine Mountain can be accessed by traveling east on the Dugas Road (FR 68) from I-17 at exit 268. Elk are normally found using the drainages and ridges coming off of Pine Mountain. A good topographical map comes in handy while navigating this terrain.
Elk have also been located as far south as the 44 Road off of the Bloody Basin Road. If a hunter is able to locate elk in this area, hunter densities will most likely be low, but so will elk densities.
Javelina
Overview: Javelina can be found in a variety of different habitat types in Unit 21 from the sonoran desert up to the pinyon juniper woodland. Scout areas prior to your hunt to locate fresh sign where javelina travel, bed, and feed. Look for scat, tracks, and rooting. Once you have located an area likely to contain javelina, find a good vantage point nearby to glass from.
Unit 21 is located near the Phoenix Metropolitan area, and is a popular unit to pursue javelina in. It is likely that camping and hunting areas will be crowded during the opening weekends.
Areas: The areas below are meant to provide you with good places to start scouting or hunting javelina in Unit 21. The areas are broken up into the three main land management offices.
Prescott National Forest: Javelina can be found in the Reimer Draw area using the small canyons and drainages cut into the edges of the small mesas in the area. Reimer Draw can be accessed by traveling north on the Reimer Road (Forest Road 68D) from the Dugas Road (Forest Road 68).
Javelina can also be found on the Prescott National Forest near Dugas in the Dry Creek, Ash Creek, Little Ash Creek, and Sycamore Creek drainages. Travel east from I-17 on the Dugas Road (FR 68) at exit 268 to access the Dugas area.
Tonto National Forest: The North Red Creek, Red Creek, and Tangle Creek drainages in Bloody Basin hold good numbers of javelina. To access Bloody Basin, travel east from I-17 at exit 259 on the Bloody Basin Road (FR 269) until you travel down the edge of the Verde Rim. This area can also be accessed by traveling north from Cave Creek on the Seven Springs Road (FR 24) to the Bloody Basin Road intersection.
Javelina can be found in the Silver Creek, and Bishop Creek drainages southwest of Pine Mountain. Access these areas by traveling east from I-17 at exit 259 on the Bloody Basin Road (FR 269) and travel north on the Silver Creek Road (FR 677) or the 44 Loop Road (FR 44).
North of Cave Creek, javelina can be found in much of the country around Seven Springs. The Cave Creek Fire burned much of this area in 2005, but wildlife has started to use habitat that has recovered from the fire. To access this country, travel north from Cave Creek on the Seven Springs Road (FR 24) and use a variety of short spur roads that go both east and west from the Seven Springs Road. Hiking a ways from the roads will decrease the probability of running into other hunters.
North of New River, javelina can be found in the New River Drainage, New River Mountains, and New River Mesa areas. Access to these areas can be found by traveling east of I-17 on Forest Road 41 from exit 236 (Table Mesa exit) or west on FR 41 from the Seven Springs Road.
Bureau of Land Management: Northeast of Black Canyon City, javelina can be found in most of the Agua Fria River drainage. There are several access points to this area. Travel east from I-17 at exit 259 on the Bloody Basin Road (FR 269) for several miles. You will cross the Agua Fria River near the Horseshoe Ranch. From here you can continue to travel east on the Bloody Basin Road and then travel south on BLM 9014 (formerly called the 14 Road, and still FR 14 south of the BLM on the Tonto National Forest). Travel west from the 14 Road across Perry Mesa to the Agua Fria Drainage on the west side of the mesa. The Agua Fria Drainage can also be accessed from the Badger Springs exit off of I-17 at exit 256 and Sunset Point at exit 253.
Tips: Using the very best optics in your price range will help you become a more successful javelina hunter. Quality binoculars mounted on a tripod used systematically to glass javelina habitat is the most effective method used to locate them. Glass the sunny south-facing slopes in cold weather to locate javelina as they warm up and begin to feed in the morning. Plan your stalk to stay downwind and move slow. Javelina have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and sense of smell.
Mule Deer
Overview: Not much different from the rest of the state, the Mule Deer population in Unit 21 has declined over the past several decades, but buck to doe ratios have remained fairly constant. Hunters will need to do some pre-scouting to locate areas deer are currently using.
Unit 21 is located near the Phoenix Metropolitan area, and is a popular unit to pursue Mule Deer in. It is likely that camping and hunting areas will be crowded during the opening weekends.
While hunting Mule Deer in Unit 21, it is not uncommon to see Whitetail deer in the same area. Be sure of your target.
Areas: The areas below are meant to provide you with good places to start scouting or hunting mule deer in Unit 21. The areas are broken up into the three main land management offices.
Prescott National Forest: Mule Deer can be found in the Reimer Draw area using drainages, basins, and mesas in the area. Reimer Draw can be accessed by traveling north on the Reimer Road (Forest Road 68D) from the Dugas Road (Forest Road 68).
