Unit 5A, Arizona

Elevation ranges from approximately 4,800 feet in the northern pinyon-juniper flats to 7,800 feet along the Mogollon Rim in the southern portion; Baker's Butte (8,077 ft) is the highest point and carries a fire lookout tower. The southern tier is defined by the rugged, broken Mogollon Rim escarpment with long ridges and deep canyons draining northward onto rolling grassland benches. Key named drainages include East Clear Creek (forms much of the eastern boundary), Walnut Canyon, Mormon Canyon, Padre Canyon, Grapevine Canyon, and Canyon Diablo in the northern flats. Prominent landmarks include Anderson Mesa, East Sunset Mountain, West Sunset Mountain, and the Blue Ridge Reservoir area.

The Coconino National Forest (Mogollon Rim Ranger District, 506,840 acres total) administers the southern half of the unit; Arizona State Land Department manages substantial northern acreage in a checkerboard pattern with private holdings. Public land is approximately 68% of the unit (HuntScore: 40% USFS, remainder State/BLM/other public; GoHunt reports 83.2%—figure likely treats State Trust land differently). There is no designated Wilderness inside Unit 5A proper. Primary highway access: AZ Hwy 87 (Beeline Hwy) bisects the unit north-south and is the main spine; I-40 provides northern access with exit at Meteor Crater Road (exit 233) leading to FR 69 (Meteor Crater-Chavez Pass-Jacks Canyon Road) running south into the unit. AZ Hwy 99 connects Winslow to the unit's northern interior. Forest roads throughout the southern half require high-clearance 4WD due to primitive road conditions and seasonal mud/snow closures; off-road vehicle travel is restricted to designated roads on State Trust lands. Two private landowner compact situations affect hunters: (1) Bar T Bar Ranch and Flying M Ranch (northern Units 5A and 5B) require a free AZGFD Ranch Pass and adherence to Ranch Rules per Note 29 in the regulations—passes available online at azgfd.gov/landownercompact, at sign-in boxes at Flying M Ranch entrance points, or at the Meteor Crater Gas Station/Convenience Store for Bar T Bar Ranch. (2) Hopi Three Canyon Ranch—Clear Creek Ranch (Unit 5A), Aja Ranch (Unit 4A), and Hart Ranch (Unit 5B)—requires written permission obtained online at azgfd.gov/landownercompact or by scanning QR codes at approved access points (Note 30). Hopi Trust Lands in Unit 5A are open to both state and Hopi hunters under a formal agreement; a percentage of tags are reserved for Hopi Tribal members; non-Hopi hunters use standard AZGFD draw process (Note 31). Licensed outfitters/guides conducting business on Hopi 3 Canyon Ranches must obtain a Hopi Business License via the Hopi Office of Revenue Commission at (928) 734-3172 (Note 32). The Hopi Tribe Wildlife and Ecosystem Management Program can be reached at (928) 734-3673 or (928) 734-3671. Camping is available in designated areas; two hotels and eight campgrounds are within a 20-mile radius (per HuntScore). No hospitals or grocery stores within 20 miles.

Vegetation follows a tight elevation gradient. The southern Mogollon Rim zone (6,500-7,800 ft) supports ponderosa pine transitioning to mixed conifer (Douglas-fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce, quaking aspen at highest points) with Gambel oak understory. Mid-elevations (5,500-6,500 ft) carry dense stands of pinyon pine, alligator juniper, and shaggy-bark juniper interspersed with Arizona oak brush. The northern third of the unit (below 5,500 ft) transitions to open pinyon-juniper woodland and expansive semi-desert grassland flats with scattered shrubs, providing pronghorn range and mule deer winter habitat. Riparian corridors along East Clear Creek and its tributaries support cottonwood, willow, and dense shrub thickets. Knoll Lake and Blue Ridge Reservoir (C.C. Cragin Reservoir) provide limited wetland fringe habitat; both are within the Coconino National Forest and support rainbow, brown, and brook trout.

