Arizona Bison Draw Odds: House Rock & Raymond

Arizona buffalo aren’t the wild plains bison of South Dakota or the backcountry herds of northern Alaska. They’re the descendants of herds established on state-managed ranches a century ago, hunted today under a carefully regulated draw system on two ranches — House Rock and Raymond — that exist specifically to support the program. The hunts aren’t wilderness pursuits. What they are is one of the few legitimate paths to a legal American bison harvest for hunters who don’t have decades to wait for an Alaska or Montana tag.

If you’re thinking about adding bison to your June 2026 Arizona application, here’s the realistic breakdown of what the draw looks like and what the hunt actually is.

Quick Facts: Arizona Bison

Detail	Info
Application Deadline	Second Tuesday of June (June 9, 2026)
Herds	House Rock Ranch (northern AZ), Raymond Ranch (northern AZ near Flagstaff)
Total Annual Tags	Typically 15–40 combined, varies by herd management needs
Draw System	Linear bonus points, 20% random / 80% weighted
Nonresident Cap	10% per hunt number
Hunt Structure	Guided or semi-guided on AGFD-managed ranches
Tag Cost	~$1,100 nonresident bison tag
Season	Varies by hunt number, October through January

Disclaimer: Bison tag numbers shift year to year based on herd population data and management goals. Specific hunt numbers and sex designations (bull, cow, either-sex) vary annually. Verify the 2026 Fall Hunt Booklet at azgfd.com for current structure.

The Two Herds

Arizona manages two bison herds, both originating from animals acquired in the early twentieth century as a conservation and novelty effort.

House Rock Wildlife Area sits in northern Arizona between the Kaibab Plateau and the Utah border, in the arid plateau country above the Colorado River. The House Rock herd ranges across managed pasture land at around 5,000-foot elevation. Hunts here take place on open plateau country with juniper scatter and sagebrush flats — terrain that looks and feels like classic northern-Arizona high desert.

Raymond Wildlife Area is about thirty miles southeast of Flagstaff, in ponderosa and grassland country at around 7,000-foot elevation. The Raymond herd ranges across a mix of forested and open terrain, and hunts have a different character than House Rock — more timber, more elevation change, and winter weather that can genuinely matter during the hunt.

Both herds are managed as self-sustaining populations, with hunting serving as the primary population control tool. Harvest allocations are adjusted annually based on herd counts, with the goal of maintaining healthy numbers within the carrying capacity of each range.

Hunt Structure: Not a Wilderness Hunt

The Arizona bison program operates differently from any other big-game draw in the state. Drawn hunters report to the wildlife area at a specified date, work with AGFD personnel or a contracted guide, and hunt within the managed ranch boundary rather than across broader public land.

This doesn’t mean the hunt is trivial. Bison are wary animals that use terrain, and both House Rock and Raymond ranches are large enough that stalking, glassing, and waiting matter. Successful hunters often spend two to four days in the field, sometimes making long stalks across open ground to close within shooting distance. The harvest experience is real.

What the hunt lacks is the backcountry character of a draw-tag elk or mule deer hunt. You’re not packing into wilderness. You’re hunting a managed herd on a designated area with agency personnel available for support. For most hunters, that’s acceptable — the goal is taking a legal American bison, and the Arizona system offers one of the few paths to that goal without buying a commercial meat-animal hunt.

Hunt Numbers and Sex Designations

Arizona splits bison hunts by herd, by season, and by sex designation. Typical structures include:

Bull hunts — the marquee tags, with higher point requirements and more demand. A mature bison bull is the trophy animal most hunters picture when they think bison. Draw difficulty is highest for bull hunts in both herds.

Cow hunts — mature cow tags allocated for herd management. Lower point requirements, still offering the full bison-hunting experience. Meat quality is generally excellent on cow bison, and the harvest experience is largely the same as a bull hunt.

Either-sex hunts — some hunt numbers allow harvest of either a bull or a cow, with the drawn hunter making the choice in the field. These tags sit in the middle of the point-requirement range.

Hunter-specific restrictions — occasionally AGFD offers hunts restricted to specific populations (seniors, youth, physically challenged hunters) with different draw structures. These don’t apply to most nonresident applicants but are worth knowing about.

