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Recreation and Wildlife Department San Carlos Apache Tribe |
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We have a wide diversity of game animals ranging from the
San Carlos “Big Ten” to small game and predators. Non-Tribal members are allowed to hunt nine of the ten big
game species (the species excluded is mule deer).
The 1.8 million acre Reservation is divided into four main hunting units
(A, B, C, D), and in some cases sub-units.
Please contact us if you have any questions about which area is legal for
your tag. Most of our hunts are not
guide required, although some units require a guide to be present (e.g., some
hunts in Unit D and all of R-100 hunts), and so do some of the trophy hunts
(trophy elk and bighorn sheep). If
you would like a guide for your hunt, contact our Department and ask for a list
of Tribal-licensed guides. A few of
our hunts overlap with others, so it is possible to set up combination hunts,
and this is especially true with adding a predator, small game, or mountain lion
permit along with your big game tag. All
of our hunts require the hunter to purchase a San Carlos Habitat Stamp which
costs $5.00. This money is used to
implement and maintain habitat improvement areas.
This page is meant to give an overview of what is available to hunt on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. For a list of upcoming 2003-2004 Big Game Hunts, please click here: Hunting Schedule. Please contact the Department and we’ll be happy to send you an application and tell you what permits are still available.
Elk
There are three populations of elk on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Two are managed for trophy status; the Dry Lake Herd and the Hilltop Herd. We limit the number of bull permits to manage an older-age class herd. The other population is located in Malay Gap and is managed for hunter harvest opportunity. The Malay Gap herd has a year-round residential herd, but during the winter, the area hosts a wintering population of migratory elk that come from the White Mountains to the north and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to the east. The elk herds on the Reservation are related to the Yellowstone elk herd, however there is speculation that the endemic, but thought to be extinct, Merriam’s elk may have contributed to the gene pool of elk found on the Reservation. The life expectancy of a female elk is between 16 to 18 years. Rut occurs in mid- to late-September with a gestation of 8.5 months. Calving occurs in late-May to mid-June. Age at first breeding for cows is 1.5 years and for bulls is 4.5 years. Diets include grasses, forbs, and shrubs. We
offer a wide variety of elk hunts. One
very popular hunting area is Malay Gap. The
elk in this region are managed primarily for hunting opportunity.
This unit is roughly 134,000 acres in size and is located in the
north-eastern corner of the Reservation.
The Tribe offers two hunts to non-members; a September archery rut hunt
and a January rifle or archery hunt. The
September archery hunt is actually divided into two seasons.
Bulls in Malay Gap generally average in the 310-330 class, with some
exceptional animals scoring from 370 to grossing just under 400 inches. The archery rut hunt is for antlered animals while the
January rifle hunt is for “any elk.” We
offer the rifle hunt in January because Malay Gap is an area where elk migrate
to in order to escape winter snow to the north and to the east of this region.
The hunter success rate will typically be higher with greater snowfall.
The January rifle hunt success rate ranges between 48% and 92%, and was
64% for 2003. The smallest elk
reported in 2003 was a 5*5. There
are no Tribal member elk hunts simultaneously occurring during the January hunt.
Tribal members hunt this region in December and in a season which runs
from late-January to early-February. The
time-frame between the December Tribal member hunt and the January non-member
hunt is about a month and the December harvest does not appear to affect harvest
success during the January non-member hunt. Our
trophy elk populations of Hilltop and Dry Lake herds are truly incredible.
Our largest bull harvested
was in 1997 which was a 9*10 that grossed 502
6/8 and netted 487 points. Most
of the hunters purchasing these tags are looking to harvest a bull that will
score over 400 points, and the opportunity to consistently do so is perhaps the
best in the United States for free-ranging animals.