Mule Deer can also be found on the Prescott National Forest near Dugas in the Dry Creek, Ash Creek, Little Ash Creek, and Sycamore Creek drainages. Travel east from I-17 on the Dugas Road (FR 68) at exit 268 to access the Dugas area.
Continuing east from Dugas, Mule Deer can be found in the Pinyon-Juniper and Chaparral transition zones on ridges and in drainages all the way up to the Verde Rim.
When hunting on BLM Land, glass and hunt all drainages that lead into the Agua Fria River system. White-tailed deer utilize these drainages along with mule deer, so species identification is very important. Look for mule deer at the head of drainage cuts early in the morning as they return to bed sites on the thick brushy slopes. Further south near Black Canyon City try hunting the desert canyons. This is rough county and not for the weak of heart. Access is limited, so be prepared to do lots of up and down hiking. Locate and hunt around springs and try to glass hillsides in these areas. Be careful not to trespass on the private ranches in the area.
The Tonto National Forest encompasses the majority of Unit 21. Access points along Interstate 17 include the Bloody Basin and the Table Mesa roads. Both roads will lead hunters into good mule deer country. From the Bloody Basin Road, try hunting north on the 677 Road. Hunt and glass the area to the east. It is thick chaparral interspersed with open slopes. The Bloody Basin Road will take you to the Verde Rim where there are some mule deer but this is mainly white-tailed deer habitat. Continue to drive down the Rim since both sides of the road are good areas to glass for mule deer. FS Road 16, which is off the Bloody Basin Road, will take you north into several good mule deer hunting locations. Try hunting the canyons that drain off of the Verde Rim.
From the Table Mesa Road glass and hunt the lower slopes of the New River Mountains. Concentrate on the south facing slopes, but don’t overlook the cuts coming off New River Mesa, which is to the south.
Additional access to the unit is the Seven Springs Road (FS Road 24), which is north of the town of Carefree. Locate perennial springs on your Forest Service map, as these are great places to look for mule deer. Good luck on your hunt!
White-tailed Deer
Overview: Whitetail deer can be found in Unit 21 in a variety of different habitat types, from semi-desert grassland up to ponderosa pine. The majority of whitetail deer seem to use the typical whitetail habitat from about 3500 to 6000 feet in elevation. Whitetail can also be located in some areas that are not considered traditional whitetail habitat at elevations as low as 2500 feet.
There is a stratified hunt structure in Unit 21 that allows hunters the options of hunting in the early or late seasons. The late season hunters will generally find whitetail bucks starting to rut. During this time, bucks can be found on the move almost any time of day. There are very low numbers of hunters in the field during the late season compared to the early seasons, which can be crowded in popular areas. The drawing odds for the late hunt, however, are much lower than the earlier seasons. The early seasons can have other advantages along with better draw rates. Bucks can be much more predictable during the early seasons, as they are not on the move to seek out companionship.
Whitetail hunting in Unit 21 occurs primarily on public lands, free of access issues that affect some of the southern Arizona units. Tonto and Prescott National Forest maps can be used to identify roads that can be used to access good whitetail country.
Unit 21 is located near the Phoenix Metropolitan area, and is a popular unit to pursue mule deer in. It is likely that camping and hunting areas will be crowded during the opening weekends. While hunting whitetail deer in Unit 21, it is not uncommon to see mule deer using the same areas. Be certain of your target.
Areas: The areas below are meant to provide you with good places to start scouting or hunting whitetail in Unit 21. The areas are broken up into the three main land management offices.
Prescott National Forest: South of Camp Verde, whitetail can be found in the Black Hills. This complex includes Squaw Peak, the Verde Rim, and Pine Mountain. The Verde Rim is a large escarpment overlooking the Verde River drainage. Squaw Peak and Pine Mountain are both high points along the Verde Rim with elevations above 6500 feet. Drainages coming off of these areas to the east hold good numbers of whitetail. To access Squaw Peak, travel east from I-17 at exit 278 on the Squaw Peak Road (Forest Road 732). To access the Verde Rim and Pine Mountain, travel east from I-17 at exit 268 on the Dugas Road (FR 68). There are two wilderness areas on the Prescott National Forest in Unit 21. Cedar Bench and Pine Mountain Wilderness areas offer great places to pack in if a whitetail hunter wants to get away from most other hunters.
Tonto National Forest: Southwest of Pine Mountain, whitetail can be found in most of the country along the southern portion of the Verde Rim. Rugged Mesa is a good place to start. To access Rugged Mesa, travel east from I-17 at exit 259 on the Bloody Basin Road (FR 269) and travel north on the most easterly portion of the 44 Loop Road (FR 44). Hutch Mesa is also a good place to locate whitetail. To access Hutch Mesa, travel south on FR 58 from the Bloody Basin Road.
