2022 Bear Hunt - Unit 27 Arizona

When bear hunting is thought of most do not think of Arizona being a prime state for black bear hunts. When mentioning bear hunting in Arizona there are some funny looks that you will get due to the underestimated bear population from then general public. Successfully harvesting the Arizona black bear is the ultimate challenge for most hunters. At least I know it is for myself...

For Arizona bear hunts there is roughly 9 months out of the year that the pursuit for filling a bear tag may be achieved. Many of these opportunities are though over the counter tags (OTC) first starting in in late March carrying into may with the exception of some running into July. Then the first fall hunts will start in August which typically end in September. Lastly there is the late fall hunts that run from October-December of course until the quota limit is filled.

For my first bear hunt which took place in October of 2022 in unit 27. I chose the ultimate challenge when it comes to bear hunting; This was spot and stalk hunting. Myself and two friends then embarked on the 7 hour drive to Alpine Arizona which we knew nothing about with the goal of harvesting the king predator of Arizona. Our first morning waking up in the trees surrounded by bull bugles where it was around 30 degrees as we were full of excitement and eagerness, the chase for the king began.

For the next several days we continued the chase and thrill of harvesting an Arizona black bear, throughout these days out knowledge continued to grow as we explored this new unit. After seeing elk and deer every day with no sign of bear the question of what are we doing wrong was in everyone's mind. Our hunting then continued on for another two days of trying new areas and talking to as many people as possible that we encountered. The elusive Arizona black bear had eluded us on our 5 day hunt. Tag soup it was.

If you ever find yourself hunting in unit 27 there are some key factors to remember about this area.

- The weather is unpredictable rain, wind, and snow can appear out of no where.

- Service is very spotty, having radios and GPS is essential incase of separation.

- Extra fuel, there is only one gas station in Alpine. Depending on your location in the unit it can be very easy to get stranded by running out of fuel.

- Good footwear, the terrain of unit 27 is very unforgiving with mountains and canyons. Expect to walk upwards of 5-7 miles a day.