Arizona Bighorn Sheep Mule Deer Elk

Unit 28 (Safford – Gila/Mt. Graham)

Arizona Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Elk

Unit 28 is the vast southeast Arizona unit centered on the Pinaleño Mountains (Mt. Graham), the Galiuro Wilderness, and the Gila River corridor. The Coronado National Forest manages the high country — Mt. Graham tops 10,720 feet — while BLM and State Trust land fill the lower desert and riparian zones. The unit hosts a small, carefully managed desert bighorn population in the rimrock and river-breaks country. With only ~6 tags issued across three years against over 1,200 applicants, this is a once-in-a-lifetime draw.

View Draw Odds Arizona Hunting Guide

Logistics & Planning Guide →

Access roads, campgrounds, elevation, monthly weather, stock tanks, cell coverage, and nearest-town services for Unit 28.

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Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 28

Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit 28

Desert bighorns in Unit 28 use the steep, rimrock-strewn canyons that cut the southeast Arizona ranges.

Gila River Breaks

The canyonlands above the Gila River between Safford and the Duncan area hold the majority of Unit 28 sheep. Focus on south- and east-facing escarpments, broken rim country, and boulder-choked side canyons.

Galiuro Wilderness Rim

The Galiuro rim and its surrounding cliffs provide secondary sheep habitat. Access is strenuous — miles of trail hiking and wilderness camping are required.

Mt. Graham Foothills

The lower, rocky flanks of the Pinaleños produce occasional sheep in the cliffy bajadas. Glass the long, broken rim bands above the desert floor.

How to Hunt Bighorn Sheep in Unit 28

A Unit 28 bighorn tag is the hunt of a lifetime. Treat it accordingly.

Pre-Scout Heavily

Start scouting 4–6 months out. Drive every legal road, hike the rims, and put rams on camera or in spotting scopes. Work with the AZGFD Region V office in Tucson and local sheep biologists for intel on ram locations.

Hire an Outfitter

Most sheep hunters hire an Arizona-licensed guide for this unit. The terrain is punishing, the habitat is subtle, and rams move across enormous country. A veteran guide knows specific band locations and ram rotations.

Glass from Below, Stalk from Above

Classic sheep tactics apply — locate rams with high-power spotting scopes from valley floors or lower ridges, then climb above them to make the final approach. Plan for multi-day stalks with camp on your back.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle75%

Arizona desert bighorn hunters post success rates of 85–95% across all units, and Unit 28 is consistent with that range. Given the tiny tag allocation (roughly 2 tags annually on the 3-year average), every hunter is heavily scouted and guided. The unit produces mature rams with horn scores commonly in the 155–170 B&C range.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General Rifle	3	447	0.2%	0

Data from 2023 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Unit 28 bighorn is a once-in-a-lifetime draw. Arizona runs bighorn through the same weighted bonus-point system as other big game — 20% of tags go to max-point holders first, and the remaining 80% run a random weighted draw. With only ~6 tags over three years and 1,228 applicants, odds per applicant run roughly 0.5%. Expect to need 15–25+ bonus points to be realistically competitive, and even then the draw is largely luck-driven. Arizona residents who harvest a bighorn are permanently excluded from applying again for that species.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 28

Unit 28 covers the Pinaleño Mountains (Mount Graham) and surrounding Gila Valley desert country in southeast Arizona. Per AZGFD's GMU 28 page and the 2025–26 Arizona Hunting Regulations, the unit offers a mix of desert mule deer and higher-elevation sky-island habitat with strong permit allocations. Our three-year tally shows about 443 applicants against roughly 525 permits — functionally over-the-counter odds for many archery hunts and low-point odds for rifle.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 28

Unit 28 offers habitat from desert floor to 10,700-ft peaks.

Pinaleño High Country (7,500–10,000 ft)

Mixed conifer and aspen on the upper Pinaleños hold summer and early-fall bucks. The Swift Trail (Hwy 366) provides the main access; seasonal closures begin mid-November.

Mid-Elevation Oak Woodlands (5,000–7,500 ft)

Emory oak and chaparral on the range flanks produce most of the mature bucks, especially during late-season rut hunts.

Desert Washes (3,000–5,000 ft)

Low-elevation desert on the Gila Valley side holds winter-range deer and scattered resident bucks in mesquite-dominated washes.

