Arizona Antelope Hunting 2026

Application Deadlines Non-Resident Fees Resident Fees Big Game Season Dates Draw Result Dates State Contact Information

Annual Schedule:
1st Tues in February: Elk & Antelope
1st Tues in June: Sheep, Bison, & Deer
1st Tues in October: Bison, Javelina, & Turkey
Nov 3, 2025: 2026 archery deer tags available (2,820 nonresident tags sold out in 17 minutes hours in 2024)

UP-FRONT FEES
Combo Hunting & Fishing License	$160.00
Youth Combo Hunting & Fishing License (Ages 10-17)	$5.00
Application Fee or Bonus Point Only Fee (Per Species)	$15.00
PointGuard Option (Per Species)	$10.00
PointGuard+ Option (All Species)	$25.00
POST DRAW FEES (IF SUCCESSFUL)
Bighorn Sheep (Desert or Rocky)	$1,800.00
Bison (Bull or Any)	$5,400.00
Bison (Cow/Yearling)	$3,250.00
Bison (Yearling)	$1,750.00
Elk (Bull or Cow)	$650.00
Elk (Youth Cow Only)	$50.00
Deer (Draw Permit)	$300.00
Deer (Archery OTC)	$300.00
Deer (Youth Only)	$25.00
Antelope	$550.00
Javelina	$100.00
Javelina (Youth Only)	$15.00
Turkey	$90.00
Turkey (Youth Only)	$10.00

UP-FRONT FEES
Combo Hunting & Fishing License	$57.00
Youth Combo Hunting & Fishing License (Ages 10-17)	$5.00
Application Fee or Bonus Point Only Fee (Per Species)	$13.00
PointGuard Option (Per Species)	$10.00
PointGuard+ Option (All Species)	$25.00
POST DRAW FEES (IF SUCCESSFUL)
Bighorn Sheep (Desert or Rocky)	$300.00
Bison (Bull or Any)	$1,100.00
Bison (Cow/Yearling)	$650.00
Bison (Yearling)	$350.00
Elk (Bull or Cow)	$135.00
Elk (Youth Cow Only)	$50.00
Deer (Draw Permit)	$45.00
Deer (Archery OTC)	$45.00
Deer (Youth Only)	$25.00
Antelope	$90.00
Javelina	$25.00
Javelina (Youth Only)	$15.00
Turkey	$25.00
Turkey (Youth Only)	$10.00

ARIZONA DEER SEASON DATES
Archery Deer Summer OTC / Draw	Aug 22 – Sep 11, 2025
Mule Deer Early Rifle	Oct 24 – Nov 2, 2025
Coues Deer 1st Rifle	Oct 24 – 30, 2025
Coues Deer 2nd Rifle	Nov 7 – 13, 2025
Mule Deer Late Rifle	Nov 21 – 30, 2025
Coues Deer 3rd Rifle	Nov 28 – Dec 7, 2025
Coues Deer 4th Rifle	Dec 17 – 31, 2025
Archery Deer December OTC	Dec 17 – 31, 2025
Archery Deer January OTC	Jan 1 – 31, 2026

ARIZONA ELK SEASON DATES
Bull Elk Early Archery	Sep 12 – 25, 2025
Bull Elk Early Muzzleloader/Rifle	Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2025
Bull Elk Late Archery	Nov 14 – 27, 2025
Bull Elk Late Muzzleloader/Rifle	Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2025

ARIZONA ANTELOPE SEASON DATES
Rifle	Aug 15 – Aug 31, 2025
Archery	Aug 22 – Sept 4, 2025
Muzzleloader	Sep 5 – Sep 11 or Sep 5 - 14, 2025

ARIZONA SHEEP SEASON DATES
Desert Bighorn	Nov – Dec 31, 2025
Rocky Mountain Bighorn	Oct – Dec 31, 2025

ARIZONA TURKEY SEASON DATES
Fall Turkey (General)	Oct 3 – Oct 9, 2025
Spring Turkey	Apr 25 – May 21, 2025

ARIZONA BISON SEASON DATES
Any Weapon Fall	Aug - Dec, 2025 (Varies by unit)
Any Weapon Spring	Jan - Jun, 2026 (Varies by unit)

ARIZONA JAVELINA SEASON DATES
Archery	Jan 1 – Jan 22, 2025
Handgun/Archery/Muzzleloader	Feb 6 – Feb 16, 2025
Rifle	Feb 20 – Feb 26, 2025

ARIZONA MOUNTAIN LION SEASON DATES
Statewide (General)	Aug 23, 2025 – May 31, 2026

ARIZONA BEAR SEASON DATES
Spring Bear	Mar 20 – April 23, 2025 (until quota is met)
Fall Bear	Aug 21 – Dec 31, 2025 (until quota is met)

