Unit 37B, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 1,450 feet in the creosote flats near Florence to roughly 5,500 feet in the higher rocky terrain toward Oracle. The lower two-thirds of the unit is flat to gently rolling desert bajada; the upper portion rises into low mountain ranges with rugged canyon terrain. White Canyon's red-and-orange walls reach up to 800 feet in height within the BLM wilderness. Gila River drainage runs along the eastern boundary. Named geographic areas include the 96 Hills and Box-O Hills, Mineral Mountain, White Canyon Wilderness, Battleaxe Butte, Black Mountain, the Tortilla Mountains (west of Winkelman/Kelvin), the Black Hills (west of Mammoth, north of Oracle), and Falcon Valley (north of Oracle Junction). Hiking is generally non-technical in the lower desert but more demanding in the canyons and upper elevations.

The unit boundary is defined by highway corridors: AZ Hwy 79/77 junction (near Florence Junction) northwest on Hwy 79 to US Hwy 60 (near Superior), east on US Hwy 60 to AZ Hwy 177 (near Winkelman), southeast on Hwy 177 to AZ Hwy 77, then southwest on Hwy 77 back to the start. Nearest towns are Florence, Superior, and Oracle. Approximately 85% of the unit is public land — predominantly BLM (Phoenix Field Office, 623-580-5500) and Arizona State Trust land; approximately 4% is USFS. About 19,000 acres of private land surround Black Mountain; most land near the Gila and San Pedro rivers upstream of Kelvin is also privately owned. The White Canyon Wilderness (5,790 acres, BLM-managed by the Tucson Field Office at 520-258-7200, approximately 7 miles south of Superior) is closed to motorized vehicles and mechanized equipment; high-clearance or 4WD is recommended for access roads to its boundary. Key named roads include Freeman Road, Camino Rio, Haydon Ranch bypass road, and Cottonwood Canyon Road. Dispersed camping is common along BLM and State Trust dirt roads. The Florence Military Reservation (training areas B and D, north and south of Cottonwood Canyon Road) is subject to short-term closures due to military operations including live-fire exercises; hunters must coordinate access by contacting the Florence Military Reservation at (602) 267-2062 before entry — a map of the reservation is at azgfd.gov/FMR. Lower San Pedro River Wildlife Area (straddles Units 32 and 37B): posted portions are closed to all public entry and to hunting. Off-road travel is prohibited; a route must show a clear history of use to qualify as a road. No tribal land is within unit boundaries.

Vegetation transitions sharply with elevation. Lower desert flats (below ~2,500 ft) support Sonoran desertscrub dominated by creosote bush, saguaro cactus, palo verde, ocotillo, and brittlebush. Mid-elevations (roughly 2,500–4,000 ft) transition to semidesert grassland with grama grasses, prickly pear, yucca, mesquite, and catclaw acacia. The highest terrain approaching Oracle (above ~4,500 ft) carries oak brush and woodland. Riparian corridors along desert washes and the lower San Pedro River support dense mesquite bosque and cottonwood-willow vegetation. The unit contains no ponderosa pine or pinyon-juniper zones.

Mule deer are present throughout but at low densities; AZGFD survey data (2016) recorded 37 bucks, 115 does, and 43 fawns (32 bucks/100 does) — a modest but slowly improving ratio. Coues white-tailed deer are present only in limited numbers in the higher-elevation terrain of White Canyon and the Tortilla Mountains on the unit's eastern margin. Desert bighorn sheep occupy the rocky canyons and mountain terrain; the unit supports a huntable population sufficient for one annual permit. Javelina are the most abundant and widely distributed big game species, found from lower desert washes to upper montane terrain across the entire unit; populations are described as stable. Dove (mourning and white-winged) and Gambel's quail offer upland bird hunting around stock tanks and desert washes. Scaled quail are also present. Cottontail rabbit is common in grassland and riparian zones. Coyote and other predators are present. No elk or pronghorn antelope inhabit this unit.