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Arizona Hunt Planner

To apply for licenses and be eligible to build bonus points, you have to buy a non-resident hunting license. This will set you back about $150. But if you're willing to make that commitment, you become eligible for bonus points across all species. ("Deer" is a single category for bonus points -- coues deer and mule deer aren't treated separately). So once you've bought your license, you definitely want to apply for every species that may be of interest to you, now or in the future.

Draw odds for the best antelope and mule deer tags are staggering (1 in 100 or worse). Still, I apply for these, based on the old premise that "somebody has to draw." I may never draw antelope, but if I get tired of applying for premier mulie tags, I can always switch to applying for a good coues deer tag, which should be significantly easier to draw.

Elk and sheep are always going to be tough draws, but they're actually easier than antelope and mule deer. If you want to ever draw a desert sheep tag in the US, you pretty much have to apply in Arizona.

Don't forget about the "Spring Draw". Applications are available in September and due by early October for spring hunts, including bear, spring bison, javelina, and turkey.

Species Notes General Tag Quality Limited Tag Quality Odds of Drawing Limited Tags Strategy
Antelope Best trophy quality in the nation. N/A Good to Excellent Poor Apply!
Bear Available both fall and spring. Spring hunts are tempting as an off-season activity. There are also great "bear in the pear" hunts in August, where the bears can be found in the open feeding on prickly pear cactus. Arizona is known for big bears! N/A Good to Excellent Good Consider one of the more interesting options available.
Bison In past years, these hunts seemed very appealing. Now, however, they seem to be largely for cows, the population density seems terrible, and the cost is exorbitant ($5,000) N/A Poor Poor Pass.
Coues Deer Referred to as simply "whitetails" in Arizona. Arizona is a great place to get a great deer, but you'll have to choose between mule deer and coues deer. Given the quality of Arizona mule deer, I go for them, since they're harder to draw and I don't want to give up my bonus points. N/A Average to Excellent Poor to Average Save your bonus points for mule deer instead.
Elk Excellent trophy quality, easier to draw than sheep, antelope, or the premier mule deer units. N/A Average to Excellent Poor Apply!
Mule Deer Legendary quality, especially in the 12 and 13 units. Rut hunts, of course, are the best. N/A Excellent Poor Apply!
Sheep, Desert Most likely place to draw a Desert bighorn tag. N/A Good Poor Apply!