Arizona Mule Deer Turkey Coues Whitetail Deer

Unit 33 (33)

Arizona Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Turkey, Coues Whitetail Deer

Unit 33 is a southeast Arizona mule deer unit managed under AZGFD hunt guidelines. Tag quotas are set annually based on population surveys, harvest objectives, and habitat conditions. Draws use Arizona's weighted random bonus point system, where applicants with more bonus points receive additional random numbers.

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Access roads, campgrounds, elevation, monthly weather, stock tanks, cell coverage, and nearest-town services for Unit 33.

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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 33

Mule deer in Unit 33 hold on brushy desert ridges, oak-draped canyons, and transition zones between desert grassland and mid-elevation oak woodland. Focus scouting on canyon bottoms with water, rim country with good glassing, and north-facing slopes during warm periods.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 33

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle22%

Mule deer success in Unit 33 varies year to year based on fawn recruitment, forage conditions, and pressure. Consult the AZGFD annual hunt arizona report for current unit-specific rifle, muzzleloader, and archery success data.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Late Rifle Nov	200	281	51.2%
Rifle— General Rifle Oct	200	334	50.0%
Rifle— Late Rifle Nov	200	260	60.0%
Rifle— General Rifle Oct	200	335	49.3%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Arizona mule deer tags in Unit 33 are allocated via the weighted random bonus point system. Residents receive 90 percent of tags and nonresidents are capped at 10 percent. Bonus points improve but do not guarantee a draw.

Turkey Hunting in Unit 33

Unit 33 covers the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains east and north of Tucson — a sky-island unit with scattered Gould's and Merriam's-hybrid turkey populations. Per AZGFD's GMU 33 page and the 2025–26 Arizona Hunting Regulations, the unit offers limited spring and fall turkey permits. Our three-year tally shows about 416 applicants against roughly 78 permits — a mid-tier draw with quality hunting for experienced sky-island turkey hunters.

Where to Find Turkey in Unit 33

Sky-island turkeys in 33 hold at mid to high elevations.

Upper Catalinas — Summerhaven Area

Mixed conifer and oak woodlands around Summerhaven and the upper Catalina Highway corridor hold scattered flocks. Early-season birds roost in tall Gambel oaks near drainage heads.

Rincon Mountain Drainages

Rincon canyon bottoms at 6,000–7,000 ft produce fall flocks feeding on acorns. Foot access from trailheads off Saguaro NP boundary; stay inside NF jurisdiction.

Oak-Pine Transition Benches

Benches where pine gives way to oak-juniper across both ranges act as travel corridors for mixed flocks.

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How to Hunt Turkey in Unit 33

Sky-island turkey hunting in 33 is a patient, ear-driven game.

Roost-Locate in Pre-Dawn

Owl hoots and crow calls locate toms on the roost before first light. Set up within 150 yards of the roost and call softly at fly-down.

Mid-Morning Prospecting

If the roost hunt fails, walk-and-call through mid-morning on benches and canyon rims. Hot gobbles on windy days are the norm here.

Fall Scatter-and-Call

Fall turkey seasons use break-up tactics — scatter a flock and call them back with assembly yelps. Focus on oak-rich canyon bottoms.

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Turkey Success Rates

Shotgun35%

Archery15%

Unit 33 turkey success runs 15–30% per AZGFD summaries, typical for Arizona sky-island turkey hunting. Bird density is lower than northern Mogollon Rim units, but pressure is also lower and experienced hunters score consistently.

Turkey Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Shotgun— Early Shotgun	3	197	1.5%	0
Archery— Early Archery	1	5	0.0%	0

Data from 2023 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 33 spring turkey typically draws with 1–3 bonus points. Fall turkey draws with fewer points. A reasonable annual-apply target for Tucson-area hunters.

Coues Whitetail Deer Hunting in Unit 33

Unit 33 covers the Tombstone corridor and foothills of Cochise County, attracting over 6,000 cumulative Coues whitetail applicants. The unit's grassland-oak mosaic on the high desert floor east of the Huachuca Mountains offers classic open-country Coues hunting with exceptional glassing opportunities. The rolling terrain and high deer density give hunters consistent shot opportunities at quality bucks in the late-season rut window.

Where to Find Coues Whitetail in Unit 33

Unit 33 Coues deer use the grama grassland, mesquite, and scattered oak country east of the Huachuca Mountains.

Open Grassland-Oak Edges

The rolling grassland punctuated by oak mottes produces classic Coues habitat. Glass from elevated ranch roads and rocky points overlooking the grass-oak edge. Deer densities here are among the highest in southern Arizona.

Drainages and Rincons

Drainages with cottonwood and hackberry hold deer through the heat of the day. Glass drainage mouths from ridgeline positions to catch bucks moving between feeding areas and bedding cover.

