Unit 44B, Arizona

Low Sonoran/Mojave transition desert bisected by I-10, creating a northern and southern subunit. Elevations range from roughly 850 feet on the flat La Posa Plain to 3,639 feet at Black Mesa (Plomosa Mountains). The northern half (Plomosa Mountains) features ridgelines, rocky canyons, several natural springs, and the large Bouse Wash drainage. The southern half (New Water Mountains) consists of volcanic rock terrain trending northwest-southeast across roughly 20 miles, with rougher and more isolated access than the north; the New Water Mountain Wilderness in the south is closed to motorized vehicles.

Public land approximately 89% of the unit. Managed by BLM with the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge forming the southern and eastern boundary of the 44B South bighorn sheep hunt area (portions of Units 45A and 45B north of the El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline are included in the 44B South sheep hunt). The New Water Mountain Wilderness (BLM) in the southern section is closed to motorized vehicles. Unit boundary (per 2025-26 AZGFD regs): Beginning at Quartzsite; south on US-95 to Crystal Hill Rd (Blevens Rd); east on Crystal Hill Rd to the Kofa NWR boundary; north and east along the refuge boundary to Vicksburg-Kofa NWR Rd; north on Vicksburg-Kofa NWR Rd to AZ-72; northwest on AZ-72 to US-95; south on US-95 to Quartzsite. Northern subunit (north of I-10): Primary access via Plomosa Road between Bouse and Quartzsite; US-60 near Brenda; Old La Posa Road off AZ-72; and roads off I-10 near Quartzsite. Most roads are passable with high-clearance 2WD in dry conditions; some require 4WD. Southern subunit (south of I-10): Access via I-10 Exit 26 (Gold Nugget Road), Ramsey Mine Road (off US-60 west of Brenda), New Water Mountain Road (I-10 milepost 40), and Vicksburg-Kofa Road. Kofa NWR access roads require 4WD for most routes; all vehicles must remain on designated roads. The Town of Quartzsite sections (Sections 15-35 T4N R19W and Sections 2-4 T3N R19W in Units 43A and 44B) are closed to hunting per AZGFD Note 27.

Dominated by lower Sonoran desert scrub: palo verde (Parkinsonia spp.), mesquite (Prosopis spp.), catclaw acacia, and ironwood concentrated in washes and canyons; open flats support desert shrubs and scattered saguaro. Bouse Wash and tributary drainages provide denser riparian-fringe cover that concentrates mule deer and dove. Agricultural fields near Bouse and along Hwy 60 attract Gambel's quail and whitewing dove in season. Vegetation density fluctuates markedly with annual rainfall.

Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) are the signature species; rams in the northern subunit (Plomosa Mountains) averaging over 170 Boone-and-Crockett inches and southern subunit (New Water Mountains) rams averaging 164 inches (2019 harvest data, most recent unit-level summary available). Bighorn occupy ridges, rocky peaks, and mesas throughout both mountain ranges. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations are cyclic and rainfall-dependent; deer concentrate in vegetated drainages and washes flowing from the mountains, with numbers generally low relative to more productive Arizona units. Javelina (Pecari tajacu) occur at densities typical of lower Sonoran desert. Gambel's quail populations respond to winter rainfall and are found in canyons and drainages. Whitewing and mourning dove concentrate near agricultural areas and water sources in fall. Mountain lion are present at low density. No pronghorn, black bear, elk, turkey, or white-tailed deer hunting is authorized in the unit.