Unit 40A, Arizona

Primarily flat to gently rolling desert basin terrain cut by a network of washes, rising into several isolated low mountain ranges. The unit is informally divided into a northern section (40AN) encompassing the Sand Tank and Tabletop Mountains, and a southern section (40AS) encompassing the Sauceda, Batamote, and Sikort Chuapo Mountains. Elevation ranges from approximately 700 feet in the desert flats to roughly 2,400–3,000 feet at the higher mountain summits; most hunting terrain is concentrated in the lower desert band. Rocky canyon terrain exists in mountain areas; wide sandy washes drain the basins.

Primary road access: northern section (40AN) via cattle gates along the south side of Interstate 8 between Gila Bend and Stanfield; southern section (40AS) via gates along the east side of State Route 85 between Gila Bend and Why. The majority of the unit is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with the Sonoran Desert National Monument (486,400 acres, designated January 17, 2001) covering the Sand Tank, Maricopa, and Tabletop mountain areas. Three congressionally designated wilderness areas lie within the monument: North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness, Table Top Wilderness, and South Maricopa Mountains Wilderness — no motorized or mechanized vehicles within these areas. Over 460 miles of posted back-country roads exist on the monument for OHV and general access outside wilderness. A large portion of the unit falls within the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range (BMGR), which has locked gate entrances; hunters accessing the BMGR must obtain a permit from BLM (Deer Valley or Yuma offices), Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field (928-683-6220/6200), Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, or Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. BMGR access requires: written permission, completion of a 20-minute safety video orientation, a signed hold-harmless agreement, a one-year permit (valid July 1–June 30), and street-legal vehicles with current registration and insurance. Only Ranges A and B (overflight areas) are open year-round after meeting access requirements; tactical bombing ranges and Paradise Valley are closed to public access. Hunters must call range security at 928-683-6220/6200 to coordinate entry and departure. Cell service is spotty throughout. Navigation systems are unreliable; BLM downloadable maps recommended. State Trust land comprises only about 10 square miles in scattered sections. No developed campgrounds exist within the unit; most hunters camp on BLM land or, on the Goldwater Range, with a valid permit.

Dominant plant communities are creosote-bursage desert scrub across the flats and basins. Saguaro-palo verde associations occur along major drainages, washes, and mountain foothills. Cholla cactus grows broadly across the unit. The mountain ranges support denser desert scrub and some chaparral-type vegetation at higher elevations. Riparian corridors are limited but present along larger wash systems. No ponderosa pine or pinyon-juniper is present — this is a low-desert Sonoran Desert unit throughout.

Desert mule deer are present but scarce, concentrating near the Gila River corridor and adjacent agricultural fields on the unit's periphery; populations are limited and finding deer elsewhere in the unit is difficult. Small white-tailed deer (Coues deer) populations exist in isolated mountain areas; a pickup scored approximately 122.5 B&C. Desert bighorn sheep historically occupied the Sand Tank and Tabletop mountain ranges with Boone and Crockett scores of 145–175+ in 40AS and 150–175+ in 40AN, and one notable pickup believed to score approximately 202 B&C; populations have crashed severely and the unit is currently closed to bighorn sheep hunting. Javelina are found throughout the unit and are the most reliably encountered big game species, described as social and vocal, especially in early morning. Gambel's quail inhabit large washes and mountain foothills. Mourning dove and white-winged dove are present seasonally. No elk or pronghorn are associated with this unit.

1. Elevation: draft claimed a 4,373-ft summit — this is unsupported by verified sources; mountain peaks in the unit are cited at 2,400–3,000 ft by multiple sources and has been corrected. 2. HuntScore 2020 harvest figures (175 animals total, 37.6% success, 466 hunters) have been removed from species_data as the breakdown appears elk-dominated (inconsistent with a no-elk unit) and cannot be attributed to a specific species; treat as unreliable. 3. Bighorn closure confirmed by multiple sources; B&C score ranges confirmed (145–175+ in 40AS, 150–175+ in 40AN, pickup ~202). 4. OTC archery dates Aug 22, 2025–Jan 31, 2026 confirmed statewide by AZGFD; unit-specific open periods must be verified at azgfd.com/ArcheryDeerReport. 5. BMGR access detail clarified: only Ranges A and B are open to public; tactical ranges and Paradise Valley are closed. 6. Tag quotas for 2025-2026 draws not publicly confirmed; omitted from species records.