Unit 46A, Arizona

Vast, flat desert valleys separated by narrow volcanic mountain ranges trending north-south. Named ranges within or adjacent to the unit include the Growler Mountains, Childs Mountain, Agua Dulce Mountains (highest point ~2,852 ft / 869 m), Granite Mountains, and Bryan Mountains. Lowland valley floors sit roughly 700–1,500 ft in elevation; ridge crests reach approximately 2,800–3,100 ft (the Cabeza Prieta Wilderness overall spans 700–2,800 ft). The landscape includes sand flats, alluvial bajadas, lava flows, and rocky volcanic ridgelines. Some mountain ranges are 6–12 miles from the nearest road, making access extremely demanding.

GMU 46A is entirely within the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (CPNWR, 860,010 acres) and Cabeza Prieta Wilderness (~93% of the refuge, 803,418 acres). All vehicle travel is restricted to three unpaved public-use roads: (1) El Camino del Diablo — a ~120-mile historic dirt road connecting Ajo to Wellton (I-8), 4WD required; (2) Christmas Pass Road — 4WD required; (3) Charlie Bell Road — accessible from Ajo west on Rasmussen Road (~5 miles) to Charlie Bell Rd, suitable for 2WD high-clearance vehicles for approximately 16 miles to the Growler Mountains; 4WD recommended beyond. There are no facilities on the refuge (no fuel, water, or sanitation). All visitors must obtain a free visitor access permit and sign a Military Hold-Harmless Agreement from CPNWR headquarters in Ajo (weekdays only, 8am–4pm) before entering; permits are also available online at bmgr.recaccess.com. Parts of the refuge are temporarily closed during military training exercises and during the Sonoran pronghorn fawning season (mid-March to mid-July). Transit through the Barry M. Goldwater Range East (BMGR-East) to reach units 46A or 46B is NOT authorized; the only lawful entry is from the civilian road network via Ajo/AZ-85 or from I-8 (Exits 30 or 42) via El Camino del Diablo. Pack and saddle animals may be used with a Special Use Permit from CPNWR; stock animal trailers are only permitted to Tule Well with prior approval. No off-road vehicle travel is permitted in the wilderness. Refuge headquarters: Ajo, AZ; phone: (520) 387-6483.

Lower-elevation valley floors are dominated by creosote-bursage desert scrub typical of the Lower Colorado River Valley subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. Bajadas and hillsides support dense stands of saguaro cactus, teddy-bear cholla, palo verde, ironwood, ocotillo, and mesquite. Riparian corridors at wildlife waters (tinajas) attract concentrated wildlife. The unit contains rare senita cactus populations (northernmost U.S. occurrence) in the Agua Dulce Mountains area. No ponderosa, pinyon-juniper, or sky-island vegetation communities are present; the unit is entirely low-desert scrub.

Desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) inhabit the unit at low density; units 46A/B are among the lowest-density mule deer units in Arizona, with animals occupying rocky mountain ranges and bajadas. Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) are the primary big-game target species; rams with trophy potential exceeding 180 Boone & Crockett inches have been documented. Some mountain ranges in 46A are 6–12 miles from any road, providing undisturbed sheep habitat. Endangered Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) are present but fully protected — no hunting season exists; pronghorn fawning season (mid-March to mid-July) triggers partial refuge closure. Mountain lion are present. Predator species include coyote and bobcat (both with open seasons on the refuge). Other notable wildlife: Gila monster, desert tortoise, sidewinder rattlesnake, golden eagle, Gambel's quail, roadrunner, kit fox. The refuge supports approximately 275–300 total animal species. Javelina may occur but there is no open hunt for this unit in 2026-27 regulations.

1. The 15-permit general deer quota (Hunt 1073) covers 46A AND 46B combined — AZGFD does not publish a separate 46A-only deer quota; individual unit split is not published. Similarly, the archery nonpermit-tag harvest limit of 5 covers 46A and 46B combined. 2. No javelina season exists for unit 46A in the 2026-27 regulations. 3. Hunter success rates and reported harvest counts for mule deer and bighorn sheep in 46A are not publicly broken out in the regulations. 4. The bighorn sheep 1-permit quota for 46A is resident-only, confirmed by GoHunt 2026 application strategy data. 5. Elk, turkey, black bear, and Coues deer do not appear in any open-unit tables for 46A in the 2026-27 regulations. 6. Seasonal closure: parts of the refuge close mid-March to mid-July for Sonoran pronghorn fawning and may also close during military training exercises. 7. Mountain lion zone N harvest threshold (4 lions, 40A/40B/46A/46B combined) sourced from original draft — not independently verified from 2026-27 regs PDF (PDF was binary/unreadable). 8. Wildlife species count updated to 275–300 per FWS brochure (275+) and americansouthwest.net (300); original draft stated 300.