Unit 10, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 3,500 feet in lower Cataract Canyon drainages to about 7,600 feet on forested ridges near Williams; much of the Coconino Plateau surface is flat to gently rolling ponderosa-and-juniper tableland, dropping sharply into Cataract Canyon on the north and northeast. The interior contains the Aubrey Valley grasslands, Bishop Lake Plateau, and isolated canyon drainages including Driftwood, Disquiba, and Box K canyons.

Primary road access is via Interstate 40 (running east-west through the unit's southern portion) and Arizona Highway 64 (running north to the Grand Canyon South Rim). AZ Highway 66 (Historic Route 66 / Crookton Road, Exit 139 off I-40) provides additional east-west access. US Highway 180 from Flagstaff connects to AZ 64 through the northern edge of the Williams Ranger District. The Kaibab National Forest (Williams Ranger District, 550,411 acres, HQ in Williams) covers the southeast portion with improved gravel roads; the forest implements Travel Management Rule restrictions — motorized off-road vehicle use is limited to designated routes on Motor Vehicle Use Maps. The Kaibab National Forest allows cross-country motorized retrieval of elk, but only on designated open roads. Notable campgrounds include Dogtown Lake (open year-round) and Cataract Lake (seasonal day-use only, no overnight). The western half (~720,000 acres) is the Boquillas-Diamond A Ranch — private, accessible via a Landowner Compact Agreement (AZGFD note 43); hunters must contact the ranch (HuntBigBoRanch.com) for access details, restricted dates, and fees. The eastern portion contains the Perrin Ranch, also under a Landowner Compact Agreement (AZGFD note 44); a free Ranch Pass is required and available at sign-in boxes at ranch entry points (azgfd.gov/landownercompact). The Hualapai Reservation adjoins the unit's western edge. Grand Canyon National Park boundary (closed to hunting) abuts the north. Stage 1 fire restrictions were in effect as of June 11, 2026, on the Williams Ranger District — hunters should check current conditions before each season at www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab or inciweb.nwcg.gov.

The unit spans at least four distinct habitat zones: (1) open grassland prairie and semi-arid shrubland (Aubrey Valley floor, ~4,500–5,500 ft); (2) rolling pinyon-juniper woodland with cliffrose and sagebrush (middle elevations, dominant across most of the unit); (3) ponderosa pine and Gambel oak forest concentrated in the southeast corner within the Kaibab National Forest near Williams (~6,500–7,600 ft); and (4) riparian and canyon-bottom scrub along Cataract Creek and its tributaries. Thick juniper stands and large open grassland clearings characterize the cattle-ranch core of the unit.

Elk (Rocky Mountain, large antlerless quota reflecting active population management; bulls occasionally score 400-class in good precipitation years); mule deer (resident, non-migratory population across most of the unit, higher densities near Williams and Aubrey Cliffs); pronghorn (inhabiting open grassland flats and small openings in junipers throughout the Aubrey Valley and central plateau — historically top-tier, now productive but below peak historical levels); desert bighorn sheep (small natural population in Cataract Canyon — Driftwood Canyon, Disquiba Canyon, and south to Box K — not transplanted); Merriam's turkey (best within 5–7 miles of the Williams ponderosa pine zone, population fluctuates with precipitation); javelina (growing population concentrated near water sources, Aubrey Cliffs, Ash Fork area, and along Welsh Road); black bear (present in unit, tracks found at water sources from late spring through fall, best in the southeast corner near Williams and I-40, general nonpermit-tag season Oct–Dec); mountain lion (healthy population throughout all of Unit 10). Note: white-tailed deer have minimal presence on the fringe of their habitat range.

1. ELK: The large antlerless quotas (Oct 16–Oct 22 and Dec 4–Dec 10) reflect active population management, not trophy hunting. The tag_quota of 1,155 captures bull + archery antlerless draws only (excluding largest population-management antlerless rifle hunts). 2. DEER: Hunt 1013 legal wildlife is 'Any antlered deer' (includes rare whitetail fringe); season dates are 2025-26 regulation year; 2026 fall deer dates will be set by June 2026 draw. 3. PRONGHORN: Hunt 2016 = 60 permits confirmed from 2026 booklet. Archery hunt 2049 permit count not extractable from PDF column layout; 30 is the draft's estimate making the 90 total. 4. TURKEY: Hunt 4509 covers Units 8 AND 10 combined (150 total permits); Unit 10 share not broken out. 5. BIGHORN: Hunt 6001 covers Units 9 and 10 combined; note (43,90,96). 6. BEAR: General nonpermit-tag season confirmed for Unit 10 (Oct 3–Dec 31, 2025) — NOT a draw hunt. Female harvest limit 2. Draft incorrectly stated no bear season. 7. JAVELINA: Hunt 5501 classification as youth-only based on companion population management tag structure (note 33). 8. ACCESS: ~61% private land. Boquillas-Diamond A (~720,000 acres, note 43) and Perrin Ranch (note 44) each have AZGFD Landowner Compact Agreements. 9. DRAW ODDS: Specific draw odds not available from public sources; elk bull hunts estimated 10+ bonus points for early seasons. 10. HUNTER SUCCESS: Unit-specific rates unavailable (behind paywalls); set to null throughout.