Unit 22, New Mexico

Elevation ranges from approximately 4,500 feet in the San Francisco River valley and US 180 corridor up to roughly 10,658 feet in the high Mogollon Mountains. Whitewater Baldy, the highest point in the Mogollon Range (elevation variously cited as 10,892–10,899 ft across sources), sits near the unit's northern boundary. The northern half is steep, rugged mountain country with sheer rock cliffs, deep canyons (including Whitewater Canyon), and roadless wilderness ridgelines. Mid-elevations feature open grassy flats and ridges. The southern half transitions to flat, semi-arid desert and grassland, much of it privately held. Total unit size is approximately 393 square miles.

US 180 forms the approximate eastern boundary, running through Glenwood and Alma (the main gateway towns). NM 159 (Bursum Road) branches east from US 180 south of Alma, climbing steeply through Mogollon (historic ghost town at ~6,500 ft) before becoming a rough unpaved single-lane road requiring high-clearance 4WD; it is closed in winter due to snow and washouts. The road crosses the Continental Divide at roughly 7,500–7,920 ft before ending at Willow Creek Campground (Catron County Road 28 continues east). NM 174 provides access north of Glenwood into the northwest corner of the unit. Multiple primitive two-track roads branch west from US 180 toward wilderness trailheads. The Gila National Forest (Glenwood Ranger District, 575-539-2481) manages this district; the unit's eastern two-thirds falls within the Gila Wilderness (559,688 acres total, world's first designated wilderness, 1924), where no motorized vehicles are permitted. Most wilderness hunting requires hiking or horseback; backpack camps are common. State Trust Land parcels are interspersed and accessible with a valid hunting license under the NMDGF/State Land Office easement agreement (orange-signed access points; no off-road vehicle travel). The southern portion of the unit contains large private ranches that block access; elk tags drawn for unit 22 are also valid in the adjacent unit 16B, which expands hunter options. Six private-land EPLUS elk authorizations are available for qualifying ranches within the unit.

Above 9,000 feet: spruce-fir and quaking aspen forest. From 6,500–9,000 feet: extensive ponderosa pine forest, including one of the largest and healthiest ponderosa stands in the Southwest. From 4,500–6,500 feet: pinyon-juniper woodland with oak brush (Gambel oak and Chihuahuan oak) transitioning to semi-desert grassland and scattered juniper/cactus in the lower terrain. Riparian corridors along the San Francisco River, Whitewater Creek, and tributary drainages support cottonwood and willow. Large burn scars from past wildfires create open standing-timber habitat used by elk and deer. The unit marks the northernmost range of Chihuahua pine.

Elk (Rocky Mountain elk, managed under the Greater Gila/Lesser Gila herd complex) are the primary big-game species and move between the high Mogollon Mountains in summer and mid-elevation ponderosa and pinyon-juniper zones in fall and winter. Mule deer occupy all elevations; bucks move to lower benches and desert fringes during the rut. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep occupy the rugged cliff bands and high ridges. Pronghorn antelope are present in the lower semi-desert grasslands and desert flats, primarily in the southern portions of the unit. Black bear are widespread through the forested drainages and are relatively abundant in the Gila Wilderness; the unit falls within Bear Zone 10 (197-bear total quota, 79-female sub-limit). Mountain lion (cougar) inhabit the unit year-round, falling within Cougar Zone K (45-cougar total quota, 14-female sub-limit). Merriam's turkey are found in the ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer zones. Javelina occupy the lower desert and pinyon-juniper fringes. Mexican gray wolves (reintroduced 1998) are present in the broader Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area encompassing the Gila; hunters should be aware wolves may be encountered. Gila trout, a native threatened species, are present in some drainages. Numerous water tanks (stock tanks) dot the unit and concentrate wildlife, though reliability varies by season.