Unit 4B (Fort Apache - East)

Heber to Forest Lakes: start here

AZGFD's own unit guide says elk in 4B concentrate at the higher, southern elevations. That's the mixed conifer and ponderosa end of a unit that runs from pine country down to desert grassland. Summer through early winter, the guide puts herds between Heber and Forest Lakes, north toward the National Forest boundary, and off most of the main forest roads. We'd build the hunt there.

The guide lists these Highway 260 entry roads: FR 504, 210, 122, 174, 178, 99 and 237. It also points to FR 170, 175, 172, 179, 154, 176 and 228 as roads worth looking at inside elk habitat. Forest Service land is 60 percent of the unit, and most of it is down here.

Elevation helps you read the map. The unit's listed high point is 7,034 feet and the mean is 5,670. The holding country in our terrain data clusters near 7,000: Larson Canyon (7,188), West Fork Little Springs Canyon (7,068), Little Wildcat Canyon (7,058), Willow Springs Canyon (7,035) and Woods Canyon (7,018). The Brookbank Canyon forks and Hanks Draw forks sit a few hundred feet lower. Some of these points are listed above the unit's high point, so they probably sit on or past the boundary. Check them against a Forest Service land status map.

Red Knoll and the southeast corner

To reach the southeast, take FR 504 north of Heber and go east on FR 95 toward Red Knoll (6,537 feet). You can also come off Highway 277 on FR 488 and FR 488A. The guide calls it mostly pinyon-juniper with small and large grassland openings, and says it can be productive "depending on the year." We read that as a place to check, not to bank on. Plenty of small unnumbered roads cut through here, so you'll want the map.

Dry Lake and the Pink Cliffs

The guide says only a limited number of elk live around Dry Lake, about halfway between Heber/Overgaard and Holbrook off Highway 377. Duck Lake Road and Hutch Ranch Road (milepost 15.2) both reach it. The elk move north and west along the Pink Cliffs, using them for bedding and cover. The area has "No Hunting" and "No Trespassing" signs posted throughout, so obey them.

Country to skip, and the late-season shift

North of the forest is a Minimal Occurrence Elk Management Zone, where AZGFD doesn't want resident herds. It's private and State Trust ground. Elk are few, mostly along the Little Colorado River channel, and access is limited. Skip it unless you've done your homework.

As winter comes on, the guide says elk drift south off the Mogollon Rim or north into lower pinyon-juniper. Later hunts may mean working the lower edges of the timber instead of the high pine.