5 Guaranteed Arizona Hunting Tags

Here's How You Can Purchase Next Years Hunts Today.

Written By: Stephen Miller, Bowhunting AZ

Whether you’re an Arizona resident or live out of state, there’s always an Arizona hunt available for you. One of the greatest things about Arizona’s conservation efforts is there are always 5 big game hunting seasons readily available for hunters. If you don’t successfully draw a tag you won’t be left out! There’s still plenty of opportunities for you to get out in the field and harvest something. Our most popular Over The Counter or “OTC” hunt being our archery deer rut hunt from December to January. As always, make sure you pull up our hunting regulations via the Arizona Game and Fish department’s website. This will be your bible essentially while you plan to see what seasons you’re able to hunt. Let’s jump on in and see a breakdown of each big game species and the OTC tags available.

OTC Archery Deer Hunt
Over the counter deer during the rut is by far one of the most fun hunts you can encounter here in Arizona. Archery elk during the rut is by far the top-tiered hunt in my opinion, but this hunt is right after elk. Restricted to archery only, this hunt offers an up-close encounter and puts the skills of any bowhunter to the ultimate test. With tags readily available at any Cabelas, Sportsman’s Warehouse or Walmart even, it’s near impossible to not want to roll the dice on a Coues deer or mule deer buck harvest. There is also an early archery season available in August. The bucks aren’t nearly as foolish due to zero rut activity and they are still in velvet. Something to consider just in case you’re after a hard horned buck. The heat is also something significant to factor in for the early archery season as it will still be well above 100 degrees during the day. Deer movement will often be very minimal during the late morning to late afternoon as the heat is overbearing.

OTC Bear Hunt

Bear season is a favorite among many hunters here in Arizona. Both a Fall and Spring season are available to hunters. To make this deal even sweeter you’re able to use a rifle OR a bow, the option is yours. There are several things to keep in mind when choosing a bear hunt. For fall bear, they’re usually fatter and gorging themselves to prepare for the winter. A bear will typically have a nicer coat during the fall as well. During the spring they can be thin or slightly emaciated with a lower quality fur as they are lacking in nutrients. Each unit also has a sow cap. This meaning, when a certain number of females are killed the unit is immediately shut down to any more bear hunting. It’s the hunter's responsibility to call the provided 1-800-970-BEAR number every day to ensure their unit is still open for hunting. Bear hunting is probably one of our most physically demanding hunts as well. I’d say it’s in the top 3 of most difficult hunts(Sheep, Bear & Elk). Bears tend to live in some of the nastiest terrain you could possibly think of. If I were to describe in words to someone where they could find bears right away I would tell them “go and find yourself the nastiest canyon and start glassing the slopes, that’s where they’ll be.” If you don’t believe me just check out the photo below for an example. My buddy Jake and I glassed up a sow and her older cub, grazing along the sides of this steep canyon. A bear's sense of smell is absolutely tuned in all of the time so make sure you’re playing the wind to your advantage. Another approach to bear hunting in Arizona is the use of a houndsman. There’s plenty of local guides to choose from and I’d say a fair percentage of photos that I see on social media of a bear harvest include hounds in the photo. It’s always an option to keep in mind, especially if you’re on a time constraint from out of state, this could really help speed things up.

While sitting at a watering hole, Jake and I experience 20+ turkeys coming to drink during the late afternoon.

OTC Archery Turkey Hunt

Over the counter turkey is a tradition throughout a majority of the United States, not just specifically Arizona. Spring turkey is a phenomenal way to get in one last good hunt before a majority of seasons wrap up for the summer months until next fall. Early morning gobbles and chasing roosted toms is an adrenaline-pumping experience that many compare to elk hunting in terms of calling action. Taking a turkey with a bow is another extraordinary way to experience a hunt up close. The coveted guillotine shot that I think all of us hunters hope to achieve is out there for the taking with an over the counter tag like this! After hunting the pines during my September elk hunt I think Arizona is in for one of the best spring turkey hunts as far as population is concerned for this 2020 spring season.

OTC Mountain Lion Hunt

Probably one of the most difficult tags to fulfill in Arizona, but certainly one that I get absolutely excited about every single time I buy one! At only $25 how can you pass this opportunity up? Truth be told, for me, this tag is honestly more of a “just in case” tag that I purchase. Mountain Lion season is open for a decent amount of time and some of the country we hunt here in Arizona has an over abundance of lions. I’m certain there’s probably been a handful of times where I’ve been watched by a lion and have never even known it. With a rising population of lions as conservationists we need to do our due diligence and help balance out the predator population in order to promote thriving ungulate herds. It’s certainly a heart rate spiking moment to see that first lion coming across your trail cam photo’s or video. To sit there and think that same spot you had just walked earlier is the same spot a lion frequents is a bit of an eerie feeling. It will definitely change how you walk in that specific spot going forward and I promise you’ll find yourself checking over your shoulder once or twice the next time you’re out there. There’s a surprising number of people who swear up and down that mountain lion is by far some of the best tasting meat they’ve ever had. “A natural sweetness almost like a soy sauce marinade” is how I’ve heard several people describe it. This is one animal that I really look forward to harvesting some day soon. This hunt is also another hound friendly opportunity. There are some major players here in Arizona that do guided mountain lion hunts with hounds. If you’re wanting to do an exclusive mountain lion hunt just make sure you do a thorough google search as this would be a great approach to a difficult hunt like this.

OTC Javelina Hunt

Over the counter Javelina is another archery exclusive hunt. A hunt like this gets most archers giddy with joy as javelina have terrible eyesight. Encounters are often sub 20 yards and calling javelina in is fairly easy by simply making a deep “ooof” noise. Often referred to as “stink pigs” javelina sport a gnarly scent gland that gives off a pretty distinctly pungent smell. Be sure to be aware of this as you are skinning one. Make sure to keep your knife away from the gland at all costs so you don’t taint your meat. Pursuing and finding javelina can be a real rush. Many of their passageways are in ultra thick brush and you can often see tunnels carved into the undergrowth of thick shrubs running along the bottoms of small canyons or washes.

Now that you’ve seen what hunts Arizona has to offer get out and purchase your tags at your local Cabelas, Sportsmans Warehouse or Walmart! Like i’ve said, many of these tags are something you can stack multiple hunts on top of each other. Overlapping seasons is such a fun experience and really puts an up-tick in the excitement as you walk the field. Make sure to also purchase a bobcat seal and keep a general eye out for what other small game is available as well. Coyote’s are one small game animal that’s almost always up for grabs. Especially being a primary predator to deer and javelina, a little predator control can go a long way in promoting the health of our primary harvest species. If you’re looking to scout before you even hit the field make sure you check out my article on e-scouting and see what techniques you can use to get a feel for the terrain before you ever set foot in new country.

For the best broadheads in the game check out Afflictor Broadheads. The flight I’ve been getting from these broadheads are so lofty and Just dead accurate. I’ve used both the fixed EXT’s and the K2’s for deer and elk. If you like a mechanical head they offer those as well. Check out episode 19 of the BowhuntingAZ Podcast where I interview Afflictor’s Chris Creed. Make sure to mention that BowhuntingAZ sent you!
https://afflictorbroadheads.com

5 Guaranteed Arizona Hunting Tags: Here's How You Can Purchase Next Years Hunts Today.

5 Guaranteed Arizona Hunting Tags

Here's How You Can Purchase Next Years Hunts Today.

Written By: Stephen Miller, Bowhunting AZ