The trophy hunts are held during the month of September and so the bulls
are in full rut behavior. Archery
or rifles may be used. The money
generated through the sale of these tags goes into the Tribe’s Conservation
Fund, which is used for wildlife surveys and habitat improvement projects. We also offer antlerless hunts during early-November within the trophy Hilltop and Dry Lake areas. These tags are very reasonably priced and provide a great hunting experience as well as some fantastic table fare. During the first week of October, we offer youth management hunts also within our trophy units. These hunts are designed to help thin the bull population and also provide youth an exclusive hunting opportunity. The tags are limited in number and bulls 5*5 or smaller and cows are legal. This is a great opportunity for youth because there are very few tags and therefore few other hunters, and the bulls are still rutting, which makes for some very exciting close encounters.
Coues Deer The Coues deer is a small-sized subspecies of the white-tailed deer. It’s range is restricted to southern Arizona, south-western New Mexico and northern Mexico. The San Carlos Apache Reservation is considered a premier area to hunt these deer. Coues deer may be harvested by Tribal members during their rifle deer season in October, but they generally tend to harvest mule deer during that season, and Coues deer makes up little of their harvest. We have two seasons for non-member Coues deer hunters, a November season and a January rut hunt. Coues deer may be found throughout the Reservation, predominantly in areas with chaparral, Manderean evergreen, or oak-juniper vegetation in areas of rough, steep, or broken terrain. The highest densities are in the Santa Theresa Mountains, the Mescals, the Salt River breaks, and along the Nantac Rim. The R-100 portion of the Nantac Rim is a highly sought after tag because of the density of deer and their rack size. These secretive, small deer blend very well into their surroundings, so bring along good optics in your pursuit. The life expectancy of Coues deer is around 11 years. The rut occurs from late-December to mid-January with a 7 month gestation and fawning occurring from July to August. The average number of young is 1.3 fawns. Diet is composed of forbs, shrubs, grasses, and acorns.
Mule Deer Mule deer are managed for Tribal member hunters and are in all 4 game management units on the Reservation. They are most abundant in Unit C. Mule deer are primarily browsers, feeding on twigs, bark, buds, leaves, and nuts. In the spring and summer they will also feed on grasses and forbs. Does first breed at 1.5 years and bucks at 2.5 years. The rut is usually in late-November and early-December. Gestation is 190 days and fawning usually peaks in mid-June. Adult does typically give birth to twins, while yearlings give birth to singletons. Fawns remain with the doe for one year. Life expectancy of mule deer is about 10 years. The majority of mule deer mortality can be attributed to mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and hunter harvest.
Pronghorn
Antelope There are two major populations of pronghorn antelope on the Reservation. One resides on Big Prairie, and the other on Ash Flats. Antelope are native to both areas. The Ash Flats population was virtually non-existent for much of the 20th century. Antelope were re-introduced to this region with two shipments brought from the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana in January, 1991 (72 antelope) and February, 1992 (51 antelope). It is unclear if the Big Prairie herd results from an original, endemic population, or if they are animals that pioneered the area following a 1950’s reintroduction onto nearby Bonita Prairie on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Antelope life expectancy is approximately 10 years. The rut is in September with a gestation of 8.5 months with fawning occuring in late-May and early-June. The does first breed at 1.5 years and the bucks at 2.5 years of age. Does on average produce 1.6 fawns. Antelope diet includes forbs, shrubs, and grasses. These are small populations of animals, and we typically offer very limited tags to both non-members and Tribal members, and therefore the potential to harvest a trophy buck is quite high.
Rocky
Mountain Bighorn Sheep Rocky
Mountain bighorn sheep are found along the Nantac Rim and in the northeastern
corner of the reservation along the Black River. The Nantac Rim population migrated onto the reservation from
a transplant by the state of Arizona on lands east of the reservation in 1979.
The Reservation has had some good bighorns harvested over the years.
In December, 2002, a ram from the Nantac Rim green scored at
approximately 182. Please
contact the Department to determine if a tag(s) will be issued for these
populations. The money generated
through the sale of these tags goes into the Tribe’s Conservation Fund, which
is used for wildlife surveys and habitat improvement projects. Bighorn sheep have a life expectancy of 13 years. The rut occurs from August to October. Gestation is 6 months and lambs are born from February to April. Ewes first breed at 2 years and the rams breed at 4.5 years. Their diet includes grasses, shrubs, and forbs.
