Arizona Hunting Club & Outdoor Adventure Group

Arizona's Top 10 Best Rifle Cow
Elk Hunting Spots Overall for 2007

Each year, the Arizona Game & Fish does a post hunt survey to assess the hunter harvest success rate for the Cow Elk population. In the Spring, they are also conduct a survey to see how many new Elk calve are born. Based on these surveys, they allocate the proper number of Cow Elk hunting tags each year to adjust the Cow Elk herd population so that there will be sufficient food and water available to maintain a healthy herd.

Therefore, one criteria used to evaluate where the the best Cow Elk hunting spots in Arizona are located is to see where the most Cow Elk tags are issued. Knowing where the most Cow Elk tags are issued is an easy way to learn where the the most Cow Elk are available to be harvested.

However, this is only one piece of the puzzle. You also need to focus on how many 1st and 2nd applicants that put in for a Cow Elk tag for each unit and the resulting draw odds for getting drawn for a Cow Elk tag in that unit. If the hunt unit has a 100% draw rate, then you are almost guaranteed a tag.

The next thing that is important is the hunting success rate that Cow Elk hunters had last season. While the Cow Elk draw rate might have been 100% successful, if the success rate of Cow Elk hunters in that unit was only 10%, you need to find out why they struck out.

Another thing we like to look at is the increase/decrease in the number of tags issued this year versus last year. More tags will increase the chance of getting drawn over last year's reported draw rates. You would be suprised at how much the drawing odds change with only 100 extra tags. Same goes for a decrease in tags. It simply might be better to focus on another unit that either has the same number or more tags available.

The choice of weapon is ultimately determines a hunter's success rate for getting drawn in Arizona. Hunting with a rifle is the best way NOT to get drawn.

However, hunting with a bow has a much higher successful draw rate. The added value is that archery elk hunters get to hunt during the rut and are the very first group of hunters that enter the forest. And since a bow is silent, it take elk a few days of people driving around in the forest for them to realize that the hunt is on.

Arizona's Top 10 Rifle Cow Elk Hunting Spots Overall for Cow Elk: