Unit 20C, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 2,000 feet in the lower desert near Wickenburg to over 6,000 feet in the rocky Weaver Mountains. Terrain is highly variable: the Weaver Mountains present steep, rocky ridgelines and canyon systems in the northeast; the Date Creek Mountains in the southwest are a smaller, more rounded desert range; and the western and central portions of the unit consist of gently rolling desert grasslands, mesas, and wide flats dissected by drainages. The unit encompasses approximately 4,000 feet of relief within its boundaries.

Unit 20C is roughly bounded by US Highway 93/60 on the south and west, the Santa Maria River on the northwest, AZ Highway 96 on the north, Kirkland Junction Road and Wagoner Road on the east, and the Hassayampa River on the southeast. Public land comprises approximately 78% of the unit, primarily Bureau of Land Management (administered by the Hassayampa Field Office in Wickenburg) and Arizona State Trust Land, with a smaller portion of Prescott National Forest in the northern portions. Primary vehicle access routes include: US-89 through Kirkland and Wilhoit with spurs onto Stanton-Octave Road (US-89 MP 269), Date Creek Road (US-89 MP 269), and Sorrells Ranch Road (US-89 MP 283) into the western Weavers; AZ-96 from Prescott to Hillside with the Santa Maria River Road (AZ-96 MP 11) accessing northern BLM lands; and US-93 from Wickenburg with multiple access points. The 11,840-acre Hassayampa River Canyon Wilderness (BLM) straddles the unit 20C/20B border northeast of Wickenburg and is closed to motorized vehicles. Some private ranch inholdings near the Hassayampa River, Kirkland, and Wagoner areas restrict through-access; the western half of the unit has fewer access problems than the eastern half. Four-wheel-drive and high-clearance vehicles are recommended for most back-country roads.

Lower elevations (2,000–3,500 ft) support Upper Sonoran/Mojave desert transition vegetation: palo verde, saguaro, yucca, prickly pear cactus, and desert scrub. Mid-elevations (3,500–5,000 ft) shift to desert grassland and chaparral with scrub live oak, catclaw acacia (wait-a-minute bush), and manzanita. Upper elevations in the Weavers (5,000–6,000+ ft) support pinyon pine, juniper, and transitional ponderosa. Riparian corridors along the Hassayampa River, Santa Maria River, Date Creek, Kirkland Creek, Waterman Creek, and Cottonwood Creek provide cottonwood-willow gallery forest and serve as critical water sources and wildlife travel routes.

Mule deer are the dominant big game species and occur throughout the unit at all elevations, with the highest densities in the Weaver, Date Creek, and McCloud mountain terrain; mature bucks also inhabit lower desert areas. Elk are present at very low densities, concentrated in the higher-elevation areas near Kirkland and Wagoner; this is peripheral elk range. Javelina inhabit all elevations with highest densities at mid-elevations where desert grassland, chaparral, and permanent water intersect. Black bear occupy the mountain ranges and riparian corridors. Mountain lion maintain a healthy presence across the unit, particularly where mule deer densities are highest. Gambel's quail occur at all elevations with peak quality at mid-elevations near water. Mourning dove concentrate in the lower desert near stock ponds along the western edge. Coyote, bobcat, and javelina round out the predator/fur-bearer community. No pronghorn, bighorn sheep, or turkey hunts are offered in this unit.

1. Regulations source is the 2025-2026 AZGFD Hunting Regulations (draw deadline June 3, 2025). 2. Mule deer tag quota (125) is from Hunt 1034 in the 2025-26 regulations table; this is one general rifle hunt, not two as shown in older historical data. 3. Archery deer OTC nonpermit-tag harvest limit for unit 20C is 20 per the nonpermit-tag first-come schedule. 4. Bear female harvest limit of 4 is the combined limit for units 20A/20B/20C from the 2025-26 Annual Female Harvest Limits table — NOT 21 as stated in some third-party sources. 5. Mountain lion harvest threshold of 31 is for Zone F (17A/17B/19B/20A/20B/20C) per the 2025-26 regulations table. 6. Javelina: unit 20C does not appear in the 2025-26 Youth-Only javelina draw hunt table (20B does), and the general nonpermit-tag and archery nonpermit-tag open areas do not explicitly list unit 20C. Javelina are confirmed present in the unit but draw hunt availability should be verified with AZGFD for the current season. 7. Elk permit quotas are not broken out per unit — shared across combined unit group. 8. Hunter success rates and reported harvest not available from sources accessed.