Disclaimer: Arizona big game season dates vary by unit, weapon type, and permit draw. All dates are subject to change by emergency order or regulation updates. Always verify the latest hunt dates and restrictions with the Arizona Game and Fish Department before planning your hunt: https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/

YEAR	ELK & ANTELOPE	FALL SHEEP, BISON & DEER	SPRING BISON, JAVELINA & TURKEY
2025	February 24, 11:20 a.m. (MST)	June 23, 12:10 p.m. (MST)	TBD
2024	February 26, 10:40 a.m. (MST)	June 24, 11:58 a.m. (MST)	October 18, 10:01 a.m. (MST)
2023	March 15, 10:20 a.m. (MST)	June 27, 9:57 a.m. (MST)	October 20, 10:00 a.m. (MST)
2022	March 8, 10:30 a.m. (MST)	July 5, 12:04 p.m. (MST)	October 31, 9:00 a.m. (MST)
2021	March 20 (system delays)	July 9, 10:46 a.m. (MST)	November 1, 2:00 p.m. (MST)
2020	March 5, 1:30 p.m. (MST)	July 2, 10:45 a.m. (MST)	November 5, 10:45 a.m. (MST)
2019	March 8	July 5
2018	March 8	July 6

Arizona Game & Fish Department

5000 W Carefree Highway
PO Box 74020
Phoenix, AZ 85087
ph. 602-942-3000

APPLY

Arizona still has the potential to produce 82-inch and larger antelope bucks, though the overall number of true trophy animals is lower than what you’ll find in many other states. Two big forces shape Arizona’s antelope populations: drought and coyote predation. Predation always plays a major role in herd dynamics, but in southern states like Arizona, drought has an even bigger impact on fawn recruitment and long-term growth. When the winterkill issues shift farther north, fawn survival drops, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s tag reductions are often a direct reflection of those recruitment problems.

Most Arizona units are capable of producing a trophy buck, but hunters shouldn’t expect a landscape filled with giants. Success usually comes from passing a handful of decent bucks while waiting for one that truly stands out. Units 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 7, and 9 often produce public access and mature bucks. Units 6A and 10, once top-tier options for public-land hunters targeting big pronghorn, still offer good hunts but no longer produce the same number of top-end animals. Public land can be limiting in many units, but it rarely eliminates opportunity. It just means planning ahead and knowing the terrain. Our unit descriptions can help you identify where an outfitter might be worth considering versus units that reliably offer a self-guided, public-land hunt.