Point Requirements

Historical point requirements for nonresident bison:

House Rock bull hunts: Typically 8 to 14 points for meaningful weighted-draw probability. The 20% random makes first-year applications live.

House Rock cow hunts: Typically 4 to 8 points. Accessible target for moderate-point applicants who want the hunt experience without waiting for premium bull odds.

Raymond bull hunts: Similar to House Rock at 8 to 14 points. Raymond’s proximity to Flagstaff and slightly different terrain makes it the preferred hunt for some applicants, which can push demand slightly higher.

Raymond cow hunts: 4 to 8 points, similar to House Rock cow hunts.

Points for bison don’t escalate the way deer and elk points do because tag counts are small but demand is also moderate — bison is a niche draw that serious sheep and moose hunters also put in for, but the broader western application community doesn’t all apply for bison the way they do for elk.

The Draw Odds Engine shows current-year draw probability for each bison hunt number based on historical application data, filtered by nonresident status.

Should You Apply?

Arizona bison is a strategic addition to a multi-species application for hunters who want to diversify their tag portfolio. It’s not a hunt that replaces a bighorn or a premium-unit elk — it’s a complement, a tag that might come through after fifteen years of applying when nothing else has, and that gives you a legitimate big-game harvest experience.

The cost calculus works for most nonresident applicants. Application fees are modest, the point requirements are manageable, and the tag cost (~$1,100) is lower than many premium elk tags. The only real expense beyond the tag is travel logistics and meat handling, both of which are predictable.

Field Logistics

Drawn hunters coordinate their hunt dates with AGFD personnel at the assigned ranch. Most hunts are scheduled within specific date windows — for example, a hunt number might offer a seven-day window in mid-October — and drawn hunters pick their specific arrival day within that window.

Accommodations near both ranches are sparse. House Rock is remote; the nearest towns are Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab, Utah, both an hour-plus drive. Raymond is closer to Flagstaff, with hotel options thirty to forty-five minutes out.

Processing is the biggest unglamorous logistics problem. Arrange processing weeks before your hunt, confirm with your processor that they can handle a bison (many deer processors cannot), and factor transport time to your processor into your hunt plan. A bison quartered in the field still requires a full-size pickup bed or trailer to transport.

Building the Application

Add bison to your 2026 Fall Draw application alongside pronghorn, javelina, bear, and bighorn. Use the Application Timeline to sequence your preparation through June 9, and the Draw Odds Engine to pick the specific hunt number that matches your point total and hunt preferences.

Arizona bison is not a grail species for most hunters. It’s a reasonable draw with a realistic shot at a legitimate harvest, and for the right applicant it rounds out a multi-species portfolio in a way no other Arizona tag can.

Related Arizona Articles

• Buffalo hunting — House Rock & Raymond

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Arizona bison “really” wild? They’re free-ranging within the ranch boundaries and behave as wild animals — wary, mobile, and not handled or supplemented. They’re not the wild-plains bison of Yellowstone or the Henry Mountains, but they’re genuine American bison in a managed-range hunting context.

How big are Arizona bison? Mature bulls run 1,500 to 2,000 pounds on the hoof; mature cows run 900 to 1,200. Both herds have produced record-book animals.

Can I hunt either herd with the same tag? No. Each hunt number is specific to one ranch. You apply for House Rock or Raymond, and your tag is valid only on that ranch for the specified dates.

What processing options exist near the ranches? Limited. Plan ahead. Most drawn hunters either arrange regional processors (Flagstaff, Kanab, Page) before the hunt or handle processing themselves. Do not show up without a processing plan.

Can I hire a guide for a bison hunt? AGFD maintains a list of approved guides who work the bison program. Not all drawn hunters use guides — some handle the hunt entirely independently within the managed range — but guide support is available and reasonable.

How does the meat compare to beef? Lean, mild, slightly sweeter than beef. A typical mature bison yields 400 to 700 pounds of processed meat depending on size and fat content. Most hunters find bison meat excellent for ground, roasts, and steaks with minimal grind-out needed.