Hunting Land in Arizona – Part 1

Can You Hunt on Your Land in Arizona?

In this video, Jeff from Southwest Land Deals offers some great information for land owners who also like to hunt. This is great for anyone who owns hunting land in Arizona!

Hey, this is Jeff with Southwest Land Deals. A question we get a lot, especially because we specialize in larger, more remote, rural acreage is: Can I hunt on my land? And the simple answer in Arizona is: Well, it depends.

But you can’t hunt big game in Arizona just because it’s on your land. I know that differs a little bit from New Mexico where a landowner can own some land and if they get a tag from the state, then they’re allowed to hunt on their own land.

In Arizona, the state actually owns all of the wildlife. In order to hunt big game, whether that’s elk, antelope, deer, bison—and we have some world-class animals here—you have to get drawn. And there are three major draws. And basically what that looks like is, you go the Arizona Game & Fish and you put in your information and you pay your, I think, $7 or $9 to register yourself. Then three times a year they have a draw. If you get selected for your unit, or for your section, then you can go and hunt for that one week period to go for the animal.

The first of the three major draws is in February, when you need to put in for your elk and your antelope and your fall javelina. And those hunts happen in September, October, November, so later in the fall.

There’s a second draw in the mid-summer, so about June. That’s the one where you put in for your deer, whether that’s Coues white deer, mule deer, big horn sheep draw, turkey, and a newer one is sandhill crane. You actually have to be drawn for sandhill crane, or “The steak of the sky,” as they call it.

The last draw happens in the fall, usually around October and that’s going to be for spring hunting season. So that’s going to be for javelina, turkey, bear, and bison. And so those are the three major draws throughout the year through the Arizona Game & Fish.

Other game to hunt includes mountain lion. And that is actually an over-the-counter tag. You do have to have a tag to hunt mountain lion, but you don’t have to get drawn for that. You just have to buy the tag and then that’s a year-round tag.

We also have dove and quail, which isn’t really big game, but there is a season for that in the fall. We have duck and goose and that’s going to be in the fall as well. And then vermin, like coyotes and rabbits, is pretty much year round.

I hope that clears some things up. Like I said, it’s important to know that you can’t just hunt on your own land even though you may have some big acreage in Arizona. Although, if you get drawn for certain game and your property is in the right unit, you can hunt for that specific animal on your property during the designated time.

We’ve always got new pieces of amazing hunting land in Arizona at www.SouthwestLandDeals.com, or you can give us a call in the office at 480-442-7787. Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you soon.