Contributors to this thread:
Coming to hunt 17a in August,September and January.how wet is it,snow,rain depending on time of year. Went on Google earth and looked at water tanks and springs. Do these springs have water year round? Looking at camp wood area any suggestions would be greatly appreciated I'm willing to hike as far as needed to get to good areas. Thanks for any help!
Kind of depends on the year but August is typically a wet month up there. It usually dries out a bit in September and January can/usually does bring snow. The area is nice but the roads are horrible. Neat area though.
Thank you. Is 68 (21) plowed in the winter if there is enough snow. What do you think of this unit for deer? Is there other units I should look at for mule deer. Not looking for monsters but a good number of huntable deer. Thanks for any help!
Never seen enough snow to have to plow when I've been there. Not much more than an inch or two. I think it's a quality area with plenty of deer. You should have a good time.
17A has a ton of deer but there can be some heavy hunting pressure too. I hunt it in the early hunt every year that I don't have an elk tag. Be prepared to move away from the crowds. We would see up to 30 bucks a day some days. I don't see the big bucks like I used to but if you aren't too picky you should have a blast.
Thanks Creed.how about in January not so crowded?
I have never hunted it in the late hunt. I am too hung up on the desert hunt.
Like Creed said Lots of Bucks.. Its a blast up there.. If it rains Like a lot.. be prepared for a slush ride in or out of there....
Can I get into camp wood on 68 (21) in a Ford van if it rains in the fall. It is a county road just wondering how good it is maintained.
Elk Shoot:
Since you're in-state, you should take a drive up there and have a look. It's worth the gas expenditure.
Maverick
Never have seen the road so bad you couldn't get a 2 wheel drive in there but it can be pretty rough. Maintenance is hit and miss.
Thanks. I'm coming from Ohio. Would like to get in around where fs 9 branches off of 68.I'm sleeping in my van but I will have a rokon (2 wheel drive off road motorcycle) with me in case I need to travel where I can't take the van. I'm looking at starting there hunting north up to camp wood and Hyde mountain.Spend all day and come back to the van at night.Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.Thanks again.
Ohio! Your profile says that you're a resident of Arizona. Weird .....
Sorry about my residence on my profile. I changed it to OHIO.I'M RETIRED AND SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN Arizona as I can. We would move there full time if we could get our3 daughters and our 7 grandkids to move.
Good afternoon, Elk Shoot.
Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering why you didn't just run up there and have a look for yourself, since your profile mentioned that you were in-state.
To be sure, I'd recommend a four-wheel-drive. Is your van a four-wheel-drive? If the weather becomes wet up there and especially on top of the mesa, it'll be a slippery, sloppy mess.
In any case, be sure to take a couple of spare tires. You'll also want chains all the way around, even if you don't have four-wheel-drive. And, you should carry a shovel and a 2,000 pound come-a-long.
That's my two cents, anyway. But, you said that you're very familiar with Arizona, so I won't elaborate too much with my opinion concerning the present state of Arizona's back roads.
But as an example, last winter I was cutting tracks through 12 inches of snow which was on top of 8 inches of gumbo mud and almost slid off into a canyon, even when in four-wheel-drive. Spent the better part of a day getting my truck squarely back on the road.
Maverick
