**********Apache Outdoors**********
Elk Hunting on the San Carlos
One of the most sought after big game animals on the planet is the elk and there is no other place on the planet that can produce the biggest bulls per total animals in any given area. San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation has become known to be the best trophy elk producers in the world. With more huge elk per herd than any other place in North America, finding a trophy of a lifetime is quite achievable with the exception of one thing: money. To be able to harvest one of these truly awesome giants, all you need is a hefty bank account. But if you can swing one of these sought after tags, you can be assured that you will leave this reservation with a new understanding of just what a trophy of a lifetime is. Our bull to cow ratio in the trophy units is approx 7 to 10 which gives the elk a superb chance at reaching maturity and many bulls die from old age. Just to see one of these big bulls is unlike anything you have ever seen before. Imagine calling in bulls in one of the trophy units and hearing over a dozen bulls screaming within a half mile will run chills down your spine. If you have the chance at one of these bulls and do call one in, try to imagine what it would feel like to pass up a bull that scores well into the 390's! Not an easy task for any hunter. These trophy elk are located within the boundaries of the San Carlos Apache Reservation which is located in southeast central Arizona. These elk are free roaming and are not disturbed for most of the year. but when the rut hunt begins, those lucky few are out there for the duration of their hunt searching for that elusive trophy bull elk of a lifetime.
San Carlos also has another elk unit for the not so wealthy and is called the Malay Gap area. This northeastern part of the reservation is mostly steep canyons and forests with the Black River as a boundary to our north with the White Mtn. Apache Tribe. This unit has a small semi resident herd and can produce bulls scoring up into the 380's. But the primary elk in this unit is a migratory herd and is why the elk hunt for this unit takes place in january when the elk move down from the higher elevations of the White Mtn. Reservation and state lands down into the Malay Gap area. The weather plays a big factor in determining how successful the hunters are in the area. This elk unit is more affordable for the everyday elk hunter and the hunt can be very rewarding if the hunter puts his time into scouting or hiring a guide. At Apache Outdoors we scout these areas regardless of whether we have clients or not for the area just to keep up on our current knowledge of the area and its game. The hunts take place during the months of september, november, december and january. There is also a cow elk hunt in november for the meat hunter and is very affordable. Since the big game tags on the San Carlos are on a first come first served basis, they are definitely in demand and can sometimes require the hunter to stand in line for a couple of days for a chance at a tag. We do not require any kind of special permit from the state of Arizona so all you need is right here in San Carlos for your next big game hunt of a lifetime.