UNIT	COMMENTS
1	Good population. Antelope in this unit are split with a higher population residing in the north of Hwy 260. The other population resides in the grass prairie along Hwy 261 south of Eager. Good public access to both areas with the northern portion consisting of State land and the south consisting of USFS land. Better bucks are typically found in timbered pockets. Too many tags for many older age class bucks. 75" potential with very few 80"+ bucks.
3A	Small population. Tons of wide-open, flat country. Most of this unit is made up of checkerboarded private/public land. Drought has had the biggest impact on the population in this unit. Favorable weather and reduced tags have stabilized and have this unit looking better. Water is key in this unit, and most antelope will be found in close proximity to it. Scouting in advance to see which tanks still have water will be important. Mostly 75" class bucks are top end.
4A	Small population, but this unit keeps producing a few great bucks. Good, glassable, open terrain but tough stalking conditions. There are good water sources on the Ohaco and Hopi 3 Aja Ranchs that hold good numbers of antelope. AZGFD has an access agreement in place to hunt a lot of the private land on 4A. Quality continues to be good, and with decent access to a lot of checkerboarded land in the northern part of the unit, it remains one of the better options. Decent potential for 78-82"+ bucks.
4B	Decent population. Flat, scattered pinyon/juniper terrain with open sage flats and broken canyons in the north. Tougher public access in the northern end. There is a decent number of antelope in the northern end of the USFS land along the private land boundary. Tag reductions are helping maintain quality, but it’s still tough to find a buck over 80". 76-80"+ potential.
5A	Decent population. Open, glassable terrain. Fair public access with a lot of checkerboarded private/public land, but there are private/tribal land access agreements in place through AZGFD that allow hunter access. They are adding a few more tags back to this unit with more older age class bucks being seen. Unit is solid for 78-82"+ class bucks for hunters that get after it and is one of the better units in the state right now.
5B	Good population. Mostly open sage flats with some broken pinyon/juniper and yellow pine canyons. Good public access in most of the unit. This unit is always among the best units for trophy class bucks, even with a slight dip in population. Should be a great hunt for 82"+ size bucks with a chance at a true giant.
6A	Lower population. The bulk of the antelope are in the more open meadows adjacent to big timber patches on the west side of the unit. There is also a population of antelope in the northern portion of the unit in the pockets of open meadows in sparse yellow pine stands. Age class and trophy quality have fallen off a bit, and the days of 85"+ bucks are done for the most part. Heavy scouting or hiring a good outfitter can still make this hunt great. Some of the better bucks have been getting harvested by archery hunters prior to the rifle hunt and have cut archery tags in half because of this. 80"+ potential.
7	Stable population. Good public access. Quality is still off but appears to be rebounding some with a few great bucks being taken this year. Mostly open, glassable terrain with some groups of antelope holing up in high elevation yellow pine pockets. Archery dates have been shifted back to the same dates as the rest of the state, but the rifle dates are still late, which can make for a tougher hunt without rut activity. 7 is a huge unit with antelope being found throughout. Scouting or hiring an outfitter will make all the difference if looking for an 82" class buck.
8	Declining population. This unit is not rifle or archery hunted. Moderate terrain with thick yellow pine stands for antelope to seek refuge in from hunting pressure. Most antelope are found in the northern portion of the unit. Good public access with some private land issues around the Garland Prairie area. Quality is still way off. Don’t expect much over 75".
9	The population is declining, and the quality has significantly decreased compared to historic levels. There are very few 80" bucks remaining. Antelope can be difficult to locate in the dense pinyon/juniper areas when under pressure. There is good public access. Archery season was moved later to coincide with the rest of the state’s archery seasons. Later rifle seasons are more challenging for targeting rutting bucks. While an outfitter can be helpful, finding an older age-class buck remains a tough challenge.
10	Population is struggling from historic numbers. Quality is still down, but with this unit having the highest population in Arizona, there will always be a couple giant bucks that will come from here, which was the case again in 2024 with two of the biggest bucks in Arizona coming from there. Tag reductions have helped quality slightly, but overall, B&C bucks are difficult to come by. Antelope fawn recruitment is the problem in this unit currently, and until they can control predation, this unit will continue to struggle.
11M	Smaller population. This unit is only archery hunted. High elevation yellow pine timber that is good for stalking. Some private land issues with some antelope being located close to Flagstaff. Mid-70" potential for the most part, but always a chance for a big buck or two.
13A	Arizona Strip. Good road access in easy, open glassable terrain with some portions of thick pinyon/juniper. Mostly public land. Low population, and it will require some time scouting or hiring an outfitter to find a 78"+ buck. AZGFD added an archery hunt this year with 5 tags. This will be a tough hunt for trophy bucks but with isolated water pockets it may prove to be a good hunt if not interested in B&C potential.
13B	Arizona Strip. Good glassable valleys with lower antelope densities than most units in Arizona. Some pockets of antelope will reside in dense pinyon/juniper cover. Plenty of public land with good road access. This unit will have a 5-tag increase as well, but unfortunately, that is not an indicator of quality coming up. A 75-78" class buck is on the upper end with maybe a few 80"+ bucks to be had.
17B, 19B	The population remains stable, with the majority of antelope found in unit 19B. The terrain is primarily flat, consisting of open sagebrush and grasslands. Access is limited due to large areas of private land and the checkerboard pattern of private and public land throughout much of 19B. While the overall quality of hunting remains good, there is still a chance to encounter bucks over 80". Hiring an outfitter may be beneficial. The 17B/19B area also hosts a muzzleloader hunt before the rifle season.
18A	Small population. Scattered pinyon/juniper moderate terrain with sage flat openings. Some BLM and state land will hold antelope, but private land is checkerboarded throughout the unit and is always an issue hunters will have to deal with. Intense scouting for a self-guided hunter will be required to find a mature buck on public land. 78-82" potential, mostly with the aid of an outfitter. 18A has a muzzleloader hunt that takes place prior to the rifle hunt.
18B	Small population that is scattered out in various pockets throughout the unit. Mostly open sage rolling hill/canyon terrain with scattered pinyon/juniper trees. Poor public access in and around the ORO Ranch with checkerboarded private/public land. The archery hunt was completely eliminated from this unit this year. 78-80"+ potential with the aid of an outfitter or a lot of scouting.
19AN	Good population. Mostly wide-open sage country with some pinyon/juniper hill country making up most of the BLM land. Good archery hunting unit. The muzzleloader hunt is prior to the rifle hunt, which can make it tougher to find an 80"+ buck during the rifle hunt. There is only one rifle hunt on this unit since 2024. Fair public access with a lot of checkerboarded private/public land. Quality can be great on this unit, and some great bucks can come from here, but overall, 78-80"+ bucks are typically the top end.

Guided Hunts - Featured Arizona Antelope Hunting

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