Southeast of Pine Mountain, whitetail can be found in most of the canyons that drain into the Verde River. The Red Creek area holds good numbers of whitetail. To access Red Creek, travel east from I-17 at exit 259 on the Bloody Basin Road and travel north on FR 16. This area can also be accessed by traveling north from Cave Creek on the Seven Springs Road (FR 24) to the Bloody Basin Road intersection, then going east towards FR 16.
Near the intersection of the Bloody Basin and Seven Springs Roads (FR 269 and 24) whitetail can be found in the East and West Cedar Mountain areas as well as the drainages between them and Tangle Creek.
North of Cave Creek, whitetail can be found in much of the country north of Seven Springs. The Cave Creek Fire burned much of this area in 2005, but deer have started to use habitat that has recovered from the fire. To access this country, travel north from Cave Creek on the Seven Springs Road (FR 24) and use a variety of short spur roads that go both east and west from the Seven Springs Road. Hiking a ways from the roads will decrease the probability of running into other hunters.
Bureau of Land Management: Northeast of Black Canyon City, whitetail can be found in some portions of the Agua Fria River drainage, such as Larry and Lousy Canyons. To access these canyons, travel east from I-17 at exit 259 on the Bloody Basin Road (FR 269) to the 14 Road (FR 14). Travel south on the 14 Road to FR 610 (the second large steel gate south of the Bloody Basin Road). Travel west on FR 610 to Larry and Lousy Canyons.
Tips: Using the very best optics in your price range will help you become a more successful whitetail hunter. Quality binoculars mounted on a tripod used systematically to glass whitetail habitat is the most effective method used to locate the elusive Coues deer. Spend most of the day out in the field behind your binoculars, not just the morning and evening. Deer are often located during midday hours, and are easier to stalk while they are not moving.
Pre-season scouting is not only a great way to spend time outdoors with friends and family, but can pay off when the hunt rolls around. Hunters who scout are not only more familiar with where the deer and deer sign are located, but are also more familiar with roads used to access areas and the lay of the land.
Quail
Overview: The entire unit has good quail populations except for high elevations found in the north-central portion of the unit. The 1997-’98 quail season was one of the most difficult for quail hunters due to the continuing drought over the last several years. Quail hunting is expected to improve for the 1998-’99 season depending on the combination of winter rains and summer monsoons. Since Unit 21 is so large and there are many areas to hunt quail, it is the hunter’s choice where they like to hunt. Quail hunters with dogs will have better luck in the northern open country and those without dogs might be better off hunting the southern half of Unit 21. One tip while on a quail hunt is not to spend too much time in one area. You may find that you are more successful using this method than hunting a single area for a long period of time.
Areas: Here are just a few suggestions on locations to try hunting quail in Unit 21. In the north portion of Unit 21 take the Bloody Basin Road east and try hunting Cornstalk Flat which is just west of FS Road 677. Continue north on the 677 Road and hunt the heads of Silver and Bishop Creek. Try hunting around the junction of FS Road 269 and FS 24 Road, which is near Tangle Creek. From Interstate 17 take the Table Mesa Road east to FS Road 24, hunting along the way. In the southern half of the unit try hunting both sides of FS Road 205 all the way to Horseshoe Lake.
Black Bear
Overview:
Black bears are primarily associated with the chaparral and pine-oak woodlands habitat types. Gambel oak thickets (in years with good acorn production) are good places to check. Glassing oak thickets is difficult and the use of predator calls can enhance your probability of success. During some years, black bears can be located in the desert scrub habitat where thick stands of prickly pear cactus are found. Prickly pear flats can often provide excellent glassing and stalking opportunities for bear hunters. Look for prickly pear flats that extend up brushy slopes. This situation provides bears with good feeding sites adjacent to cover to retire to. Later in the fall, Try hunting both high and low elevation types of habitat if you are having trouble-locating bears in one or the other. Be sure and call the Bear line (1-800-970-BEAR) to make sure the season has not closed due to the female harvest objective being reached before you go.
Areas:
Areas to focus bear hunting efforts are in the Black Hills along the Verde Rim. Most high elevation drainages off of the Verde Rim are good bear habitat. Travel east off of I-17 on the Squaw Peak Road (FR 732 at exit 278), Dugas Road (FR 68 at exit 268), or the Bloody Basin Road (FR 269 at exit 259) to access the Verde Rim. Some of the slopes coming off of the Verde Rim can also be accessed west of the Seven Springs Road (FR 24).
Tips:
Black bears, more than any other big game species in Arizona must be hunted early in the morning or late afternoon during the early fall hunts, if the hunter is to have an opportunity to locate the animals. Scouting prospective areas helps greatly and the use of binoculars and/or a spotting scope is almost mandatory. To judge a bear, look at body bulk and relative size of legs to the body and the ear size relative to the head. A bear with long -lanky looking legs is probably a young smaller bear. A bear with small appearing ears probably means a larger bear since bears’ ears (young and old) are generally about 5 inches long. Hence the smaller the ears appear in relation to the head, the bigger the bear’s head, which probably means a bigger bear.