Desert
Bighorn Sheep Desert
bighorn sheep are found in the south-western portion of the Reservation within
the Ash Creek-Devil’s Canyon area in Unit D.
This population is an offshoot of the Aravaipa herd with exchanges of
individuals between these areas occurring frequently. The world record desert bighorn was harvested from this
Aravaipa herd just south of Reservation boundary.
Please contact the Department to determine if a tag(s) will be issued for
this population. The money
generated through the sale of these tags goes into the Tribe’s Conservation
Fund, which is used for wildlife surveys and habitat improvement projects.
Desert bighorn sheep have a life expectancy of 13 years. The rut occurs from August to October. Gestation is 6 months and lambs are born from February to April. Ewes first breed at 2 years and the rams breed at 4.5 years. Diet includes grasses, shrubs, and forbs.
Black
Black bears are found throughout the Reservation and in all habitat types. They appear to be at higher densities in the northern portion of the reservation, in areas occupied by timber and associated woodlands. Bears are omnivores; eating a large variety of plant species (grasses, fruits, berries, and mast), insects, and meat (both carrion and prey). Black bears may live up to 20 years. Breeding first occurs around 3.5 years in females. Females are bred in the spring, but implantation of the embryo is delayed until fall, just before hibernation. Gestation lasts 3 to 4 months. Females breed at 2 year intervals. We offer three bear hunts on the Reservation, one in the spring and two in the fall. The first fall hunt is typically in mid-August and is timed with the ripening of prickly pear cactus fruit and the acorn mast crop. The 2002 Fall Bear #1 success rate was 88% for Unit A, 100% for Unit B, 100% for Unit C-West, and 60% for Unit C-East (The east and west divisions of Unit C no longer exist for the upcoming hunting years). Hunting with dogs is legal on the Reservation, but a Tribal licensed guide must be present if you do so. Most hunters typically use spot and stalk techniques, but predator calling and hunting with hounds are also great methods for bruins. Baiting is illegal on the San Carlos Reservation.
The 2003 Spring bear hunt had a 53.3% success rate.
The best unit was Unit A with 100% success, followed by Unit C-East with
60% success. Future hunts will no
longer divide Unit C in East and West divisions.
The average number of days spent hunting was 4.93 days and the average
number of bruins seen was 3.80. All
hunters reported that they enjoyed the hunt and that all bear hides were in good
to excellent condition. The average
reported weight was 328 pounds.
Mountain Lion Mountain lions are found throughout the reservation in all habitat types. Abundance and distribution appears to be primarily related to food availability. Lions are carnivores that utilize a wide range of animals for food which includes deer, elk, javelina, cattle, bighorn sheep, and quail. Life expectancy is about 12 years. Mountain lions first breed at 4 years for males and approximately 2.5 years for females. Gestation lasts for 2 months. Average litter size is 2.6 kittens. Mountain lions can be hunted with dogs, as long as a Tribal licensed guide is present, and is the best method for your chances of harvest. To hunt mountain lions, you'll need a mountain lion tag ($10.00), a daily mountain lion license ($10.00/day), and a Habitat Conservation Stamp. Check-out is required, so swing by the office and fill out a harvest report. The limit is 5 lions, so once you get your first one, you can come to the office and purchase another tag for up to 5 lions per calendar year. The Recreation and Wildlife Department is currently conducting a mountain lion study to look at movements and habitat selection on the Reservation. If you happen to harvest a mountain lion with a radiocollar or ear tags, please return the collar and tags to the Department headquarters in order to help our study.