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How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 28

Unit 28 rewards hunters who adapt to the elevation the season gives them.

Early-Season High Country

Early rifle and archery hunts work best above 7,000 ft before the Swift Trail closes. Glass aspen pockets and meadow edges at first light.

Late-Season Mid-Elevations

Once snow pushes deer off the peak, mid-elevation oak woodlands are the core hunt. Rut-phase bucks cruise at mid-day.

Desert-Edge Day Hunts

Low-elevation desert hunts off the Gila Valley are productive for archery hunters willing to sit water in dry months.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle22%

Unit 28 mule deer success runs 20–35% for rifle and 10–20% for archery per AZGFD harvest summaries. The unit's habitat variety is its strength — hunters who match elevation to season typically score at the upper end of that range.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Late Rifle Nov	225	290	37.9%
Rifle— General Rifle Oct	25	52	21.2%
Rifle— General Rifle Oct	25	57	26.3%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Under Arizona's weighted bonus-point draw with 20% pass-through and hunter-education bonus, Unit 28 archery deer regularly draws with 0–1 points, and rifle hunts draw with 1–3 points. It is one of the most drawable quality deer units in southeast Arizona, making it a strong target for new applicants.

Elk Hunting in Unit 28

The 28/31/32 combined elk hunt spans the Pinaleño, Chiricahua, and Dos Cabezas ranges across southeast Arizona — a multi-range sky-island elk opportunity that covers three distinct mountain complexes on the Coronado National Forest. Elk here are low-density but well-distributed across upper conifer and oak-pine drainages. With 30 tags against 116 three-year applicants, the combined 28/31/32 elk hunt is a mid-difficulty draw with high flexibility for hunters willing to scout multiple ranges.

Where to Find Elk Across 28/31/32

Elk use a low-density pattern across all three ranges, concentrating in the upper conifer and oak-pine belts with pockets of open meadow.

Pinaleño Mountains (Unit 28)

Upper Pinaleño conifer and aspen habitat above 8,000 feet holds the majority of the elk — the Swift Trail corridor accesses most of this country.

Chiricahua Mountains (Unit 31)

Rustler Park and the upper canyons around Chiricahua Peak hold transient and resident elk. Meadow-edge setups at first and last light are the go-to move.

Dos Cabezas (Unit 32)

Scattered elk in the upper Dos Cabezas canyons; fewer animals than the other two ranges but much lower pressure.

How to Hunt Elk in 28/31/32

We treat the combined tag as three hunts in one and scout multiple ranges before committing to a home-base area.

Pre-Season Scout All Three Ranges

We drive each range during the week before the hunt, map fresh sign and wallows, and pick the range with the best current activity.

Meadow-Edge Glassing

Upper-elevation meadow edges at first and last light produce consistent bull sightings. A tripod-mounted spotting scope and quality binoculars are essential.

Stay Mobile

If one range goes weather-blown or hunter-pressured, we move. The combined tag is a huge advantage — use it.

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle25%

Archery18%

Combined 28/31/32 elk hunts run 20 to 35 percent rifle success per AZGFD summaries. The low overall elk density is offset by the flexibility of three ranges. Bull quality is solid with occasional 280+ bulls, though this is not a trophy-class unit.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— General Rifle Oct	10	37	13.5%
Rifle— Early Rifle	5	26	15.4%
Archery— Early Archery	5	14	28.6%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Arizona uses a weighted bonus-point draw with 20 percent of tags reserved for the maximum-point applicants and 80 percent drawn through a weighted random bonus point process. A Hunter Education bonus point is awarded to applicants who complete the accredited Hunter Ed course. The 28/31/32 combined elk hunt with 30 tags against 116 three-year applicants typically draws with 3 to 7 bonus points for rifle — a realistic mid-tier target for hunters with modest point banks.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Trailer Access

US-70 and US-191 are paved and handle any rig size. Forest and BLM roads reaching sheep country are rough and generally not trailer-friendly — base out of Safford or Willcox.

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Water

Very limited in the sheep country. Fill in Safford, Pima, or Duncan. Carry 1+ gallon per person per day for extended stalks.

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Road Conditions

Highways paved. BLM and Forest roads into the Gila breaks and Galiuro rims are rough 4WD two-track with washouts. Wilderness areas are foot/horseback only.

