Unit 33, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 2,500 feet on the desert floor to 9,157 feet at Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalinas (some sources cite 9,171 ft NAVD88) and 8,482 feet at Rincon Peak on Coronado National Forest land in the Rincon Mountain Wilderness (Mica Mountain at 8,664 ft is the true range high point but lies within Saguaro National Park). Lower elevations consist of flat desert plains cut by washes and canyons; the mountain ranges themselves are rugged and steep with deep canyons and rocky ridges. The Rincon Mountain Wilderness terrain is difficult to reach on foot and virtually impassable on horseback above its eastern trailheads. The Pusch Ridge Wilderness (56,933 acres, elevations 2,800–8,800 ft) occupies the western Santa Catalinas. Approximately 80% of the public-land slopes have gradients at or below 26 degrees, but the core ranges are considerably steeper.

Primary managing agencies are the Coronado National Forest (Santa Catalina and Rincon ranger districts) and Arizona State Land Department; Saguaro National Park (both Rincon Mountain and Tucson Mountain districts) is entirely closed to hunting. Oracle State Park is also closed to hunting. The Pusch Ridge Wilderness (56,933 acres) and Rincon Mountain Wilderness (38,590 acres) are open to foot and horseback hunting only — no motorized or mechanized equipment. The Pusch Ridge Wilderness has an additional seasonal restriction from January 1 through April 30: travel more than 400 feet off designated Forest Service trails is prohibited to protect desert bighorn sheep during lambing. Key access corridors: AZ Highway 77 (Oracle Road) forms the western and northern boundary and provides multiple trailhead pull-offs into the northern Catalinas; Mt. Lemmon Highway (General Hitchcock Highway) climbs from east Tucson to the summit, giving access to upper-elevation hunting zones with several trailheads. Redington Road (Forest Road 371) winds between the Santa Catalina and Rincon ranges from east Tucson (off Tanque Verde Road) approximately 12 miles to the Redington community; this corridor is a primary deer and javelina hunting access road with stock tanks located on side roads between mileposts 8 and 14. Mescal Road (Forest Road 35) through Mescal and Happy Valley is the primary eastern access to the Rincon Mountain Wilderness, terminating at the Miller Creek and Turkey Creek trailheads. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for most off-highway forest roads. Private land at lower elevations around Tucson suburbs restricts access; hunters must stay at least one-quarter mile from occupied structures. The I-10 corridor and Benson area provide access to the unit's southeastern extent near the San Pedro River.

Habitat transitions sharply with elevation. Lower bajadas and desert flats support Sonoran Desert scrub: saguaro, prickly pear, cholla, palo verde, mesquite, and ironwood. Mid-elevation foothills (roughly 3,500–5,500 ft) shift into semi-desert grassland and chaparral with oak-juniper woodland; scrub oaks, agave, manzanita, and alligator juniper dominate the ridges that Coues deer favor. Higher elevations (above 6,000 ft) on the Catalinas carry ponderosa pine, with mixed conifer (Douglas fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce) near the summit of Mount Lemmon. Riparian corridors along the Canada del Oro wash, Tanque Verde Creek, and near the San Pedro River support cottonwood and willow. Large fires (Aspen and Bullock fires, 2002–2003) created open areas and early-successional habitat that benefit browse species. The eastern Rincons also harbor Chihuahuan Desert scrub elements near the Mescal and Happy Valley corridors.

Coues white-tailed deer are the primary big-game species and are distributed across the mid-elevation oak-juniper and chaparral zones of both the Santa Catalinas and Rincons; bucks in the 90–110 inch class are possible and the rut runs from late October through late December, peaking in November. Mule deer occupy lower-elevation desert scrub habitat around the mountain bases and desert flats; white-tailed and mule deer are frequently found together in Happy Valley on the Rincon Mountain eastern slopes. Javelina (collared peccary) are present throughout the unit in desert scrub, washes, and cactus-covered hillsides; a draw permit-tag is required (no OTC nonpermit available for GMU 33). Desert bighorn sheep occupy the Pusch Ridge Wilderness and are protected by the seasonal off-trail closure (January–April). Black bear are present in the higher-elevation forested areas of the Santa Catalinas (OTC nonpermit-tag season Oct 2–Dec 31, 2026; archery Aug 21–Oct 1, 2026; female harvest limit 6). Mountain lion occur throughout the unit under a statewide OTC nonpermit season (Aug 21, 2026–May 31, 2027; unit 33 in Zone M, harvest threshold 46). Turkey hunting is not available in GMU 33 per 2026-27 AZGFD regulations. Gambel's and scaled quail are common near water sources, more prevalent in the northern portions near Oracle. Multiple cottontail rabbit species are found across all habitat types. Abert's squirrel occurs on Mount Lemmon above 7,000 feet. Dove utilize stock tanks and agricultural edges at lower elevations.

1. Turkey hunting is NOT available in GMU 33 per 2026-27 AZGFD regulations — unit 33 appears in no turkey hunt code (shotgun limited-weapon, archery permit, or OTC archery nonpermit) and has been removed from species_data. 2. Javelina OTC nonpermit-tag seasons do not include unit 33 per 2026-27 regs; a draw permit-tag is required. 3. Mount Lemmon elevation is commonly cited as 9,157 ft; Wikipedia NAVD88 survey gives 9,171 ft — both figures appear in authoritative sources. 4. Rincon Peak (8,482 ft) is the high point of the Rincon Mountain Wilderness on FS land; Mica Mountain (8,664 ft) is the true range summit but lies within Saguaro National Park. 5. Saguaro National Park (both districts) is entirely closed to all hunting. 6. Desert bighorn sheep are present in Pusch Ridge but no unit 33 sheep draw hunt codes were found in the 2026-27 regulations; species omitted from species_data. 7. No elk habitat or elk hunting exists in this unit. 8. Public land percentage (85%) is consistent across GoHunt and HuntScore. 9. All season dates are from the official 2026-27 AZGFD Hunting Regulations PDF (May 2026). 10. Mandatory harvest reporting (online within 48 hrs) is required for bear, mountain lion, and archery-only deer starting fall 2026.