Unit 23, New Mexico

Elevations range from approximately 4,250 feet in the desert flats near Lordsburg to 8,827 feet on Whiterocks Mountain. Other prominent peaks include Burro Peak (8,035 ft), Saddle Mountain (8,340 ft), Brushy Mountain (7,620 ft), and Bullard Peak (7,064 ft). The Big Burro Mountains run northwest-southeast for roughly 35 miles and are located southwest of Silver City. Terrain transitions from flat desert grassland in the south to rolling brush country at mid-elevation and steep, complex canyon systems with north-facing timber in the higher ranges. The Continental Divide crosses the range via Burro Peak. Lower areas are characterized by broad desert valleys between isolated mountain ranges typical of the Basin and Range province.

The unit is approximately 63% public land (37% private). Public lands consist of roughly 443,776 acres of Gila National Forest (USFS), 29,305 acres of USFS Wilderness (Blue Range Wilderness), approximately 329,472 acres of BLM (administered by the Las Cruces and Gila Field Offices), and approximately 412,096 acres of State Trust land. Primary highway access: US-180 runs the length of the eastern edge from the Arizona border near Luna south through Silver City and on to Deming; Interstate 10 forms part of the southern boundary near Lordsburg; NM-90 provides paved access to the Big Burro Mountains area from Silver City; NM-78 near Mule Creek provides paved access to the middle portion of the unit; NM-70 runs through the northwestern section of the unit. Improved dirt and forest roads penetrate the Gila National Forest and reach many BLM parcels, though four-wheel drive is recommended on most backcountry roads. Some BLM and State Trust parcels are landlocked by private land and lack legal road access — hunters must verify access before entering. The Blue Range Wilderness (29,305 acres) is roadless and receives very light hunting pressure. Nearest service towns are Silver City (north), Lordsburg (south), Deming (southeast), and Glenwood (north). Campgrounds exist at Luna, Pueblo Park, and Glenwood; lodging is available in Silver City, Glenwood, and Deming.

Vegetation is strongly elevation-driven. Low elevations (below ~5,500 ft) support Chihuahuan Desert scrub with soap-tree yucca, four-wing saltbush, creosote, and desert grasslands. Mid-elevations (~5,500–7,000 ft) transition to alligator juniper, pinyon pine, manzanita, mountain mahogany, scrub oak, and grassland openings. Upper elevations (~7,000 ft and above) support ponderosa pine with Gambel oak, and north-facing slopes at the highest elevations carry Douglas-fir and aspen. Riparian corridors along the Gila River drainage and its tributaries provide cottonwood-willow bosque. The diversity of habitat types across this elevation range supports a wide array of resident and migratory game.

Elk (Rocky Mountain subspecies) occupy the Gila National Forest portions of the unit; the unit is regarded as a trophy-quality area with limited license numbers and record-book bulls taken annually. Very limited road access in higher terrain allows bulls to reach full maturity. Coues whitetail deer are the primary deer species in the Big Burro Mountains and adjacent mountain ranges — the Burro Mountain sub-unit is considered one of New Mexico's premier Coues deer destinations and the tag is among the hardest to draw in the state; trophy-class bucks are taken annually. Desert mule deer are present in the lower desert and transitional elevations. Pronghorn antelope occupy the desert grassland flats in the southern and eastern portions of the unit near Deming and Lordsburg. Javelina are resident through scrub and desert zones. Black bear are distributed through forested mountain ranges and move actively between berry and acorn mast crops in late summer and fall. Mountain lion (cougar) are present unit-wide with concentrations in rugged canyon terrain. Merriam's turkey occupy ponderosa pine zones in the Gila National Forest portions of the unit.