Javelina
Javelina have a wide distribution across the Reservation, being most abundant in the oak/juniper associations and juniper woodlands interspersed with desert or grassland habitats. Highest densities are found in portions of A, B, and D. Javelina have a life expectancy of 9 years. They are capable of breeding at any time of year with a gestation of 5 months. The age of sows at first breeding is 10 months. Javelina are highly social and will move in groups of around 10 individuals. Javelina are omnivores, and particularly favor prickly pear cactus. Javelina have poor eyesight and respond well to predator calls, making them a fun quarry for archery hunters. Javelina tend to stay within a mile or two of water, so it is best to hunt near stock tanks or along washes. Their salt and pepper hide coloration allow them to blend very well into the desert hillsides, so be patient and bring good optics. We have two seasons for javelina; we have an archery season which is open for 16 days in late-January and a 9 day rifle season held in mid-February. For the 2003 non-member archery hunt, there were a total of 400 tags available (100 tags per hunting unit), with 307 tags sold. The 2003 non-member archery success rate for those who hunted was 39%. This season, archery hunters averaged 4.67 days in the field (statistic includes successful and unsuccessful hunters), saw 19.37 javelina, and the average weight of javelina harvested was 40.7 pounds. The success rate and associated information by hunting unit and the historical hunting success data is provided below: Non-member 2003 Archery Javelina Hunting Statistics
For the 2003 non-member rifle hunt, there were a total of 400 tags available (100 tags per hunting unit), with 375 tags sold. The success rate for those who hunted of 41%. This season, rifle hunters averaged 3.48 days in the field (statistic includes successful and unsuccessful hunters), observed an average 10.32 javelina, and the average weight of javelina was 44.4 pounds. The success rate and associated information by hunting unit and the historical hunting success data is provided below: Non-member 2003 Rifle Javelina Hunting Statistics
* : two hunters reported seeing lots of javelina; if remove these outliers, then out of 29 hunters, the average number of javelina seen was 9.90 for Unit C.
Turkey
The Merriam’s turkey is found on the forested portions of the Reservation including the Natanes Plateau and other associated woodlands. Life expectancy of turkeys is about 6 years. Breeding first occurs at 2 years of age for both sexes. The breeding season is from April to May with hatching occurring from May to June. Clutch size is between 10 to 12 eggs. Diet is highly variable including, acorns, seeds, and insects. We currently have 3 seasons for turkeys on the Reservation, two in the spring and one in the fall. Both spring seasons are for toms only while the fall hunt is an either-sex tag. The fall season is usually just a couple weeks behind Thanksgiving, so it is a great opportunity to put a wild game bird on the dinner table for the holiday. Each hunter can harvest two turkeys per hunting year, but only one may be taken per season.
The non-member Fall Turkey 2002 season had a success rate of 50%.
Hunters spent an average of 2.45 days hunting turkey.
One-third of the harvest were toms for this either-sex hunt.
For the First Spring Season of 2003, the success rate was 35%.
The average number of days spent hunting was 3.61.
The reported average weight for toms harvested was 18.69 pounds and the
average beard length was 8.7 inches. The
success rate was 56% for the Second Spring Season of 2003.
The average number of days spent hunting was 3.93.
The reported average weight for toms harvested was 19.1 pounds and the
average beard length was 8.23 inches.
Quail
There are three species of quail found on the reservation: Gambel’s; Scaled; and Mearn’s quail. Gamble’s quail are the most abundant and widespread, and are the most sought after by hunters. Bringing along a good bird dog will certainly improve your chances of locating birds. Gambel’s quail population size can be correlated to the amount of winter precipitation, so in wet winters, expect fantastic quail hunting. Regardless of climatic conditions, in comparison to public land surrounding the San Carlos Reservation one hunter was quoted as saying, “On the state side, all I see is empty shotgun shell casings, and on the San Carlos, I see quail.” Waterfowl
Waterfowl hunting on the Reservation typically follows
Arizona state and federal laws. There
are numerous places to hunt, with San Carlos Lake being the most popular.
Many hunters have good success with jump shooting different stock ponds
located throughout the Reservation. Waterfowl
falls under our small game permit, which will also allow you to hunt dove and
quail if in season. The state duck
stamp is not required, but a federal duck stamp and a San Carlos habitat stamp
are required.
Predators
Predator hunting is open year-round on the Reservation. A habitat stamp and a daily permit is all that is required. Species permitted to be harvested under this license include coyote, bobcat, and foxes. These species can be found throughout the Reservation, but coyote hunters will probably have the best success hunting Antelope Flats, Ash Flats, and Big Prairie. Electronic calls are allowed on the Reservation. |
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