Unit 13B, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 1,490 feet at the Colorado River/Lake Mead shoreline to roughly 7,000–8,000 feet in the Virgin Mountains (northwest corner). The unit is characterized by broad rolling plateaus, shallow canyon systems, and stark rimrock country. Named features include the Shivwits Plateau, Grand Wash Cliffs, Black Rock Mountain, Mount Dellenbaugh, the Beaver Dam Mountains, Diamond Butte, and the Virgin River Gorge along the northern edge. The Hurricane Rim defines the eastern boundary. The terrain grades from Mojave Desert lowlands along the Colorado River corridor to mid-elevation sagebrush hills to isolated ponderosa pine highlands at the upper reaches.

Unit 13B is approximately 97 percent public land (approximately 69 percent BLM, with additional NPS-administered acreage within Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument and the Arizona portion of Lake Mead National Recreation Area). The Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument (~1,017,200 acres) is jointly managed by BLM and NPS and is open to hunting when the unit is open. Grand Canyon National Park land at the southern edge is closed to hunting. Certain sovereign tribal lands of the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians within unit boundaries are excluded from hunting. No paved roads enter most of the unit. Primary access routes include Mohave County Road 5 (Mt. Trumbull Road), Mohave County Road 30 (Navajo Trail), Mohave County Road 101 (Mud Mountain Road), BLM Road 1004, and BLM Road 1045; 4WD high-clearance vehicles are required on most roads and many routes become impassable when wet. Off-road travel is not permitted on the Arizona Strip. The western portion of 13B North (Virgin Mountains/Virgin River Gorge) is accessible via River Road south from St. George, UT (BLM Road 1069 corridor). No services, fuel, or cell coverage exist within the unit; the nearest hospital is in St. George, UT. Maps and trip planning assistance are available at the BLM–NPS Interagency Public Lands Information Center in St. George (4001 East Aviator Drive).

Vegetation transitions through four broad zones with elevation. Mojave Desert scrub — creosote, Joshua tree, cacti, and bunch grasses — occupies the lowest desert canyons near Lake Mead and the Colorado River. Mid-elevations (roughly 3,500–5,500 feet), which cover the greatest portion of the unit, support a sagebrush/bitterbrush/cliffrose shrub complex that constitutes the core mule deer winter range. Pinyon-juniper woodland appears on the higher mesas and ridges. Ponderosa pine stringers reach into the Mount Dellenbaugh area (13B South) at the uppermost elevations (~7,000 ft). Riparian corridors along the Colorado River, Whitmore Wash, Cold Spring Wash, and Kanab Creek provide limited but important water and forage resources.

Mule deer are the signature species, managed under alternative management guidelines targeting older-age-class bucks; bucks scoring 200 inches Boone and Crockett or better are documented regularly. Deer densities are very low across the massive unit; large tracts of suitable habitat may hold no deer. Buck-to-doe ratios are approximately 45–50:100 based on guide-source survey data. Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) inhabit two distinct sub-populations: one centered in the Virgin Mountains and Virgin River Gorge (13B North, the stronger herd) and another along the Grand Wash Cliffs (13B South, very low density, widely dispersed). Pronghorn antelope are present in small numbers (estimated 100–125 animals) concentrated in the lower valley flats including Lower Hurricane Valley, Upper Hurricane Valley, and Mainstreet Valley areas. Two turkey populations occupy separate high-elevation refugia: Merriam's turkeys around Mount Dellenbaugh (13B South, spring permits only) and Rio Grande turkeys at Black Rock Mountain (13B North, introduced 2008–2009). Mountain lion are present throughout. Gambel's quail occur in limited numbers in the low desert. Feral pigs have been sighted near Mud Mountain and Black Rock Mountain (no license required for harvest). Elk are not an established resident species — they appear irregularly in very low numbers; AZGFD notes elk may not be present year-round in units 12A/12B/13A/13B. Javelina and black bear are not established huntable species in 13B.

Fact-check corrections vs. draft: (1) Deer rifle tag quota revised from 175 to ~65 and archery from ~25 to ~20 based on Arizona Strip Guides 2022 data; total ~85, not 200 — draft quota was unsupported. (2) Buck-to-doe ratio revised from 74:100 to ~45-50:100 per guide-source survey data. (3) B&C claim softened from '190-210 regularly, 220+ most years' to '200+ documented regularly' — supported by multiple sources. (4) Feral pigs added to wildlife (confirmed huntnowarizona + Outdoors International). (5) Off-road travel prohibition added per huntnowarizona. (6) Elevation ceiling listed as 7,000-8,000 ft range; sources vary (AZ Strip Guides says 7,000, others say 8,000). (7) Hunt numbers and quotas for bighorn and pronghorn derived from original researcher's PDF extraction — high confidence but official PDF was unreadable by WebFetch tool.