Unit 18A, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 4,500 to 6,000 feet. The unit encompasses a mosaic of broad, open grassland valleys (Truxton Flats, Aubrey Valley, Markham Well Flat, 74 Plains, Echeverrias Flat), interrupted by pinyon-juniper covered mesas, rocky mountains (Mormon Peaks, Juniper Mountains, Black Mountain, Cross Mountain), and deep canyons (Nelson Canyon, Cottonwood Cliffs on the western edge). Southern and western portions are rougher with mesas and canyon systems; the eastern fringe flattens toward Seligman.

The unit boundary runs: west from Seligman on AZ Hwy 66 to the Hualapai Indian Reservation; southwest and west along the reservation boundary back to AZ Hwy 66; southwest on AZ Hwy 66 to Hackberry Road; south on Hackberry Road to I-40; west on I-40 to US Hwy 93; south on US 93 to Cane Springs Wash; east along Cane Springs Wash to the Big Sandy River; north along the Big Sandy River to Trout Creek; northeast along Trout Creek to the Davis Dam–Prescott power line; southeast along the power line to the Prescott National Forest west boundary; north and east along that forest boundary to Williamson Valley Road (County Road 5 / FR 6); north on Williamson Valley Road back to Seligman. Sovereign tribal lands of the Hualapai Tribe are excluded. Public land is approximately 52% of the unit (BLM Kingman Field Office dominates the northwest Truxton Flat and Walkover Mine area; Prescott National Forest covers a sliver of the southeast edge). Land ownership elsewhere follows a checkerboard pattern of state trust and private parcels, requiring hunter sign-in at ranch access boxes and display of green access permits. Key private ranch: Fort Rock Ranch — Note 42 in the 2026-27 AZGFD regulations states AZGFD has a Landowner Compact Agreement with Fort Rock Ranch, which is physically located in the northern portion of Unit 18B; the compact applies to draws in both 18A and 18B. Access is granted via azgfd.gov/fortrockranch. The X Bar One Ranch is reported closed to public access with guided hunts only. Four-wheel-drive recommended on unimproved roads. Remote rural subdivisions throughout the unit create additional property-boundary complexity. No designated wilderness within 18A itself; the nearest BLM Kingman wilderness units (Arrastra Mountain, Upper Burro Creek) lie just south near the Big Sandy drainage in adjacent units. Note 128 applies to all 18A elk and pronghorn draws: hunter access is extremely restricted; applicants must secure landowner access before applying.

The unit transitions from high-desert grassland in the valley floors through sagebrush and chaparral on the lower slopes to dense pinyon-juniper woodland on the mesas and mountain flanks. Riparian corridors—Knight Creek, Wright Creek, Trout Creek, Willow Creek, and the Big Sandy River—support cottonwood and willow. No ponderosa pine component; the sky-island and ponderosa zone lies outside the unit boundary.

Mule deer inhabit the unit year-round but at relatively low population densities; exceptional bucks are occasionally taken. Elk are present in the combined 15A/15B/18A landscape, with limited draw hunts offered annually. AZGFD Note 128 warns that hunter access in the 18A portion is extremely restricted — applicants must secure landowner permission before applying. Pronghorn antelope occupy the open grassland valleys (Truxton Flats, Aubrey Valley, and adjacent grasslands); numbers fluctuate with precipitation but a small huntable population exists. Black bear are uncommon, found primarily near permanent water sources (Knight Creek, Wright Creek) and creek-bottom food sources in the western half. Mountain lion maintain a healthy resident population throughout the unit. Javelina are reported present in the pinyon-juniper and lower-elevation portions (Hunt Now Arizona notes them as relatively plentiful), though no draw or nonpermit javelina season is offered in 18A under the 2026-27 regulations — this likely reflects access and management decisions rather than absence of the species. Coyote and other predatory/furbearing mammals are open year-round across the unit.

1. Elk quota numbers are for the combined 15A/15B/18A hunt area and cannot be attributed to 18A alone; AZGFD Note 128 warns that access in the 18A portion is 'extremely restricted' — applicants must secure landowner permission before applying. 2. Mule deer general permit count (400, Hunt 1026) confirmed directly from Commission Order 2 table in the 2026-27 regulations. Archery OTC nonpermit-tag harvest limit for 18A is 20. No muzzleloader deer hunt exists for 18A in 2026-27. 3. Pronghorn quotas for 18A as standalone unit: archery 5 (Hunt 2055), muzzleloader 4 (Hunt 2034), general 6 (Hunt 2021). Both Note 42 and Note 128 apply to all 18A pronghorn hunts. 4. Note 42 clarification: Fort Rock Ranch is physically located in the northern portion of Unit 18B, not 18A; however, the Landowner Compact Agreement covers draws in both 18A and 18B. 5. Bear is an OTC nonpermit-tag (not a draw); female harvest limit is 3 for the combined 10/18A/19B zone. 6. Mountain lion is an OTC nonpermit-tag (not a draw); Zone E (16A/16B/18A/18B) has a combined harvest threshold of 14. 7. No javelina draw or nonpermit season exists for 18A in the 2026-27 regulations; javelina are reportedly present ecologically. 8. No turkey or bighorn sheep seasons are offered in 18A. 9. Hunter success rates and harvest totals for recent seasons were not available in any source accessed; HuntScore showed zero reported harvest across 351 hunters for a 2021 data point, which may reflect reporting gaps rather than true zero harvest. 10. The draft source reference to 'AZGFD note 128 warns of highly restricted access in the 18A portion' of elk hunts is confirmed verbatim: Note 128 reads 'Hunter access is extremely restricted in this unit or a unit within this hunt. Applicants should secure access from the landowner before applying.'