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Terrain Difficulty

Extreme. Rimrock canyons, cliff bands, loose talus, and dense catclaw brush. Expect 3,000–4,000 feet of elevation gain on a typical stalk.

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Hunting Pressure

Minimal. 2 tags per year means effectively no other hunters encountered.

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Weather

Sheep season runs November–December. Days 55–75°F, nights 30–45°F. Early-season monsoon runoff can leave trails muddy.

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Cell Service

Spotty along US-70. None in the Galiuro or Gila canyon country. Bring a satellite communicator and share daily check-in schedule.

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Nearest Town

Safford (full services — fuel, groceries, lodging, hospital). Willcox to the southwest. Duncan for the eastern Gila.

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Permit Notes

Bighorn tag + State Trust Land recreation permit. Coronado NF Wilderness Area rules apply in the Galiuro (no motorized/mechanized).

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many bonus points do I need for a Unit 28 bighorn tag?

There is no set threshold — Arizona's weighted random system means even max-point holders face long odds. Realistically, 15–25+ bonus points makes you competitive, but luck drives the outcome.

Do I need a guide to hunt Unit 28 bighorn?

Nonresidents are not required to hire a guide in Arizona, but the vast majority of successful sheep hunters use an outfitter. Given the once-in-a-lifetime nature of the tag and the difficult habitat, a guide is a strong investment.

Can I hunt bighorn in Arizona more than once?

No. Under AZGFD rules, once you harvest a bighorn sheep in Arizona, you are permanently excluded from applying for a bighorn tag in the state again.

When does the Swift Trail close in Unit 28?

Per Coronado NF, the Swift Trail (Hwy 366) typically closes to the upper Pinaleños in mid-November and reopens in spring. Verify exact dates with the Safford Ranger District before your trip.

Is Unit 28 a good new-hunter destination?

Yes. Draw odds are among the most accessible in Arizona, habitat variety is strong, and Safford offers full logistics support.

Can I hunt all three units on one 28/31/32 elk tag?

Yes. The combined tag is valid across GMUs 28, 31, and 32 during the hunt dates per the current Arizona Pronghorn and Elk Regulations.

Which range has the most elk?

The Pinaleños (Unit 28) hold the highest elk density of the three ranges. The Chiricahuas (Unit 31) are second, and Dos Cabezas (Unit 32) has the fewest animals but the least pressure.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

AZGFD Desert Bighorn Sheep Management — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Desert bighorn tags extremely limited, Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Sheep populations in Gila corridor, Unit 28 includes Pinaleños and Galiuro Wilderness · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Draw Portal — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bighorn draw system, Max-point pass category, Unit 28 historical results · accessed 2026-04-17
Coronado National Forest — Safford Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Mt. Graham access roads, Pinaleño wilderness regulations, Dispersed camping · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Safford Field Office — Bureau of Land Management · supports: Gila River corridor public lands, Road access and closures, Camping rules · accessed 2026-04-17
GMU 28 — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Pinaleño Mountains and Gila Valley boundary, Coronado NF coverage, Mount Graham Red Squirrel habitat overlay · accessed 2026-04-17
2025–26 Arizona Hunting Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit 28 season dates, Permit totals by hunt number, Access restrictions near Mount Graham Observatory · accessed 2026-04-17
2026 Arizona Pronghorn and Elk Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Combined 28/31/32 elk hunt structure, Tag quotas and season dates, Cross-unit access provisions · accessed 2026-04-17
GMU 31 — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Chiricahua Mountains coverage, Coronado NF jurisdiction, Wilderness overlays · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit 28 (Safford – Gila/Mt. Graham)

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 28

Where to Find Bighorn Sheep in Unit 28

Gila River Breaks

Galiuro Wilderness Rim

Mt. Graham Foothills

How to Hunt Bighorn Sheep in Unit 28

Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 28

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 28

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 28

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 28

Where to Find Elk Across 28/31/32

Pinaleño Mountains (Unit 28)

Chiricahua Mountains (Unit 31)

Dos Cabezas (Unit 32)

How to Hunt Elk in 28/31/32

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Explore Related Units

Unit 30A — Mule Deer

Unit 28 — Elk

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification