Unit 7E, Arizona

Elevation spans roughly 4,200 ft in the northeastern desert grasslands to 12,633 ft at the summit of Humphreys Peak. The landscape is built on Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic geology — cinder cones, lava flows, and ash flats at lower elevations give way to steep, forested volcanic slopes in the central and southern portions. The Kachina Peaks Wilderness (Note 48) covers the 8,000–12,635 ft alpine zone, encompassing the San Francisco Peaks and Inner Basin, with extremely rugged terrain and little to no vehicular access. Notable named areas include the Hochderffer Hills, White Horse Hills, Saddle Mountain, O'Leary Peak, Fern Mountain, Bismarck Lake, and the Inner Basin.

The unit falls almost entirely within the Coconino National Forest (Flagstaff Ranger District) with small parcels of Arizona State Trust land and private holdings. Public land is approximately 76.8% of the unit (per GoHunt unit profile). The Coconino National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) governs motorized access; cross-country motorized travel is prohibited under the USFS Travel Management Rule. Motorized carcass retrieval is prohibited for deer, turkey, antelope, and bear on National Forest land; it is allowed for elk. The Kachina Peaks Wilderness (Note 48) is entirely non-motorized — no ATVs, no mechanized vehicles — with terrain ranging from 8,000 to 12,635 ft. Unit 7 East is defined as the portion of Unit 7 east of AZ Hwy 180 (Note 53). Primary vehicular routes include US 180 (western boundary corridor), US 89 (northeast), and I-40 (southern boundary). FR 420 (Schultz Pass Road) is the primary interior forest road; it is graveled and generally passable by high-clearance passenger vehicles in dry conditions. Landowner access: (1) Note 157 — AZGFD has a Landowner Compact Agreement with the CO Bar Ranch (Units 7 and 9); a Ranch Pass and adherence to Ranch Rules is required to access this ranch. (2) Note 45 — AZGFD has a Landowner Compact Agreement with the Walking Cane Ranch located in the southeastern portion of Unit 7; Ranch Rules are required; location map and rules available at azgfd.gov/landownercompact.

Five cover bands stack with elevation. The northeastern corner (roughly 4,200–5,500 ft) supports Great Basin desert scrub and open grassland transitioning to pinyon-juniper woodland. Mid-elevations (roughly 5,500–7,000 ft) carry chaparral, oak woodland, and juniper scrub. The ponderosa pine belt (roughly 7,000–9,000 ft) is the dominant and most productive game habitat — dense stands interspersed with open meadows and aspen groves. Mixed conifer (white fir, Douglas-fir, blue spruce) occupies roughly 9,000–11,500 ft, giving way to Engelmann spruce-fir and then talus and alpine tundra above 11,500 ft within the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. Riparian corridors are limited; water sources include Merriam Spring, Leroux Spring, Schultz Tank, and scattered stock tanks near SP Crater. Aspen regeneration in burned areas is a managed priority; per AZGFD Note 76, the Unit 7 East elk population has been managed at a reduced level to support aspen regeneration and is now managed for slight growth.

Rocky Mountain elk are the signature species, occupying ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests year-round. Per Note 76, the 7E elk population is managed at moderate-to-low density to support aspen regeneration; the population is now managed for slight growth. Bulls seek high-elevation sanctuary in the 9,500+ ft zone during hunting pressure. Late-season (Nov–Dec) hunters typically find bulls at lower ponderosa elevations after snowfall. Mule deer range the full elevation gradient from desert scrub through ponderosa pine. Pronghorn antelope occur in northeastern grassland and open plateau sections below roughly 6,500 ft, managed as combined Unit 7 (7E + 7W). Merriam's turkey inhabit ponderosa and mixed-conifer zones with increasing population trend. Black bear range widely across forested sections from late summer through fall; Unit 7 female harvest limit is 3 per season. Javelina are present at lower-elevation chaparral and juniper fringe areas, densities lower than southern Arizona units. Mountain lion are present (Zone D harvest threshold of 20 applies to Units 7/9/10/11M combined). Abert's squirrel, cottontail rabbit, and raptors round out small game.

1. ELK TAG QUOTA (625) is the sum of confirmed 2026 bull-elk draw permits for Unit 7 East: hunt 3136 archery (150) + hunt 3137 Kachina Peaks archery (25) + hunt 3019 general Nov rifle (450). The draft's references to an Oct rifle bull hunt and a Dec bull rifle hunt for 7E were not found in the official PDF; those were removed. The draft's Kachina muzzleloader hunt (3103) was also not found — it does not appear in the 2026 table. 2. MULE DEER tag quota (1,200) is the combined permit count for Units 7 AND 9 as listed in hunt 1009 — no separate 7E-only count is published. 3. PRONGHORN has no muzzleloader hunt for Unit 7 (the draft's claim of 1 muzzleloader permit was not found in the PDF). 4. NOTE 45 refers to the Walking Cane Ranch Landowner Compact (Unit 7 generally, southeastern portion); NOTE 157 refers to the CO Bar Ranch compact (Units 7 and 9). The draft's claim that CO Bar Ranch allows access 'by custom with no trespass fees' is incorrect — a Ranch Pass and Ranch Rules compliance is required per Note 157. 5. BEAR: no dedicated archery-only bear season for Unit 7 was found in the regulations; the general Oct 2-Dec 31 nonpermit-tag season covers all legal methods. 6. TURKEY: hunt 4508 is 100 permits for all of Unit 7 (not split by 7E/7W). 7. Draw odds cited in the draft (2023) are not from the 2026 regulations; they are noted as historical reference only.