Unit 39, Arizona

Classic lower Sonoran Desert — primarily flat to rolling desert dissected by a network of washes, with several isolated low mountain ranges rising from the desert floor. Elevations range from roughly 450 ft along the Gila River to 4,512 ft at Hayes Peak (highest point in the Sierra Estrella range; Montezuma Peak, a secondary summit, reaches 4,337 ft). The Woolsey Peak summit reaches 3,270 ft; Signal Mountain tops out at 2,182 ft above sea level (approximately 1,200 ft above the desert floor). Terrain is rocky, xeric, and largely roadless within the six designated wilderness areas.

The unit is approximately 74% public land, managed primarily by the BLM Lower Sonoran Field Office (Phoenix, 602-867-5400). Six designated wilderness areas — Signal Mountain (13,350 ac), Woolsey Peak (64,000 ac), North Maricopa Mountains, South Maricopa Mountains, Sierra Estrella, and Tabletop — prohibit motorized or mechanized access; hunters must hike in from boundary roads. Key highway corridors: State Route 85 between Gila Bend and Buckeye; Interstate 8 between Sentinel and Stanfield (northern frontage roads); State Route 238 (Maricopa-Gila Bend highway, crosses the Sonoran Desert National Monument); Agua Caliente Road between Sentinel and Arlington (access to Signal Mountain and Woolsey Peak wildernesses); Old U.S. Highway 80 between Gila Bend and Arlington; Painted Rocks Dam Road west of Gila Bend (access to Woolsey Peak Wilderness). High-clearance or 4WD vehicles recommended for most dirt road approaches. The unit's western/southwestern edge abuts the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range (BMGR), which is not open to general public hunting. Wildlife areas — Robbins Butte, Powers Butte, Arlington, Base and Meridian — are closed to centerfire rifle discharge (AZGFD Note 26). A portion of Unit 39 is closed to the javelina nonpermit hunt: the area bounded by AZ Hwy 85 / Gila River / Gila River Indian Reservation boundary / N. Rio Bravo Rd / AZ Hwy 238 / Gas Pipeline Rd (Komatke Rd) / AZ Hwy 85 / Lewis Prison Rd / W. Patterson Rd / Old Hwy 80 (see Note 87 in AZGFD 2025-26 regulations). No tribal lands within the unit; the Gila River Indian Reservation borders the unit's east side.

Dominated by Sonoran Desert scrub: saguaro cactus, palo verde, creosote bush, ironwood, brittlebush, and ocotillo. Large washes lined with dense paloverde and ironwood form the most productive riparian corridors. The Gila River bottom and associated wildlife areas (Robbins Butte, Powers Butte, Arlington, Base and Meridian) carry cottonwood-willow riparian vegetation. No pinyon-juniper, chaparral, or ponderosa pine — the unit sits entirely within the Lower Sonoran life zone.

Desert mule deer are present throughout but at low density; the unit is not considered a trophy mule deer destination and mature bucks are scarce. Desert bighorn sheep occupy the unit's mountain ranges and are managed as two subunits (39 East — Maricopa/Estrella Mountains and Buckeye Hills, east of old AZ Hwy 80; 39 West — Gila Bend Mountains and Signal Peak/Woolsey Peak area, west of old AZ Hwy 80). 39W historically holds more trophy-class rams; past rams in the unit have scored 140–170+ inches. Javelina occur throughout the Sonoran scrub but at low density — AZGFD Note 87 states numbers are very low and hunt success is expected to be low. Mountain lion are present (Zone L harvest threshold of 3 across units 39/41/43A/43B/44B/45A/45B/45C). Designated elk permits are authorized year-round in units 39/40B/41 as a population management tool for incursion animals. Gambel's quail inhabit washes and mountainsides year-round. Dove are abundant in season: white-winged dove concentrate in September mornings; mourning dove available November. Robbins Butte Wildlife Area is noted for hosting large dove concentrations pre-season. No pronghorn, turkey, or black bear draw hunts are listed for the unit.

1. Deer tag quota (450) is the total for Hunt 1068 covering units 39/40A/40B combined — the unit 39 share is not broken out separately. Muzzleloader Hunt 1191 quota of 50 also covers units 39/40A/40B/41/42 combined. 2. No bear, turkey, or pronghorn draw hunts are listed for Unit 39; it is a low-elevation Sonoran Desert unit with no resident populations of those species. 3. The 74% public land figure is from GoHunt/HuntScore (consistent across third-party sources); AZGFD does not publish a per-unit public-land percentage. 4. Bighorn sheep subunit boundary confirmed from May 15, 2025 amendment notice on page 2 of the 2025-26 hunting regulations: 39E is east of old AZ Hwy 80 (excluding Buckeye Hills and Estrella Mountain Regional Parks); 39W is west of old AZ Hwy 80. 5. Elk designated quota of 35 is from the 2025 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw booklet (general population management season, units 39/40B/41). 6. Sierra Estrella highest point is Hayes Peak at 4,512 ft; Montezuma Peak is a secondary summit at 4,337 ft (source: Wikipedia/Sierra Estrella). 7. Woolsey Peak elevation 3,270 ft and Signal Mountain elevation 2,182 ft confirmed from BLM wilderness pages.