Arizona – Top 5 Elk Areas for 2025

These are the Top 5 Elk Hunts in Arizona! Some will take a lifetime of points or stupid-good luck to draw while others you may very well be able to get into next fall for a few points or not quite so much luck. Any way you slice it, Arizona is a must apply state for elk and we hope this intel sets you on the path to chasing bulls in the Grand Canyon State in 2025! Best of luck in the draws. – Todd Helms

Unit 10 – Each of the past two years I have found myself hunting elk in this unit, each time seeing impressive bulls. The difference between unit 10 and most of the other Blue-Chip units in Arizona is that in this unit most of the elk are resident. The early hunts are the traditional trophy hunts, but most of the bulls remain in the unit after the rut and can be hunted in the rim and canyon country. The rut can be intense here but is heavily reliant on moisture. Keep in mind that about half of the unit is located on the Big Boquillas Ranch (https://huntbigboranch.com) , which has special fees and rules that differ from other places in the state. After taking each of my kids on a hunt here, I can see why so many Arizonans have it at the top of their list for chasing big bulls. This part of the state is very remote, with parts of the unit located hours from the closest fuel or groceries, providing a unique experience for hunting a place that feels truly ancient. And once that tag is filled, welcome yourself back to the comforts of the modern world with some biscuits and gravy and a slice of pie at Lilo’s Café; you will not regret it.  

Unit 8 – This is a new Blue-Chip unit for 2025. The early rifle hunt is only held here every few years, and when it does, it usually produces some high-quality bulls. During the rut, resident bulls will venture out of their hiding spots in the deep dark canyons to come up into the pines and chase cows. There are a lot of roads in the unit, and they all get used. Be prepared to put in some time on the maps to find those places where the elk will be traveling to get away from the pressure. Later in the year, those bulls move into the deep canyons in the unit and can get in some nasty locations. Some hunters have used horses, and others just prepare for a multi-day recovery effort, but planning is critical. The habitat can vary from low juniper hills to high pines. Hunting styles can vary across different seasons. Listening and chasing bugles or sitting water can be productive during the rut and glassing long distances is the name of the game as the days get shorter and those temps start dropping.   

Unit 6A – Located near Flagstaff, this unit has plenty of public land and strong elk herds. A few good bulls are taken here every year, but most are average representative trophies. This unit has an additional muzzleloader hunt that occurs between the late archery and late rifle hunts. This can be a good mid-range bonus point option for those who want to come and experience Arizona and isn’t dead set on a top-end bull. With fewer tags, the experience of the muzzleloader hunt can also be more relaxed than some of the other hunts with more tags. 

Unit 22 Early – Unit 22 is managed as an opportunity unit for the department and has a wide variety of hunt types and seasons. The later hunts are a grind with very low trophy opportunity. Conversely, the early archery, rifle and muzzleloader hunts can produce some solid quality bulls with fewer bonus points than other hunts. This unit is low elevation and can be very warm in September, which can lead to hit-and-miss rut experiences. The advantage here is that even without strong rutting, the unit is very glassable, and with pre-rut conditions, bulls can sometimes be patterned. Portions of the unit do have high elk densities, and the tags are limited for the size of the unit. We did the archery hunt this year, and the rut activity was essentially nonexistent. We still managed to find some bulls hitting a water source, and my son filled his tag within a few days.   Unit 4A – This is a unit with a very high elk density in the southern portion of the unit during the early season. The ponderosa pine country holds high numbers of cows, and the rutting can get intense during September. This year with the archery dates being favorable for rutting, this could be a great place to spend a week with a bow. Elk tend to move north into the deep canyons once the rut ends, and the hunting can get tough later in the year. Once you leave the pines, the country is more favorable for glassing, and bulls can be found that way.