Unit 3B, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 5,000 feet in the open juniper-grassland flats north of Highway 60 to roughly 7,500 feet on timbered mesas and ridges in the unit's southern reaches. Terrain is gently rolling to moderately hilly — not cliff-and-canyon country — with large mesa tops, shallow drainages, and occasional small peaks. The Woolhouse Habitat Area in the southern portion offers the unit's most rugged topography.

Primary highway access via US-60 (Show Low to Springerville), which bisects the unit east-west, and AZ-77 (Show Low to Snowflake/Taylor) in the northern portion. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (Springerville Ranger District, 928-333-6280) administers the majority of public land south of US-60; Forest Service roads provide grid access throughout, and most roads remain open during hunting seasons. Forest Service Road 45 serves as the regulatory boundary for squirrel and turkey hunting sub-zones. North of US-60 private lands form a checkerboard pattern with state trust lands, requiring careful attention to land status; some areas require landowner permission. The Woolhouse Habitat Area, located south of US-60, is closed to all motor vehicles — access is by foot or horseback only, including game retrieval. ATVs are permitted on designated FS roads only; 4WD recommended after wet weather. Nearest services: Show Low (~6,500 ft, full services), Snowflake, Taylor, and Pinetop-Lakeside. AZGFD Region 1 Office: 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop 85935, (928) 367-4281. BLM presence in the unit is minimal. No wilderness areas formally designated within the unit boundary.

The unit transitions markedly across Highway 60. South of the highway: ponderosa pine forest with Gambel oak understory, recently harvested timber sale areas, and mixed conifer at higher elevations — prime elk and bear country. North of the highway: pinyon-juniper woodland grades into open juniper-grassland with scattered mesas — the primary pronghorn and mule deer range. Riparian corridors along Silver Creek, Jacques Marsh, Allen Severson Memorial Wildlife Area, and Sponseller Lake provide waterfowl and migratory bird habitat. Lake Mountain, Wolf Mountain, Blue Ridge, and Timber Mesa hold the densest conifer cover in the unit.

Rocky Mountain elk are the unit's signature species, with a migratory herd that uses the higher ponderosa and mixed-conifer forests south of US-60 during the rut (early September) and moves north toward Silver Creek drainages and pinyon-juniper flats in late season. Elk numbers have been gradually increasing north of US-60 near Silver Creek. Mule deer occupy both zones — larger bucks historically associated with Mesa Redondo and Black Mesa north of US-60, with additional deer in the Woolhouse Habitat Area and timber-sale openings to the south; overall mule deer numbers have been suppressed by drought in recent years. Pronghorn antelope occupy the open grassland and juniper flats in the northwestern and southwestern portions of the unit (Woolhouse Habitat Area, Allen Severson Wildlife Area, Long Lake, Windsor Valley, Ortega Mountain, Black Mesa region), though populations have been decreasing unit-wide. Black bears range throughout the forested southern half, concentrated around Lake Mountain, Wolf Mountain, Blue Ridge, Little Brushy, Springer Mountain, and Billy Creek. Merriam's turkeys inhabit the timbered areas south of Forest Service Road 45, with Lake Mountain holding the highest bird density. Javelina are present and huntable via HAM nonpermit-tag year-round. Mountain lion range across the entire unit (nonpermit-tag season Aug 21, 2026–May 31, 2027). Abert's squirrels maintain good populations in the ponderosa stands south of FR 45. Waterfowl concentrate seasonally at Jacques Marsh, Allen Severson Memorial Wildlife Area, Silver Creek, Sponseller Lake, and Little Mormon Lake.

1. Mule deer: there is NO draw archery permit hunt for unit 3B — the draft incorrectly cited Hunt 1206 (25 permits) which is unit 13B. Unit 3B deer archery is OTC nonpermit-tag only (harvest limit 5). Muzzleloader draw quota confirmed: Hunt 1182 (100 permits) + Hunt 1183 (10 permits) = 110 total. 2. Elk total draw quota: 75 (archery bull) + 25 (archery antlerless) + 200 (muzzleloader bull) + 100 (muzzleloader antlerless Oct) + 250 (muzzleloader antlerless Nov) + 25 (HAM antlerless Dec, 3B North) = 675 confirmed. OTC nonpermit-tag open Jan 1–Mar 31 and Aug 1–Dec 31, 2026. 3. Mountain lion season corrected to Aug 21, 2026–May 31, 2027 (draft incorrectly stated Sep 1–May 31). 4. Public land percentage (45%) from GoHunt/HuntScore profile (approximately 28% USFS, 1% BLM, remainder state/private checkerboard). 5. Mule deer hunter success (~25%) from Hunt Now Arizona unit profile — approximate, not from a specific AZGFD harvest report. 6. No bighorn sheep, no bison, and no white-tailed deer hunts are listed for Unit 3B in the 2026 AZGFD regulations.