Arizona Bighorn Sheep

Unit 40BWM (Mount Wrightson / Santa Rita Mountains)

Arizona Hunting Guide — Bighorn Sheep

Unit 40BWM covers the Santa Rita Mountains and Mount Wrightson Wilderness south of Tucson. This desert bighorn hunt delivers classic sky-island cliff country within reach of a major metro area. Tag numbers are small — typically a handful — and the draw is long-term. Ram quality is solid for southern Arizona.

View Draw Odds Arizona Hunting Guide

Bighorn Sheep Hunting in Unit 40BWM

Where to Find Bighorn in Unit 40BWM

Santa Rita bighorn use the highest and rockiest core of the range.

Mount Wrightson Cliff Bands

The cliff faces on Mount Wrightson proper hold rams in classic escape terrain. Access via the Old Baldy or Super Trail systems from Madera Canyon.

Josephine Canyon System

The Josephine and Temporal drainages carve sheep habitat between broken cliffs. Glassing from opposing ridges picks up rams on south-facing feeding benches.

Upper Box Canyon Country

The east-side drainages off the Santa Ritas provide secondary sheep habitat. Ram quality here is often solid.

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How to Hunt Bighorn Sheep in Unit 40BWM

This is a true sky-island hunt with vertical relief that rivals anything in the state.

Trail-and-Glass System

Work the trail network out of Madera Canyon to reach high glassing points. Expect 3,000+ feet of elevation gain before serious glassing even begins.

Pre-Hunt Scouting

With a likely once-in-a-lifetime tag, invest multiple weekends photographing candidate rams and mapping approach routes. The terrain punishes shortcuts.

Wilderness Rules

Portions of the unit sit inside Mount Wrightson Wilderness. Confirm motorized and mechanized rules with Coronado NF before scouting.

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Bighorn Sheep Success Rates

Rifle75%

Sheep tag-holders in Arizona post high success rates broadly — typically well above 80% for dedicated desert bighorn hunts. 40BWM success tracks the statewide pattern given the scarcity of tags and intense pre-hunt preparation typical of sheep hunters.

Bighorn Sheep Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— General Rifle	2	106	1.9%
Rifle— Late Rifle Nov	2	210	1.0%
Rifle— Late Rifle Dec	1	134	0.7%

Data from 2023 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

With roughly 532 applicants over 3 years for ~6 tags, 40BWM is a long-odds hunt but slightly less scarce than some river-corridor units. Arizona's weighted-random draw favors accumulated points, the 20% pass-through keeps new applicants in play, and the hunter-ed bonus helps residents marginally. Apply every year and stay patient.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Patagonia and Green Valley offer private RV parks. Madera Canyon has limited developed camping.

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Camp Sites

Coronado NF dispersed camping outside wilderness. Madera Canyon developed campgrounds.

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Trailer Access

Paved access to Madera Canyon and Box Canyon trailheads. Interior requires foot travel.

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Water

Seasonal springs and creeks. Filter and plan carefully.

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Road Conditions

Good paved access to trailheads. Some interior forest roads are rough.

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Terrain Difficulty

Very difficult. Steep climbs, exposed rock, wilderness travel.

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Hunting Pressure

Nil — sheep tag-holders only.

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Weather

November–December hunts run mild lowlands and cold high elevations; snow possible above 8,000 ft.

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Cell Service

Spotty. None in the wilderness interior.

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Nearest Town

Green Valley, Tubac, and Patagonia. Tucson is 40 minutes north.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Unit 40BWM a wilderness-only hunt?

Parts of the hunt area sit inside Mount Wrightson Wilderness, where motorized and mechanized travel are prohibited. Significant portions of useful bighorn terrain lie outside wilderness, but most successful stalks involve at least partial wilderness travel on foot.

How physically demanding is the 40BWM hunt?

Highly demanding. Hunters routinely put in 3,000+ feet of elevation gain per day on Santa Rita trails. We recommend a dedicated training plan for months before the hunt.

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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 Game Management Units — Southeastern Arizona — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: 40BWM boundary, Bighorn presence, Land ownership mix · accessed 2026-04-17
2025-26 Arizona Hunting Regulations — Arizona Game and Fish Department · supports: Bighorn season structure, Tag allocation, Hunt unit boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17
Coronado National Forest — Santa Rita Ranger District — USDA Forest Service — Coronado National Forest · supports: Wilderness access, Mount Wrightson Wilderness rules, Trailhead and road info · accessed 2026-04-17