Elk: A migratory Rocky Mountain elk herd occupies the unit; bulls use the high Mogollon Rim ponderosa and mixed-conifer summer range June through October, with the rut peaking in early-to-mid September. Herds migrate north and downslope to pinyon-juniper and grassland winter range as snow accumulates, often moving into adjacent units. Mule Deer: Primary deer species; highest densities in the transition zone between high-elevation summer range and lower-elevation pinyon-juniper woodland; the population is described as increasing with mature bucks present. Small numbers of white-tailed deer are in larger drainages in the southern portion. Pronghorn: A herd of approximately 200 animals is present; highest concentrations occur west of AZ Hwy 87, south of I-40, and north of West Sunset Mountain in the open grassland flats, with easiest access off Meteor Crater Road. Private lands in this area include the Clear Creek Ranch and Bar T Bar Ranch. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep: A small population exists in rugged canyon and rim terrain in the southern unit, managed jointly with Unit 4A. Black Bear: Present throughout the southern ponderosa and mixed-conifer zone; OTC bear tag (no draw required). Season shared with Unit 4A; closes when combined female harvest objective of 6 sows is met. Merriam's Turkey: Found in ponderosa pine and oak transition habitat; population recovering from declines after the 2009-2010 winter. Mountain Lion: Present primarily in the southern rugged canyon country, mainly targeted by hound hunters in winter. Javelina: Archery nonpermit-tag OTC year-round; density is lower than southern Arizona units; habitat is lower-elevation rocky shrub and chaparral in the northern transition zone. Small game includes tree squirrels (ponderosa pine zone), cottontail rabbits (northern grasslands), and band-tailed pigeons (oak areas at higher elevations). Bison: 20-permit special designation hunt covering Units 5A and 5B combined; not a standard big game draw hunt.

1. HUNT NUMBER CORRECTIONS (verified against 2026 AZGFD Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information PDF): Unit 5A general rifle bull elk = Hunt 3048 (not Hunt 3015, which is a Hopi/special designation); early archery bull = Hunt 3131 with 80 permits (not 145 as reported by some third-party sources); late archery Nov 13-26 = Hunt 3153 with 48 ANTLERLESS permits (not bull permits); muzzleloader Sep 25-Oct 1 = Hunt 3102 with 24 bull permits (confirmed). 2. PUBLIC LAND PCT CONFLICT: HuntScore reports 68% public (40% USFS, remainder State/BLM); GoHunt reports 83.2% public. The 68% figure from HuntScore is used as it includes a USFS breakdown; GoHunt likely classifies State Trust land as public. 3. DEER QUOTA: Hunt 1007 (423 permits) covers Units 5A AND 5B combined; no AZGFD source breaks out the 5A-only share. 4. HARVEST DATA: Elk hunter success percentages come from the 2020 AZGFD Elk Harvest Questionnaire (most recent PDF retrieved); general rifle bull success 37% (94 animals, 253 hunters). These are 2020 figures; the 2025 statewide general elk success was approximately 44% (per search results) but unit-specific 2025 data was not available. 5. BEAR: OTC nonpermit-tag (no draw); the female harvest objective of 6 sows for 4A+5A combined is a season closure trigger, not a permit cap. 6. MUZZLELOADER ELK: Hunt 3102 (Sep 25-Oct 1, 2026, 24 permits) is confirmed new for 2026 in Unit 5A per multiple sources and the 2026 regulations PDF. 7. PRONGHORN ARCHERY: Season dates Aug 21-Sep 3, 2026 (not Aug 21-Sep 3, 2025) per the 2026 PDF. 8. BIGHORN SHEEP/BEAR: Regulated under 2025-26 Arizona Hunting Regulations; season dates are Oct/Nov 2025. 9. TURKEY: Hunt 4504 legal methods include shotgun shooting shot, crossbow, and bow and arrow—centerfire and muzzleloading rifles not legal. 10. HOPI ACCESS: Contact for Hopi Tribe Wildlife and Ecosystem Management Program is (928) 734-3673 or (928) 734-3671; outfitters must contact Office of Revenue Commission at (928) 734-3172.