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How to Hunt Coues Whitetail in Unit 33

Open-country glass-and-stalk in rolling terrain. Unit 33's accessible landscape makes it one of the more forgiving Coues units for hunters new to the method.

Vehicle-Based Glassing

The BLM and ranch road system in Unit 33 allows efficient coverage by vehicle. Drive slowly on elevated roads, glass constantly from elevated positions, then execute foot stalks on located bucks.

Rut Behavior

During the December–January rut, bucks are daylong-active chasing does. Locate a doe group and watch it — bucks will visit repeatedly. Set up downwind of the feeding area and wait for buck activity rather than constantly moving.

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Coues Whitetail Deer Success Rates

Success rate data not yet available for this species in this unit.

Unit 33 rifle Coues success runs 45–65%. The open terrain and good deer numbers favor hunters willing to cover ground with quality optics. The rut timing overlaps perfectly with Arizona's late rifle season.

Coues Whitetail Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— General Rifle Oct	200	749	20.4%
Rifle— Late Rifle Nov	300	44	95.5%
Rifle— Late Rifle Dec	65	1,121	4.8%
Muzzleloader— Late Muzzleloader Nov	300	33	93.9%

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

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Over 6,000 cumulative applicants put Unit 33 in Arizona's competitive Coues tier. Expect 7–13 bonus points for rifle tags. Archery tags are less competitive but require significantly higher skill investment.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Arizona mule deer draw work for Unit 33?

AZGFD uses a weighted random bonus point draw. Each bonus point adds an additional random number to your application, improving but not guaranteeing your odds.

When is the application deadline for Unit 33 mule deer?

Arizona deer applications are typically due in early June for the fall seasons. Always verify the current deadline on the AZGFD website.

What turkey subspecies live in Unit 33?

Unit 33 holds scattered Gould's and Merriam's-hybrid turkeys per AZGFD distribution maps. Population density is lower than northern Mogollon Rim units.

Can I hunt inside Saguaro National Park?

No. Saguaro NP is closed to hunting. The Unit 33 hunt is valid only on Coronado NF and state lands outside the park boundary.

Is Unit 33 a good unit for first-time Coues hunters?

Unit 33's accessible terrain and open grassland make it one of the better entry-level Coues units in Arizona. The flat-to-rolling ground is easier to navigate than the steep sky island terrain in units like 36B, and deer densities are high. The glass-and-stalk method is still required — quality optics remain the number one equipment priority.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-18.

AZGFD Hunt Guidelines — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Hunt structure, Permit allocations · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Hunt Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Season dates, Legal weapons, Unit boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Draw Results & Bonus Points — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bonus point balances, Draw outcomes · accessed 2026-04-17
GMU 33 — Unit Landing Page — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Santa Catalina and Rincon coverage, Coronado NF jurisdiction, Saguaro NP exclusion area · accessed 2026-04-17
2025–26 Arizona Hunting Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Spring and fall turkey season dates, Permit allocations, Legal weapons and bag limits · accessed 2026-04-17
Coronado National Forest — Santa Catalina Ranger District — USDA Forest Service · supports: Catalina Hwy access, Dispersed camping rules, Saguaro Wilderness and Pusch Ridge Wilderness · accessed 2026-04-17
AZGFD Big Game Draw — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Applicant counts, Draw odds · accessed 2026-04-18

Unit 33 (33)

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 33

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 33

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Turkey Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Turkey in Unit 33

Upper Catalinas — Summerhaven Area

Rincon Mountain Drainages

Oak-Pine Transition Benches

How to Hunt Turkey in Unit 33

Roost-Locate in Pre-Dawn

Mid-Morning Prospecting

Fall Scatter-and-Call

Turkey Success Rates

Turkey Draw Odds

Coues Whitetail Deer Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Coues Whitetail in Unit 33

Open Grassland-Oak Edges

Drainages and Rincons

How to Hunt Coues Whitetail in Unit 33

Vehicle-Based Glassing

Rut Behavior

Coues Whitetail Deer Success Rates

Coues Whitetail Deer Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

Road Conditions

Cell Service

Nearest Town

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification

Unit 33 (33)

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 33

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 33

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Turkey Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Turkey in Unit 33

How to Hunt Turkey in Unit 33

Turkey Success Rates

Turkey Draw Odds

Coues Whitetail Deer Hunting in Unit 33

Where to Find Coues Whitetail in Unit 33

How to Hunt Coues Whitetail in Unit 33

Coues Whitetail Deer Success Rates

Coues Whitetail Deer Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Explore Related Units

Unit 32 — Turkey

Unit 33 — Mule Deer

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification